In Sermon Illustrations: "True Crime"

The Meanest Man In Texas

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 5, 2012

THE MEANEST MAN IN TEXAS Let's finish with the true and amazing story of Clyde Thompson. Clyde's father was a Bible salesman, but when he was old enough to stay home alone, he began refusing to go to church with the rest of the family. Most Sundays, while his family was in church, Clyde was ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Tags: Bible Influence

Leaning Over A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 28, 2012

LEANING OVER A CLIFF Writer Parker Palmer tells of his first experience on an Outward Bound course in his book, The Active Life. He says, "I took the course in my early forties, and in the middle of that course I was asked to confront the thing I had fears about since I had first heard about ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:8-11

Tags: Trust

Evangelism And Football  PRO

Contributed by Paul Dietz on Sep 28, 2008

Evangelism and Football We are now in the midst of one the hottest seasons of the year. No, I'm not talking about the weather and its accompanying temperatures. After all we have just finished having summer this past week and autumn is upon us. And also some trees up on the mountains in Grant and ...read more

Tags: Youth Day, Evangelism Fear Of

Denomination: *other

Where Is Your Faith?

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 25, 2014

“A weak faith is weakened by predicaments and catastrophes, whereas a strong faith is strengthened by them.” – Victor Frankl Rain poured down and thunder boomed one dark night in September in Western Oklahoma. It had been a quiet, pleasant evening at the nursing center, and nurses and residents ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:7

Tags: Active Faith, Encourage Others, Courageous Women, Faith Lifestyle

Denomination: Charismatic

Confirm Your Love

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 25, 2014

"It takes time and energy to have an enemy at work." - Gary Chapman Everyone’s mouth dropped open at the rude comment made to the receptionist by the higher ranking female employee. The receptionist was a plain, quiet woman, not dressed very well, who went studiously about her work and ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 2:5-11

Tags: Forgive Your Enemy, Power Of The Tongue, Hold Your Tongue, Confirm Your Love

Denomination: Charismatic

Fear Of Aging

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 27, 2014

“Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened.” - Jennifer Yane As you grow older, what’s inside you doesn’t change but your body changes, and it’s confusing to look in the mirror. If you live your life as though you are a perpetual image contestant, your age is ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:3-4

Tags: Aging, Serving, Inner Beauty

Denomination: Charismatic

Unsung Heroines-Anna The Prophetess

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Oct 24, 2022

Introduction: Only a few women were considered true prophetesses in the Bible. Isaiah’s wife was called one of these (Isaiah 8:3), and Miriam, Moses’ sister, was another (Exodus 15:20). Deborah was not only a judge, but also a prophetess (Judges 4:4) and Huldah was the prophetess who gave Josiah’s ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:36-38

Tags: Jesus Christ, Anna, Prophetesses

Denomination: Baptist

[001] Message From A Poem - 20 Snippets Of Living

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 30, 2024

[001] MESSAGE FROM A POEM - 20 SNIPPETS OF LIVING Sometimes we all like to put our thoughts to paper and this is what I have done here with this poem. I think we are quite familiar with the Proverbs and the wisdom contained there. I am at the latter end of my life and looking forward to the ...read more

Scripture: 3 John 1:3

Tags: Poem, Ways To Live, Living, Advice

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Unintentionally Humorous Texts: The "Bad Axe” Incident

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on May 3, 2024

Introduction: This is a follow up to the story of Elisha being asked, maybe as an afterthought?, to go with student prophets as they built a new facility. One of these men had borrowed an axe but something awful happened. By the way, this story has nothing whatsoever to do with the city of Bad ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 6:1-7

Tags: Elisha, Jordan River, Sons Of The Prophets, Axes

Denomination: Baptist

[028] A Message From A Poem – Be Not Conformed To The World

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 15, 2025

[028] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – BE NOT CONFORMED TO THE WORLD “If you don’t agree with us, you are not included.” “We will finance your new building but only if you add a night club.” This world is absolutely full of compromise. It happens in relationships (sexual pressure on a woman), in ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:10, 1 Peter 1:14, Romans 12:1-2, Romans 10:17

Tags: Compromise, Poetry, Conform, Conformity, Conformed To His Death, Conformed To The World  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[031] A Message From A Poem – Before Him Lay The Cross

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 19, 2025

[031] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – BEFORE HIM LAY THE CROSS We have a retrospective view of the cross in a very limited understanding, but the Lord’s view in the Garden of gethsemane was a forward one. The anticipation of that ordeal was a dreadful one. That comes out in the description and this ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:2, John 3:16-17, Psalm 69:1-3, Psalm 22:13-16, Matthew 26:38-39  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Love, The Cross, Anticipation, Endurance, Cross, Suffering, Gethsemane, Endure, Calvary  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[034] A Message From A Poem – Beneath His Wings – My Prayer

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 23, 2025

[034] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – BENEATH HIS WINGS – MY PRAYER In this poem there is a little word interplay in each stanza. It is simple to see. The reason for this poem is to express a prayer for personal concerns. I tried to cover a number of points I thought were important. These are ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:29-31, Luke 18:10-11, Nehemiah 2:4, Luke 18:13-14, Romans 12:12  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Prayer, Sincerity, Poetry, Devoted To Prayer, Silent Prayer  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[215]. A Message From A Poem - His Precious Redeemed Ones

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 28, 2025

[215]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - HIS PRECIOUS REDEEMED ONES In my messages and sermons, sometimes I raise the plight of suffering Christians enduring persecution such as we observe in many nations in Africa. It makes me think of these suffering ones and how the Lord views them. They are ...read more

Scripture: John 12:24, Revelation 2:10-11, 1 John 5:4, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 2 Peter 1:4  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Love, Christ, Jesus, Persecution, Victors, Grain Of Wheat, Christian Poems, Africa, Precious, Put To Death, Redeemed, Believers, Saints  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[288]. A Message From A Poem – The Xxxxxx Public Service

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 15, 2026

[288]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE XXXXXX PUBLIC SERVICE Maybe some might think this is a harsh poem but we live now in harsh times and sometimes bluntness is needed to wake up the offenders. I have deliberately omitted the identification from the title, so what is said could apply to just so ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:1-4, 2 Timothy 3:12-13

Tags: Arrogance, Manipulators, Bureaucrats, The Public Service, Christian Poems, Government Officials, Civil Service  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[304]. A Message From A Poem - They Have Gone To Be With Jesus

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 4, 2026

[304]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - THEY HAVE GONE TO BE WITH JESUS Right at the outset I want to say I LOVE THIS POEM. IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME. I love it because the Lord gave it freely to me and the truth of it now for 27 years has been part of the way I address the loss of a Christian loved one. ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 9:27, 2 Corinthians 5:6-8

Tags: Present With The Lord, Absent From The Body, Christian Poems, Christian, Jesus, Heaven, Home, Gone, In Christ, Death  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[306]. A Message From A Poem - Things Are Not What They Seem

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 6, 2026

[306]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - THINGS ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM People can observe something and take that limited observation and construct an edifice from it that turns out to be very wrong. That is the problem with making conclusions from limited information. At the time of Christopher ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 2:8, Colossians 2:23, Colossians 2:18

Tags: Bible, Evolution, Truth, Lies, Delusion, Mars, Venus, Charles Darwin, Appearances, Conclusions, Incorrect, Christian Poems, Defrauded  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[343]. A Message From A Poem - Whoa! Stop Your Gallop And Take Stock

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 30, 2026

[343]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - WHOA! STOP YOUR GALLOP AND TAKE STOCK Paul said to examine oneself in this passage – {{2 Corinthians 13:5 “TEST YOURSELVES to see if you are in the faith. EXAMINE YOURSELVES, or do you not recognise this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you - unless ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:12, 1 Corinthians 4:4, Galatians 6:4, 2 Corinthians 13:5

Tags: Examine Yourself, Test Yourself, Christian Poems, Gallop, Take Stock, Neglect Of The Bible  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The People With The Roses  PRO

Contributed by Ryan Johnson on Feb 23, 2002

THE PEOPLE WITH THE ROSES John Blanchard stood up from the bench, straightened his Army uniform, and studied the crowd of people making their way through Grand Central Station. He looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn’t, the girl with the rose. His interest in her had ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 12:38, 1 Samuel 16:7, Matthew 6:33, 1 Samuel 16:7, Matthew 13:24-43  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Evangelism Fear Of, Compassion, Great Commission, Heart, Love, The Organ  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Star Spangled Banner  PRO

Contributed by Michael Gibney on Jun 8, 2002

THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER Oh, say can you see, by the dawn’s early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets’ red glare, the ...read more

Tags: Independence Day, Political Freedom

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Plea For Fishing  PRO

Contributed by Steve Greene on Dec 30, 2005

A PLEA FOR FISHING: Now it came to pass that a group existed who called themselves fishermen. And lo, there were many fish in the waters all around. In fact, the whole area was surrounded by streams and lakes filled with fish. And the fish were hungry. Week after week, month, and year after ...read more

Tags: What Is Evangelism?

Denomination: Nazarene