In Sermon Illustrations: "Truth In Love"

Gossip-Free Church

Contributed by John Bright on Sep 23, 2025

I like to illustrate this kind of thing by talking about gossip. I believe it is the most tolerated sin in every congregation. As always, I like to share my definition of gossip. Something is not gossip if it can pass three tests: ? 100% Truth - You heard/saw it directly – can’t be repeated from ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:29

Tags: Holier Than Thou, Truth, Gossip

Denomination: Methodist

Counterfeit Preachers

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jul 10, 2023

Did you know that counterfeiting of money is one of the oldest crimes in history? Here in America it became a serious problem during the 19th century when banks issued their own currency. In fact, by the time of the Civil War, it was estimated that one-third of all currency in circulation was ...read more

Tags: Discernment, Truth, False Teachers, Spirit Of Truth, False Prophets, Spirits, Spirit Of Error  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Hold Up The Light  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Sep 11, 2003

Illustration: Hold Up the Light The famous Eddystone lighthouse off the coast of Cornwall, England, was first built in a fanciful way, by the learned and eccentric Winstanley. On its sides he put various boastful inscriptions. He was very proud of his structure, and from his lofty balcony used ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:24-27

Tags: Christian Love, Faith, Holiness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Al Was My Father-In-Law. He Was An Uncomplicated ...

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Feb 7, 2012

Al was my father-in-law. He was an uncomplicated man, easy to like. He was a natural athlete and avid outdoorsman who loved to hunt and fish. When he had a daughter (his first grandchild; my wife has no siblings) we didn’t realize how excited Al was about the prospect of taking her to the Great ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Tags: Evangelism, Love, Parents, Aging, Christian Love, Evangelism Urgency  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

The Titanic And The Importance Preparing Ourselves For Growth

Contributed by David Simpson on Apr 17, 2018

Growth is a natural part of growing up! The Lord wants us to grow up…to feed on Him and get growing! Ephesians 4:15 "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ." Col. 1:10 "And we pray this in order that you may live a life ...read more

Tags: Immaturity, Be Prepared, Growth, Preparation, Maturity, Selfishness, Disaster  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian Church

1 Corinthians 13 — Church Version  PRO

Contributed by Jim Kane on Jan 28, 2003

1 Corinthians 13 - church version “If our church could hold services in five languages or our members could speak three, but we didn’t love others, we would be all talk and no action. If our church really expressed it’s spiritual gifts with wholehearted service and we became spiritual giants, but ...read more

Scripture: Acts 3:1

Tags: Church General, Christian Love

Denomination: Church Of God

If Some Of You Are Like Me, You've Been Waiting ...  PRO

Contributed by Karl Eckhoff on Nov 13, 2003

If some of you are like me, you’ve been waiting with a bit of anticipation for the final segment of J.R.R. Tolkiens, The Lord of the Rings, to be released to movie theatres some time in the near future. If you’ve been following the story on the screen or reading it from the pages of a book, you’ve ...read more

Tags: God's Love, Forgiveness In Jesus

Denomination: Lutheran

Game . . . Set . . . Match? (06.15.05--The Tie ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jun 13, 2005

Game . . . Set . . . Match? (06.15.05--The Tie That Binds--1 John 4:16) “What more can I do? I’ve given you the best that I have, everything that is mine to give is yours. I simply don’t know what more I can do?” If you’ve never uttered these words yet in your life, it is likely that someday you ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:16, Isaiah 40:28-29

Tags: God's Love, Forgiveness In Jesus

Denomination: Lutheran

Not A Mountain Top Experience!" 1 Peter 1:13-25 ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Mar 2, 2005

“Not A Mountain Top Experience!” 1 Peter 1:13-25 Key verse(s): 15-16:“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” Blending in! Some of us prefer blending in to sticking out in a crowd. Then again there are others who are quite ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:13-25, Luke 24:1-50

Tags: Love Of The Disciples, Distract, Focus

Denomination: Lutheran

Holiness And Happiness  PRO

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Mar 14, 2011

HOLINESS AND HAPPINESS Quote taken from an article "9 Points for Preaching on the Problem of Evil" by Norman L. Geisler, a distinguished professor of apologetics at Veritas Evangelical Seminary in Murrieta, California: "The stark truth is that God is more interested in our holiness than in our ...read more

Tags: Apart, Joint, Love, Separation, Holiness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Jackie Robinson Was The First African American To ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Dec 29, 2000

JACKIE ROBINSON was the first African American to play baseball in the major leagues. Breaking baseball’s color barrier, he faced hostile crowds in every stadium. While playing one day in his home stadium of Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, he committed an error. The fans began to jeer him. He stood ...read more

Scripture: Mark 2:1-5

Tags: Friendship General, Love, Christian Love, Church Small Groups

Denomination: Wesleyan

Let Me Illustrate What I Mean. I've Got Two ...  PRO

Contributed by D. Greg Ebie on Dec 9, 2004

Let me illustrate what I mean. I’ve got two hammers with me. One is a 16 ounce Stanley, the other is a plastic Fisher Price. Which one do you think will leave the bigger mark on the things it hits? No brainer—the real hammer will do more to leave it’s mark than the toy. Now how many of you ...read more

Tags: Father, Christian Love, Mothers, Love, Peace, Humanity, God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Six Essential Qualities That Are The Key To ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Six essential qualities that are the key to success: sincerity, personal integrity, ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 1:7

Tags: Love Envies Not, Not Puffed Up, Workplace Success, Greatest Love

On Living And Dying

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jun 22, 2021

Martin Luther King Jr. on living, dying and his funeral. If any of you are around what I have to meet my day, I don’t want along funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. Every now and then I wonder what I would want them to say. Tell them not to ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, Philippians 1:21, Galatians 2:20

Tags: Funerals, Loving Others, Death, Love, Giving, Servanthood, Serving  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When My Mother Used To Make Jam, I Would Watch ...  PRO

Contributed by Clark Tanner on Dec 30, 2000

When my mother used to make jam, I would watch her pour wax over the top of the preserves until it was at the brim of the jar. She would then carefully wipe some wax around the rim itself, and place the rubber lined lid on tight. The wax and the vacuum caused by the cooling preserves would seal ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:13

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers, Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Orthodox

God's View Of People

Contributed by Paul Clemente on Nov 16, 2022

Genesis 8:15-22 Devotional After the flood had dried up, God instructed Noah (v15) and Noah obeyed (v16). Isn’t it interesting that we note birds from the ark but not fish…. Noah, did you keep fish in the ark??? – either he kept fish in the ark or God kept fish in the clouds or God recreated ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 8:15-22

Tags: People, Love, Worship, Sin, God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Shine

Contributed by Davon Huss on May 21, 2002

SHINE Dull as dirt You can’t assert the kind of light that might persuade a strict dictator to retire, fire the army, teach the poor origami. The truth is in the proof is when you hear your heart start asking, "What’s my motivation?" And try as you may, there isn’t a way to explain the ...read more

Tags: Love Of The Disciples, Sermon On The Mount, Supernatural

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Pastor Vsevolod Lytkin From Siberia, Recently ...  PRO

Contributed by Clark Frailey on Dec 19, 2000

Pastor Vsevolod Lytkin from Siberia, recently spoke at a church in Minneapolis, Minnesota during a US visit. He described his personal journey to faith in Jesus Christ. Listen to his struggle: His parents were atheistic university professors at a local university who raised their son to “think ...read more

Tags: Bible Study, Bible Influence, Bible Truth

Denomination: Baptist

Like A Beethoven Concerto, The Word Of God Is ...  PRO

Contributed by Alan Perkins on Mar 28, 2001

Like a Beethoven concerto, the word of God is simple enough to be enjoyed by a child, and at the same time, deep enough to reward a lifetime of dedicated study. A three-year old can grasp the story of Jonah and the whale, and a Ph.D. in theology can spend a lifetime trying to fathom how God could ...read more

Tags: Disciplines Scripture, Bible Truth, Bible Study

Denomination: Baptist

Dallas Williams: You Give Me A 1000 Words And I ...  PRO

Contributed by Dennis Clark on Apr 12, 2001

Dallas Williams: You give me a 1000 words and I can have The Lords Prayer,The 23rd Psalm, The original Hippocratic oath, a Shakespearian sonnet, the preamble to the Constitution,Lincoln’s ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:4-6

Tags: Bible Influence, Bible Truth, Soul, Restore

Denomination: Baptist