In Sermon Illustrations: "Two Comings"

Foolishness - Appearances Can Be Deceiving "the 10 Bridesmades"

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Nov 19, 2025

A film crew ... was on location ... deep ... in the desert. One day ... an elderly Native American ... who had been watching the filming for several weeks ... went boldly up to the director and said, ... "Tomorrow rain." And sure enough ... The next day ... it rained. A week later, ... ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:1-13

Tags: Appearances, Bridesmades, Fool, Foolish, Foolishness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

Before You Hit Send

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 17, 2026

Think about the last text thread that went completely sideways. You typed something fast because you were frustrated. You hit send. And three seconds later your stomach dropped because you realized you said it wrong, or you said too much, or you said the exact thing that was going to make the ...read more

Scripture: James 1:19

Tags: Slow To Speak, Self Control

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Need Accountability!

Contributed by John Bright on Jul 12, 2026

Another Ordinary Means of Grace is being in an accountability group. John Wesley divided folks into classes and bands for accountability. The class meetings were larger and included both women and men. When someone shared a struggle, they were assured of God’s forgiveness, and then the members ...read more

Scripture: James 5:16

Tags: Accountability, John Wesley, Means Of Grace

Denomination: Methodist

Can We Love Someone We Find Unloving? Galatians ...

Contributed by Clifford Good on Jul 18, 2008

Can we love someone we find unloving? Galatians 5:13-14 says that we are given freedom to serve one another in love. Whenever I take a trip I come home with lots of stories that come out of the things I see and the people I meet. Here is a story from the last trip to highlight this point about ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:13-14

Tags: Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Minister And A Day Off His Rocker

Contributed by James Snyder on Oct 5, 2019

I was tootling along one day last week, quite focused on getting my business for the day done. In fact, I was feeling good about the progress I was making with my “to-do list.” Nothing is more satisfying to me than the sense of being in control of my schedule. I love checking off items on my “to-do ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30, Matthew 11:28

Tags: Faith, Love, Trust, Hope, Surrender  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Where Does Santa Get His Naughty Or Nice List?

Contributed by James Snyder on Dec 14, 2019

This week the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage approached me with a serious question. As far as I am concerned, life is full of questions, but coming from her, I need to be very careful. I have found out that a question with her is not merely a question. It can be a whole lot more than that ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 2:20

Tags: Christmas, Righteousness

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

When Everything Fails, It’s Over

Contributed by James Snyder on May 9, 2020

During this time of seclusion, the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and Yours Truly has spent some significant time binge-watching some of those Hallmark mystery movies. After a while, they all look alike, but my wife loves them, therefore, so do I. The other night as we were watching, one of ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6, Job 2:9, Job 13:15

Tags: Attack, Humore

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

There’s Something About A Lazy Summer Afternoon

Contributed by James Snyder on Jun 13, 2020

The past week was an unusually quiet week around the parsonage. It enabled me to do something that I have wanted to do all summer long. Nothing. I am not bragging or anything, but I can do nothing right up there with the best of them. The week, as all weeks do, started on Monday. For me, there is ...read more

Scripture: Mark 6:31

Tags: Humor, Relationship

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

The Alleged Warrant For My Arrest

Contributed by James Snyder on Oct 24, 2020

This past week was one of the best weeks I've had in a long time. I got everything completed, as well as some overdue projects. There’s no feeling quite like the feeling of having accomplished your goals for the week. As far as I was concerned, this called for an Apple fritter celebration. ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:18

Tags: Fear, Humor

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Ants, Ants, Ants, Where's The Uncles

Contributed by James Snyder on Mar 27, 2021

I have learned in my life that the small things are the ones that get you down. You would think the big things are the ones to steal most of your time. But those big things call attention to themselves from the very beginning. You know they're there, you know you have to do something about it, ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 30:25

Tags: Humor, Ants, Small Problems, Uncles

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

The Blossoming Flower Whisperer

Contributed by James Snyder on Jul 17, 2021

When it comes to flowers, I am the epitome of naivety. I have no expertise whatsoever in the plant world. All I see are red, blue and yellow. Don't get me wrong here; I enjoy flowers. However, when it comes to names, I am off the planet. I don't need to know the name of a flower to really ...read more

Scripture: Song of Songs 2:12

Tags: Blossoming, Whisperer, Flowers, Humor

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Doctors Are Always Right

Contributed by James Snyder on May 21, 2022

Last year I suffered what is referred to as a heart attack. I got to the hospital in time, so there was no any major damage. I had one artery known as the "Widow Maker" that was 90% blocked, which seemed to be a very serious thing. Who knew I even had a heart, but doctors are always ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:9

Tags: Medical, Doctors

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

When You're Raised In The Country, Hunting Is ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2006

When you’re raised in the country, hunting is just a natural part of growing up. For years I enjoyed packing up my guns and some food to head off into the woods. Even more than the hunting itself, I enjoyed the way these trips always seemed to deepen my relationship with friends as we hunted during ...read more

Tags: Abortion

A Little Girl's Prayer  PRO

Contributed by Tim Zingale on Oct 15, 2001

A LITTLE GIRL’S PRAYER One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do she died, leaving us with a tiny premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive, as we had no incubator (we had no electricity ...read more

Scripture: James 5:17, Hosea 6:2

Tags: Faith, Prayer General, Prayer Answered, Prayer

Denomination: Lutheran

Story Number One  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 13, 2003

STORY NUMBER ONE Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. Capone wasn’t famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder. Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie." He was his lawyer for a good ...read more

Tags: Parenting

Unintentionally Humorous Texts: Micah’s Misfortunes, Part 1

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Mar 7, 2024

Introduction: The days of Israel’s judges, before Samuel and the kingdom, were known as ‘seesaw days”: Israel alternated between being true to the God of Israel, then abandoning Him to worship the idols of other nations. Israel would be oppressed, and then cry out to their God for help, but then ...read more

Scripture: Judges 17:1-6

Tags: Micah, Ephraim, Idols, Teraphim

Denomination: Baptist

Better Than Silver And Gold By Zachary Fisher, ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on May 22, 2007

BETTER THAN SILVER AND GOLD by Zachary Fisher, NY, NY. (Guideposts, 9/92). My father was known as a bricklayer and a builder, but what mattered most to him was his good name. I’m a builder. In my job I constantly find myself facing decisions. Some are easy to make, some are tough. And on some, ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

There Was An Old Monastery That Had Fallen Upon ...

Contributed by Scott Jensen on Sep 11, 2008

There was an old monastery that had fallen upon hard times. It was once a great order, but as a result of waves of persecution in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and the rise of secularism in the nineteenth century, all its branch houses were lost and it had become decimated to the extent ...read more

Tags: Love For God

Denomination: Lutheran

[039] A Message From A Poem – Can We Understand His Goodness?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 28, 2025

[039] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – CAN WE UNDERSTAND HIS GOODNESS? This poem is one of my absolute top favourites. It just flowed and I attribute it to the Lord’s presence when I wrote it. I think it came to me late one night as a happy rhythm and flowed quite well so that it was written quicker ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:9-10, 2 Corinthians 6:2, Malachi 3:2-4

Tags: Love, Salvation, Goodness, Poetry, Understand  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Is That In Thine Hand?  PRO

Contributed by Ted Sutherland on Aug 19, 2001

Dr. Bob Jones Sr. told the story: I remember years ago I was holding a meeting in Ocean Grove, New Jersey. I was in that big amphitheater there that accommodates about ten thousand people. The people told me a story. They said a few nights before I was there they advertised in the paper that a man ...read more

Tags: Love Of The Disciples, Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: Baptist