In Sermon Illustrations: "Two Comings"

Successful People Get Up Early!  PRO

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 14, 2014

Forbes Magazine states that early risers are the most successful people. The discipline of getting up early produces many positive results, such as: 1. More proactive approach to life 2. The ability to anticipate problems better 3. Better goal-setting 4. Time for exercise 5. Sleep is much better ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 22:1-21, Genesis 22:1-19

Tags: Sacrifice, Abraham, Temptation, Trusting God, Success, Successful, Getting Up Early  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Resurrection Plant

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jan 20, 2014

As a boy I saw an advertisement in a comic book that appealed to my scientific nature. The product being offered for sale was called a "miracle plant." The ad declared that the plant would be dead when received by the purchaser; but when placed in water, it would soon "miraculously" return to ...read more

Scripture: John 3:3-8

Tags: Born Again, Regeneration

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Cotton Pickin' Son Of God

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 28, 2014

We were having our weekly AWANA meeting at our church when something really funny happened. The children were sharing their Bible verse for the week -- John 3:16. One of our little boys was struggling with remembering the words. He was asked, "Can’t you remember John 3:16?" The boy struggled to ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16-18

Tags: Salvation, Bible Study, Jesus

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Humble Confidence

Contributed by Suresh Manoharan on Aug 11, 2014

At the outset, I desire to bring to the fore, a ‘juicy’ tale adorning Science history. When, the invention-coal miner’s lamp- of Sir Humphrey Davy began to pale relatively before the astounding discoveries of his far more illustrious pupil Michael Faraday (in the field of electro-magnetism and ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:31

Tags: Work, Hardened, Softened

Denomination: *other

Don't Just Entertain

Contributed by Davon Huss on Oct 14, 2014

Timothy Paul Jones- With high hopes we had moved to a new youth ministry position. On my first Wednesday evening at this church, I received my first hint that this task might be more difficult than I’d imagined. After a couple of games, I gathered the students for some worship songs. Worship ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence, Delight In God's Word, Neglect Of The Word

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Expectation Vs Experience little Israel Eh...

Contributed by Suresh Manoharan on Nov 28, 2015

Expectation vs Experience Little Israel eh…Boy, it packs a punch in the spiritual realm!!! Do not we owe it a Saviour, Salvation and Scriptures!!! Add to this fact that one of it’s cities (Jerusalem) would be the future World capital and at once, there is a ring of sanctity about this Nation. Even ...read more

Scripture: Romans 14:17

Tags: Symbol, Selection, Supremacy, Sign

Denomination: *other

The Infinite Can Penetrate The Finite!!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 1, 2016

Herbert Spencer, one of the popularizes of agnosticism over a century ago, observed accurately that a bird has never been known to fly out of space. Therefore, he concluded by analogy that it is impossible for the finite to penetrate the infinite. Even if God does exist, we can never know Him ...read more

Scripture: John 1:14

Tags: Jesus, Creator, Infinite, Agnosticism

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Faith Is Trust In God

Contributed by Daniel King, D. Min. on Aug 2, 2018

Main Idea: Putting your faith in Jesus is like sitting in a chair. Verse: “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV). Illustration: (Point to a chair) Do you ...read more

Tags: Faith, Trust In Jesus, Faith And Belief

Denomination: Charismatic

Thank You, Mom, For Being Strong For Me

Contributed by Jerry Cosper on May 4, 2020

It almost brings tears to my eyes when I watch the commercials where the child is growing up and is leaving home for college, or to get married and live in another city. I think about how difficult it must have been for my mom to watch me drive off to college in another city. And then later to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:41-50

Tags: Mothers Day, Mothers Strength

Denomination: Baptist

Strength In Old Age

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Aug 13, 2020

I use the Bible I had in Bible college when I have my devotions or study. Came across these notes from 1/24/80. I was 27. Joshua 14:11 As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 14:11-12

Tags: Faith, Retirement, Strength, Retire, Courage, Old Age  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

No Room In The Inn

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 20, 2020

People have no room for Christ because they are full of themselves, full of their own will, full of their own cares, and full of their own sinfulness. They feel they have no time or no need for the Lord. People may deny Christ and scorn Him. Yet, every time they write the date of the year, they are ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-12

Tags: Messiah, Christmas, Birth Of Christ, Mary And Joseph

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Jumping Jehoshaphat

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Mar 9, 2022

Where does the expression “jumpin’ Jehoshaphat!” come from? A reader wrote in to ask, and I had a lovely time trying to figure it out. No one is sure how Jehoshaphat’s name ended up in this interjection, or why he’s jumping, but there are several interesting possibilities. This mild oath first ...read more

Tags: Jehoshaphat, Judah, Kings, Slang, Expressions  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

What A Young Boy Saw In The Face Of A Missionary

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 2, 2023

Many years ago when the great missionary Adoniram Judson was home on furlough, he passed through the city of Stonington, Connecticut. A young boy playing about the wharves at the time of Judson’s arrival was struck by the man’s appearance. Never before had he seen such a light on any ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:19-23, Acts 1:8

Tags: Evangelism, Children, Missions, Testimony, Witnessing, Fruit Of The Spirit  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Hound Of Heaven

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jul 2, 2023

In his book The Call, author Os Guinness writes: We cannot find God without God. We cannot reach God without God. We cannot satisfy God without God—which is another way of saying that our seeking will always fall short unless God’s grace initiates the search and unless God’s call draws us to Him ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-9, Titus 3:5

Tags: Grace, Salvation, Works, Sovereignty Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Achilles' Heel

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 15, 2024

The ancient Greeks told a story of a warrior named Achilles. His mother had been warned that he would die of a wound, so she dipped him as an infant in the river Styx. That was supposed to make him invincible. THERE WAS ONE PROBLEM -- she held him by one heel which the protective waters did not ...read more

Scripture: James 1:9-15

Tags: Evil, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Temptation, Trials, Lust  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Praying Lost Friends Into The Kingdom Of God

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 11, 2024

Some years ago a young girl was very sick and not expected to recover. Because of her love for Jesus, she was troubled that she had not been able to do more for Him in her short life. Her pastor suggested that she make a list of people in their little town who needed Christ and pray that they might ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8

Tags: Evangelism, Faith, Unsaved, Death, Children, Heaven, Missions, Prayer, Lost  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

He Still Brings The Dead Back To Life

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Apr 20, 2025

A friend shared this story with me on Resurrection Sunday, it happened on the same day 20 years earlier. Proof God is still bringing the dead back to life - I wanted to share a resurrection Sunday testimony from around 20 years ago, I bought a very used small pickup and the seller claimed the AC ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 17:20

Tags: Resurrection, Miracles

Denomination: Charismatic

Be Faithful

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Jan 1, 2026

DO WE UNDERSTAND FAITHFULNESS? Have you heard RHONDA VINCENT’S STORY OF FAITHFULNESS? Rhonda and her family were under contract at SILVER DOLLAR CITY TO DO 5—ONE HOUR MUSIC PROGRAMS A DAY. One day it was raining real hard. No one was in the crowd. No one, but the contract was for 5 shows. Rhonda ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 16:2

Tags: Faithfulness, Choices

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Hope Of Eternal Life

Contributed by John Bright on Jun 24, 2026

We also have hope because we know that our fate is not the flame of destruction. We have been born again to ETERNAL LIFE. That means when this life is over, the next one begins – in an instant. All the preachers here have gazed across a casket covered with beautiful flowers and proclaimed an ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16, Romans 6:23, 2 Corinthians 5:8

Tags: Death, Hope, Eternal Life

Denomination: Methodist

Elie Wiesel Was A Fourteen Year Old Boy When The ...  PRO

Contributed by Philip Harrelson on Feb 8, 2006

-Elie Wiesel was a fourteen year old boy when the Germans started loading the Jews on trains and sending them to the death camps authorized by Adolph Hitler. This excerpt picks up as he is traveling by in a cattle car on a train from Transylvania (which at the time was under the control of ...read more

Tags: Hell

Denomination: Pentecostal