In Sermon Illustrations: "Unconditional Love"

Claim Your Seat At The Table

Contributed by Charlie Roberts on Dec 25, 2018

Illus. Story of Sam the dog, Growing up we had a farm dog and his name was Sam. Sam never had any of the frills dogs nowadays enjoy. Sam was never allowed to beg at the table, because Sam was never allowed in the house and was only fed table scraps my mom turned into some kind of gravy ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 18:19, Psalm 103:1-5

Tags: Entitlement, Relationship

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Propitiation Is Important

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Sep 30, 2019

“In 2012, Getty's hymn "In Christ Alone" was involved in a controversy with the Presbyterian Church (USA) hymnal committee in the creation of their new hymnal "Glory to God". The committee requested permission from Getty and Stuart Townend to use an alternative lyric to the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:21-31

Tags: Atonement, Propitiation, Penal, Death Of Christ, Penal Atonement, Solid Doctrine, Standing For Truth  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Death Of An Eagle

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Dec 29, 2020

There was a talented young Indian boy that loved hunting. One of his goals was to get an eagle. He so needed the eagle to build his elaborate head dress. All the eagles would fly around the young boy and mock him. He could never be the chief without a beautiful eagle feather head dressing. The ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 40:26-30, Isaiah 54:17

Tags: Weapon, Effective

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Understanding Justice And Mercy

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Dec 2, 2021

As we consider the call of John and look forward at Christmas to the birth of Christ, let us look at the content of God’s message to us God knew exactly what he was doing when he sent Jesus to this earth. The Cross wasn’t a “horrible misjudgement” Rather the reason Jesus came into this world ...read more

Scripture: Luke 3:1-20

Tags: John The Baptist, The Birth Of Christ

Denomination: Anglican

Unplugging From The Matrix

Contributed by Rickey Bennett on Dec 30, 2021

Have you ever wondered why sin has such an appeal, stranglehold and blindness quality to it? Trinity a character, heroine and Neo’s sidekick from the Matrix saga but in Matrix 4 she spends most of the movie stuck in the Matrix living as Tiffany, Neo is finally able to remind Trinity of who she ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:12

Tags: Holy Spirit, Salvation, Gospel, Holiness, Identity, Sanctification, Glorification  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: *other

Great Funeral Illustration

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 31, 2022

A certain nobleman had a garden which he left to the care of a faithful servant, whose delight it was to water the seeds, support the stalks of tender plants, and to do everything he could to make the estate a paradise of flowers. One morning the gardener rose expecting to find his favorite blooms ...read more

Tags: Dying, Funerals, Death, Heaven

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Lesson On Kindness

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on May 11, 2022

WHAT LESSONS ARE WE TEACHING ON KINDNESS? I love the story of a women’s softball game between CENTRAL OREGON and WESTERN OREGON. Central Oregon had the lead and Western Oregon had scored and made the game much closer. A freshman player girl from Western Oregon stepped to the plate. Her name ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:32, John 15:13

Tags: Kindness, Help

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Persecution

Contributed by Clarence Eisberg on Aug 4, 2022

John Stott has pointed out that “persecution is simply the clash between two irreconcilable value-systems.” That clash is what we are seeing now, and it is ultimately between those who believe, trust, and love the God of the Bible and those who do not. The changes afoot today represent a ...read more

Tags: Cultural Warfare, Persecution Of Christians

Denomination: Lutheran

There's Something About That Name!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 7, 2022

Jesus, the mere mention of His name can calm the storm, heal the broken hearted, and raise the dead. At the name of Jesus, I've seen sin-hardened men melted, derelicts transformed, the lights of hope put back into the eyes of a hopeless child... At the name of Jesus, hatred and bitterness has ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11

Tags: Worship, Name Of Jesus, Praise, Prayer, Healing  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God Can Destroy Everything On Earth!

Contributed by Paul Clemente on Nov 12, 2022

Genesis 7:17-24 See Hebrews 11:7 – What can we learn from this? - faith includes God's instructions and obedience God gave Noah a huge task (almost an impossibility to load up all sorts of animals and necessities in 7 days!) We do not note God indicating to Noah that God was going to help, ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 7:17-24

Tags: Noah, Judgement, God, Flood, Grace  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Outline Of Psalm 119 - The Power Of God's Word

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jun 14, 2023

Psalms 119 - David proclaims the power of God's Word. David in this Psalm describes God's Word in 48 different ways. Here are a few: 1. The Word of God is the source of cleansing - Psalms 119:9 (KJV) Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Tags: Bible, David, Psalms, Word Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Never Give Up

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Oct 4, 2023

CONCLUSION: There was an old frog that gathered the little tadpoles around him to teach them a lesson about endurance and persistence. He told of the farmer and his wife that had milked all the cows and set the milk cans out by the road. He told how the frogs loved to jump up and sit on top of the ...read more

Scripture: Mark 5:36, Hebrews 11:1

Tags: Persistence, Never Quit

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Warmth In Cold Thoughts: Finding Spiritual Resilience In Challenging

Contributed by Jung Lee on Jan 21, 2024

"As I made my way to work amidst the severe cold, a sharp contrast to the warm, southern climes of Mississippi where I spent over a decade, the wind felt like it was slicing through my skin. In these freezing moments, as my pace quickened, almost to a run, my thoughts instinctively turned to ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:8

Tags: Spiritual Resilience, Positive Thinking, Overcoming Challenges, Mental Focus, Hope, God's Grace, Christian Strength, Cold, Divine Guidance, Endurance, Warmth  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Traveling To Heaven

Contributed by Joel Pankow on Mar 29, 2024

Throughout my life I had always wanted to go to Germany. It wasn’t until my son moved over there and got married that we finally were able to do so. The trip wasn’t always easy, as we were stranded in New Jersey for a night after a flight was canceled. We were tired from the journey. But once ...read more

Scripture: Job 19:26

Tags: Resurrection, Heaven

Denomination: Lutheran

When Darkness Is Mentioned In The Bible

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 6, 2024

In the Bible, darkness is a powerful metaphor that carries both physical and spiritual significance. Let’s explore its various meanings: Physical Darkness: Genesis 1:4: God separated light from darkness during the creation of the world. Darkness represents the absence of light, ...read more

Tags: Evil, Satan, End Times, Prophecy, Judgment, Last Days, Darnkness, Rapture, Signs, Return Of Christ, Spiritual Darkness, Kingdom Of Darkness, Solar Eclipse  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Word Pictures Of Biblical Forgiveness

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 12, 2024

The importance of forgiveness is a constant theme of Scripture. There are no less than seventy-five different word pictures about forgiveness in the Bible. They help us grasp the importance, the nature, and the effects of forgiveness. • To Forgive Is to Turn The Key, Open the cell door, and let ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:9-15

Tags: Forgiveness, Philemon, Lord's Prayer, Root Of Bitterness, Forgive Us Our Debts, Unforgivenes  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Sharing Your Personal Testimony

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 19, 2025

Preparing Your Personal Testimony - Sharing how you came to know God personally is one of the most powerful ways you can help friends grasp how much God loves us. If someone asked you to share today, would you find it challenging to explain how you came to believe in God, or what he means to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:15

Tags: Evangelism, Salvation, Testimony

Denomination: Methodist

Spirit Of Gradualism

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Oct 10, 2025

I lived in Lee County, Virginia and we would travel 68 from our house through Cumberland Gap, Tennessee to Middlesboro, Ky. We traveled through the national park. Linda and I would see a ground hog. The ground hog would stand on his hind legs to watch the traffic go by. We developed a love watching ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:3, Revelation 3:14-19

Tags: Gradual, Slow

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Gift Of Forgivness - Driving Out Bitterness - Charles Stanley

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Dec 1, 2025

Charles Stanley, a renowned teacher and theologian shared this story called ... The Gift of Forgiveness: "A friend of mine is a fine man and a fine pastor who loves God. His wife had cancer, ... and they sought the best of medical help. The Doctor assigned to her case ... who for a number ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:23-24, Matthew 18:15, Romans 12:19, Hebrews 12:15

Tags: Sickness, Prisoner, Forgiveness, Bitterness, Unforgiveness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

Singing On The Porch

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Feb 9, 2003

Singing on the porch By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com Make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Wow, what kids today are missing? They travel across the nation and have a DVD or a Nintendo in the SUV, and they never look out the window to see where they have been. We have a friend that has 4 ...read more

Tags: Family, Giving Yourself

Denomination: Assembly Of God