In Sermon Illustrations: "Useful Earthern Pot"

[163]. A Message From A Poem – Joy For Sorrow - Care In Hurt

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Aug 14, 2025

[163]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – JOY FOR SORROW - CARE IN HURT The title of this poem has two contrasts – sorrow turning to joy, and hurt adopting care. This poem was written 27 years ago and since that time much has changed in the world for the followers of the Lord. Persecution has increased ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 13:5-6, 2 Corinthians 6:4-5

Tags: Hurting One, South Africa, The Holy Spirit, Martyred, Suffering Christians, World Press, Comforr, Joy, Africa, Sorrow, Iran, Sudan, Nigeria, Lord, Persecution, Evil, Comfort  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Story Of The Flowers - Graveside Committal ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

THE STORY OF THE FLOWERS - Graveside Committal Service Earl Wheatley of Meridian, Mississippi, shared a funeral observance that has proved quite effective. Before the funeral he tells the funeral director that he needs three flowers: a red one, a white one and a yellow one. These three flowers ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Giftedness

Contributed by Jerry Blaxton on Aug 1, 2008

GIFTEDNESS Every now and then, I will have a home repair project to do. I don't mind trying to do some of these things. When we lived in South Dakota, there was a time when the toilet got clogged up. Well, the first thing I did was use a plunger, and it cleared it. But the very next time we had ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Baptist

The Gift Nobody Wants

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 22, 2008

The Gift Nobody Wants In 1999 Dr Paul Brand and Philip Yancey co-wrote a book called "Pain: the Gift Nobody Wants." Dr Brand was born in India to missionary parents, and has spent most of his life caring for people with leprosy. One of Dr Brand's greatest discoveries was that people with leprosy ...read more

Tags: Guilt

I Have Never Forgotten You

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Feb 12, 2009

I HAVE NEVER FORGOTTEN YOU On Jan. 27, 2009 and I got to go to part of the state evangelism conference in Ruston, LA. Charles Thornton from Texas was one of the preachers. God is using his life in a fantastic way to help reach people in apartment complexes. Their ministry moves CARES Teams into ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:25-32

Tags: Encouragement, Love Of God, Family Love

Denomination: Baptist

Character: Prototype Plus Pneumatic Force  PRO

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Aug 14, 2009

CHARACTER: PROTOTYPE PLUS PNEUMATIC FORCE Jesus is the very imprint or prototype of God’s essential reality. The word used in the Greek here is pronounced "kah-rahk-TEER" (sometimes "kah-rahk-TAYR") and it is the word from which we get "character." In the original Greek usage, it meant an imprint ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:1-6

Tags: Jesus Christ, Potter, Fix, Who Is Jesus

Denomination: *other

Please Notice That Paul Did Not Pray For These ...

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Nov 28, 2009

Please notice that Paul did not pray for these Christians to get the Lord’s resurrection power. They already had it! And Christian, so do you. So, how well do you know the power of His resurrection? Paul prayed for them to spiritually know and see the power they already had. *It actually reminds ...read more

Tags: Power, Riches

Denomination: Baptist

Holiness And Red Buttons  PRO

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Aug 6, 2011

HOLINESS AND RED BUTTONS In studying holiness as a prayer key, I got bogged down with trying to understand it. I had an even harder time trying to explain it. I felt like the Red Buttons character in the movie, "Hatari." In that movie, John Wayne led a team of hunters in Africa capturing wild ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:8, Matthew 22:15-22

Tags: Holy, Prayer, Holiness

Denomination: Baptist

Hate The Politics, Not The Person

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 29, 2011

HATE THE POLITICS, NOT THE PERSON In his book, The Life God Blesses, Gordon MacDonald describes his encounter with a black South African, a high-ranking member of the African National Congress. He was profoundly impressed by the man's understanding of African history and politics and his insight ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Anglican

Follow Instructions: Rafting The Rio Grande

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 5, 2012

FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS: RAFTING THE RIO GRANDE A few years ago, my family climbed aboard a rubber raft for a ride down the rapids of the Rio Grand River. We had never been on such an adventure, but all of us were experienced swimmers, and the river seemed to be fairly shallow. It seemed to be a ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 4:20-27

Tags: Obedience

P-U-L-L Or Pray Until Lesson’s Learned!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Nov 30, 2023

Introduction: A lot of us might remember the acronym P-U-S-H, standing for Pray Until Something Happens! The other day, something happened to me to give a bit of a humorous slant or angle on that idea. Text: Proverbs 3:13-14, KJV: 13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:13-14

Tags: Wisdom, Learning

Denomination: Baptist

Winston Churchill's First Speech ...  PRO

Contributed by Alan Perkins on Apr 13, 2001

[Illustration: Winston Churchill’s first speech to the house of commons three days after becoming prime minister, at the beginning of World War II] "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:57

Tags: Endurance, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Baptist

On The Tv Show Called The X-Files, They Had A ...  PRO

Contributed by Joel Pankow on Oct 25, 2001

On the TV show called the X-Files, they had a story about a family that used to keep an ugly looking creature in their basement. And what was even stranger was that people would bring their sick and dying family members over to see this creature and they would come back healthy. When Scully and ...read more

Tags: Sin Hurtful To God, God's Provision, Bill Bendert, Cross

Denomination: Lutheran

Do You Ever Feel Like You Are In Something Just ...  PRO

Contributed by Don Hawks on Mar 16, 2002

Do you ever feel like you are in something just over your head? That is precisely where God wants you. Something like this happens in the move, “The Legend of Baggar Vance.” Baggar shows up, almost like the voice of God, to help a young golfer, distressed by the events of his life, to find his ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ, Gifts General

Denomination: Methodist

Plenty For Everyone  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Simms on Jun 1, 2003

PLENTY FOR EVERYONE Corrie Ten Boom says of this passage: “Often I have heard people say, “How good God is! We prayed that it would not rain for our church picnic and look at the lovely weather!” Yes, God is good when He sends good weather. But God was also good when He allowed my sister, ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

Denomination: Baptist

Spurgeon (1) Wrote, " I Think I May Say To Every ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Raisbeck on Jul 18, 2003

Spurgeon (1) wrote, " I think I may say to every person whom I am addressing,-If you are yourself saved, the work is but half done until you are employed to bring others to Christ. You are as yet but half formed in the image of your Lord. You have not attained to the full development of the ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To, What Is Evangelism?

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Just Watched A Movie Called "The Day After ...

Contributed by Andrew Chan on Jun 18, 2004

Just watched a movie called “The Day After Tomorrow” and in that movie you see people evacuated from the US to Mexico because of natural disasters hitting the US. Mexico couldn’t handle the hordes of people fleeing the States crossing the Rio Grande, they closed the borders. Next you see folks ...read more

Tags: Lordship Of Christ

Denomination: Evangelical Free

As A Pastor I Have Preached Many Times On How ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2004

As a Pastor I have preached many times on how much we are loved. I have an illustration that was shared with me that I use quite often as I preach. I would like to share it so that others may see that indeed we are truly loved. We know that no greater love has ever been shown than Jesus giving His ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus

Have You Heard Of The Man Who Claims And Boasts ...  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Smith on Jul 19, 2004

Have you heard of the man who claims and boasts of being the #1 NBA fan, and makes pro basketball his top priority? Listen to what he wrote in a national sports magazine recently. “April & May are not only my favorite months because of the NBA play-offs but they are my credit card company’s ...read more

Tags: Call Of The Disciples

Denomination: Christian Church

Many Large Cities Have Computerized Warning Signs ...  PRO

Contributed by Charles Salmon on Sep 18, 2004

Many large cities have computerized warning signs to alert drivers to hazards ahead. In 1976, these signs were installed in Pittsburgh when we lived there. I recall one occasion when we were on the parkway and a sign told us, ""Accident ahead - major delay - time 1:17. There was no other reason to ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 7:14

Tags: Apologetics The Bible, Bible Influence

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ