In Sermon Illustrations: "Ve"

You're Beautiful To God  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2011

YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL TO GOD R.C. Buckner, a big, bold and brash man, lived about 100 years ago in Texas. This imposing figure had a very tender heart for children, starting Buckner's Children's Homes all across the state. The children affectionately called him "Papa Buckner" and would run up to him ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:9-13

Tags: Compassion

The Missing Gravy Ladle

Contributed by Fred Sigle on Jan 17, 2012

THE MISSING GRAVY LADLE Brian invited his mother over for DINNER. During the course of the meal, Brian's mother couldn't help but keep noticing how BEAUTIFUL Brian's roommate, Angie, was. Brian's Mom had long been SUSPICIOUS of a RELATIONSHIP between Brian and Angie. Before Angie moved in she ...read more

Tags: Temptation Sex

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Jim Twins. ...

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Dec 18, 2012

Maybe you’ve heard the story of the Jim twins. Jim Springer and Jim Lewis were twin sons of a fourteen-year-old Italian girl. She gave birth to them in a small town in Ohio and then disappeared. They were adopted into two separate loving families, but after 39 years of life had never seen one ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:6-9

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Baptist

Susie The Savior  PRO

Contributed by Ken Pell on Mar 30, 2013

SUSIE THE SAVIOR The story is told of a certain 9-year-old who is sitting at his desk in school when all of a sudden there is a puddle between his feet, and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to stop, because he knows when the boys find out, he'll never hear the end of ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 53:4-5

Tags: Atonement

Denomination: Nazarene

Husband Doesn't Get It

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Jun 19, 2013

TWICE A WEEK After just a few years of marriage filled with disagreements and arguments, a young man and his wife decided the only way to save their marriage was to try counseling. Things had slipped from bad to worse as the months passed, turning their marriage into a marathon of misery. They had ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:19

Tags: Communication, Marriage, Husband, Relationships

Denomination: Baptist

Loving Neighbour

Contributed by Don Berry-Graham on Feb 29, 2016

A Little Pointer on Keeping a Balance Here’s a little bonus tip that I’ve found helpful to keep my wits about me as I live next to these wild Vikings we call sinners, pagans, and wacko unbelievers while keeping my vertical relationship with God strong. It’s called “whimsical holiness,” which is ...read more

Scripture: Luke 7:34

Tags: Witnessing Tools, Loving Neighbor

Denomination: Baptist

The Fear Of The Lord Is The Foundation Of Wisdom

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on May 8, 2016

In a crazy move, a woman at the Toronto zoo who lost her hat at the tiger enclosure decided that she was going to retrieve it. She climbed the outer fence, dropped over the edge and scrambled around to find her hat. Fortunately for her there was a second fence between her and her hat. A ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 9:10

Tags: Fear, Foundation Of Wisdom, Wise Decisions

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Compass And God's Truth

Contributed by Timothy Lueking on Jul 1, 2025

Let me tell you a story to bring this passage home. Back in the 1800s, the thick forest of northern Michigan there was a young logger, confident in his sense of direction, set out one crisp morning to scout new timber. The forest was dense, the sky hidden by a canopy of green. Hours passed, and as ...read more

Scripture: John 2:3-6, John 8:31-32

Tags: God's Word, Compass, Waver, Bible, Direction, Truth  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Empty Chair And The Full Table

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 17, 2026

Thanksgiving can be really sweet. Good food. Laughter. Familiar traditions. A little more time with people you care about. But it can also expose what’s missing. Sometimes the empty chair hits harder than the full table. Sometimes the family tension stays quiet until someone says one sentence, and ...read more

Scripture: Mark 16:1-2

Tags: Grief, Authenticity

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Breakfast Was Always Ready

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 17, 2026

Every morning before school, without fail, my mom had breakfast ready for me. It didn't matter how busy she was or what else was going on. There was always a warm meal waiting. It wasn't just about the food. It was her way of saying, "I'm thinking about you. I care about you. I ...read more

Scripture: John 21:9-13

Tags: Grace, God's Provision

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Navigtionally Challenged

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 17, 2026

When I was 16, I went to pick up my girlfriend to drive and meet my parents and grandparents for a hockey game downtown. Downtown was north of my house in Amarillo. You get on I-27, head north, fifteen minutes, done. We drove for a while. And a little while more. And nothing was looking familiar. ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 5:22-24, Psalm 119:105

Tags: Guidance, God's Word

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Ukraine & God's Masterplan

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Nov 28, 2022

Closed Doors - Open Doors My first trip to Ukraine was in 2000. We visited Kiev and L'viv to connect with ministry training institutions. In 2002 I made my first teaching trip to L'viv to teach at L'viv Theological Seminary (LTS). It was so rewarding to contribute to God's work in ...read more

Scripture: James 4:13-17, Romans 12:1-2

Tags: Direction, Obedience, Sovereignty Of God, Ukraine

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Victorious Living

Contributed by Jerry Cosper on Feb 13, 2023

2 weeks ago as I sat in the office of my lawyer, he showed me a photocopy of a handwritten letter from Abraham Lincoln that was written to my lawyer’s great-great uncle. The uncle happened to be the president of the University of Pennsylvania at that time. He was involved in writing a pamphlet on ...read more

Scripture: John 16:19-22

Tags: Victory, Hard Times

Denomination: Baptist

The Sinner's Friend

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on May 6, 2023

There's the story told by Watchman Nee, the Chinese evangelist where he was talking to another Christian in his home. They were downstairs, as was his friend's son. The friend's wife and mother were in an upstairs room. All at once the little boy wanted something and called out to his ...read more

Scripture: John 4:1-26, Luke 19:1-10, John 1:14

Tags: Evangelism, Incarnation, Friend Of Sinners

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

A Dog Like Me

Contributed by Paul Steen on Dec 9, 2017

A little boy in Texas wanted to buy a special dog. He went to the pet store to look at all the dogs. He held each one. “How much are your dogs?” asked the boy. “All those dogs are $10.00,” said the storeowner. The boy petted each dog again and then cuddled one of the dogs. He held him up to his ...read more

Tags: Christmas, One Of Us, Christ Came, Jesus Became Human

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Fresh ...

Contributed by Shawn Kelly on Oct 19, 2008

FRESH START Colossians 3:12 - 17 12Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ...read more

Tags: Faith General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Want To Tell You About A Practicing Christian, ...  PRO

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on May 22, 2007

I want to tell you about a practicing Christian, a public figure who lives out his faith in Jesus Christ. Here is a behind-the-scenes story. There was a lot of excitement in watching the Indianapolis Colts, led by Head Coach Tony Dungy, win their trip to the Super Bowl this past January. A TV ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 1:1

Tags: Peace, Heaven, Chance, Hope, Assurance, Forget, Expectancy, Renew  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

Mastering Fatherhood

Contributed by Eduardo Quintana on Jun 12, 2017

In 2001, I was serving as the youth pastor of Destiny Church and sitting at my office desk when I received a phone call from my mother. She called with sad news! My grandmother’s health had declined significantly and she was near death. She’d been suffering with Alzheimer’s for over seven years up ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:2

Tags: Parenting, Legacy, Fatherhood

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Have You Ever Hurt Anybody?  PRO

Contributed by Ken Ritz on Dec 30, 2005

Brennan Manning tells a story in his book The Ragamuffin Gospel. 25 years ago, he had a drinking problem. He voluntarily entered a 28-day treatment program. Early on in the treatment program they had to sit in a circle with a leader and tell the other people in the group, about the extent of their ...read more

Tags: Richard Celtzer, Mortal Lessons, Addiction, Brennan Manning

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Last Week, Bernie Came To The Church Door. He ...  PRO

Contributed by Bill Sullivan on Oct 9, 2002

Last week, Bernie came to the church door. He showed up about five minutes before I was getting ready to leave for an appointment, and my first response to his arrival was, oh, no, not now. Bernie had been drinking – I could smell it on his breath. He was sweating profusely and was a little bit ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:13-20

Tags: Fellowship

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational