In Sermon Illustrations: "Wiping Jesus Feet"

The Called

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Oct 15, 2019

The Called are those who have been summoned by God. Called to salvation (Rom. 8:30) Called both Jews and Gentiles (1 Cor. 1:24) Called "with a holy calling" (2 Timothy 1:9) Called with a heavenly calling (Heb. 3:1) Called out of darkness into His marvelous light (1Pet. 2:9) Called to ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:30

Tags: Election, Calling, God's Sovreignty

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Starving For God

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 23, 2020

BEATITUDE #4 - "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." “What Jesus is talking about is no mere reference to hunger which could be satisfied by a mid-morning snack. The thought is that of STARVATION. Are you longing for God like that? ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12

Tags: Beatitudes, Hungry For God, Thirsting For God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Freedom

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jun 11, 2020

Freedom: “You feel you were hedged in you dream of escape; but beware of mirages. Do not run or fly away in order to get free: rather dig in the narrow place which has been given you; you will find God there and everything. God does not float on your horizon, he sleeps in your substance. Vanity ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 10:39

Tags: Freedom, Future, Self

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Do You Want To Quit?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 4, 2021

There was a story of a British soldier in the First World War who lost heart for the battle and deserted. Trying to reach the coast for a boat to England that night, he ended up wandering in the pitch black night, hopelessly lost. In the darkness he came across what he thought was a signpost. It ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2, Colossians 3:1-4

Tags: Fear, Commitment, Endurance, Apostasy, Perserverance, Quitting  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Soldier For Life

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Jul 2, 2021

While I am honored and privileged to have served in my country's military, my desire now is to serve honorably in the army of Jesus Christ. I want to be able to serve on the battlefield, I want to live the life of a warrior. I am too old to serve my country, but I pray for many years to do ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

Tags: Obedience, Victory, Warfare, Weapons

Denomination: Baptist

Born To Trouble.

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Sep 30, 2021

Dietrich Bonhoeffer died in a German concentration camp right before it was liberated. This is what he wrote: In me there is darkness, but with you there is light; I am lonely, but you do not leave me; I am feeble in heart, but with you there is help; I am restless, but with You there is peace. ...read more

Scripture: Job 2:1-10

Tags: Hope, Despair, Despair Can Have Help

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Bible Characters Who Prayed

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 6, 2022

BIBLE CHARACTERS WHO PRAYED: * Abraham prayed and God gave him a son. • Moses prayed, and the Israelites were delivered from Egypt. • Joshua prayed and the sun stood still in the valley of Aijalon • Gideon prayed, and He defeated the Midites with three hundred men. • Hannah prayed, and God gave ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:3

Tags: Prayer, Miracles, Bible Characters, Answers To Prayer

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Parable Of The Sower

Contributed by Polimetla Joy on Jan 30, 2023

In this parable, Jesus teaches about the importance of having a receptive heart to receive the word of God. He explains how the seed (word of God) can fall on different types of soil, representing different hearts. Some seed falls on the wayside, representing those who hear the word and do not ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-9, Luke 8:4-8

Tags: Scripture, Word Of God, Hearing, Responding

Thank God For Blessed Subtractions!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jul 10, 2023

Three local pastors were discussing their Easter Sunday results with one another on the Monday after Easter. The Methodist minister said, "Easter services worked out great for us! We gained four new additions at First Methodist!" Praise God! The Baptist preacher grinned ...read more

Tags: Arrogance, Bragging, Preachers, Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, Easter, Revival, Church Growth, Pride, Pastors  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Rest In Peace Until I Come

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Aug 7, 2023

The wife ... of a man who had recently died ... assumed ... they were well off financially, ... so she gave him a very nice funeral ... and a fancy tombstone that read, ... Rest in Peace. However, ... when the estate was settled ... she was informed by their attorney ... that he had wasted all ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:9-10, Mark 2:23-28, Exodus 34:21, Matthew 11:28

Tags: Peace, Sabbath, Rest

Denomination: Anglican

God's Mercy

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Nov 2, 2024

Henri Nouwen tells the story of a family from Paraguay. The father spoke out against the military regime and its human rights abuses. The police arrested his teenage son and tortured him to death. Enraged townsfolk wanted to turn the boy's funeral into a huge protest march, but the doctor ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:1-18, Romans 5:1-11, Ephesians 2:1-5

Tags: Mercy, Sin, Evil, Salvation, Cross  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Girolamo Savonarola

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 24, 2025

At the very start of his ministry there, Savonarola noticed an elderly woman who used to come and pray regularily before that statue of the Virgin Mary. One day, he took an elderly priest aside who had been serving in the cathedral for many years and said, "Look how devoted this woman is. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Tags: Girolamo Savonarola, Faith

Denomination: Anglican

Spiritual Gifts Are Like An Orchestra  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 22, 2009

SPIRITUAL GIFTS ARE LIKE AN ORCHESTRA When I was in the 5th grade, our entire 5th grade class at Anderson Elementary School was required to take band. At a certain hour of each day we would gather in the band room and attempt to play our instruments. We didn’t really have a choice which ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

[054]. A Message From A Poem – Day Is At Hand

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 12, 2025

[054]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – DAY IS AT HAND This poem is figurative in a sense. I look at the early glimmer of light in the east as the sun soon will rise. Then it increases until it is full day with the bright shining sun. What the poem does is begin with the harbinger of the dawn in ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:1-2, Isaiah 11:6-9, Romans 8:19-22, 2 Peter 1:19, Malachi 4:1-3  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: The Lion, Poetry, Set Free, Poem, Morning Star, Millennial Kingdom, Sun Of Righteousness, Messiah, Nature, Prophecy, Second Coming, Rapture, The Church  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Evangelism Quotes And Illustrations  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Apr 19, 2004

Evangelism Quotes and Illustrations 1. Paul Harvey said, "Too many Christians are no longer fishers of men but keepers of the aquarium." 2. Paul Little in his book "How to Give Away Your Faith" defines witnessing: "Witnessing is that deep-seated conviction that the greatest favor I can do for ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:1-11

Tags: Men, What Is Evangelism?, Wise

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Difference Christmas Makes

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Dec 24, 2023

At Christmastime, we set up our Christmas trees and toy trains. We may even walk along singing carols, or we may preach a sermon, but these bits and pieces are barren if we are thinking only of them or even thinking only of being in heaven, and are not stopping to ask ourselves, “What difference ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:8-20

Tags: Shepherds, Christmas, Glory, God's Glory, Ordinary People, Making A Difference  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Carl Boyle Is A Sales Representative, And He Was ...

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jun 12, 2005

Carl Boyle is a sales representative, and he was driving home through his suburban neighborhood one day when he saw a group of young children selling Kool-Aid on a corner. They had taped the typical hand-scrawled sign on their stand: “Kool-Aid, 10 cents.” As a salesman, Carl was intrigued. He ...read more

Tags: Sharing My Testimony, Evangelism Urgency, Evangelism How To

Denomination: Methodist

Perhaps You Have Heard Of The Upcoming Movie The ...  PRO

Contributed by Pat Cook on Sep 14, 2005

Perhaps you have heard of the upcoming movie The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. It’s a wonderful story written by CS Lewis, one of the sharpest Christian thinkers of the 20th century. The wardrobe mentioned in the title is a large walk-in closet in an old house owned by an old and quirky ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:18

Denomination: Baptist

The Power Of Godly Hope

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Feb 23, 2006

*King Duncan tells the story that reminds us of the power of this hope. This happened in 1993, to a man named Terry Stout. Terry was the business manager for the Psychiatry Department at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. *One Fall morning Terry was running a little late, but (I’m sure led by ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:1-2, Hebrews 6:17-20

Tags: Despair, Godly Hope, Salvation, Suicide, Power Of God's Word, Hope  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Bill Wilson Is Founder And Senior Pastor Of ...

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Dec 9, 2006

Bill Wilson is founder and Senior Pastor of Metro Ministries based out of New York City, ministering to the five boroughs of New York, with expanding ministry around the world. When Bill Wilson was a boy, he was walking with his mom one day and they sat on a culvert to rest. His mom then got up ...read more

Denomination: Salvation Army