In Sermon Illustrations: "Wonderful Things"

The Beltway Of Grief And Guilt

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 31, 2009

THE BELTWAY OF GRIEF AND GUILT Just a few days ago we celebrated, if that’s the right word, the thirtieth anniversary of something we all love to hate. Imagine observing the anniversary of something that has cost us dearly in dollars and also in blood and tears. Something we cannot live without, ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 53:4

Tags: Guilt

Worship Of Creation

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2009

WORSHIP OF CREATION How many of you watched the PBS series last month on the National Parks? Besides the fabulous visual images of some of America’s most beautiful scenery, the documentary gave a very interesting perspective on the history of our national parks. Did you know that Jim Grinnell’s ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:21-25

Tags: Idolatry

It’s Closer Than I Thought!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Feb 7, 2020

My wife and her parents used a certain brand of ketchup for many things over a long period of time. They hadn’t had any of it, though, in maybe 30 years or so. They believed this brand wasn’t available, locally, so they never got around to finding any more of it. Now, I grew up in a different part ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tags: God's Will, Discovery, Sharing

Denomination: Baptist

Leaving The City Of Regret

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 1, 2025

Leaving the City of Regret by Larry Harp I had not really planned on taking a trip this time of year, and yet I found myself packing rather hurriedly. This trip was going to be unpleasant, and I knew in advance that no real good would come of it. I'm talking about my annual "Guilt ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:13-16

Tags: Freedom, Regret

Denomination: Methodist

Boosegumps

Contributed by David Dunn on Sep 13, 2025

Good morning, boys and girls. Have you ever felt something wonderful inside—like tiny happy bubbles that make you want to smile from the inside out? Not like bubbles in a 7-Up or soda can—these are bubbles that only your heart can feel. I call them Boosegumps. Now, if you were to go to a ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:13

Tags: Service, Holy Spirit, Salvation, Conversion, Kindness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

The Average Person Has More Than Two Hundred ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 28, 2001

The average person has more than two hundred negative thoughts a day-worries, jealousies, insecurities, cravings for forbidden things, etc. Depressed people have as many as six hundred. You can’t eliminate all the troublesome things that go through your mind, but you can ...read more

Thomas Aquinas The Famous Medieval Theologian ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2008

Thomas Aquinas the famous medieval theologian once wrote: The Lord’s Prayer is the most perfect of prayers... In it we ask, not only for all the things we can rightly desire, but also in the sequence that they should be desired. This prayer not only teaches us to ask for ...read more

Dr. Wilt From The Joyful Noise Letter Dec. 2003 ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Dec 19, 2008

Dr. Wilt from The Joyful Noise Letter Dec. 2003 edition stated: "What is joy? It is one of the most important things in the whole universe. C.S. Lewis called it 'The serious business of Heaven.' Joy marks the difference between existence and life. Its presence ...read more

Tags: Joy

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Survivorman And Esau

Contributed by Johnny A. Palmer Jr. on Feb 13, 2012

SURVIVORMAN AND ESAU I love to watch things like Survivorman - he goes all over the world and survives in the harshest enviornments. But he is like Esau! Self-sufficient, I have never seen him bow his head in prayer and ask God for help; I ...read more

Tags: Self

Denomination: Baptist

So This Is Old Age

Contributed by James Snyder on Jul 29, 2023

Dr. James L. Snyder The other morning I got up; at least, I tried to get up, but the bones in every part of my body had organized a labor strike against me. I’m not quite sure what they were protesting. As I lay there groaning over these bones, I did not realize how many bones I had in my body. ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 32:3

Tags: Age, Bones

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Oh, Memory, How I Miss Thee

Contributed by James Snyder on Sep 16, 2023

Dr. James L. Snyder Driving home from a luncheon with friends, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage asked me a stunning question. She is a specialist regarding questions I can’t answer. I am trying to evade her questions and have been very good up until now. “Did that story you told really ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 10:6-7, 1 Peter 3:10-11

Tags: Memory, Lying

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Where Did The Summer Go?

Contributed by James Snyder on Oct 14, 2023

This past week started out as the best week of the whole year. At least, I thought so at the time. I finished my book manuscript and sent it to the publisher. I caught up with some other projects that were lagging. And I had time to balance my checkbook. What could be better than that? The ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 118:24

Tags: Summer, Time

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

It’s Not A Mess, It’s My Creative Décor

Contributed by James Snyder on Jan 24, 2026

The greatest joy I have every morning is not only getting up but also stepping in my office. I step inside, pause for a moment, and look around at all the books on my shelves. I have almost 10,000 books. And yes, I read every one of them. Well, except for commentaries and dictionaries. I love ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:58

Tags: Mess, Organize

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Tomorrow's Trivia! (02.24.06--Do Not Worry!--Luke ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Feb 22, 2006

Tomorrow’s Trivia! (02.24.06--Do Not Worry!--Luke 22:24) An average person’s anxiety is focused on: 40% -- things that will never happen, 30% -- things about the past that can’t be changed, 12% -- things about criticism by others, mostly untrue, 10% -- about health, which gets worse with ...read more

Scripture: Luke 22:24

Tags: Fear And Worry

Denomination: Lutheran

Over The Past Few Years The Bbc Have Run A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Over the past few years the BBC have run a number of series called the 101 things before you die. 101 places to visit before you die, 101 things to do before you die and 101 things to eat before you die. What they do is get people to write in and suggest their favourite and then they put them ...read more

Tags: Death Nearness

[173]. A Message From A Poem – Look Up Look Up

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Aug 22, 2025

[173]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – LOOK UP LOOK UP Two lines I wrote in the poem are:- “Your heart is where your mind is set. Your mind is what your heart has fixed.” This is not a circular argument and is allied with this verse – {{Colossians 3:2 “SET YOUR MIND on the things above, not on the ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:1, Colossians 3:2

Tags: The Mind, Set Your Mind, Christian Poems, Earthly, Look To Christ, Looking To Jesus, Heavenly Minded, Look Up, The Heart  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Biochemist, Dr. Duane Gish, Notes, "Evolution Is ...  PRO

Contributed by Dana Chau on Sep 9, 2002

Biochemist, Dr. Duane Gish, notes, "Evolution is the most wasteful, inefficient and cruel method that could ever be devised to create living things ... mutations (the process of evolution) leads almost always to bad outcomes: crippling, sickness, disfigurements and deaths. Good mutations are rare ...read more

Tags: Evolution

Denomination: *other

There Once Was In Man A True Happiness Of Which ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 9, 2006

"There once was in man a true happiness of which now remain to him only the mark and empty trace, which he in vain tries to fill from all his surroundings, seeking from things absent the help he does not obtain in things present. But these are all inadequate, because the infinite abyss can ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

Worrywarts

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Illustration – Worrywarts A man was trying to encourage his friend not to worry. “Worry is a waste of time,” he said. After all, 80% of the things people worry about never happen anyway.” Aha” the worrier cried. “That proves that worry works” No, it doesn’t prove any such thing “Yesterday ...read more

Tags: Endurance

It Is Not Knowledge…nor Great Profession…nor ...

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Jan 19, 2009

"It is not knowledge…nor great profession…nor doing many things...nor zeal for certain matters in religion..." He continues that holiness is not "morality and outward respectability of conduct…nor taking pleasure in hearing preachers...nor keeping company with godly people...These things ...read more

Tags: Holiness

Denomination: Salvation Army