In Sermon Illustrations: "You"

Born Identity

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

BORN IDENTITY Jimmy Gupton tells of when he was 93 and ready to go on home to God. For the 1000th time, he had prayed for God to take him home. His wife had been gone for seven years, and it was getting harder and harder to go through the motions of the holiday. He had a big silver Christmas tree ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Vernon And Joey

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Oct 13, 2012

It is fitting that we begin with a true story involving three main characters: an elderly man nearing death, a kindhearted woman in robust health, and a deceased boy very much alive. Five months earlier, physicians had diagnosed sixty-five-year-old Vernon Samuels with terminal lung cancer. They ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 21:3-4

Tags: Death

Denomination: Baptist

If Only My Fishing Rod Could Talk

Contributed by James Snyder on Sep 5, 2020

It has been a busy week, more so than any other week. Just when I thought I was caught up, something else presented itself without my permission. That seems to be what life is all about. I remember my father telling me when I complained to him how busy my life was and how my employer wanted me to ...read more

Scripture: John 8:32

Tags: Humor, Fishing

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

A Musical Concert Or Aggravating Noise?

Contributed by James Snyder on Sep 12, 2020

To say the least, and I usually do, this summer has been quite a journey for the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and myself. I can't remember a summer equal to the one we just went through. The fact that we got through it is amazing. We have been staying at home more often than usual, but ...read more

Scripture: Amos 3:3

Tags: Music, Humor

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Bug! Bug! Where’s The Bug?

Contributed by James Snyder on Nov 14, 2020

As far back as I can remember, every time I would leave the house, the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage would say, "Be careful. Drive safely." It’s as though she doesn’t think I could drive carefully without giving me some instructions. I think it has become just a routine for ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:12

Tags: Mistakes, Together, Harmony

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

I May Be A Knucklehead, But I'm Not Insane

Contributed by James Snyder on May 15, 2021

Nobody is perfect except maybe the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage comes close. I've never caught her in some imperfection, or if I had, nobody would know it from me. There is such an obsession today for people to be perfect. And, of course, their definition of perfect is what they are. ...read more

Scripture: Amos 3:3

Tags: Humor, Family, Agreement

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

What The World Needs Today Are Fathers

Contributed by James Snyder on Jun 18, 2022

There is much talk today about what’s wrong with our society. That list is pretty long, but the most important cause of problems in our culture today is the lack of fathers. So many children grow up without a father in the home. How tragic. I was fortunate enough to know my father. My father ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 23:24

Tags: Father, Family, Authority

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

I Screamed For Ice Cream And Got In Trouble.

Contributed by James Snyder on Jan 14, 2023

Trouble is not my middle name, although it sure could be; just ask The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. I try to keep out of trouble, but my definition differs from my wife's. What she considers to be trouble is just about everything I do. I will not ask her how I can keep from doing what I ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 46:1

Tags: Taste, Trouble, Ice Cream

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Whatever Happened To Reality

Contributed by James Snyder on May 18, 2024

During my health hiatus I did things I never had time to do before. One of them was to check out some Reality TV Shows. I never had much interest in these TV shows, but I thought now would be a good time to check some of them just to see what their idea of reality really was. Of course, my health ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:8

Tags: Reality, Tv Shows

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Unlocking Your Godly Potentials

Contributed by Godsgift Bee Willie on Feb 13, 2025

Deus Vocatio (Called of God) and the Mission Idea of The Called of God and God's Mission However; The idea of the called of God in systematic theology by Louis Berkhof point it out clear that "Calling precedes or predate regeneration; this mean calling go back to Jeremiah 1:5 that reveals ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 1:5, Isaiah 61:1-7

Tags: Potential, Unlock, The Call Of God

Denomination: Pentecostal

It’s Not Always What I Don’t Know

Contributed by James Snyder on May 17, 2025

I would be the first to admit one truth about myself: I don’t know everything. To quote a politician, “I don’t know what I don’t know.” That has been the theme of my life for as long as I can remember. It all began with my parents. Whenever I got into trouble, they would usually respond, “Don’t ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 2:1-2

Tags: Wisdom, Memory

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Tom Jefferson Wrote On How To Handle Anger ...  PRO

Contributed by Rich Young on Jan 5, 2001

(IL) Tom Jefferson wrote on how to handle anger in his "Rules of Living." "When angry count 10 before you speak. If very angry count a hundred." (IL) Mark Twain, 75 yrs later, revised ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 4:1-11, Jonah 4:1

Tags: Anger, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

A Headline On The Front Page Of The Newspaper ...  PRO

Contributed by Don Hawks on Mar 18, 2002

A headline on the front page of the newspaper once read, “Signing Up For Eternity.” It was an article about people who were putting their signature on cards, sending them on a rocket to circle Saturn for the next 100 years. ...read more

Tags: Death Nearness, Death

Denomination: Methodist

Paul J. Meyer Reminds Us, "Everyone Leaves A ...  PRO

Contributed by Dana Chau on Nov 13, 2002

Paul J. Meyer reminds us, "Everyone leaves a legacy, whether you have children or not." We all influence the people we encounter. If we want to leave a godly legacy, we will need ...read more

Tags: Leadership General, Parenting

Denomination: *other

Soon After Paul And Marilyn Were Married, Paul ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Decker on May 19, 2004

Soon after Paul and Marilyn were married, Paul stopped wearing his wedding band. "Why don’t you ever wear your ring?" Marilyn asked. "It cuts off my circulation," ...read more

Tags: Marriage Commitment

Denomination: Baptist

Not Long Before She Died In 1988, In A Moment Of ...

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Jun 28, 2004

Not long before she died in 1988, in a moment of surprising candor in television, Marghanita Laski, one of our best-known secular humanists and novelists, said, “What I envy most about you Christians is your ...read more

Scripture: Luke 7:36-47, Mark 14:3-9

Tags: God's Forgiveness, God's Provision

Denomination: Baptist

At The Height Of Her Fame As The Other Woman In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 24, 2004

At the height of her fame as the other woman in the Ivana and Donald Trump breakup, Marla Maples spoke of her religious roots. Why, I’ll never know. She told interviewers that she believed in the Bible, then added the ...read more

Many Years Ago, Roger Babson Published A ...  PRO

Contributed by Charles R. Swindoll on Sep 28, 2004

Many years ago, Roger Babson published a pamphlet entitled “Essentials of Business Success.” The leaflet contained nothing but a reprint of the Ten Commandments. Some time later a western manufacturer wrote to Mr. Babson ...read more

Tags: Commandments General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Gordon Macdonald, A Christian Author Once Said ...

Contributed by Jared Schroeder on Oct 1, 2004

Gordon MacDonald, a Christian author once said this, “The world can do almost anything as well as or even better than the church. You need not be a Christian to build houses, feed the hungry, or heal the ...read more

Tags: Church Purpose Of, Church Practices

Denomination: Mennonite

A Man Was Walking Down A Dark Street. All Of ...

Contributed by Douglas Dudley on Feb 10, 2005

A man was walking down a dark street. All of sudden a robber jumped out with a gun and said, " give me your money." The man replied, " Hey, you can’t do this to me! I’m a United states ...read more

Tags: Sin Exposed

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ