In Sermon Illustrations: "Youth Day"

The Meanest Man In Texas

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 5, 2012

THE MEANEST MAN IN TEXAS Let's finish with the true and amazing story of Clyde Thompson. Clyde's father was a Bible salesman, but when he was old enough to stay home alone, he began refusing to go to church with the rest of the family. Most Sundays, while his family was in church, Clyde was ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Tags: Bible Influence

Norman Vincent Peale On Spreading Love

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Mar 16, 2013

Norman Vincent Peale wrote this: "Ralston Young carries bags for a living but his real job is living the spirit of Christ as a porter in one of the world's greatest railway stations. One day he was asked to take a little old lady to her train. She was in a wheel chair so he took her down on the ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Anglican

Sidewalk Flowers

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 27, 2014

"There is no failure except in no longer trying. There is no defeat except from within, no really insurmountable barrier save our own inherent weakness of purpose." - Hubbard, Kin American Journalist (1868-1930) I once knew a woman who grew up in Oklahoma in a very poor family. She ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6

Tags: Persevere, Adversity, Disability, Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Charismatic

The Conflict Of Character

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 27, 2014

THE CONFLICT OF CHARACTER “You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.” - James D. Miles As she poured hot coffee into his mug early that morning, she noticed the guard’s countenance was more contemplative than usual. He was a man with ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 10:9

Tags: Truth, Integrity, Honesty, Christlike Character

Denomination: Charismatic

Cobia, Bigfoot, And God - Elusive Searching

Contributed by Jack Kale on May 10, 2016

Cobia, Bigfoot, and God I’ve been three times now and I’m starting to lose hope. I keep hearing rumors about these tasty leviathans that meander just off the second sandbar on their annual pilgrimage around the Gulf of Mexico. I’ve heard rumors of folks catching them off the pier and even seen ...read more

Scripture: John 20:29

Tags: Search, Finding God, Fishing, Bigfoot

Denomination: *other

The Invitation

Contributed by Tim Smith on Aug 13, 2017

Bob Goff tells the story of he and his friend Brandon going to Washington DC on business and being close to Capital Hill at midnight. They saw a bunch of cars awkwardly parked around the Library of Congress and barricades and so they decided to investigate. They discovered that it was a set for the ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 14:21

Tags: Invitation, Gospel, Chosen

Denomination: Methodist

Baseball - The Curious Case Of Scooter Gennett

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Dec 31, 2018

Baseball And The Curious Case Of Scooter Gennett Baseball is known for its surprises. It's a beautiful game that lets grown men play a kids game. For more than a century of baseball and thousands of games, only 16 men have homered four times in one game. The last was Josh Hamilton, five years ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-3, 1 Corinthians 13:13, Romans 5:1-4

Tags: Perseverance, Hope, Good News

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[001] Message From A Poem - 20 Snippets Of Living

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 30, 2024

[001] MESSAGE FROM A POEM - 20 SNIPPETS OF LIVING Sometimes we all like to put our thoughts to paper and this is what I have done here with this poem. I think we are quite familiar with the Proverbs and the wisdom contained there. I am at the latter end of my life and looking forward to the ...read more

Scripture: 3 John 1:3

Tags: Poem, Ways To Live, Living, Advice

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[028] A Message From A Poem – Be Not Conformed To The World

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 15, 2025

[028] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – BE NOT CONFORMED TO THE WORLD “If you don’t agree with us, you are not included.” “We will finance your new building but only if you add a night club.” This world is absolutely full of compromise. It happens in relationships (sexual pressure on a woman), in ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:10, 1 Peter 1:14, Romans 12:1-2, Romans 10:17

Tags: Compromise, Poetry, Conform, Conformity, Conformed To His Death, Conformed To The World  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[080]. A Message From A Poem – Faithfully He Is Watching

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 12, 2025

[080]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – FAITHFULLY HE IS WATCHING The poem here you will read is one of my top favourites. It resonates so much with me. It just flowed and when it does that it is joyous. I truly hope you can relate to it. This poem was written on the day I received notification that ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:6, Job 1:21

Tags: Watching, God Hears, Forsake, Poem, Orphans, Cares, Abandoned, Faithful, Friendship, Deliverance, Merciful, Poetry  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[089]. A Message From A Poem – Specific – For The Unsaved - The Three Ts

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 26, 2025

[089]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – SPECIFIC – FOR THE UNSAVED - THE THREE Ts Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. That was the purpose of the First Advent called Christmas. There is no way to be saved except through repentance and placing your life in the hands of God. There are many ...read more

Scripture: Acts 16:30, Psalm 37:5, Romans 3:12, Acts 26:20

Tags: Turn, Poem, Take, Must Be Born Again, Be Saved Now, Hell, Trust, Salvation, Repentance, Poetry, Unsaved  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[128]. A Message From A Poem – His Hands, His Feet And His Brow

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 11, 2025

[128]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – HIS HANDS, HIS FEET AND HIS BROW Introducing the Poem: This poem underneath actually resulted from a true story. On 16 June, 1997 a news item came over the radio of an incident that happened in Saudi Arabia. This is the true incident: [[A Saudi-Arabian woman ...read more

Scripture: John 20:26-27, Zechariah 13:6, Isaiah 53:5

Tags: Hands And Feet Pierced, Saudi Arabia

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The One Who Takes The Son Recieves Everything

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Nov 19, 2025

The story is told ... Years ago, ... there was a very wealthy man who, ... with his devoted young son, ... shared a passion ... for collecting fine art. Together ... they traveled around the world, ... adding only the finest art treasures ... to their collection. Priceless works ... by Picasso, ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:11-12

Tags: Father, Jesus, Son, Everything

Denomination: Anglican

[282]. A Message From A Poem – The Lord Will Never Fail Me

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 31, 2026

[282]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE LORD WILL NEVER FAIL ME (possible song) This is a more unusual poem and in my mind, there was the possibility of a song. The poem has rhythm which is necessary for singing. The metre may defeat that though but not a problem for a good musician. I love ...read more

Scripture: John 16:33, Hebrews 13:5-6

Tags: Fail, Abide, Keep, Christian Poems, Failure  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Love - According To Kids

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 12, 2026

What Does Love Mean? A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8-year-olds: "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think: "When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Tags: Kids, Love

Denomination: Methodist

Whoever Takes The Son Receives Everything - Good Story

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Feb 25, 2026

The story is told ... Years ago, ... there was a very wealthy man who, ... with his devoted young son, ... shared a passion ... for collecting fine art. Together ... they traveled around the world, ... adding only the finest art treasures ... to their collection. Priceless works ... by Picasso, ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:11-12, Colossians 1:15-16, 1 Corinthians 1:4-8, 1 Corinthians 13:12

Tags: Treasures, Auction, Son, Life, Eternal  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

In The Nineteenth Century There Was A Successful ...  PRO

Contributed by Adam Cruse on Jul 18, 2001

In the Nineteenth century there was a successful attorney in Chicago by the name of Horatio Spafford. He was intelligent, successful, and godly. Early on in his success, he came to the realization that he needed to have balance both in his home and church as well. He loved them and He loved his ...read more

Tags: Descriptions Of God, Faith General, Assurance Of Salvation

Denomination: Baptist

This Year Will Have A Notoriety Among Its ...  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Sep 26, 2001

"This year will have a notoriety among its fellows as the year of calamities. Just as that season when man goes forth to reap the fruit of his labors, when the harvest of the earth is ripe, and the barns are beginning to burst with the new wheat, Death too, the mighty reaper, has come forth to ...read more

Tags: Hardship Of Life, Patience, Second Coming

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

One Evening Sam Left His Bible Study Group Where ...  PRO

Contributed by Ian Biss on Oct 1, 2001

One evening Sam left his bible study group where his pastor was teaching on listening to God, convinced that he would listen when he felt God was speaking to him. It was at that very moment that Sam felt the compulsion to buy a gallon of milk. So he pulled over at the nearest shopette and bought a ...read more

Tags: God's Supply, Holy Spirit Attributes, God's Provision, Faith

Denomination: Grace Brethren

The Spirit Within Us  PRO

Contributed by Wayne Major on Oct 14, 2001

THE SPIRIT WITHIN US I was driving one day when I saw a hitchhiker by the side of the road, loaded down with a couple of large carrying bags. Now, I make it a practice normally not to pick up hitchhikers, which may in itself be a refusal to hear the cry of those needy of transportation. But in ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:38-42

Tags: Leadership General, Mercy

Denomination: Methodist