In Sermon Illustrations: showing 5,341-5,360 of 52,463

Why Should I Let You Into Heaven?

Contributed by Brad Henry on Aug 5, 2011

WHY SHOULD I LET YOU INTO HEAVEN? If you were to die today and God were to ask you, 'Why should I let you into my heaven?' what would you say?" Over the years I would have to say that 85% of the answers I get are "I have tried to be a good person, I have tried to be a good parent, I have tried to ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Phobias Into Faith

Contributed by Brad Henry on Aug 5, 2011

PHOBIAS INTO FAITH As most of you have read in my past e mails I hate to camp. I hate the dark. I hate spiders and you show me a snake I am finished. But the Lord has used all these phobias for me to put my faith into practice. If we had everything we ever needed we wouldn’t need God. Left to ...read more

Tags: Fear And Worry

Prayer For Thieves  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 4, 2011

PRAYER FOR THIEVES About 12 years ago, three men broke into our church building here. They didn't steal much, and they didn't really damage all that much (they broke a couple of doors, and stole a few small items) but we called the police and reported the incident. After the police left, our youth ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 4:2-6

Tags: Prayer Answered

Invalids' Prayers Bring Revival  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 4, 2011

INVALIDS' PRAYERS BRING REVIVAL Max Lucado told of a church in Scotland back in the 1940s that was struggling to keep the doors open. A couple of its members were two older ladies who were invalids and couldn’t get out for worship any longer. But these ladies refused to allow their infirmities to ...read more

Scripture: James 5:13-20

Tags: Prayer Persistence, Serving

Cheap Purchase—high Price  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 4, 2011

CHEAP PURCHASE--HIGH PRICE In Decision magazine some time ago, Karen Morerod wrote about shopping in a store for a sweater. She was looking for one at minimal cost, so she went to the clearance rack. As she flipped through the sweaters, one caught her eye. It was the right color and the right ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:13-21

Tags: Blood Of Christ

Aiming At The Right Target  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 4, 2011

AIMING AT THE RIGHT TARGET Some of our deeds are of great value, especially those done in dependence upon God for His glory and honor. Some of our deeds are worthless. They accomplish nothing of eternal value and will be quickly forgotten after we are gone. Matt Emmons had the gold medal in ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:1-16

Tags: Goals

Reducing The Glare

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 4, 2011

REDUCING THE GLARE Just a few years ago (2004), Frank Gehry finished his landmark creation of the 274 million dollar Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Now, with all that money you'd expect the building to shine, and it does. The shimmering stainless steel concert hall is truly marvelous to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:13-16

Tags: Holiness

I'll Give You My First Paycheck

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 4, 2011

I'LL GIVE YOU MY FIRST PAYCHECK Craig C. had been an alcoholic for more than a dozen years. He'd lost everything he had, including his wife and son, due to his selfishness and addiction. Things began to change after he gave his life to Christ, but he still fell regularly into his old habits. It ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:13-16

Tags: Trust

David Trueblood On Discipline

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 4, 2011

DAVID TRUEBLOOD ON DISCIPLINE David Trueblood: "The one who wants to be an accomplished athlete must discipline his body by regular exercise and a strict diet. Otherwise, he or she will not be free to excel on the playing field or the tracks. The athlete who fails to train rigorously denies ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:13-16

Tags: Disciplines General

The Impact Of Optimism

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 4, 2011

THE IMPACT OF OPTIMISM Just a few years ago (2004), Fox News reported on a study that came from the Archives of General Psychiatry. Researchers studied 1,000 people aged 65-85 trying to determine the importance of a positive attitude in dealing with life. After almost 10 years of follow-up, these ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:3-5

Tags: Attitude General

Everything I Need To Know I Learned From Noah  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 4, 2011

EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED FROM NOAH In 1988, Robert Fulghum published his best-selling book, Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. Recently, somebody suggested another book title: Everything I Need to Know I Learned from Noah. For example... * Don't miss the boat. * Plan ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:7

Tags: Noah

Works-Driven Rituals

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 4, 2011

WORKS-DRIVEN RITUALS Every year a great throng of people make pilgrimage to the Shrine of Guadalupe in Mexico, a site where supposedly the Virgin Mary once stood...however unlikely that is. They go there hoping to get her attention, and to get her to intervene for them with her son Jesus. They ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:7-10

Tags: Action

Bumps Show Character

Contributed by Ken Pell on Aug 4, 2011

"BUMPS" SHOW CHARACTER The other day I had a very full cup of coffee. VERY full. To top it off I had to walk back to my desk with it and, as fate would have it, I bumped into the desk corner while walking there. The coffee spilled. There's no hiding spilled coffee on a book or paper and, sure ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Nazarene

Tying Off The Tap Root  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2011

TYING OFF THE TAP ROOT The Japanese introduced a tree to the world that is called a Bonsai tree. It is measured in inches instead of feet as other trees are measured. It is not allowed to reach anywhere near its full growth potential but instead grows in a stunted miniature form. The reason for ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 2:1-7

Tags: Prayer General

Rooted For Life  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2011

ROOTED FOR LIFE There was once a farmer who went to town to purchase seeds for his farm. As he was returning home, one of the squash seeds he had purchased fell from his pocket onto the ground. It happened that within a few feet was another seed of a different type. The place where the two seeds ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 2:1-7

Tags: Growth In Christ

Feeling A Tug  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2011

FEELING A TUG A small boy was flying a kite one April afternoon when a low drifting cloud encircled the kite and hid it from view. A man passing by asked the little boy what he was doing with that string in his hand. "I’m flying my kite," the child responded. The man, looking up and seeing ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:1

Tags: Faith, Real Faith, Better Faith, Feeling Faith

How Were The Old Testament Saints Saved?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2011

HOW WERE THE OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS SAVED? H. A. Ironside was traveling and dropped in on a Sunday school class. The unprepared teacher asked how Old Testament saints were saved and somebody answered, "By keeping the law." The teacher said, "Correct!" Ironside raised his hand and said, "Romans ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 3:6-9

Tags: Faith

Refining Sap To Maple Syrup  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2011

REFINING SAP TO MAPLE SYRUP Dr. David Osborn at Denver Seminary says, "Too often we try to use God to change our circumstances, while He is using our circumstances to change us." (Compass, April 2003) You see, God is right now in the process of making us like Christ. Think of the process of ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-4, Psalm 13:1-6, Psalm 34:15-16

Tags: Sanctification

Wiersbe: Idealism, Realism, And Skepticism

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2011

WIERSBE: IDEALISM, REALISM, AND SKEPTICISM Warren Wiersbe: "A realist is an idealist who has gone through the fire and been purified. A skeptic is an idealist who has gone through the fire and been burned." (CT Classics, ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-4

Tags: Hardship Of Life

Are You Seaworthy?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2011

ARE YOU SEAWORTHY? In his book, Life before Death, Ian Leitch, a Scottish preacher, talks about three luxury ocean liners, the Queen Mary, the Queen Elizabeth, and the QE2. He says, "When they built [these ocean liners], they did not test them in dry dock. They didn’t leave them in dry dock and ...read more

Scripture: James 1:1-15, James 1:2-4

Tags: Faith