In Sermon Illustrations: "1 Corinthians 9:24-28" showing 1,181-1,200 of 5,864

Vigilance, War, And The Price Of Freedom

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 6, 2011

VIGILANCE, WAR, AND THE PRICE OF FREEDOM "Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom" -- a familiar saying in our country. We remember from Pearl Harbor what it's like to get caught off guard. The enemy can be so deceptive: Japan's peace envoys were seated at the negotiating table at the very ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:8-10

Tags: War

Paul Billheimer: The Agent Of Destruction

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 21, 2011

PAUL BILLHEIMER: THE AGENT OF DESTRUCTION In his book, Don't Waste Your Sorrows, Paul Billheimer wrote: "Satan is the agent of destruction, not God. Who was it that destroyed Job's fortune, family, and health when God permitted it done? Satan. Satan brings about accidents, sickness, disease, and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:8-9

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Whose Hands Are You Thankful For?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 26, 2011

WHOSE HANDS ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR? "A Thanksgiving Day editorial in the newspaper told of a school teacher who asked her first graders to draw a picture of something they were thankful for. She thought of how little these children from pour neighborhoods actually had to be thankful for. But she ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday

Out-Of-Whack Priorities

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 26, 2011

OUT-OF-WHACK PRIORITIES USA Today ran an article on October 25th, 1995 that is a great illustration about priorities. It reads... "Ronald Warwick, captain of the luxury cruise ship Queen Elizabeth II, questioned a passenger who paid full fare for his dog to join them on an around-the-world ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:15-17

Tags: Worldliness

The Destiny Of Materialism

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 26, 2011

THE DESTINY OF MATERIALISM The lure of wealth, or what we might call the magnetism of materialism. “Finns [people from Finland] who can’t get enough of winter swarmed to the northern town of Kemi for the opening of a sprawling ice castle that features a theatre, a playground, an art gallery, and ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:15-17

Tags: Materialism

One-And-A-Half Degrees Off

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 30, 2011

ONE-AND-A-HALF DEGREES OFF On October 31, 1983, Korean Airlines Flight 007 departed from Anchorage, Alaska, for a direct flight to Seoul, Korea. Unknown to the crew, however, the computer engaging the flight navigation system contained a 1 1/2 degree routing error. At the point of departure, the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 13:1-14

Tags: Mistakes

The Richest Man On The Island

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 4, 2011

THE RICHEST MAN ON THE ISLAND In his autobiography Just As I Am, Billy Graham recalls a story demonstrating that apart from God, we will not gain anything from living wisely. He said: Some years ago Ruth and I had a vivid illustration of this on an island in the Caribbean. One of the wealthiest ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-10

Tags: Money

The Rise And Fall Of Nine Rich Men  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 6, 2011

THE RISE AND FALL OF NINE RICH MEN A popular story recounts a meeting that may have taken place at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago in 1923. There is debate whether the meeting in fact occurred, but what is not in question is the actual rise and fall of the men featured in the story, who were ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-10

Tags: Money

The Church As A China Cabinet

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 7, 2011

THE CHURCH AS A CHINA CABINET Bryan Wilkerson talks about a sterling silver tea set that a family member gave him and his wife as a reminder of her love for them. It’s quite old and beautifully made, and it sits on a stand in their dining room. There's only one problem: they can’t use it. The ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:14-15

Tags: Church Purpose Of

How Not To Market The Church

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2011

HOW NOT TO MARKET THE CHURCH When we speak of marketing the church (writes David Wells) we are not referencing such things as advertising church events, providing excellence in church programming, being kind to visitors, or providing ample parking. No one is arguing the importance and value of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:14-16

Tags: Church Practices

Quotes On Humility

Contributed by Billy Nale on Apr 13, 2011

QUOTES ON HUMILITY "To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them." -- Charles de Montesquieu "Modesty is a shining light; it prepares the mind to receive knowledge, and the heart for truth." -- Madame Guizot "None are so empty as those who are full of themselves." -- ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:8

Tags: Humility

Denomination: Baptist

The Caddy  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 13, 2011

THE CADDY Two golfers stepped up to the first tee on the St. Andrews course in New York. The older golfer was a kindly man who played a thoughtful, deliberate game. The younger golfer was full of pride and impatience. On the first hole he sliced, lost his ball in the tall grass, hit another one, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Tags: Gratitude, New Year

Whyte In Prayer

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 13, 2011

WHYTE IN PRAYER Scottish minister Alexander Whyte was known for his uplifting prayers in the pulpit. He always found something for which to be grateful. One Sunday morning the weather was so gloomy that one church member thought, "The preacher certainly won’t think of anything for which to thank ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Tags: Gratitude

Intending To Grow

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 19, 2011

INTENDING TO GROW In the 1920s there was a young African American child who was growing up in Cleveland. One day a famous athlete named Charlie Paddock, came to his school to speak to the students. At the time Paddock was considered "the fastest human being alive." He told the children, "Listen! ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:6-10

Tags: Growth In Christ

How Much Land?

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 4, 2011

HOW MUCH LAND? In his 1886 short story "How Much Land Does a Man Need?" Leo Tolstoy shows how a continual desire for more can ultimately cause us to lose everything. The main character of the story is a peasant named Pahóm, who at the beginning can be heard complaining that he does not own ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-10

Tags: Greed

Not Encouraging

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 12, 2011

NOT ENCOURAGING A young couple, very much in love, were getting married in church. However, the bride was very nervous about the big occasion and so the preacher chose one verse that he felt would be a great encouragement to them. The verse was 1 John 4:18 which says: "There is no fear in love. ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:18

Tags: Weddings

What Do Americans Love More Than Money?

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 13, 2011

WHAT DO AMERICANS LOVE MORE THAN MONEY? Most Americans love money, but we love something even more: security. According to a 2009 survey by the Pew Research Center, 59 percent of U.S. adults prefer a job that offers better security over one that offers higher pay but less stability (33 percent). ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

Tags: Security

One Rascal Among Honest Men

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 19, 2011

ONE RASCAL AMONG HONEST MEN A king visited a slave ship, and there was a slave galley where they chain men to the oars and they row and a man beats the drum and another man has a lash to make them row. And they would take the prisoners of the state and put them to use, pulling on the oars. The ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:8-10

Tags: Confession Of Sin

Hope Of Maria

Contributed by Ken Pell on Jun 5, 2011

HOPE OF MARIA Hope weans God’s people from seeking and trusting this world. The story is told of Maria. She lived in a small town in southern Kentucky. She did not see or hear from her husband for years. Edward was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division during the Korean war and captured when the ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:2-3

Tags: Pleasing God, God Brings Hope

Denomination: Nazarene

Hope Is A Source Of Life

Contributed by Ken Pell on Jun 5, 2011

HOPE IS A SOURCE OF LIFE Hope prays for God’s "will to be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10) and then seeks to be God’s agent of change! One writer says: "Biblical and Christian hope does not mean living in the clouds, dreaming of a better life. It is not merely a projection of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13

Tags: God Brings Hope

Denomination: Nazarene