In Sermon Illustrations: "1 Samuel 16%3A7" showing 3,981-4,000 of 5,749

Major Osipovich, An Air Force Pilot For The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 21, 2011

Major Osipovich, an Air Force pilot for the former USSR, planned to give a talk at his children's school about peace. That meant he would have to take some time off during the day to give his talk, so he volunteered for night duty. That’s how Major Osipovich found himself patrolling the skies over ...read more

Scripture: John 14:27

Tags: Peace

Sometimes The Analogy Of The Caterpillar Turned ...

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on May 9, 2011

Sometimes the analogy of the caterpillar turned butterfly is over-used. But we can’t help it because it’s a powerful image of the metamorphosis we undergo in our relational development toward God. Our caterpillar state is one of restriction. We are bound by realities of time and space that ...read more

Tags: Worship General

Denomination: Salvation Army

The World Is Without Hope

Contributed by Ken Pell on Jun 5, 2011

THE WORLD IS WITHOUT HOPE In Kurt Vonnegut’s novel, Cat’s Cradle, an important book comes to light. It is titled, "What Can a Thoughtful Man Hope for Mankind on Earth, Given the Experience of the Past Million Years?" The chief character is anxious to read it. But when he does, he finds that it ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:12

Tags: God Brings Hope

Denomination: Nazarene

Philip Caught A Gold Mine

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2011

PHILIP CAUGHT A GOLD MINE On Sept. 27, 1998, Philip Ozersky went to a baseball game and saw his life changed in a big time way. All it took was one swing of the bat, and Philip caught not just a baseball, but a gold mine. Lots of fans have caught home runs, but this was no ordinary home run. Lots ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 19:1-14

Tags: Money

Getting To Know Man

Contributed by Brad Henry on Aug 18, 2011

GETTING TO KNOW MAN Julie and I have the wonderful privilege to raise Bryce and Chase. But that is a privilege given to us by God. God created our children and is allowing Julie and I to raise them. We get to keep them in our home for a time and then they are off into the world. But God created ...read more

Tags: Worldliness

The Adam And Eve Virus

Contributed by Daniel J. Little on Nov 15, 2011

THE ADAM AND EVE VIRUS The Genesis narrative (chapter 3) tells us how God gave Adam and Eve His wisdom as well as His authority, and then how they pursued a counterfeit authority and an alien wisdom—actually satanic wisdom. The moment they introduced that dark wisdom into their lives a radical ...read more

Tags: Sin Fall Of Man

Denomination: *other

Knowledge By Revelation

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Apr 15, 2012

KNOWLEDGE BY REVELATION Dr. Nichols states, "There must be a difference between the knowledge that comes from the gathering of information, and that which comes by revelation. The Pharisees and Sadducees had the best information anyone could have in their day. If you asked them, they would tell ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Keep The Springs Pure  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 8, 2012

KEEP THE SPRINGS PURE The family’s water supply came from a spring just a few feet from the house. The pure, cold, sweet water bubbled up through a large pipe about the size of a barrel that had been sunk in the ground. One morning two huge frogs were found in the spring. No one wanted to drink ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 4:20-27

Tags: Heart

A Defensive Programming Problem

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 9, 2012

A DEFENSIVE PROGRAMMING PROBLEM In the 1982 war in the Falkland Islands between England and Argentina, the Royal Navy’s 3,500-ton destroyer HMS Sheffield was sunk by a single missile fired from an Argentine fighter jet. This caused some people to wonder if modern surface warships were obsolete. ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 9:27-28

Tags: Judgment

The Right Use Of The Eyes  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 28, 2012

THE RIGHT USE OF THE EYES A bishop of the early church, who was a remarkable example of the virtue of contentment, was asked his secret. The venerable old man replied: "It consists in nothing more than making a right use of my eyes. In whatever state I am, I first of all look up to heaven and ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:10-13

Tags: Gratitude

Let Me Read One Of Aesop’s Greek Fables; In ...

Contributed by Francis Balla on Aug 24, 2012

Let me read one of Aesop’s Greek fables; In the forest, there lived four oxen. They were very good friends and always went together to graze in the fields. However, every time they went, a hungry lion tried to attack them. The lion longed for their meat. But they withstood his attack by fighting ...read more

Tags: Unity

Denomination: Baptist

So What?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 26, 2012

"SO WHAT?" SOCIETY When I talk about this it might seem rather funny to you or odd, because people don’t worry or care about such things today. Recent surveys in 2011 sum it up pretty well. • 44% told the 2011 Baylor University Religion Survey they spend no time seeking "eternal wisdom," and 19% ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-13

Tags: Culture

Charles Dickens And Reviving Christmas  PRO

Contributed by Warner Pidgeon on Dec 24, 2012

Two hundred years ago, in the early 19th Century, as astonishing as it may seem, Christmas in Great Britain had become almost extinct. The Times newspaper did not mention Christmas once between 1790 and 1835. Not once! However, Charles Dickens was instrumental in reviving Christmas during the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:8-14

Tags: Christmas, Losing Christmas

Denomination: Anglican

Overloaded

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 3, 2013

OVERLOADED In the book, Overload, by Dr. Richard Swenson, he discusses one of the main reasons our lives have too much anxiety and stress. He says that most of us are just plain overloaded. Think about it. (1) We are overloaded with commitments. We don’t know how to say no. And as a result we meet ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:38-42

Tags: Stress, Time Management

Successful People Get Up Early!  PRO

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 14, 2014

Forbes Magazine states that early risers are the most successful people. The discipline of getting up early produces many positive results, such as: 1. More proactive approach to life 2. The ability to anticipate problems better 3. Better goal-setting 4. Time for exercise 5. Sleep is much better ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 22:1-21, Genesis 22:1-19

Tags: Sacrifice, Abraham, Temptation, Trusting God, Success, Successful, Getting Up Early  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Infinite Can Penetrate The Finite!!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 1, 2016

Herbert Spencer, one of the popularizes of agnosticism over a century ago, observed accurately that a bird has never been known to fly out of space. Therefore, he concluded by analogy that it is impossible for the finite to penetrate the infinite. Even if God does exist, we can never know Him ...read more

Scripture: John 1:14

Tags: Jesus, Creator, Infinite, Agnosticism

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Debt Is Paid

Contributed by Daniel King, D. Min. on Jul 25, 2018

Main Idea: Because of our sin, we owe a great debt that is impossible to pay, but Jesus paid the debt. Verse: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23 NKJV). Illustration: One time I was buying a sandwich at a store and I did not ...read more

Tags: Wages Of Sin, Jesus Paid Our Debt, Debt Is Paid, Sin

Denomination: Charismatic

What Kind Of Worker Are You?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Oct 15, 2019

WHAT KIND OF WORKER ARE YOU? The way you work in your business is one of the greatest ways you witness either for the Lord or against Him. Don't be a half-hearted worker like these: 1. The Vanisher - The vanisher seems to go invisible at odd times without explanation.  2. The Victim - ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:28

Tags: Work, Testimony, Business

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Strength In Old Age

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Aug 13, 2020

I use the Bible I had in Bible college when I have my devotions or study. Came across these notes from 1/24/80. I was 27. Joshua 14:11 As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 14:11-12

Tags: Faith, Courage, Old Age, Strength, Retirement, Retire  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

God-Centered Life

Contributed by Ritchie Guerrero on Oct 15, 2020

Illustration of life that is God-centered God is always in the center of your life. Your Priority. Our life must revolve only in Jesus Christ. Consider a small Object. ex. a small piece of wood Tie the object with a soft string, at least 1 ft in length, in such a way that you could hold the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:22, Matthew 6:33

Tags: Center, Focus, Priorities

Denomination: Evangelical Free