In Sermon Illustrations: "Ephesians 1:1-6:1"

You Know When You Buy Toys For Your Kids Or ...  PRO

Contributed by Steven Dow on Jun 29, 2005

You know when you buy toys for your kids or grandkids often times on the package in fine print are these words: “Batteries not included.” Do you know what that means? It means that you get the toy, but the power to make it work is not included. That is not the kind of gift that God gives. ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:19

Tags: Holy Spirit Attributes, Holy Spirit In Believers

A Teenager Noticed This In His Own Life And ...  PRO

Contributed by Tim Zingale on Oct 3, 2005

A teenager noticed this in his own life and sought out his pastor. A teenager was sitting in the pastor’s office saying,"Sometimes I don’t think I am a Christian. I don’t seem to have the same interest and excitement, or enthusiasm I once did. It isn’t easy for me to remember God, to come to ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-6, Ephesians 4:22-24

Tags: Discipleship, Baptism Adult

Denomination: Lutheran

He Led Them Up The Steep Slope Out Of The River ...  PRO

Contributed by Todd Anderson on Dec 8, 2005

“He led them up the steep slope out of the river valley and then slightly to the right apparently by the very same route which they had used that afternoon in coming from the hill of the stone table. On and on he lead them into dark shadows out into pale moonlight. Getting their feet wet with the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-3

Tags: Narnia

Denomination: Lutheran

A Few Years Ago Psychologist Ruth W. Berenda And ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2005

A few years ago psychologist Ruth W. Berenda and her associates carried out an interesting experiment with teenagers designed to show how a person handled group pressure. The plan was simple. They brought groups of ten adolescents into a room for a test. Subsequently, each group of ten was ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:14

Tags: Basics Of Christianity

The Wall Separating Church And Economics Is Being ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2006

The Wall Separating Church And Economics is being breached. “More and more scholars have been using conventional economic methods to understand the way in which religion relates to the rest of society, and to the economy in particular,” says George Mason University professor Laurence R. Iannaccone. ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:15-16

Tags: Christian Values

Church Tech: 9 Out Of 10 Protestant Pastors Have ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2006

Church Tech: 9 out of 10 Protestant pastors have Internet access, and about half of all Protestant churches maintain a church Web site, according to a recent Ellison Research study. While 90% of ministers are online, only a third of those use a content filter on their church office computer. 88% ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:12-14, Philippians 4:13, Nehemiah 8:13-18, 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12, John 10:1-30, Mark 10:45-52, James 3:1-20, James 3:1-18, Ephesians 4:1, 1 John 1:1-10, Luke 6:19-31, Joshua 1:1-30, 2 Timothy 3:10-17  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Church General

Church Influence On Teens Nominal: New Barna ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 3, 2006

Church Influence On Teens Nominal: New Barna research finds that 56% of teens say they attended church-related activities an average of two or more times per month prior to turning 13. Most likely attendees were those living in the South or Midwest. 26% received general information about God, such ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:1, 1 Timothy 4:12-13

Tags: Children, Obedience

Not Only Do We Know God By Jesus Christ Alone, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 10, 2006

“Not only do we know God by Jesus Christ alone, but we know ourselves only by Jesus Christ. We know life and death only through Jesus Christ. Apart from Jesus Christ, we do not know what is our ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:17-23

Tags: God's Provision

Never Give Up  PRO

Contributed by David Parks on Sep 18, 2006

NEVER GIVE UP Haddon Robinson tells the following story. I hope you appreciate it as I did. It was New Year’s Day, 1929, and Georgia Tech. and UCLA were battling it out in the Rose Bowl. Georgia Tech. fumbled the football late in the first half. Roy Riggles recovered for California. Picking up the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:13-14

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Yates Pool Is A Famous Oil Field In West Texas. ...

Contributed by Steven Angus on Sep 26, 2006

Yates Pool is a famous oil field in West Texas. During the Great Depression of the 1930’s, this field was a sheep ranch owned by a man named Ira Yates. Because of Yates’ inability to make enough money on his ranching operation to make his mortgage payment, he was in danger of losing his ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:3, 2 Peter 1:3

Denomination: United Methodist

Revival Prayer Exalts God, Because It Puts Things ...

Contributed by Daniel Devilder on Oct 24, 2006

Revival Prayer Exalts God, because it puts things in perspective: God is high and lifted up— It’s like flying up in a plane and everything is so small. It’s not that our problems disappear, but we realize from God’s perspective, it is nothing he can’t handle. I remember how honored and humbled I ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:29

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Seminary Professor Was Vacationing With His ...  PRO

Contributed by Bob Soulliere on Nov 2, 2006

A seminary professor was vacationing with his wife in Gatlinburg, TN. One morning, they were eating breakfast at a little restaurant, hoping to enjoy a quiet, family meal. While they were waiting for their food, they noticed a distinguished looking, white-haired man moving from table to table, ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-22, Romans 12:1-2

Tags: Discernment

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Way To Stay Free From Sin

Contributed by J. Brad Campbell on Nov 6, 2006

The way to stay free from sin Is to stay committed to God ...read more

Scripture: James 4:7-12, Matthew 6:10, Matthew 26:39, Romans 6:13, Ephesians 4:26-27, Ephesians 6:11, 1 Peter 5:8-9, Proverbs 1:10, Proverbs 4:14, 2 Peter 3:17, Luke 10:19, Luke 22:31-32, Romans 16:20, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Hebrews 2:18, 1 John 4:4, Revelation 3:10, Revelation 3:21  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

C.s. Lewis Said, "In Commanding Us To Glorify ...  PRO

Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on Nov 28, 2006

C.S. Lewis said, “In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy him.” God wants our worship to be motivated ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-10, Ephesians 2:8

Tags: Love, Glory, Worship, Contentment

Denomination: Baptist

Hold Up An Empty Glass. Ask, "Do You Know How To ...  PRO

Contributed by Danny Rogers on Nov 29, 2006

Hold up an empty glass. Ask, “Do you know how to get the air out of this glass?” We cannot suck the air out. The answer is simple. Take a pitcher of water and fill the glass. Explain: Now the air is gone. The victory in the Christian life is not ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:18, Romans 8:9

Denomination: Baptist

From The Australian Psychology Society  PRO

Contributed by Daniel Devilder on Dec 1, 2006

From the Australian Psychology Society What is anger? Anger is an emotion that can range from mild annoyance to intense rage. It is a feeling that is accompanied by biological changes in your body. When you get angry, your heart rate and blood pressure rise and stress hormones are released. This ...read more

Scripture: James 4:7-10, Ephesians 4:26

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

I Read The Story Of A Twenty-Six Year Old School ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Willis on Dec 18, 2006

I read the story of a twenty-six year old school teacher who had never been married. She said that when she was a little girl her parents had divorced and her mother had gone to live in a far away state while she had stayed with her father who was a physician. She said, “I spent my whole life ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11, Ephesians 1:6

Denomination: Baptist

When You First Met "J.e.", You Could Tell He Was ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Willis on Dec 29, 2006

When you first met “J.E.”, you could tell he was a very angry man. In fact, at age 54 he’d been an angry person for many years. In a Bible study that night, many questions had been raised in his mind. Talking with the leader afterward, J.E. said, “I asked Jesus to be my Savior when I was 9 years ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:1-7, Romans 12:1-3

Tags: Mind

Denomination: Baptist

Hans Christian Andersen's Tale Of "The Ugly ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Willis on Dec 29, 2006

Hans Christian Andersen’s tale of “The Ugly Duckling” illustrates the truth that what you know and believe to be truth determines your behavior. Although hatched in the same nest as the other eggs, this “duckling” looked different. He was big and ugly, not soft and yellow like the other ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:1-3, Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, Luke 10:27, Mark 7:1-23  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Faith, Trust, Storm, Trial

Denomination: Baptist

The Movie "Saving Private Ryan" Ends With Captain ...  PRO

Contributed by Mike Mcguire on Feb 7, 2007

The movie "Saving Private Ryan" ends with Captain Miller(Tom Hanks’ character)sitting near a bridge after an attack by German forces. His life is ebbing away as he pulls Ryan (Matt Damon)down toward him. Struggling for breath he whispers, "Earn this, earn this." As Ryan stands his face morphs back ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-10

Denomination: Baptist