In Sermon Illustrations: "Ephesians 5:15-15:17"

Deceiver  PRO

Contributed by Michael Walther on May 25, 2011

DECEIVER Ephesians 6.10-12 Especially, "schemes of the devil..." Here Paul explains the realities of evil in this world. How different this is from popular ideas about evil. There is a comical view of evil -- the character who wears a red suit and carries a pitch fork. Then there is the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-12

Tags: Satan

Denomination: Lutheran

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

The World Ruled By Satan Is...

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jul 28, 2011

THE WORLD RULED BY SATAN IS... C. S. Lewis, in "Paradise Lost" (on Milton’s classic about Satan’s fall) describes the world ruled by Satan as one "not only of misery, but also ... of lies, ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10

Tags: Satan

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

A Positive Stillness

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jul 30, 2011

A POSITIVE STILLNESS "The greater mystery, surpassing all words, summons us to silence. It must, of course, be a silence with content, not just the absence of speech and action. We should expect the liturgy to give us a positive stillness that will restore us. Such stillness will not be just a ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:4

Tags: Disciplines Silence

Denomination: Catholic

Statistics On Loneliness

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 7, 2011

STATISTICS ON LONELINESS This week I read an article by Medical News Today about the health effects of loneliness. Quoting the article, it states that "there is evidence that the risk of developing and dying from heart disease can depend on the strength of one's social network of friends and ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Prayed Into The Kingdom

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 14, 2011

PRAYED INTO THE KINGDOM Chuck Sackett did not grow up in a Christian home. But he joined the Boy Scouts and wanted to complete the "God and Country" merit badge. So he walked a few blocks to a small church for several weeks. He filled out his papers and did what he had to do get that badge. ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:18-20

Tags: Prayer Persistence

God's Greatness

Contributed by Ed Lu on Nov 26, 2011

GOD'S GREATNESS Today it doesn’t take wars or persecutions to challenge our Christian faith or religious practices. No spears, no swords, no fiery torches or saddled horses to combat our religiosity. Sadly, these so called wars and battles among Christians are domesticated within the surrounding ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23

Tags: Greatness

Denomination: Baptist

Take My Wife...please

Contributed by Perry Greene on Nov 30, 2011

TAKE MY WIFE...PLEASE A hooded robber burst into a Texas bank and forced the tellers to load a sack full of cash. On his way out the door, a brave Texas customer grabbed the hood and pulled it off revealing the robber’s face. The robber shot the customer without a moment’s hesitation. He then ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:25

Tags: Marriage General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Imagine If You Would That You Want To Go On The Bus.

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Jan 22, 2012

Imagine if you would that you want to go to Oamaru on the bus, the buses run to Oamaru every day of the week and there are at least three different bus companies to choose from. The trick with all these bus companies is that they charge different fares and that they go at different times. You can ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:1-10

Tags: Journey, Life Journey, Journey Of Faith, The Will Of God, Journey With Jesus  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Salvation Army

The Mark Of Jesus  PRO

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Feb 17, 2012

THE MARK OF JESUS When I was pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Levelland, there was a man in our church, the owner of a local business and a highly intentional Christian. The apostle Paul once said of himself that he bore "on [his] body the marks of Jesus" (Gal. 6:17). Well, this man bore ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:25-33

Tags: Sanctification

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Marriage Sustains Love

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Feb 17, 2012

MARRIAGE SUSTAINS LOVE Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran pastor, sent to prison in Hitler’s Germany and later martyred for his faith. In 1943, while in his cell, we wrote a wedding sermon that he was never permitted to deliver. In that sermon, he said, "It is not ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:25-33

Tags: Marriage General

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Love Her!  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 17, 2012

LOVE HER! I recently heard a preacher speaking of his efforts to counsel a man who was having marital trouble. He said to the man, "The Bible says husbands love your wives." "But I do not love her anymore," he replied. "Then love her as your sister in the Lord." "But I don't think she is ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:25-33

Tags: Marriage Struggle

Dream Big: Google's Founders

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 18, 2012

DREAM BIG: GOOGLE'S FOUNDERS In 1998, Larry Page and Sergey Brin picked the number one followed by 100 zeroes while they were still graduate students at Stanford University. That number in mathematical terms is called a googol, and that became the name of their new enterprise. Today, Google ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:20-21

Tags: Business And Marketplace

The Risk Of Defeating The Enemy

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 26, 2012

THE RISK OF DEFEATING THE ENEMY During WWII in PNG as the Australian troops were involved in engaging the Japanese in Milne Bay and some of the regions along the North coast, the Australian troops began to realise that if they waited for all the artillery fire to cease that the Japanese in machine ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18

Tags: War

Sola Fide: Faith Alone

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 1, 2012

SOLA FIDE: FAITH ALONE Sola fide isn’t a license to sin; it’s the motivation to follow your Savior Now, there was a time in the history of the church, when this doctrine was all but lost. By the fifteenth century the church had become a massive institution of power, and the gospel was polluted. ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

Top Ten Addictions

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 3, 2012

TOP TEN ADDICTIONS The top 10 addictions verify these statements: Alcohol, smoking, drugs, gambling, food, video games, internet, sexual, shopping, work People succumb to these addictions in search of peace and fulfillment; but fail to realize either one. It is a sad, circular, dangerous, and ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:17-18

Tags: Addiction

The Damage Of Disunity

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 9, 2012

THE DAMAGE OF DISUNITY Dwight L. Moody once stated, "I have never yet known the Spirit of God to work where the Lord's people were divided." Notice what Phinehas said: "This day we perceive that the Lord is among us" (Jo 22:31). The Lord's presence was among His people, because they walked in His ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-6

Tags: Divisions

What Kind Of Example Are You?

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 11, 2012

WHAT KIND OF EXAMPLE ARE YOU? It is said that for many years Monterey, a California coast town, was a pelican’s paradise. As the fishermen cleaned their fish, they flung the innards to the pelicans. The birds grew fat, lazy, and contented. Eventually, however the innards were utilized, and there ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-16

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Alcohol Statistics

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 12, 2012

ALCOHOL STATISTICS "By the time they are high school seniors, 80% have used alcohol and 62% have been drunk. In the United States, roughly 50,000 cases of alcohol poisoning are reported each year and approximately once every week, someone dies from this preventable condition. Approximately 14 ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-21

Tags: Alcohol

Home, Sweet Home

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 14, 2012

HOME, SWEET HOME There was a time during the American Civil War, when the rival armies were encamped on the opposite banks of the Potomac River, the Union's band played one of its patriotic tunes, and the Confederate musicians quickly struck up a melody dear to any Southerner's heart. Then one of ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:11-22

Tags: War