In Sermon Illustrations:

The Agenda Of The Coach

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

THE AGENDA OF THE COACH LSU tackle Drake Nevis was the anchor of the defensive line for LSU last year. Listen to what Defensive Coordinator John Chavis said about Nevis before the draft: "Folks are going to fall in love with him. When you get a guy that has the athletic ability he does and ...read more

Tags: God's Sovereign Will

Denomination: Methodist

Pouring Out Like Sweat  PRO

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

POURING OUT LIKE SWEAT Several years ago, Gatorade had an ad with Michael Jordan where he was covered in orange drops of sweat. The image says clearly that Michael Jordan is so full of Gatorade that it is literally pouring out of him like sweat. That’s an appropriate image of the Holy Spirit in ...read more

Scripture: John 14:15-24

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: Methodist

Knowing The Sound Of His Voice  PRO

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

KNOWING THE SOUND OF HIS VOICE Brian Brown tells the story of being at the community pool with his family. Kids were screaming, playing, and splashing in the pool, music was playing, the lifeguard whistles were blowing and in the midst of the conversation, his wife shooshes him. He said, "What are ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, John 10:4

Tags: Prayer General

Denomination: Methodist

One Life At A Time: Rudy's Story

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

ONE LIFE AT A TIME: RUDY'S STORY Rudy Rasmus learned the family business from his father when he was just five years old. His dad brought home a set of blueprints and unveiled his business plans. He said, "This a motel and other people's husbands are going to come and give us money to spend time ...read more

Scripture: Acts 9:1-31

Tags: Conversion, Testimonies About Jesus

Denomination: Methodist

Lamb Over Me

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

"LAMB OVER ME" In his book “Eternity in their Hearts”, Don Richardson a Missionary writes of cultural compasses in other cultures and their language that point to one and only one person, Jesus, preparing the way for the Gospel to be heard. He tells the story of Robert Morrison who landed in ...read more

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Methodist

Arthur's Envy

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

ARTHUR'S ENVY When I served on staff at Rayne Memorial UMC on St. Charles Avenue, a young man named Arthur began attending. Arthur was a nice guy but was different, both in appearance and in personality. Arthur got involved in the young adult ministry I had started at the church and was accepted ...read more

Tags: Envy

Denomination: Methodist

Small Things With Great Love

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

SMALL THINGS WITH GREAT LOVE Gary Morsch is the founder of Heart to Heart in Kansas City. As a physician, he has done magnificient work around the world taking medical supplies to low income people. Several years ago, he took a trip to Calcutta and Mother Teresa's House for the Destitute Dying. He ...read more

Tags: Pride

Denomination: Methodist

Why Would You Want To Be President?

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO BE PRESIDENT? Parker Palmer was offered a job at a university and was wrestling with whether or not to take the job. Parker decided to ask 12 friends to come together to think about whether he should take the job. They began asking him questions. One of them asked, "Parker, ...read more

Tags: Pride

Denomination: Methodist

The Glue Trap Of Lust

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

THE GLUE TRAP OF LUST Adam Hamilton tells the story of moving into his house after it was built only to discover that it was infested with mice. So he got glue traps which have a scent that attracts the mice. They step on it and then are stuck. Then the mice need to be killed and disposed of. He ...read more

Tags: Sin Bondage To

Denomination: Methodist

The Impact Of Lust

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

THE IMPACT OF LUST I think about a woman I knew in college who dated and slept with one guy after another until one night she slept with several men consecutively. After college, she went from one relationship to another until she had a mental breakdown. Now in her mid 40s, she just pulling her ...read more

Tags: Sexuality

Denomination: Methodist

Gluttony Pants

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

GLUTTONY PANTS Chef Chris Cosentino, Food Network star and executive chef at Incanto restaurant in San Francisco, has created the Gluttony Pants for those of us who occasionally indulge and engorge without the post-meal awkwardness. The pants have three buttons, allowing you to expand the pants' ...read more

Tags: Sin General

Denomination: Methodist

We Have The Key

Contributed by Matthew Olanrewaju on Sep 17, 2011

WE HAVE THE KEY Father William Bausch told a story of a boy who one morning had arrived very early at school and waited patiently at the door. Next to arrive was a lady who was surprised that this youngster had arrived so early. "It’s locked" the pupil said as the teacher tried the door. She began ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Methodist

Who Is This Guy?

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Aug 29, 2011

WHO IS THIS GUY? Chuck Colson relates this interesting story in his book How Then Should We Live?: "In William Steig's Yellow & Pink, a delightfully whimsical picture book for children, two wooden figures wake up to find themselves lying on an old newspaper in the hot sun. One figure is painted ...read more

Tags: Creation

Denomination: Methodist

James: Slave Of God

Contributed by Mark Schaeufele on Jul 14, 2011

JAMES: SLAVE OF GOD James, the half brother of Jesus, who wrote the Letter of James, could have easily identified himself as "the younger brother of Jesus." But he ...read more

Tags: Servanthood

Denomination: Methodist

The Wizard Of Oz: Getting Home

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jul 10, 2011

THE WIZARD OF OZ: GETTING HOME I remember watching the Wizard of Oz. Dorothy is trying to find her way home, and along the way she runs into a scarecrow with no brain, a tin man with no heart, and a lion with no courage. But they learn that there is a wizard in the land of Oz who can help them ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Methodist

That Cross Alone

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on May 29, 2011

THAT CROSS ALONE Clarence Jordan, author of the "Cotton Patch" New Testament translation, and founder of the interracial Koinonia farm in Americus, Georgia, was getting a red-carpet tour of another minister's church. With pride the minister pointed to the rich, imported furnishings and luxurious ...read more

Tags: Cross

Denomination: Methodist

The True Follower

Contributed by Mark Schaeufele on May 27, 2011

THE TRUE FOLLOWER The true follower of Christ will not ask, "If I embrace this truth, what will it cost me?" Rather he will say, "This is truth. God ...read more

Tags: Obedience

Denomination: Methodist

Wrath On The Messenger

Contributed by Mark Schaeufele on May 26, 2011

WRATH ON THE MESSENGER I don't know about you, but one of my all-time favorite TV shows is M*A*S*H. I especially loved it when the company clerk Radar would have to give bad news to the head nurse "Hot Lips" Hoolihan. He would tell her the news and expect to have to face her wrath even though he ...read more

Tags: Prophecy

Denomination: Methodist

Lord Have Mercy Me

Contributed by D. Marie Hamilton on May 21, 2011

LORD HAVE MERCY ME I am a huge fan of the Christian band Mercy Me. They are my favorite band of all time! My favorite CD is Almost There. Those worship and praise songs inspire me to stay in the race even when I want to quit because working for the Lord can be overwhelming. I'm strengthen by ...read more

Scripture: John 21:20-25

Tags: Mercy

Denomination: Methodist

Voice Of Authority

Contributed by Mark Schaeufele on May 12, 2011

VOICE OF AUTHORITY When I was serving with YWAM in the summer of 1982, we played a concert at a school in Amsterdam. As the concert ended, the students began to come up to us and talking with us, and believe it or not, some even asked for our autographs. At that moment a tall, thin, man with a ...read more

Tags: Authority

Denomination: Methodist