In Sermon Illustrations: "1 Corinthians 9 24 27 27"

Ornamentals

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on May 5, 2012

ORNAMENTALS Back in 1960, my family moved from Ohio to Arizona. The first time we went to the Phoenix Airport, I was impressed by the beautiful orange trees that lined the drive. It was the first time this Ohio boy had ever seen citrus trees. The oranges were big as grapefruits. They looked so ...read more

Tags: Jesus Teachings

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Toy Story: Friendship

Contributed by Ken Pell on Jun 23, 2012

TOY STORY: FRIENDSHIP "As iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another." (Proverbs 27:17) Henry Ford said, "My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me." And what's true of a good church is true of a good friend; they love you and they help you aspire to grow and be whole. Have ...read more

Tags: Friendship General

Denomination: Nazarene

Lovers Of The Cross

Contributed by Rev. Dan Hesko on Jul 1, 2017

Thomas a kempis wrote in the Imitation of Christ Jesus has many who love His Kingdom in Heaven, but few who bear His Cross (Luke 14:27). He has many who desire comfort, but few who desire suffering. He finds many to share His feast, but few His fasting. All desire to rejoice with Him, but few are ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:27

Tags: The Cross, Pure Love, Bearing The Cross

Denomination: Catholic

Tony Campolo Says That His Wife Is A Brilliant ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Feb 21, 2001

Tony Campolo says that his wife is a brilliant woman. She has a PHD & is capable of pursuing a very profitable career. But she elected to stay home with her children when they were young. Her decision didn’t bother her at all except when other women would ask, “What do you do?” She would ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:13-16, Ephesians 2:1

Tags: Conviction, Children, Mothers, Mother's Day, Motherhood, Parenting, Temptation, Sacrifice, Tithes  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Former Under Secretary Of The Interior John C. ...  PRO

Contributed by Tj Tipton on Mar 29, 2001

Former Under Secretary of the Interior John C. Whitaker is reminded of how easy it is to get an out-of-perspective feeling about one’s importance in government whenever he thinks of an 85-year-old woman who has lived her life in one spot in Nova Scotia. The population there swells to nine in summer ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:1-6, Proverbs 25:6-7

Tags: Temptation Pride, College, Daughter, Humility, Independence Day, Perspective  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

Possums And The Grave  PRO

Contributed by Joel Pankow on Apr 13, 2001

POSSUMS AND THE GRAVE I have heard that possums are smart animals. You wouldn’t think so because you hardly ever see one except when it’s dead on the road. There’s a joke that goes, “why did the chicken cross the road? To prove to the possum that it could be done!” But possums, it turns out, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 8:10-15, Luke 24:13-24

Tags: Volunteer, Victory, Resurrection, Service, Servant, Missions, Go, Easter, Easter Resurrection, Death  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Lutheran

The Devil Has A Plan For Your Life: Doubt - To ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Nov 30, 2001

The devil has a plan for your life: Doubt - To make you question God’s word and His goodness; Discouragement - To make you look at your problems rather than at God; Diversion - To make the wrong things seems attractive so that you will want them more than the right things; Defeat - To make you feel ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:8-9, Luke 7:18-35

Tags: Satan

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Humble Memorial  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 19, 2002

A HUMBLE MEMORIAL In 1884 a young man died, and after the funeral his grieving parents decided to establish a memorial to him. With that in mind they met with Charles Eliot, president of Harvard University. Eliot received the unpretentious couple into his office and asked what he could do. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:7, Genesis 1:1

Tags: Emotions, Parable Great Banquet, Humility

An Elderly Man Was Desperately Ill. Knowing The ...  PRO

Contributed by Matthew Rogers on Dec 10, 2001

An elderly man was desperately ill. Knowing the time for his departure was near, he called for his closest friends to come see him one last time. Attending him were his doctor, his pastor and his business manager. The old man said, “I know you can’t take it with you, but who knows for sure? ...read more

Scripture: Luke 13:6-10, 1 Timothy 6:6-19

Tags: Money

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

On A Rather Insignificant Sphere  PRO

Contributed by Steven Simala Grant on May 28, 2002

ON A RATHER INSIGNIFICANT SPHERE A senior angel is showing a very young angel around the splendors of the universe. They view whirling galaxies and blazing suns, and then flit across the infinite distances of space until at last they enter one particular galaxy of 500 billion stars. As the two ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:6-8, 1 Peter 1:12

Tags: Christmas Advent

Denomination: Baptist

Communion In Your ‘civvies'  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 13, 2002

COMMUNION IN YOUR ‘CIVVIES’ Janet Daley writes in the UK Telegraph about a “movement among Church of England clergy in favour of going into civvies.” One of the things that the Church of England Synod is debating is the agitation some are having for dress-down Sundays, which would allow the vicar ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:6-7, Hebrews 13:1-16

Tags: Christmas, Hope, Humanity Of Christ, Lord's Supper

Sodium Is An Extremely Active Element Found ...  PRO

Contributed by Steven Platt on Nov 1, 2002

Sodium is an extremely active element found naturally only in combined form; it always links itself to another element. Chlorine, on the other hand, is the poisonous gas that gives bleach its offensive odor. When sodium and chlorine are combined, the result is sodium chloride - common table salt ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:15, Ephesians 4:15

Tags: Apologetics General, Christian Values, Truth

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Slow And Steady  PRO

Contributed by Troy Borst on May 28, 2003

SLOW AND STEADY The power of the Holy Spirit is not just for salvation, but transformation, a process that might be slow and gradual. The difference might look like this: You can take ten gallons of gasoline and release a tremendous amount of power and energy by just dropping a lighted match ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:4-8, 1 Thessalonians 1:7-8

Tags: Holy Spirit General, Holy Spirit Attributes

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Teenage Boy Was Seriously Injured An Automobile ...  PRO

Contributed by Charles Wilkerson on Oct 21, 2003

A teenage boy was seriously injured an automobile accident. The doctors did all they could to repair the damages to the boy’s body but despite their fast medical knowledge they were unable to completely restore his legs. He was informed that he would eventually walk, but only with the aid of ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:4-5, John 16:33

Tags: God's Forgiveness, Healing, Overcome, Determination, Christian Liberty, Trial, Struggles  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Paul And The Philippians Remembered And ...  PRO

Contributed by Garth Wehrfritz- Hanson on Dec 1, 2003

Paul and the Philippians remembered and supported one another in prayer. A joyful, loving, and caring church is one which keeps each other in prayer. Oftentimes, we fail to be a joyful, loving, caring Christian community because we fail to remember and support each other in prayer. There are many ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:13, 1 John 5:13-15

Tags: Prayer Adoration, Unity

Denomination: Lutheran

Red Devil Tool Company Of Union, N.j. Has As ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Simms on Dec 7, 2003

Red Devil Tool Company of Union, N.J. has as their slogan, “It’s easy with the devil.” Of course, they are boasting that their tools transform difficult tasks into simple ones. Those knowing God’s word understand the desire and ambition of Satan, how he seeks to destroy mankind. He makes sin ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:3, Matthew 13:1

Tags: Sin General, Sin Punishment Of

Denomination: Baptist

Alexander M. Sanders, Jr., Is The Chief Judge Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Mary Lewis on Jun 11, 2004

Alexander M. Sanders, Jr., is the Chief Judge of the South Carolina Court of Appeals. When his daughter Zoe graduated from the Univ. of South Carolina in 1992, he told this story that happened what she was just three years old. Sanders came home from work one day to find his home – and especially ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16, Philippians 4:4

Tags: Children, Commandments Murder

Denomination: Baptist

I Was Burdened To Pray One Day. So When I Got ...

Contributed by Harold Wanton on Apr 30, 2005

I was burdened to pray one day. So when I got home from work my wife who usually would be home, was not home. So I to my room to pray and God led me to pray for a baby in our family. As I prayed ferverently in the spirit, I did not know why, but I prayed for about an hour. When I finished praying ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:1-4, Romans 8:26-27

Tags: Prayer In The Spirit, Prayer Adoration

Denomination: Apostolic

Game . . . Set . . . Match? (06.15.05--The Tie ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jun 13, 2005

Game . . . Set . . . Match? (06.15.05--The Tie That Binds--1 John 4:16) “What more can I do? I’ve given you the best that I have, everything that is mine to give is yours. I simply don’t know what more I can do?” If you’ve never uttered these words yet in your life, it is likely that someday you ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:16, Isaiah 40:28-29

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus, God's Love

Denomination: Lutheran

Perserverance  PRO

Contributed by Richard Schwedes on Nov 13, 2006

Perserverance: In Sydney, Australia you can climb the Sydney Harbor bridge...for a fee of course $145 per person... This opportunity is available because a gentleman by the name of Paul Cave had the vision to establish the business Bridge Climb... At one stage it looked like the business would ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:1-5, 1 Samuel 22:1-4

Denomination: Lutheran