In Sermon Illustrations: "1 Peter 4 12 14 5 6 11"

James Uses Paradoxes To Convey Stabilizing ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 1, 2001

James uses paradoxes to convey stabilizing wisdom. Paradoxes are like literary oxymorons. Top Ten List of Oxymorons. 10. Computer security 9. Political science 8. Tight slacks 7. Definite maybe 6. Pretty ugly 5. Twelve-ounce pound ...read more

Scripture: James 2:14-18

Tags: Workplace, Descriptions Of God, God's Omniscience

Deadly ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 13, 2009

DEADLY PROFESSION Every year, between 300 and 400 doctors take their own lives (roughly one per day). No other profession has a higher suicide rate. And, in sharp contrast to the general population where male suicides outnumber female suicides 4 to 1, the rate among male and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-5

Tags: Stress

Teen Eye View Between 1990 And 2000, The Number ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 3, 2006

Teen Eye View Between 1990 and 2000, the number of teens aged 12 to 19 soared to 32 million, an increase of nearly 4.5 million. Mediamark Research reports this 17% growth rate far outpaced the rest of the population. They’re also wielding increasing influence on household purchases. In ‘03, 47% of ...read more

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

The Power Of Unity

Contributed by Shawn Miller on Jun 2, 2016

In one of Aesops fables he describes an old man who had several sons, who were always falling out with one another. He had often, but to no purpose, exhorted them to live together in harmony. One day he called them together, and he gathered a bundle of sticks and tied them together and asked each ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 4:12, 1 Corinthians 1:10-11

Tags: Harmony, Church Community, E, Unity, Christian Unity  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

167]. A Message From A Poem – Lazarus Is Dead – But Alive

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Aug 15, 2025

[167]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – LAZARUS IS DEAD – BUT ALIVE Here we have a short poem based on the story in John 11 that happened at Bethany. I don’t think there is anything profound in the poem. It is a factual account of the raising of Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha. {{John 11:43-44 ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:6-8, John 11:43-44

Tags: Death, Resurrection, Lazarus, Lazarus Come Forth, Resurrection Of The Body, Christian Poems, Jesus Raises The Dead  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Three Levels Of Fruit Bearing

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 2, 2023

Galatians 5:19-23 describes the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit described by Paul in Galatians 5 is not something that is a goal for Christian living produced by the ability of the believer. No, it is the very character of Christ produced within us by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. In ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:19-23

Tags: Holy Spirit, Fruit Of The Spirit, Spiritual Maturity, Leaders, Spirit Filled Life, Fruit Bearing  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Giving Up The World

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 9, 2011

GIVING UP THE WORLD A man once said to D. L. Moody, "Now that I am converted, must I give up to the world?" "No," answered the evangelist, "you need not give up the world; if you give a ringing testimony for the Son of God the world will give you up pretty quick. They ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:15-17

Tags: Christian Witness

Hope For When Christ Comes

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jun 27, 2021

This two-part story can frame a message on heaven, hope or the resurrection. The 1989 Armenian earthquake needed only 4 minutes to flatten the nation and kill 30,000 people. Moments after the deadly tremor ceased, a father raced to an elementary school to save his son. When he arrived, he saw that ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:14, 1 Corinthians 15:17, 1 Corinthians 15:23, Romans 6:5-9

Tags: Resurrection, Heaven, Hope

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Spiritual Warfare

Contributed by John Bright on Oct 3, 2025

We need to be engaged in Spiritual Warfare. First, we need to acknowledge that there is both a physical realm (fallen) and a spiritual realm (good & bad). This is clear in Ephesians 6, where Paul is describing our battle gear: Ephesians 6:11-12 “11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:11-12

Tags: Spiritual Warfare, Angels, Demons, Physical Realm, Spiritual Realm  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist

Keep Your Eyes On The Prize  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 22, 2008

Keep Your Eyes on the Prize The year Pete Rose was about to break Ty Cobb's all-time hits record in spring training, he was being interviewed. One reporter blurted out, "Pete, you only need 78 hits to break the record. How many at-bats do you think you'll need to get the 78 hits?" Without ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Tags: Character

Jesus Came That Man Would Have A Relationship ...

Contributed by David Ibeleme on Jul 8, 2008

Jesus came that man would have a relationship with God through His death and ...read more

Tags: Jesus' Ministry

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Falsities Of Mormon Author Betty Eadie

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 18, 2010

THE FALSITIES OF MORMON AUTHOR BETTY EADIE The idea of hell and judgment are nowhere to be found in Betty Eadie’s bestseller, Embraced By The Light, on the N.Y. Times bestseller list for more than 40 weeks, including 5 weeks as #1. In November 1973 Eadie allegedly died after undergoing a ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:1-3

Tags: False Teaching

[285]. A Message From A Poem – The Passion Week – Easter Poem

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 5, 2026

[285]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE PASSION WEEK – EASTER POEM This poem is more appropriate at Easter time, the week leading to the Resurrection. I have covered the highlights of that week with a stanza given to each one. The poem is like a synopsis of the week, a shorthand version if you ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:3-5

Tags: Easter Poem, The Burial, Palm Sunday Entry, The Betrayal, Gethsemane, The Cross, The Last Supper, The Resurrection, Death Of Christ, Christian Poems, Easter  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[054]. A Message From A Poem – Day Is At Hand

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 12, 2025

[054]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – DAY IS AT HAND This poem is figurative in a sense. I look at the early glimmer of light in the east as the sun soon will rise. Then it increases until it is full day with the bright shining sun. What the poem does is begin with the harbinger of the dawn in ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:1-2, Isaiah 11:6-9, Romans 8:19-22, 2 Peter 1:19, Malachi 4:1-3  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: The Lion, Poetry, Set Free, Poem, Morning Star, Millennial Kingdom, Sun Of Righteousness, Messiah, Nature, Prophecy, Second Coming, Rapture, The Church  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Focus Of The Prayer Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 9, 2012

THE FOCUS OF THE PRAYER OF JABEZ In the year 2000, Bruce Wilkinson of Walk Through the Bible Ministries turned the obscure character in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 into an international phenomenon with his little book, The Prayer of Jabez. Not only did it become a runaway hit and a longtime New York Times ...read more

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 4:9-10

Tags: Prayer General

Older Churches, Especially Those 40 To 80 Years ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 20, 2007

Older Churches, especially those 40 to 80 years old, on average declined 1.5% to 1.6% between ’03 and ’04. At the same time younger churches ...read more

Tags: Church General

The Nonprofit Sector Generated Direct/Interactive ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 10, 2006

The nonprofit sector generated direct/interactive donations and sales of $102.5 billion says Direct Marketing Association. That represents 7% of all ’99 direct/interactive sales in the U.S. The total is comprised of $80.8 billion in donations, $17.6 billion in mail ...read more

Tags: Giving General

Six Misunderstandings About Temptation

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 8, 2024

Misunderstandings regarding temptation: 1) Temptation itself is sin. 2) We fall into temptation. 3) God is disappointed and displeased when we are tempted. 4) To be strongly tempted means we are as guilty as if we had actually committed sin. 5) We overcome all temptation by separation ...read more

Scripture: James 1:10-15

Tags: Satan, Temptation, Failure, Tests, Trials, Sin, Lust  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

8 Lies Addicted Gamblers Tell Themselves

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Oct 15, 2019

8 Lies Addictive Gamblers Tell Themselves 1. "One more trip to gamble won't hurt anything." 2. "I need to go gamble to see my friends." 3. "I'm a loser, so who cares if I gamble." 4. "I deserve to gamble, because I have had a hard week." 5. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 3:12

Tags: Work, Excuses, Gambling

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Glorify God In Your Body

Contributed by Sam Mccormick on Dec 15, 2016

When I was in high school at Littlefield, Texas, a boy was occasionally seen in the corridors who I did not ever see in my classes. His head was a grayish purple color, irregularly shaped, and at least twice the size of a normal person’s head. I understood that he was a student at the school who ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:20

Tags: Body, Glorify, Elephant, Proteus

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ