In Sermon Illustrations: "2 Timothy 1:1-12:1"

Relationships And Bats

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Aug 9, 2010

RELATIONSHIPS AND BATS In the Spring, Marylu and I spent a day at one of our State Parks, McCormick's Creek (my personal favorite). But we could not go into the cave there because of a deadly disease that is annihilating bats. 2. This week, an AP story broke: "A mysterious illness is ...read more

Tags: Friendship General

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Are You A Chief Student?

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Dec 27, 2010

ARE YOU A CHIEF STUDENT? David Friedman, in They Loved the Torah p. 61 comments about Peter (Shim'on): I see Shim'on as Yeshua's Torah-observant....talmid hakham...a Hebrew technical term meaning the leading student (of a rabbi). Every famous rabbi who daily taught the same students had a talmid ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Out-Of-Whack Priorities

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 26, 2011

OUT-OF-WHACK PRIORITIES USA Today ran an article on October 25th, 1995 that is a great illustration about priorities. It reads... "Ronald Warwick, captain of the luxury cruise ship Queen Elizabeth II, questioned a passenger who paid full fare for his dog to join them on an around-the-world ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:15-17

Tags: Worldliness

Warfield's Faithfulness  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 28, 2011

WARFIELD'S FAITHFULNESS There’s an old story about Dr. Benjamin Warfield. He was a theology professor at Princeton Seminary. While he was still at the height of his academic powers, his wife got sick. And she became an invalid. He took care of her for ten years. During that ten year period, he ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:25-33

Tags: Marriage Faithfulness

Fitted For Service Through Suffering

Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Apr 15, 2011

FITTED FOR SERVICE THROUGH SUFFERING I grew up as a military brat and later my dad was a missionary to the military. When I was growing up, I was never exposed much to suffering. When we lived overseas, if someone got too sick, they shipped them back to the States, or (when we were stationed in ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Baptist

Never, Never Be Late  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 17, 2011

NEVER, NEVER BE LATE A local priest was being honored at his retirement dinner after 25 years in the parish. A leading local politician and member of the congregation was chosen to make the presentation and to give a little speech at the dinner. However, he was delayed so the priest decided to say ...read more

Scripture: James 5:13-16

Tags: Confession Of Sin

A Dying Church  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 5, 2011

A DYING CHURCH An artist was once asked to put on canvas what he considered to be the picture best symbolizing a decaying and dying church. After several months, he returned and reported that he had finished the task. The hour finally arrived when the painting was to be unveiled. Several people ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:1-6

Tags: Church Growth

A Little Girl's Trust

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 9, 2011

A LITTLE GIRL'S TRUST It's a lesson we need to learn, as well. Our true security comes from God and God alone, so we must learn to trust Him. Don't trust in a lie. Don't trust in an idol. Trust in the Lord. Then and only then will you be truly secure. Five-year-old Jessica became a bit ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 30:1-24

Tags: Trust

Who Will Do The Need-Meeting?

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 11, 2011

WHO WILL DO THE NEED-MEETING? One preacher told of shopping at the supermarket when a lady came down the aisle heading straight for him. She screeched to a halt within a few feet of him, wagged her finger, and said, "I left your church. I left your church". So I said, "Well, if it’s my church, I ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-5

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

What Occupies Your Heart

Contributed by Scott Carroll on May 20, 2011

WHAT OCCUPIES YOUR HEART I squirmed a bit as I forced myself to listen to my friend cataloging her problems. After three hours, I interrupted her gently to ask, "If you were to draw a circle to represent your life, what would be in the center? She thought a moment, then said, "My problems." My ...read more

Tags: Joy

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Salvation Belongs To The Lord

Contributed by Michael Walther on Jun 6, 2011

SALVATION BELONGS TO THE LORD To say that we cooperate with God in any way in our salvation undermines the doctrine of salvation, robs our confidence in God, and tempts us to pride. It is like the man who collapses from a massive heart attack and is rushed to the hospital. The doctor doesn’t ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Lutheran

Spurgeon On Truth And The Spirit

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 20, 2011

SPURGEON ON TRUTH AND THE SPIRIT The great 19th century British preacher, Charles Spurgeon, made a wonderful analogy about the Holy Spirit’s role in leading us into God’s truth: "Truth may be compared to a cave or grotto, with wondrous stalactites reaching from the roof, and others reaching from ...read more

Scripture: John 16:5-15

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Reducing The Glare

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 4, 2011

REDUCING THE GLARE Just a few years ago (2004), Frank Gehry finished his landmark creation of the 274 million dollar Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Now, with all that money you'd expect the building to shine, and it does. The shimmering stainless steel concert hall is truly marvelous to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:13-16

Tags: Holiness

Invalids' Prayers Bring Revival  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 4, 2011

INVALIDS' PRAYERS BRING REVIVAL Max Lucado told of a church in Scotland back in the 1940s that was struggling to keep the doors open. A couple of its members were two older ladies who were invalids and couldn’t get out for worship any longer. But these ladies refused to allow their infirmities to ...read more

Scripture: James 5:13-20

Tags: Prayer Persistence, Serving

Prayer For Thieves  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 4, 2011

PRAYER FOR THIEVES About 12 years ago, three men broke into our church building here. They didn't steal much, and they didn't really damage all that much (they broke a couple of doors, and stole a few small items) but we called the police and reported the incident. After the police left, our youth ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 4:2-6

Tags: Prayer Answered

Greek Words For God's Love

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Aug 8, 2011

GREEK WORDS FOR GOD'S LOVE The Hebrew words for love are more meaningful than the Greek ones, especially two of them. aheb, "...The intensity of the meaning ranges from God's infinite affection for his people to the carnal appetites of a lazy glutton..." (Theological Wordbook of the Old ...read more

Tags: God's Love

Denomination: Independent/Bible

A Story Of Revenge

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Aug 29, 2011

A STORY OF REVENGE The other day, a soldier was in my office. He had been exposed to radiation poisoning while deployed in Afghanistan and was brought home to prepare for death. But he told me his story and said he wasn't prepared to die and meet God on Judgment Day. This soldier said that his ...read more

Tags: Bitterness

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The First Radio Broadcast  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 7, 2011

THE FIRST RADIO BROADCAST Allow me to start our time by reading you a nifty story. It is called, "The First Radio Broadcast." For their entire careers, wireless operators onboard US Navy and merchant ships had only heard Morse code coming through their headphones. However, a few days before ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Tags: Christmas Eve, Peace, Eternal

Your First Love

Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Oct 28, 2011

YOUR FIRST LOVE Jesus' first remedy for the Church in Ephesus was too "REMEMBER." Rev. 2:5 says, "Remember therefore from where you are fallen..." Remember what it was like during the honeymoon stage? Go back in your mind to a time when passion prevailed in your spiritual life. Relive it and ...read more

Tags: Love For God

Denomination: Baptist

Changing Our Lives Due To The Harshness Of This ...

Contributed by Michael Hahn on Apr 14, 2012

Changing our lives due to the harshness of this world - Coming or going: leaving or staying? Which one will we be happy doing? The psalmist wrote: "Happy is the man who does not go in the company of sinners, or take his place in the way of evil-doers, or in the seat of those who do not give honour ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 1:1-4

Tags: Self

Denomination: Independent/Bible