In Sermon Illustrations: "9 11 12"

In His Book, Forbidden Fruit: Sex & Religion In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 14, 2008

In his book, Forbidden Fruit: Sex & Religion in the Lives of American Teenagers, sociology professor Mark Regnerus says evangelical teens are slightly more sexually active than their non-evangelical peers. Non-evangelical teens have sex for the first time at age 16.7 vs.16.3 for evangelicals. ...read more

Tags: Youth

Plymouth, England, December 1: Being Too Part...

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Dec 15, 2008

Plymouth, England, December 1: Being too particular about cleanliness can make you a lenient judge, says a strange but interesting British study. Dr. Simone Schnall, a psychologist at University of Plymouth, stated that people who tend to wash their hands before making judgments are more likely to ...read more

Tags: Compassion

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Study Shows Divorce Won't Make You Happier

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 25, 2009

STUDY SHOWS DIVORCE WON’T MAKE YOU HAPPIER One research team studied the responses of over 5,000 married adults who were first interviewed in the 1980s. Five years later, the survey re-contacted those people. Even though the study really wasn’t centered on divorce, they found that some of the ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 2:16

Tags: Divorce

Traditions  PRO

Contributed by Thomas Cash on Jul 7, 2009

TRADITIONS When the Shema prayer (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) was recited during a service at an old synagogue in Eastern Europe, half the congregation stood up and half remained sitting. The half that was seated started yelling at those standing to sit down, and the ones standing yelled at the ones ...read more

Tags: Bitterness

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Mind ...

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Aug 7, 2009

Mind Reader? The Guardian, a British daily newspaper, reported on February 9, 2007 that a team of scientists has determined that reading brain waves can reveal a person’s intentions. Literally, if this report is true, science has determined a way to read the mind and determine what you intend to ...read more

Tags: Thought, Mind Of Christ

Denomination: Baptist

We Always Turn To Something

Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on Jan 30, 2010

We Always Turn to Something In Thessalonica, notice those who heard the gospel responded by 1Thes1:9 turning to God from idols to serve the true and living God. In our 21st century western society there has been a huge paradigm shift, a turning away from Judea/Christian God centred worldview, ...read more

Tags: Idolatry

Denomination: Baptist

Prophecy In The Bible

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 15, 2010

PROPHECY IN THE BIBLE Hundreds of Bible prophecies have been fulfilled, specifically and meticulously, often long after the prophetic writer had passed away. For example, Daniel the prophet predicted in about 538 BC (Daniel 9:24-27) that Christ would come as Israel's promised Savior and Prince 483 ...read more

Tags: Apologetics General

Denomination: Independent/Bible

More Beyond  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 15, 2010

MORE BEYOND The Strait of Gibraltar is the strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. On either side of the Strait of Gibraltar there are two mountains, which were known in ancient times as the Pillars of Hercules. According to Greek mythology, Hercules built these pillars ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:13-18

Tags: Heaven

The Definition Of A Saint  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 15, 2010

THE DEFINITION OF A SAINT A young boy went with his parents touring around Europe one summer. Part of their tour included visits to the great old cathedrals of the past. As he visited cathedral after cathedral, he was impressed the massive stained glass portraits of the disciples and of other ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:14-16

Tags: Christian Witness

Hanging Onto The "Bomb"

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 13, 2010

HANGING ONTO THE "BOMB" For four hours he held the cylinder, waiting for rescue or an immediate death. After digging up what appeared to be an unexploded WWI bomb, David Page held on to it, afraid that letting go would detonate the device. While holding the bomb, the terrified 40-year-old from ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7

Tags: Anxiety

Boss: Mark Dever On The Four Aspects Of ...

Contributed by Tim White on May 7, 2011

BOSS: MARK DEVER ON THE FOUR ASPECTS OF LEADERSHIP B=Boss. The leader "reproves, rebukes, and exhorts with all longsuffering and doctrine." There is a delicate balance in local churches between pastoral authority (Hebrews 13) and congregational authority (Matthew 18). The pastors must exercise ...read more

Tags: Leadership General

Denomination: Baptist

Launching Into The Deep

Contributed by Tom Feola on Feb 6, 2012

LAUNCHING INTO THE DEEP Dr. Robert Schuller's hobbies include raising koi fish. Asked why some grow big while others stay small, he replied, "If a koi fish lives in a small tank it will never grow longer than two or three inches. In a larger pond they can grow up to ten inches long--in ponds the ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

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

American Knowledge Of Religion

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 5, 2012

AMERICAN KNOWLEDGE OF RELIGION A survey conducted by the Christian Science Monitor found that atheists and agnostics and Jews and Mormons were among the highest scoring groups who took a 32 question survey of religious knowledge. On average Americans scored 16 of 32 correct. Atheists and agnostics ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:15

Tags: Religion

Then The Judgment

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Oct 6, 2017

The Bible holds a truth that is sure to be experienced by all who had lived before us, a truth for us all now and a truth for all who will live after us: - "...[mankind] is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment." (Hebrews 9:27) It is imperative, all of us must understand, now we ...read more

Tags: Judgment

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Eating The Wrong Cookies - Assumptions

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Sep 30, 2019

A traveller, between flights at an airport, went to a lounge and bought a small package of cookies. Then she sat down and began reading a newspaper. Gradually, she became aware of a rustling noise. From behind her paper, she was flabbergasted to see a neatly dressed man helping himself to her ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 9:1-14

Tags: Deception, Assumptions, Satan's Craftiness

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

So God's Really In The Details?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 28, 2005

SO GOD’S REALLY IN THE DETAILS? Economists use probability theory to predict how people will spend money. Actuaries use it to figure how high someone’s insurance premium will be. In 2002, Richard Swinburne, who is a professor of philosophy at Oxford University, used a formula known as Baye’s ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:1-15

Tags: Easter Resurrection, Apologetics Jesus

In Praise Of Your Table  PRO

Contributed by Glenn Robertson on Nov 16, 2005

In Praise of Your Table Father, I praise you for the table you have prepared. Not for food for the body, As much as food for the soul. Drink that satisfies my inner thirst. Bread that nourishes the hungers of my life. Fruit of the Spirit that grows me upward. Father, You have adorned your ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:17-26

Denomination: Baptist

Antonio Was An Italian Boy Who Loved Music, But ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 15, 2005

Antonio was an Italian boy who loved music, but whenever he tried to sing the music that was in his heart, it came out so badly that all his friends laughed at him. Next to singing, the boy loved to hear the violin. He had a pocketknife he always carried with him and he would whittle all sorts of ...read more

Tags: Endurance

Antonio Was An Italian Boy Who Loved Music, But ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2006

Antonio was an Italian boy who loved music, but whenever he tried to sing the music that was in his heart, it came out so badly that all his friends laughed at him. Next to singing, the boy loved to hear the violin. He had a pocketknife he always carried with him and he would whittle all sorts of ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To