In Sermon Illustrations: "Artificial Lives"

Discipline In Farming

Contributed by Rick Pendleton on Apr 9, 2009

DISCIPLINE IN FARMING It is like farmer who has replaced farming with watching programs about farming. Now the fields are overgrown, barn is falling down, the fences are down and cows are in the road. Such is the condition of most Christian lives. The ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Baptist

Only In The Lone Star State

Contributed by John Crowe on Aug 11, 2011

ONLY IN THE LONE STAR STATE My daughter’s family moved to Del Rio, Texas. One night my 4-year-old granddaughter recited the Lord’s Pryaer with a slight variation; "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:9-13

Tags: Children

Denomination: Baptist

Breakthrough Prayer

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on May 24, 2018

If we really want to pray with power, we need to break through into greater holiness. We don’t need a formula or a method for praying. But we do need to live with purity and simplicity rather than with ...read more

Tags: Prayer, Prayer And Doing

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Excellent Congregations: Excellent Protestant ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 16, 2006

Excellent Congregations: Excellent Protestant Congregations, by Paul Wilkes and published by Westminster John Knox Press identified the following 26 common traits among the "excellent" protestant congregations. 1. A vibrancy about living a Christian life...living on the creative and holy edge of ...read more

Tags: Church General

Blessed Are The Persecuted  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Blessed Are The Persecuted Matthew 5:10-12 says, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:10-12

Tags: Persecution

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Chrysostom On Ecclesiastes  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 21, 2011

CHRYSOSTOM ON ECCLESIASTES Eutropius had fallen into disgrace. As the highest-ranking official in the Byzantine Empire (late fourth century), he served as the closest adviser to the emperor Arcadius, then ruling in Constantinople. But Eutropius abused his imperial power and aroused the anger of ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2 Kings 16:10-16

Tags: Evangelism How To

[192]. Message From A Poem – No Contradiction Found Here

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 8, 2025

[192]. MESSAGE FROM A POEM – NO CONTRADICTION FOUND HERE I am not sure if I should explain each of these or let you work them out for yourselves. I was going to explain what seems to be contradictions, then I changed my mind. I will decide on that tomorrow! Well, I have decided to let you ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:10, John 3:7, 1 Peter 1:3, Titus 2:13

Tags: Christian Poems, Born Again, The Blessed Hope, Paradoxes, Contradictions  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How Much Is Laughter Really Worth?

Contributed by James Snyder on Sep 30, 2023

Of all the things I prioritize in my life, laughter is at the top of the list. I appreciate laughter more than any other thing. Some people get paid for their jokes, while others pay mightily. I am in the latter category. I like to make people laugh, but sometimes it costs me. Whenever I see ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:22

Tags: Laughter, Medicine

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Whatever Happened To Reality

Contributed by James Snyder on May 18, 2024

During my health hiatus I did things I never had time to do before. One of them was to check out some Reality TV Shows. I never had much interest in these TV shows, but I thought now would be a good time to check some of them just to see what their idea of reality really was. Of course, my health ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:8

Tags: Reality, Tv Shows

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

I Didn’t Know I Loved It That Much

Contributed by James Snyder on Nov 16, 2024

One important thing I have learned is that you don’t appreciate something until it’s missing. I’ve learned that by many things that I just took for granted. Last week, for example, I had some problems with my truck, so I had to take it in for service. It took longer than I had expected, but ...read more

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 2:13

Tags: Love, Appreciation

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Tom Jefferson Wrote On How To Handle Anger ...  PRO

Contributed by Rich Young on Jan 5, 2001

(IL) Tom Jefferson wrote on how to handle anger in his "Rules of Living." "When angry count 10 before you speak. If very angry count a hundred." (IL) Mark Twain, 75 yrs later, revised ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 4:1-11, Jonah 4:1

Tags: Anger, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

It Seems The Pastors Small Son Was Told By His ...  PRO

Contributed by Jon Sigler on Jun 20, 2001

It seems the pastors small son was told by his mother that he should wash his hands because there were germs living in all that dirt. He refused and complained: "Germs and Jesus! Germs and Jesus! ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6

Tags: Children

Denomination: Holiness

Opportunities Missed  PRO

Contributed by Ed Mcneely on Jun 25, 2002

Opportunities Missed There was a very cautious man Who never laughed or played. He never risked, he never tried He never sang or prayed. And when one day, he passed away His insurance was ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ, Finding Fulfillment, Bible Influence

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Recent Research Funded By Zondervan Reveals The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 6, 2006

Recent research funded by Zondervan reveals the most influential factor when choosing a Bible translation is accuracy (75.8%). 15.1% go for readability. This was a key motivator for Tyndale House to invest in the ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

Islam Is The 2nd Largest Religion In The U.s. And ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2006

Islam is the 2nd largest religion in the U.S. and in Europe. Muslims outnumber Methodists in England. 43% of Muslims live in Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and India. There are 1.3 billion Muslims in the world while there ...read more

Tags: World Religions

Compassion Is The Sometimes Fatal Capacity For ...

Contributed by John Shearhart on May 19, 2006

"Compassion is the sometimes fatal capacity for feeling what it is like to live inside somebody else’s skin. It is the knowledge that there can never really be any peace and joy for me until there is peace and joy finally for you too." - ...read more

Tags: Character

We Don't Want To Do Things That Make The Devil ...

Contributed by Daniel Devilder on Dec 1, 2006

We don’t want to do things that make the devil glad, makes the Holy Spirit sad, or dooms our brother or sister to feeling bad. Rather, we want to make the devil run, magnify the Son, and learn ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Medieval Monk Name Brother Lawrence Wrote A ...

Contributed by Doug Lyon on Jan 29, 2007

A medieval monk name Brother Lawrence wrote a series of letters to a friend. Those letters were compiled into a book entitled Practicing The Presence of God. And in it, Lawrence encourages us to practice the presence of God—to ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

I Believe That Any Mans Life Will Be Filled ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 11, 2007

"I believe that any mans life will be filled with constant, unexpected encouragementsif he makes up his mind to do his level best each day of his life that is, tries to make each day reach as nearly ...read more

Tags: Attitude General

Paul J. Meyer Reminds Us, "Everyone Leaves A ...  PRO

Contributed by Dana Chau on Nov 13, 2002

Paul J. Meyer reminds us, "Everyone leaves a legacy, whether you have children or not." We all influence the people we encounter. If we want to leave a godly legacy, we will need ...read more

Tags: Leadership General, Parenting

Denomination: *other