In Sermon Illustrations: "Becoming Like Christ"

Common-Ism In The Church  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 16, 2009

COMMON-ISM IN THE CHURCH Years ago I ran across this following definition of the various forms of government. They compared capitalism (the economic model we try to follow in our country) with communism and socialism, and they used a simple illustration to drive their point home. In a capitalist ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:42-48

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Object Lesson: The Purpose Of A Teapot

Contributed by David Rumley on Apr 16, 2009

OBJECT LESSON: THE PURPOSE OF A TEAPOT Does a teapot serve a purpose until it has something to pour out? So too are we meant to be full – ready to pour out what we have been filled with. This is the Body of Christ - meant to become full of Christ so that we might be poured out on those in need. ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Pentecostal

Kyle Idleman On Surrendering Everything

Contributed by Kevin Karhoff on Mar 19, 2013

The reason Jesus is so adamant about followers surrendering everything is because the reality is this: the one thing we are most reluctant to give up is the one thing that has the most potential to become a substitute for him. Really what we’re talking about here is idolatry. When we are to be ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:61-62

Tags: Surrender, Jesus Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Bible Says, "Today, If You Hear His Voice, Do ...  PRO

Contributed by R. Darrel Davis on Feb 10, 2001

The Bible says, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." How do I know if I am hearing his voice you say? One time, I made a homemade kite. I used about a thousand yards of my grandmothers crochet thread for the string. I let that kite out as far as I could on that string. So ...read more

Tags: Becoming A Christian, Holy Spirit Attributes, Trinity

Denomination: Baptist

In England, There Is A Paper Factory That Makes ...  PRO

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Oct 10, 2001

In England, there is a paper factory that makes the finest stationery in the world. One day, a man touring the factory asked what it was made from. He was shown a huge pile of old rags and told that the rag content was what determined the quality of the paper. The visitor couldn’t believe ...read more

Tags: Descriptions Of God, Forgiveness In Jesus, Becoming A Christian

Denomination: Independent/Bible

It Is The Lord That Saves  PRO

Contributed by David Fox on Nov 19, 2001

Spurgen writes, “ The sense is, it is the Lord alone that saves and blesses: and even though the whole mass of all evils should be gathered together in one against a man, still, it is ...read more

Tags: Assurance Of Salvation, Becoming A Christian, God's Omnipotence

Denomination: Pentecostal

A Soapmaker, Who Was Not Saved, Walked Along The ...  PRO

Contributed by Greg Yount on Nov 30, 2001

A Soapmaker, who was not saved, walked along the road with a preacher one day. He said to the preacher, “The gospel you preach has not done much good. There is still a lot of wickedness in the world, and wicked people, too.” Quietly they walked on. The preacher did not reply to his ...read more

Tags: Becoming A Christian, Forgiveness In Jesus, God's Forgiveness

Denomination: Baptist

The Distance Between East And West  PRO

Contributed by Brian La Croix on Oct 26, 2002

THE DISTANCE BETWEEN EAST AND WEST The Bible says in Psalm 103 that God removes our sins as far as the east is from the west. Do you understand how far that is? Let me just give you a hint. If you were to travel north from anywhere, at what point would you begin going south? At the north ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 103:1-22

Tags: Becoming A Christian, God's Forgiveness, God The Father

Denomination: Wesleyan

Life Magazine Did A Photo Essay A Few Years Ago ...  PRO

Contributed by Mike Wilkins on Feb 4, 2003

Life Magazine did a photo essay a few years ago – they took people from all walks of life, from street people to fortune 500 executives and photographed them each undressed except for a bath towel – the amazing thing was you really could not tell who was who: they basically looked the same! This ...read more

Tags: Becoming A Christian, Kingdom Of God, Sin General

Denomination: *other

Where's Your Faith?  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Oct 17, 2003

WHERE'S YOUR FAITH? Television interviewer and journalist Larry King describes three farmers who gather daily in a field during a horrible drought. The men are down on their knees, looking upward, and praying the skies will open and pour forth a much-needed rain. Unfortunately, the heavens are ...read more

Scripture: Luke 11:1-13, Luke 11:1-13

Tags: Faith General, Becoming A Christian, Apologetics General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Do You Remember "Do Overs?"  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 30, 2003

DO YOU REMEMBER "DO OVERS?" They were part of the "Good Ole" Days. I know, Let’s play a little game… Everyone stand up. Now sit down when you can’t remember what I mention next… How many of you remember… 90’s – Beanie Babies; Teenie Beanies; Grunge; and the phrase CHA-CHING!!! 80’s – PacMan; ...read more

Tags: Becoming A Christian, God The Father, God's Forgiveness

Do You Remember When The Berlin Wall Came Down? ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Do you remember when the Berlin Wall came down? I still remember the speech President Reagan gave while he was in West Berlin: "General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, Come here to this gate Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate Mr. ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

In The Movie John Q, Denzell Washington Plays ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 25, 2005

In the movie John Q, Denzell Washington plays John Q and during the movie his son becomes develops a heart disease. Throughout the movie it is shown that because the family does not have enough money and there are not enough heart donors the child will not make it. Finally Denzell holds up the ...read more

Tags: Lordship Of Christ, Compassion

Colson's Change  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Jul 24, 2003

Colson’s Change In July of 1984 Charles Colson was speaking at a Baptist gathering. He told of his change from being an Episcopalian to becoming a Baptist. He had considered a change dictated by his study of Scripture and his developing personal convictions. But he did not want his change to be ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

No One Missed Him

Contributed by Jerry Cosper on Mar 7, 2012

NO ONE MISSED HIM There was a story in the papers years ago that occurred in Hamburg, Germany. The skeletal remains of a man were found in his apartment, sitting in front of a TV set, with Christmas lights twinkling nearby. But the lights were from a long past year. In fact, the man had been ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Baptist

Good News/Bad News: Researcher Thomas Rainer Has ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2006

Good News/Bad News: Researcher Thomas Rainer has found that people over 50 years of age are more likely to go to church, but they’re also more “resistant” to the gospel. He says younger people are “much more likely to have an interest in spiritual ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

A Rabbi's Conversion  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Mar 28, 2001

Illus.: “A Rabbi’s Conversion” Rabbi Slostowski, a professor at a seminary in Tel Aviv, hated the Lord Jesus Christ. So great was his resentment that he sharply criticized a young student who was reading a Hebrew New Testament. The young man replied by giving him the copy. That night, the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:7-13

Tags: Holy Spirit Attributes, Apologetics The Bible, Becoming A Christian

Denomination: Wesleyan

Mary Crowley Lived In The 1930s – The Time Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Mary Crowley lived in the 1930s – the time of the Great Depression. Her husband left her with a young daughter to raise. Nobody told Mary she couldn’t get a job during the Depression, so she went out and got one. In time she founded a very successful company called Home Interiors and Gifts, and ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Theologians Tell A Story To Illustrate How ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 15, 2005

Theologians tell a story to illustrate how Christ’s triumph presently benefits our lives: Imagine a city under siege. The enemy that surrounds they city will not let anyone or anything leave. Supplies are running low, and the citizens are fearful. But in the dark of the night, a spy sneaks through ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:20-21

Tags: Divinity Of Christ, Promise

Out Of The Depths

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 31, 2008

OUT OF THE DEPTHS Author Bernard Anderson in Out of the Depths speaks of this remembering the multitudes and the house of God and makes a worthy observation. He says, "This is not a longing for a one-to-one relationship with God in mystic solitude. The poet yearns to be surrounded by the believing ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ