In Sermon Illustrations: "Believing God"

Your Spirit Does Matter

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2009

YOUR SPIRIT DOES MATTER A preacher wrote: "Today we have people who claim to be Christians shouting ’God hates fags’ at the funerals of soldiers who have died in Iraq, because these ’Christians’ believe God is punishing America for its tolerance of homosexuals. A recent editorial in the paper ...read more

Tags: Anger

His Rightful Place

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Apr 11, 2022

I have a dog named Simba. I named him Simba because he is the color of a lion and he has the personality of a lion even though he is a chihuahua. One afternoon, we were really tired and I decided to take a quick nap with Simba. Simba has a certain place on the bed beside me where he always lays. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:33, Luke 10:41

Tags: Putting God First, Resting, Making Room For God, Making Time For God

Denomination: Charismatic

Why Study The Book Of Esther?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 21, 2023

WHY STUDY THIS BOOK? • To learn important lessons about the Providence of God – especially His ability to preserve His people, despite the severity of threats from formidable adversaries. • To encourage us to continue to trust in God and His Providence when circumstances around us seem darkest ...read more

Tags: Trials, Sovereignty Of God, Faith, Esther, God, Persecution, Israel, God's Providence  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In A Seminary Missions Class, Herbert Jackson ...  PRO

Contributed by William Jewett on Nov 2, 2000

In a seminary missions class, Herbert Jackson told how, as a new missionary, he was assigned a car that would not start without a push. After pondering his problem, he devised a plan. He went to the school near his home, got permission to take some children out of class, and had them push his car ...read more

Tags: God's Omnipotence, Prayer How To

Denomination: *other

Worship Cannot Be Confined To A Particular Place  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 1, 2002

Worship cannot be Confined to a Particular Place In the Muslim religion there are three cities which are considered sacred: Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. The Muslims believe that to worship in the city of Jerusalem is as good as performing 1000 acts of worship anywhere else in the world. Mecca and ...read more

Tags: Church Practices, God The Father

Payday Someday  PRO

Contributed by Joel Preston on Nov 15, 2002

PAYDAY SOMEDAY An Atheist farmer often ridiculed people who believed in God. He wrote the following letter to the editor of a local newspaper: “I plowed on Sunday, planted on Sunday, cultivated on Sunday, and hauled my crops on Sunday; but I never went to church on Sunday. Yet, I harvested more ...read more

Tags: Second Coming, God's Judgment

Denomination: Baptist

Saved People Have Two Birthdays!

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Jul 4, 2019

Born Again - John 1:12-13 (Also see John 3:1-16) 12. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the (power or authority or) right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name: 13. who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. ...read more

Scripture: John 1:12-13, John 3:1-16

Tags: Born Again, Family Of God

Denomination: Baptist

There Are Some Events You'd Just Rather Not Be A ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 15, 2002

There are some events you’d just rather not be a part of. For example, on November 2, 2002, a coalition of atheist organizations (such as American Atheists, the Young Atheist Society, and the Institute for Unicorn Research) will be sponsoring the “Godless Americans March on Washington”. After so ...read more

Tags: Apologetics God, Faith, Truth

What Is The Biggest Problem In The Church?

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on May 1, 2008

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE CHURCH? Relevant Magazine, in their May-June 2008 issue, asked a bunch of church leaders this question: "Faith: What is the biggest problem facing the church today?" Here are some of their response from pages 73, 74: a. Shane Claiborne: "One of the most dangerous ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Do You Know How To Use The Sword Of The Spirit?

Contributed by Doug Fannon on Oct 26, 2020

Many years ago when I was in Army basic training, I spent many hours on the rifle range. Not just an afternoon on the range like many of you who experience Air Force Basic Training. I spent quite literally two-thirds of my training time on the rifle range. I was issued an M-16 assault rifle for ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:17, 2 Timothy 2:15

Tags: Bible, Scripture, Word Of God, Armor Of God, Sword Of The Spirit  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

John Piper (Let The Nations Be Glad, ...

Contributed by Andrew Chan on May 16, 2003

John Piper (Let the Nations Be Glad, 1993,p.12)quotes Charles Misner, a scientific specialist in general relativity theory, who expressed Albert Einstein’s skepticism The design of the universe ... is very magnificient and shouldn’t be taken for granted. In fact, I believe that is why Einstein ...read more

Tags: Apologetics General, Apologetics God

Denomination: Evangelical Free

A Spiritual Mirage?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 2, 2004

A SPIRITUAL MIRAGE? In 1849 a wagon train was traveling through Death Valley to follow the gold rush into California. As this particular wagon train trudged through Death Valley, the hottest place in California, they looked ahead and saw a sheet of water they all believed was Owen’s Lake. But ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:24-29

Tags: Sermon On The Mount, Descriptions Of God

Meliorism

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 16, 2009

MELIORISM Have you ever heard of Meliorism? Here is what one person said about it. "I am neither an optimist nor a pessimist. I am a Meliorist. Meliorism cancels out optimism as being too bright, too airy; and rejects pessimism as being too dull, too heavy. Take life as it is, says the meliorist, ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:2

Tags: Author, God Brings Purpose

Furtick On Audacious Faith

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Feb 18, 2011

FURTICK ON AUDACIOUS FAITH "We set a goal of reaching over one thousand people in our first year of ministry. Since the average church size in America is fewer than one hundred and twenty, and the first rule of goal setting is attainability, I guess we were overshooting it a bit. But we wanted to ...read more

Tags: Faith General

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Two Women Praying

Contributed by Robert Sickler on Mar 6, 2012

TWO WOMEN PRAYING There were two widow women, each with only a single son. The two young men both got involved in drugs and they both ended up in prison. The women were devout Christians and both had been in constant prayer for many years. When their two boys were sent to prison the one woman ...read more

Tags: Prayer Answered

Denomination: Christian Church

Promise?

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Jul 9, 2008

PROMISE? We make a lot of promises to others and many promises are made to us. Sadly, too many promises are broken on both ends of the equation. God, however, never breaks a promise. ………………………………………………………….. Don’t let the broken promises of this world keep you from believing the promises of God. ...read more

Tags: God's Provision, Broken Promises

Denomination: Baptist

Apathy

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jul 4, 2023

Is feeling nothing the inevitable result of believing in nothing? And then I got to feeling frightened—thinking that there might not actually be anything to believe in, in particular. I thought it would be such a sick joke to have to remain alive ...read more

Scripture: John 20:31

Tags: Truth, Skeptics, Faith, Doubt, God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Know God Won't Give Me Anything I Can't Handle. ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2002

I know God won’t give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish He didn’t trust me so ...read more

Tags: Endurance, Peace

You Can't Stick Your Tongue Out At God's Children!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jul 12, 2023

A busy young father came home late from work and his two young daughters ran to the car to meet him. The oldest daughter got their first and jumped into Daddy's arms telling him how much she loved him while the youngest watched. As they walked into the house, the oldest daughter looked back ...read more

Tags: Bitterness, Hate, Critical Spirit, Division, Kids, Love, Father, Holy Spirit, Anger  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When Napoleon's Armies Swept Across Europe, One ...  PRO

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Jan 14, 2003

"When Napoleon’s armies swept across Europe, one of his generals was preparing to attack the little town of Feldkirch on the Austrian border. It was Easter and the citizens gathered to decide whether to resist or surrender. The pastor told the people that they had been continuing on their own ...read more

Tags: God's Provision, Prayer Answered

Denomination: United Methodist