In Sermon Illustrations: "Better Together"

Status Spheres: A Variety Of Lifestyles, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 15, 2008

Status Spheres: a variety of lifestyles, activities and persuasions, which can be mixed and matched by consumers looking for recognition from various crowds and scenes. Contrast this with traditional consumption that is about buying more and/or better stuff than fellow consumers. Trend-Watching.com ...read more

Tags: Internet

When Do We Usually Want To Know God's Will? When ...

Contributed by Brian Matherlee on Jul 29, 2008

When do we usually want to know God's will? When we've run out of answers. Thank God for the times the answers run out and we must look to him! Tony Dungy is the coach of the Indianapolis Colts who won the Super Bowl last season. He is a devout Christian and has written a book, not about ...read more

Tags: God's Sovereign Will

Denomination: Wesleyan

The Visit

Contributed by Todd Leupold on Dec 9, 2008

THE VISIT As Dr. Charles B. Hardwick points out (in his sermon “The Promise”, 2nd Presbyterian Church, 12/24/07): "On that Silent Night, God kept His promise: the God of the universe became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood – moved into a stable, moved into a feeding trough.. . God ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Baptist

We Need More Training  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

WE NEED MORE TRAINING I have decided to join the US Army. Depending on whether or not I could pass the physical.... Well, let's assume I did. In that case, I figure it should only take me about one week of training and I'll be ready to go to Iraq or Afghanistan. OH COME ON NOW! We all know better ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:24-27

Tags: Attendance, Church Body Of Christ

Love Your Heart Attack?

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Mar 12, 2009

LOVE YOUR HEART ATTACK? Bob Benson, in his book, "See You At The House," tells of a good friend who had a severe heart attack and almost died, but was now well on the road to recovery. Visiting him, Bob asked, "Bill, how do you feel about your heart attack?" Bill answered, "I hate it. It nearly ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Satisfied ...

Contributed by Bill Butsko on Mar 13, 2009

“Satisfied Completely!” The daughter of a New York rabbi tells this story. “My father taught me to read the Bible in Hebrew as a young child. We began at Genesis. When we came to Isaiah, he skipped the fifty-third chapter. I asked him why. He said it was not necessary for Jews to read that ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Christian Church

The Stages Of The Christian Life

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 24, 2009

THE STAGES OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE Several years ago I heard someone describe the Christian experience as similar to that of a piano player, and suddenly the commands of the Bible made more sense and seemed less daunting. When a person begins playing piano, do we expect them to play a piece by ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:1-3

Tags: Growth In Christ

: A Bank President Came To His Pastor ...

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Mar 31, 2009

Illus.: A bank president came to his pastor concerned about one of his teller’s soul. He asked his pastor to talk to him, but the pastor said, “It would be better if you would do that. He would look upon my visit as a professional task.” “All right,” said the banker, “but, will you go with me?” ...read more

Tags: Testimony, Sharing My Testimony

Denomination: Wesleyan

Boomerangs And Greed

Contributed by Tom Conant on Apr 3, 2009

BOOMERANGS AND GREED The world we live in says, "Grab on, hold tightly, squeeze till get what you want." Jesus teaches a paradox: "You can never touch what you grab for, and you can’t keep what you think you’re holding. As soon as you think you have piled up the good life – made your mark – it ...read more

Tags: Greed

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Bridge ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 10, 2009

THE BRIDGE BUILDER An old man, going down a lonely highway, Came at the evening cold and gray, To a chasm vast and wide, Through which was flowing a swollen tide, The old man crossed in the twilight dim, The swollen stream had no fear for him. But he turned when safe on the other side, And built a ...read more

Scripture: John 17:20-26

Tags: Unity, Christian Unity

Soap Opera ...

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Sep 2, 2009

"Soap opera prayers" Too many times we pray as a LAST resort! Years ago (before she knew better) my wife used to watch a soap opera called GENERAL HOSPITAL. How many of you ever saw that … now be honest. Of course, I had NO interest in it whatsoever --- I mean who cares what Luke and Laura ...read more

Tags: Prayer, Prayer Persistence

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Christian Maturity: It's In The Details

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 16, 2009

CHRISTIAN MATURITY: IT'S IN THE DETAILS Ted Williams, who died in 2002 was arguably the best hitter baseball has ever known. He was the last baseball player to hit better than .400 in a season. Upon his death, George Will said in his column "There is no joy in Red Sox Nation, a.k.a. New England, ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 5:14

Tags: Growth In Christ

Effects Of Divorce

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Oct 22, 2009

EFFECTS OF DIVORCE Focus on the Family states: With more than 30 years of research, we now know divorce seldom leads to a better life. Consider that: 1. Life expectancies for divorced men and women are significantly lower than for married people (who have the longest life expectancies).3 2. A ...read more

Tags: Divorce

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Looking For Pac Man Fulfillment

Contributed by Bret Toman on Jan 2, 2010

LOOKING FOR PAC MAN FULFILLMENT I was in the 5th grade, sitting tortured in a classroom, couldn’t wait for the dumb day to be over because at home ... I had waiting for me ... Pac Man on my Atari 2600. The day before I had plunked down $40 to have this game for myself. That was like 1982 - so it’d ...read more

Tags: Fulfillment

Denomination: Baptist

The Miracle Of Sight  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 15, 2011

THE MIRACLE OF SIGHT For 51 years Bob Edens was blind. He couldn’t see a thing. His world was a black hall of sounds and smells. He felt his way through five decades of darkness. And then, he could see. A skilled surgeon performed a complicated operation and, for the first time, Bob Edens had ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:46-52

Tags: Beauty

Smelly Collections

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 28, 2011

SMELLY COLLECTIONS He may dress like a skid-row bum and smell like a dead rat, but Andy Smulian is a hit among London businessmen plagued by those who won't pay their bills. Employed by the London-Manhattan Debt Collection Agency, the 20-years-old youth will stumble into a deadbeat's office for ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Timanthes And The Do-Over

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Jan 5, 2013

TIMANTHES AND THE DO-OVER Over 2,000 years ago a young Greek artist named Timanthes (Tim-an-thes) painted this picture - The Sacrifice of Iphigenia. Before he painted this masterpiece when the artist Timanthes (Tim-an-thes) was a young man, he studied under a well-known and highly respected tutor. ...read more

Tags: Learning

Denomination: Brethren

Discipleship Is A Call To Suffer

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 4, 2021

John R. Scott gives a modern example of one who suffered for the gospel observing that… "Few men of this century have understood better the inevitability of suffering than Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He seems never to have wavered in his Christian antagonism to the Nazi regime, although it meant for ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:12, Philippians 3:1-20, Romans 1:16

Tags: Church, Commitment, Discipleship, Suffering, Will Of God, Bonhoeffer  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Great Quotes On The Sovereignty Of God

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 8, 2021

R.C. SPROUL: “If there is one single molecule in this universe running around loose, totally free of God’s sovereignty, then we have no guarantee that a single promise of God will ever be fulfilled.” MATT CHANDLER: “Trying to figure out God is like trying to catch a fish in the Pacific Ocean ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 4:34-35

Tags: Lord, Will Of God, Sovereignty Of God, Attributes Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Before This Month Began To Prepare Our ...  PRO

Contributed by Kerry Kinchen on Nov 10, 2003

". . . before this month began to prepare our ground against seed-time. In the midst of April we began to set, the weather being then seasonable, which much encouraged us, giving us good hopes of after plenty: the setting season is good till the latter end of May. But it pleased God for our further ...read more

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday, Favor

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational