In Sermon Illustrations: "Burnt Out"

Who Lives Here?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 20, 2011

"WHO LIVES HERE?" Martin Luther was often very graphic in his description of the activities of the Devil. Asked one time how he overcame the Devil, he replied, "Well, when he comes knocking upon the door of my heart, and asks, 'Who lives here?' the dear Lord Jesus goes to the door and says, ...read more

Scripture: James 4:7

Tags: Temptation Resisting

If You Obey

Contributed by Dr. Nicholas M. Muteti on Jun 15, 2011

IF YOU OBEY Nearly thirty years ago, I was a middle school teacher in Kenya. One day I took 20 students, and I told them: "I will do my best to teach you and train you. If you obey me, you will be the best students of this school." They were excited. In a short time, I realized that only some ...read more

Tags: Parable Sower And Seed

Denomination: Baptist

Achieving Virtue

Contributed by Michael Walther on Jul 4, 2011

ACHIEVING VIRTUE The word "virtue" is taken from the Latin word virtus and actually means "strength" or "manliness." So you see that the real strength of this life is found by successfully winning the inner war of faith. It is because of weakness that we are ruled by passions and controlled by ...read more

Tags: Sanctification

Denomination: Lutheran

Lights For Our Path

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on Jul 10, 2011

LIGHTS FOR OUR PATH A couple of years ago, I went outside after dark to look at the stars in ways we couldn’t while back in Minnesota. I stepped from the porch, with the lights of course, and then I tripped on the water-hose. Down I went, taking my wife and daughter with me. Truth be known — ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

Denomination: Lutheran

Is That All?  PRO

Contributed by Thomas Cash on Jul 14, 2011

IS THAT ALL? Listen to the words of Francis Chan: "You go to a building, someone gives you a bulletin, you sit in a chair, you sing a few songs, a guy delivers maybe a polished message, maybe not, someone sings a solo, you go home. "Though Christians believe in an almighty and all powerful God ...read more

Tags: Zeal

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

So Much For Paradise

Contributed by Brad Henry on Jul 26, 2011

SO MUCH FOR PARADISE Have you ever received a beautiful brochure of a vacation spot and it never felt that way when you go there? Years ago I went on a business trip to the Bahamas and the hotel and surrounding area looked beautiful. The first evening in the hotel as I was drifting off to sleep I ...read more

Tags: Temptation Resisting

Phobias Into Faith

Contributed by Brad Henry on Aug 5, 2011

PHOBIAS INTO FAITH As most of you have read in my past e mails I hate to camp. I hate the dark. I hate spiders and you show me a snake I am finished. But the Lord has used all these phobias for me to put my faith into practice. If we had everything we ever needed we wouldn’t need God. Left to ...read more

Tags: Fear And Worry

Ineffective Churches

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 5, 2011

INEFFECTIVE CHURCHES Chuck Colson makes an interesting observation. He points out that when the Communists took over Russia in 1917, they did not make Christianity illegal. The Soviet constitution guaranteed freedom of religion. What they did do is make it illegal for the churches to do any "good ...read more

Scripture: Titus 3:14

Tags: Christian Witness

Quotations On Pride

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 8, 2011

QUOTATIONS ON PRIDE Pride is the only disease known to man that makes everyone sick except the one who has it. - "Uncle" Bud Robinson It is out of self-love that all other evil passions spring. - Alexander Whyte Pride is the ground in which all other sins grow. - William Barkley None are so ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 16:18

Tags: Pride

Winning In Losing  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2011

WINNING IN LOSING Both teams that play in the Super Bowl think they will win, so both teams have special t-shirts and hats designed that declare them the victors. It costs about $2 million to have the apparel made--which means for the losing team, $2 million goes to waste, right? Wrong. A recent ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

Tags: Giving General

Cut-Off Forgiveness

Contributed by Davon Huss on Aug 15, 2011

CUT-OFF FORGIVENESS John MacArthur: "I'll never forget one time when I cut off a guy in a Porsche. I was driving a Volkswagen bus. He had a convertible with a hat and the whole routine- Sunglasses, leather jacket, everything. So he pulled up beside me. He started to curse. He just cursed and ...read more

Tags: Peace

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Cruel Christians

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 29, 2011

CRUEL CHRISTIANS During the Spanish conquest of Mexico under Hernando Cortez in the early 1500s, a resistance leader named Hatney was captured after a fierce battle and sentenced to be burned alive. After tying him to the stake, his captors urged him to become a Christian so that at his death his ...read more

Scripture: Titus 2:1-10

Tags: Christian Witness

The Lord's Prayer...?

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Jan 15, 2012

THE LORD'S PRAYER...? Two men were drinking in a bar when the topic of conversation got round to religion. One man turned to his friend and said; “I bet you don't even know the Lord's Prayer." "Wait a minute," said his friend, "I do too know the Lord's Prayer." So his friend pulled out a £20 and ...read more

Tags: Ignorance

Denomination: Brethren

The Substance Of Faith

Contributed by Antonio Silveira on Mar 1, 2012

THE SUBSTANCE OF FAITH Example: Give some play-doh to 2 people and ask them to create something out of that "substance" In the millennia-old Aristotelian tradition, as well as early modern traditions that follow it, substances or ousia are treated as having attributes and modes or things. This ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Baptist

Silent Cal

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 7, 2012

"SILENT CAL" President Calvin Coolidge was a man of few words, and the words he spoke were often blunt. A female journalist once told him, "Mr. President I made a $100 bet with another journalist that I could get you to say more than three words. Would you care to comment?" Calvin Coolidge smiled ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-4

Tags: God In The Hardships

Picking And Choosing  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 28, 2012

PICKING AND CHOOSING An extremely nervous patient came to his dentist for root canal surgery. He was brought into the examining room and made comfortable in the reclining dental chair. The dentist then injected a numbing agent around the patient's tooth, and left the room for a few minutes while ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:17-30

Tags: Bible Truth

The Boy And D. L. Moody

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 4, 2012

THE BOY AND D. L. MOODY Many years ago, D. L. Moody was going to speak at a church. A nine year old boy heard about the engagement and went to hear Moody. He got there early and went in the Church. A man escorted him immediately out. "This is for adults. Besides, you are not properly dressed and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:13-15

Tags: Compassion

A Peek At The Universe  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 11, 2012

A PEEK AT THE UNIVERSE In 2004, scientists pointed the Hubble telescope at a blank-looking patch of sky near the Orion Constellation. The Hubble stayed focused on that spot for 400 orbits over 11 days. The patch of sky they were looking at is no bigger than a grain of sand held out at arm’s ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 40:21-31

Tags: Creation

Dead People Everywhere

Contributed by Jeff Gauss on Jun 29, 2012

DEAD PEOPLE EVERYWHERE Sometimes the most basic truths of Christianity can be quite confusing. Take for instance the first time little Suzy attended a funeral service. The minister used the phrase, "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust." Suzy didn't understand so she asked her grandma, who was with her, ...read more

Tags: Death

Denomination: Baptist

New Moms: An Amazing Design Feature

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 22, 2012

NEW MOMS: AN AMAZING DESIGN FEATURE After a woman gives birth, when she is holding her baby, her core body temperature will raise by as much as 2 degrees in order to help keep the baby warm. Research has shown that even tiny premature babies can be kept warm with skin to skin contact with their ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 139:13-16

Tags: Mother's Day