In Sermon Illustrations: "Call To Ministry"

Americans: Flabby Faith  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 16, 2011

AMERICANS: FLABBY FAITH A dozen or so years ago, a Romanian pastor came to visit the church I belonged to. He had gotten to know my pastor, John Vawter, who had been involved in a Bible-smuggling ministry when the Iron Curtain was still up. John asked him what he thought of our country, and of the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:11-16, Romans 12:1-6

Tags: Discipleship

Years Ago I Read An Autobiography Of A Lady ...

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Apr 2, 2012

Years ago I read an autobiography of a lady named Patty Roberts. She had been the wife of Richard Roberts and the daughter in law of Oral Roberts. She and Richard were often the musical portion of Oral Roberts television specials. Patty had a simple faith and struggled with the financial aspect ...read more

Tags: False Teaching

In His Book, Building A Contagious Church, Mark ...

Contributed by Dr. George Calhoun on Oct 20, 2008

In his book, Building a Contagious Church, Mark Mittleberg asks us to join him in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. As you walk up to the large arena, you see a mass of young people in line for a concert. The headline act is shock-rockeer Marilyn Manson (named after Marilyn Monroe and mass murderer ...read more

Tags: Outreach

Denomination: Baptist

Church Asks Non-Participants To Leave

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 21, 2011

CHURCH ASKS NON-PARTICIPANTS TO LEAVE Just a few years ago, Larknews.com carried the following fictional piece of satire on its website. In the form of a news release, it reported: Julie and Bob Clark were stunned to receive a letter from their church in July asking them to "participate in the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:15-16

Tags: Church Growth

God's Whispers Are Ours To Hear

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 31, 2011

GOD'S WHISPERS ARE OURS TO HEAR Bill Hybels' book: The Power of the Whisper: "Throughout history God has spoken. For millennia, he has forged his children’s faith by promising parted waters, empowering unlikely leaders, declaring world-changing prophecies-and imparting last-minute sermons to ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Nothing But The Blood  PRO

Contributed by Vernon Price on Apr 10, 2012

NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD One night in a church service a young woman felt the tug of God at her heart. She responded to God's call and accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. The young woman had a very rough past, involving alcohol, drugs, and prostitution. But, the change in her was evident. As ...read more

Tags: Revival

Denomination: Adventist

Engraved On A Cathedral In Germany

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 2, 2022

These words are engraved on a cathedral in Lubeck, Germany: You call Me master and obey Me not, You call Me light and see Me not, You call Me the way and walk Me not, You call Me life and live Me not, You call Me wise and follow Me not, You call Me fair and love Me not, You call Me rich ...read more

Tags: Servant, Obedience, Lordship Of Christ, Lord, Jesus  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

As America Was Being Settled "…men Of Genuine ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

As America was being settled "…men of genuine greatness of character and talents were continually rising up in the western itinerancy. Samuel Parker, born in New Jersey in 1774, and converted in his fourteenth year, was a man of genius, and was called the Cicero of the western ministry. After ...read more

Tags: Faith General

Titles

Contributed by Doug Lyon on Jun 2, 2008

TITLES I have been a pastor at Shiloh Bible Church for eleven years. But my association with the church began long before that. My in-laws, Harold and Dorothy Wills, retired to the Bloomsburg area back in the 1980's and they started coming to Shiloh. And so when our family would come up from ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Grace At Christmas

Contributed by Joel Arndt on Jan 9, 2020

Early on in my ministry, I was called to the home of one of the people in the congregation who said they had a Christmas gift for me. Shortly after getting out of my vehicle I heard shouting coming from the house that I was called to. I gently knocked on the door and the woman of the house opened ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 6:23

Tags: Christmas, Grace, Forgiveness, Gift

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Mr. Welch

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Apr 12, 2024

Stories of pivotal prayers: Story from Tim Elmore “Pivotal Praying” (Page 1): His life’s dream was to be a missionary, and it looked as though it was finally coming true. As the nervous young man sat in the mission’s agency’s office, he assured the interviewer that he and his new bride were ...read more

Tags: Giving, Story, Welch

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Precious Blood  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 18, 2002

PRECIOUS BLOOD Several years ago in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, George and Vera Bajenksi’s lives were changed forever. February 16, 1989. A very normal Thursday morning. The phone rang at 9:15 a.m. "There’s been an accident..." It involved their son Ben. As they approached the intersection of ...read more

Scripture: John 18:28-40

Tags: Easter Good Friday, Blood, Lord's Supper, Jesus Christ

Before The Review Board  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 29, 2004

BEFORE THE REVIEW BOARD John the Baptist was a truly strange fellow. I can imagine his performance review from the board of clergy examiners. - - - - - - - - - Dear John ben Zechariah: The board of examiners completed their visit and frankly were concerned about several matters pertaining to ...read more

Scripture: Mark 3:1-12

Tags: Repentance, Christmas Advent

Jim Rhodes: God's Complainer  PRO

Contributed by Richard Goble on Nov 16, 2007

Jim Rhodes: God’s Complainer Driving through Mineral Wells, Texas, one afternoon in 1994, Jim Rhodes noticed many buildings standing vacant due to the shutdown of a local military base. "I always complain to God about things that bother me," says Rhodes, "so I asked him, ’Why aren’t these buildings ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

The Significance Of Nazareth  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

The Significance of Nazareth "God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee." (Luke 1:26) Many Christian historians tell us that by the time of the birth of Christ, Nazareth had become an unimportant town. It was the home of Joseph and Mary (Luke 2:39) and Nazareth was where the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:26

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Joe Bloggs Dream - A New Zealand Poem About Salvation

Contributed by John Gullick on Jul 28, 2016

This amazing poem about an imaginary conversion is powerful - it uses New Zealand rural terminology. You need to understand that if you are using it in New York It is called Joe Bloggs dream. It goes like this. Joe Bloggs was just an average bloke, He never went to church. He wasn’t the religious ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16-17

Tags: Conversion

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

[045] A Message From A Poem – Christianity In True Action

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 6, 2025

[045] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – CHRISTIANITY IN TRUE ACTION The title of this is “CHRISTIANITY IN TRUE ACTION” for it demonstrates the Christian ethic or precept, something lacking today in practical Christianity. This poem tells a story. God bless all those who minister to the poor and are ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:9, Galatians 2:10, Matthew 28:18-19

Tags: Poetry, Poem, True Christianity, Caring, Help The Poor, Outcasts  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Joseph Castleberry And His Family Were ...  PRO

Contributed by Guy Caley on Sep 27, 2005

Joseph Castleberry and his family were missionaries to Ecudor in 1998. Because of financial setbacks they were living month to month. Finally a month came when after paying bills on payday, there was no money left—plus there was an electric bill which had to be paid by the next day and there was ...read more

Tags: God's Provision, Faith General, Examples Of Faith

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Left Behind Awareness: Barna Research Reports 24% ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2006

Left Behind Awareness: Barna Research reports 24% of adult Americans are aware of the Left Behind series and 9% have read at least 1 of the 8 books in the series. Readers include born again Christians (19%) and adults who attend non-mainline Protestant churches (18%). While born again adults ...read more

Tags: Judgment

Plan—then Implement: Small Business Computing, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2006

Plan—Then Implement: Small Business Computing, 6/24, outlines the critical groundwork to tackle before you are ready to start speaking to your target market audience. Focus on the specifics of your business/ministry and your audience: Who are you? What are your objectives and strategic ...read more

Tags: Church General