In Sermon Illustrations: "Called Out"

Authority Vs. Power

Contributed by Paul Dietz on Sep 28, 2008

Authority vs. Power Jesus did not just send them forward into their world with empty hands. He provides them with all the tools that will be needed to bring in this harvest of souls. According to Matthew's account, Jesus "...gave them power" [10:1]. The New International Version employs a more ...read more

Tags: Authority

Denomination: *other

I Watched One Of My Favorite Movies Last Night. ...

Contributed by Ken Pell on Sep 29, 2008

I watched one of my favorite movies last night. It is an old comedy called "The God's Must Be Crazy." It is about a bush tribe that lives in the Kalahari Desert; they have no earthly possessions. They are happy, content, and self sufficient. A bush plane flies overhead (which they mistake for a ...read more

Tags: Confession Of Sin

Denomination: Nazarene

So What Is A Vision? George Barna Defines It As, ...

Contributed by Tim Smith on Dec 10, 2008

So what is a vision? George Barna defines it as, "Vision for ministry is a clear mental image of a preferable future imparted by God to His chosen servants and is based upon an accurate understanding of God, self and circumstances." Vision is more than simply what could be. It’s something that must ...read more

Tags: Church Purpose Of

Denomination: Methodist

C.s. Lewis Certainly Recognized This, And In His ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 11, 2008

C.S. Lewis certainly recognized this, and in his essay "The Law of Human Nature", he built and established a very strong and incontrovertible argument for the case. In the middle of this short piece he says, "Whenever you find a man who says he does not believe in a real Right and Wrong, you will ...read more

Tags: Basics Of Christianity

He Went To Hell For Me

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Mar 12, 2009

HE WENT TO HELL FOR ME Kay Arthur, well-known Christian author and speaker, has influenced tens of thousands. As a young girl, she went to church. She wrote, "I would listen to the messages, and go to Sunday School, but I never really committed my life to Jesus." She grew up and got married, ...read more

Tags: Grace

Slow Sammy

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 24, 2009

"Slow Sammy" Ridiculed but Smarter than His Detractors Thought A young fellow by the name of Sammy liked to hang out at Mom and Pop’s Grocery Store. Pop didn’t know what Sammy’s problem was, but the other boys would tease him all the time, calling him "Slow Sammy", and punching him on the shoulder ...read more

Scripture: Nehemiah 4:1-6

Tags: Words

You May Find This Interesting; I Once Did This ...

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Jul 13, 2010

You may find this interesting; I once did this driving course called an anti-skid driving course. One of the really valuable learning’s that I got out of it was, that when you drive, you should drive with your eyes looking well ahead maybe a couple of hundred metres ahead, not on the car just in ...read more

Scripture: John 14:6

Tags: Growth In Christ, Journey Of Faith, Journey With Jesus, Safe Passage

Denomination: Salvation Army

Not Raising Grass But Kids

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2010

NOT RAISING GRASS BUT KIDS Dr. Tony Evans talks about a major league baseball superstar's recollection of his boyhood home. He, his friends, and his father played baseball quite often in their backyard. As a result, the grass had really taken a beating. It didn't look good anymore, unless you were ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-4

Tags: Father's Day

Abandoned

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on May 15, 2011

ABANDONED A little over a week ago I made a pilgrimage over to Wally Mart – I’m sure to get something for dinner. Anyway, while getting out of the car, I noticed that the car in front of me had in it a small child – a baby, sitting in his or her car seat, sleeping away. All the while the baby’s ...read more

Tags: Atonement

Denomination: Lutheran

What's Really Wrong With Me

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on May 20, 2011

WHAT'S REALLY WRONG WITH ME These are the words of a bloke who grew up in the Salvation Army, "The year 1950 found us, my wife and I and three small children, living in our new bungalow in the seaside city of Timaru. Success had come in business and academic life, musical compositions were being ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus

Denomination: Salvation Army

The Microscope And The Bible  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 15, 2011

THE MICROSCOPE AND THE BIBLE Many years ago, while on a visit to America, a wealthy Chinese businessman was fascinated by a powerful microscope. Looking through its lens to study crystals and the petals of flowers, he was amazed at their beauty and detail. So he decided to purchase one of these ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 22:1-14

Tags: Bible Truth

John Newton's Self-Assessment  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 4, 2012

JOHN NEWTON'S SELF-ASSESSMENT Two or three years before the death of John Newton (former slave ship captain and eventual author of the song, "Amazing Grace"), when his sight was so dim that he was no longer able to read, a friend and brother in the ministry called to have breakfast with him. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:12-17

Tags: Grace

Nathan Barlow--Missionary ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2012

NATHAN BARLOW--MISSIONARY DOCTOR Nathan Barlow was a missionary Doctor to Ethiopia. He served there for over 60 years primarily helping people with an affliction called Mossy Foot. This caused swelling and ulcers in the feet and lower legs and caused people to become social outcasts. When Nathan’s ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:8-13

Tags: Missions

Love Your Enemies  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 22, 2012

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES An Armenian nurse had been held captive along with her brother by the Turks. Her brother was slain by a Turkish soldier before her eyes. Somehow she escaped and later became a nurse in a military hospital. One day she was stunned to find that the same man who had killed her ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:38-48

Tags: Christian Witness

Already Approved

Contributed by Bret Toman on Mar 14, 2013

ALREADY APPROVED I remember trying to get approved for our first mortgage. There were a number of difficulties and it was very frustrating both for me, and I'm sure for our agent. But after all the sweat and tears we got approval and consequently the offer on the house we wanted was accepted. Some ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Baptist

Pope Francis: Fulfilling His Role

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Apr 4, 2013

POPE FRANCIS: FULFILLING HIS ROLE A wonderful story of a religious leader who really does "get it" is the new Pontiff of Rome, Pope Francis. It is the story of role fulfillment. One reporter wrote: "Last night, in a break from tradition the Pope, Pope Francis, did not celebrate what is called ...read more

Tags: Humility

Denomination: Methodist

If He Had Different Gods  PRO

Contributed by Perry Greene on Jul 1, 2013

IF HE HAD DIFFERENT GODS James Michener, writing in his book, The Source, tells the story of a man named Urbaal, who, was a farmer living about 2200 B.C. He worshiped two gods, one a god of death, the other a goddess of fertility. One day, the temple priests tell Urbaal to bring his young son to ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 25:1-18

Tags: Idol, Other Gods

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Going Beyond Our Teachers  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jul 9, 2013

A well-known Bible teacher gives this insight: "Someone on our staff informed me several months ago that a woman had called the ministry office to find out what my 'official position' was on a biblically gray area. When she was told that it's not my policy to make 'official' public statements ...read more

Scripture: Mark 7:1-23

Tags: Legalism, Opinion, Spiritual Growth, Debatable

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

When Life Sucks You In

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 6, 2025

Chippie the parakeet never saw it coming. One moment, he was perched in his cage singing his little heart out. The next, his whole world collapsed. It started when his owner decided to clean his cage with a vacuum cleaner. She took the nozzle off, stuck the hose inside, and at that very moment the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 40:2, Romans 8:28

Tags: Faith, Resilience

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Dead Or Alive?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 6, 2002

DEAD OR ALIVE? When elderly Adele Gaboury turned up missing four years ago, concerned neighbors in Worcester, Massachusetts, informed the police. A brother told police she had gone into a nursing home. Satisfied with that information, Gaboury’s neighbors began watching her property. Michael ...read more

Tags: Kingdom Of God, Holy Spirit Attributes, Growth In Christ