In Sermon Illustrations: "Change Heart"

Focus On Christ

Contributed by Larry Wilson on Aug 25, 2011

FOCUS ON CHRIST The healthiest people do not think about their health; the weak induce disease by morbid introspection. If you begin to count your heartbeats, you will disturb the rhythmic action of the heart. If you continually imagine a pain anywhere, you will produce it. And there are some ...read more

Tags: Self

Denomination: Baptist

You Gotta Look At It!  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 22, 2012

YOU GOTTA LOOK AT IT! A man was seated on a park bench when a little chap of about five sat down beside him and started winding what appeared to be a most prized possession--a watch. "My, what a pretty watch," remarked the man. "Does it tell you the time?" "No sir," replied the boy; "you gotta ...read more

Scripture: John 17:17

Tags: Hold, Bible Truth

Quotations On Truth  PRO

Contributed by Lalachan Abraham on Mar 6, 2013

QUOTATIONS ON TRUTH Where I found truth, there found I my God, who is the truth itself (Augustine). Genuine spiritual knowledge lies not in wonderful and mysterious thoughts but in actual spiritual experience through union of the believer's life with truth. When a truth is unfolded by God it most ...read more

Scripture: John 16:13, John 16:33-38, Isaiah 9:6, Matthew 6:33, Philippians 4:4-5  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Truth

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Tozer On Ambition To Lead  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 8, 2013

A. W. Tozer said, "A true and safe leader is likely to be one who has no desire to lead, but is forced into a position of leadership by the inward pressure of the Holy Spirit and the press of the external situation." He continued to elaborate, "I think there was hardly a great leader from Paul to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:1-13

Tags: Leadership General

Snake Eggs

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 15, 2019

SNAKE EGGS There are some things that strike terror in the hearts of most of us. For most of us a poisonous snake causes our bodies to shake with fear. Can you imagine being trapped in a small room with 1000 deadly vipers? That is not a very pleasant thought, but we as humans let Satan sow snake ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 59:1-10

Tags: Sin, Terror

Denomination: Pentecostal

Guilt Trip

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Sep 24, 2019

My mother, a master of guilt trips, showed me a photo of herself waiting by a phone that never rings. “Mom, I call all the time,” I said. “If you had an answering machine, you’d know.” Soon after, my brother installed one for her. When I called the next time, I got her machine: “If you are a ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 27:4-7

Tags: Guilt, Manipulation, False Guilt, Making The Point

Denomination: Independent/Bible

His Cross

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on Mar 14, 2023

HIS CROSS The idols of my heart were many, I sunk low beneath the Law’s demand. Satan’s chains held me a prisoner, Burdened down by sin, I could not stand. Then there before me stood the answer! Guilt and slavery would soon be loss. For my shackles broke and fell from me, When I knelt humbly ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:1-18

Tags: The Cross, Poems Of The Crucifixion, Salvation Poems, Chains Of Sin, Redemption  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Free Indeed!

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on Sep 30, 2023

Once a pastor was speaking on the topic of Spiritual Freedom. He began to wax poetical in his delivery as he repeated over, and over this phrase… “I’m free! I’m free! Praise God I’m free indeed!” After service a little boy shook his hand and said, “Preacher, I’m free! I’m free! I’m free indeed!” ...read more

Scripture: John 8:32, John 8:36, John 8:21-36

Tags: Freedom, Sermons Of Jesus, Pastor Jokes, Laughter The Best Medicine

Denomination: Baptist

If God Is Good

Contributed by John Bright on Mar 1, 2025

There is a problem at the heart of Christianity. If God is good and loving why is there evil and suffering in the world? There is an old response when you are asked to do something: “I would if I could but I can’t so I won’t.” That response is like one of the ways our world tries to solve this ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:17

Tags: Evil, Suffering, Goodness Of God

Denomination: Methodist

More Than Anyone Else Christian Parents Can Have ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

More than anyone else Christian parents can have the most influence on their children, because when Christ died upon the Cross the veil was ripped open so they could enter into the presence of God who sits on the Throne of Grace. The call to pray is from God’s Word and we are given a sure promise, ...read more

Scripture: John 20:11-18

Tags: Faith

Erwin Mcmanus And His "John The Baptist"

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 28, 2011

ERWIN MCMANUS AND HIS "JOHN THE BAPTIST" As we begin today I would like to read a true account of an experience that pastor, speaker, and author, Erwin McManus had in the early years of his ministry. Listen to what he says... "I got a message through the urban grapevine that I was dead. It might ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:14-17

Tags: Evangelism How To

Seventeen Years Ago I Was Keenly Interested In A ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Mar 27, 2007

Seventeen years ago I was keenly interested in a widow in our church. Renfro laughed at me for saying she and I had a conversation in which we negotiated whether we could date or not. Listen, if there are things on which you do not agree, either negotiate a lasting change or else keep on ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

Love Of God

Contributed by Sean Harder on Jun 16, 2010

LOVE OF GOD Let’s say you had a child who kept getting in trouble, you kept bailing him out as a child, and eventually as he grew up even you couldn’t bail him out anymore, you had to let him go live his life the way he was choosing because nothing you or anyone else did could stop ...read more

Tags: God's Love

Sometimes Sharing Christ Takes Interesting ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 3, 2003

Sometimes sharing Christ takes interesting forms. For months I left the church well into the late night hours. Periodically I would see a man huddled on the corner of our property. At first I feared the man. You see our neighborhood is rough and we have many homeless individuals that roam the ...read more

Scripture: John 4:36

Tags: Evangelism How To

The Perfect Match—communion Meditation  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 1, 2004

THE PERFECT MATCH- COMMUNION MEDITATION From Daily Encounter comes this story by a Chaplain Robinson: “In 1949, my father had just returned from the war. On every highway you could see soldiers in uniform hitchhiking home to their families. The thrill of the reunion with his family was soon ...read more

Tags: Cross Agony, Lord's Supper, God's Provision

B. Brian J. Waldrop Relates This Slice Of Life: ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 24, 2004

b. Brian J. Waldrop relates this slice of life: "Flipping through the channels of my TV the other morning, I stopped to watch a painter skillfully painting a desert landscape. As the man proceeded to color the canvas in deep browns, reds, and yellows, the picture really started to look good. I felt ...read more

Tags: Humility, Faith, Endurance

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Up To Our Armpits In Our Own Choosing!" 1 Samuel ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Nov 30, 2004

“Up to Our Armpits in Our Own Choosing!” 1 Samuel 14: 37-46 Key verse(s): 39a: “As surely as the Lord lives, even if it lies with my son Jonathan, he must die . . .” I was fifteen minutes late for my appointment and knew that it would be an embarrassment to admit that I had simply gotten ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 14:36-45, 1 Samuel 14:37-46

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Lutheran

Shane Claiborne Tells About How His Little ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Feb 4, 2008

Shane Claiborne tells about how his little community of faith received some money. First, they won a lawsuit against the police of New York for misconduct. Shane with several hundred people had protested the arresting of people for sleeiping outside by sleeping outside. They were arrested, charged, ...read more

Scripture: John 17:20-26

Denomination: Church Of God

An Inconvenient ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH An Inconvenient Truth is an Academy Award-winning documentary film about climate change, specifically “global warming” and a future ice age in Northern Europe, presented by former United States Vice President Al Gore. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Inconvenient_Truth “I’m ...read more

Scripture: John 14:6

Tags: Truth

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Wwii Vet's Blood Saves Grandmother  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 26, 2009

WWII VET'S BLOOD SAVES GRANDMOTHER And I think it is also what Paul was talking about in Romans 8:28 when he says, "...in all things God works for the good of those who love Him..." Kim Huffman tells this story: World War II was over, and my father, along with thousands of others had been ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28

Tags: God's Provision