In Sermon Illustrations: "Changed Lives"

Dobson: Differences In Generations

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 2, 2010

DOBSON: DIFFERENCES IN GENERATIONS James Dobson recently wrote about the difference between the current generation and the WW II generation of fifty years ago: "Commitment, dedication, and patriotism have given place to sensuality, hedonism, and selfishness. If the decade of the '40s was ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 14:34

Tags: America

The Nobodies Of The Church  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 6, 2010

THE NOBODIES OF THE CHURCH Janet Reno, Attorney General of the United States during the Clinton administration, was interviewed on "60 Minutes" on June 26, 1999. She seems to hold this ancient opinion of Christians. Here is how she defined a cultist: "A cultist is one who has a strong belief in ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

This Doesn't Mean That We Do Not Feel The Brunt ...

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Sep 6, 2010

This doesn't mean that we do not feel the brunt of bad news, trials, or miseries. It means he helps us gain our composure. Judy Ackerman Link wrote: After my doctor announced that I had cancer, I tried to listen to what he said, but I couldn’t. I went home, pulled a blanket over my head, and fell ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Hearing The Crickets

Contributed by Chris Kelly on Sep 29, 2010

HEARING THE CRICKETS An American Indian left the reservation to visit downtown New York. Walking down a busy street with his friend, he suddenly stopped and said, "I hear a cricket". His friend said, "You're crazy! There's no way you could hear a cricket in all this noise!" The Indian ...read more

Tags: Doing God's Will

Denomination: Wesleyan

Purpose In Life

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Dec 12, 2010

PURPOSE IN LIFE Many years before Abraham Lincoln was elected president, he was a store-keeper in Salem, Illinois. Abe had a rifle displayed in his store that was one of the most beautiful rifles ever made. The barrel was made from the finest steel, the stock from the best walnut wood; and a ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Denomination: *other

Unbelievers At The Second Coming

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 26, 2011

UNBELIEVERS AT THE SECOND COMING Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the great Victorian preacher, said in a sermon entitled ‘Secret sins’ preached in 1857: "When Christ comes a second time, there will be a marvellous change in the way men talk. Me thinks I see him; there he sits upon his throne. Now, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:1-18

Tags: Second Coming

Self-Centered Christianity  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 6, 2011

SELF-CENTERED CHRISTIANITY John Koessler pastored for years before becoming a professor in the pastoral studies department at Moody Bible Institute. In 2007 he wrote, A Stranger In The House of God, chronicling his experience in various churches. "Most of the Christians I know are disappointed ...read more

Scripture: Titus 1:1-9

Tags: Church Practices

Colossian Philosophy: "Borrowed" Features

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 6, 2011

COLOSSIAN PHILOSOPHY: "BORROWED" FEATURES I used to collect basketball cards. This was way back in the early 90s, though I still have held on to them. Basketball cards took off well after baseball cards, and each brand over time had its own unique features. Some were UV coated, others had gold ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:15-23

Tags: False Teaching

What Is Your Purpose?

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Apr 13, 2011

WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE? Many years before Abraham Lincoln was elected president, he was a store-keeper in Salem, Illinois. Abe had a rifle displayed in his store that was one of the most beautiful rifles ever made. The barrel was made from the finest steel, the stock from the best walnut wood; and a ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Denomination: *other

Leadership And Prayer

Contributed by Tim White on May 8, 2011

LEADERSHIP AND PRAYER Henry and Richard Blackaby in Spiritual Leadership in chapter seven "The Leader's Influence" stress that leaders influence others through prayer. They give six reasons why leaders should pray. The fourth reason is "God is all-powerful. . . .God can do far more than even the ...read more

Tags: Leadership General

Denomination: Baptist

The Mayor's Martyr Maid

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Jun 3, 2011

THE MAYOR'S MARTYR MAID "I found one!" The inquisitor held up a Bible and hollered out, "Bring in the mayor and his family. Someone is studying the Bible in this house!" In the 16th century, Philip II sent the Duke of Alba to Flanders to stamp out the Protestants who insisted on reading the ...read more

Tags: Commitment To Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Trust Made The Difference

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Jul 3, 2011

TRUST MADE THE DIFFERENCE Years ago, when my nephew Josh was about 9 years old, we were out in the yard playing tag. He had tagged me and was running for all he was worth to get away from me. He was laughing and laughing as he looked back at me chasing him. Then he turned around and ran into a ...read more

Tags: Trust

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Tears And Trust

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 23, 2011

TEARS AND TRUST Years ago, when my nephew Josh was about 9 years old we were out in the yard playing tag. He had tagged me and was running for all he was worth to get away from me. He was laughing and laughing as he looked back at me chasing him. Then he turned around and ran into a tree. It ...read more

Scripture: Habakkuk 3:17-19

Tags: Faith, Trust

The Rise, Fall And Posthumous Rise Of Jim Thorpe

Contributed by Suresh Manoharan on Dec 16, 2011

The rise, fall and posthumous rise of Jim Thorpe Jim Thorpe! Does it ring a bell? Well arguably he was the greatest athlete of 20th century. Blessed with abundant natural talent in those days of amateurism, Thorpe virtually “torpedoed” the competition into submission by winning the gold medals in ...read more

Tags: Dealing With Conflicts

Denomination: *other

The Salvation Of Karla Faye Tucker

Contributed by Tim Hinrichs on Mar 29, 2012

THE SALVATION OF KARLA FAYE TUCKER Many of you probably remember Karla Faye Tucker. She was the first woman to be executed in the US since 1984. She was an accomplice to a brutal ax murder of two people in the early eighties. Soon after being imprisoned, Tucker took a Bible from the prison ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Lutheran

Call Sin Something Else, Please?

Contributed by Eugene Morell on Jul 1, 2012

CALL SIN SOMETHING ELSE, PLEASE? There is a story about a Methodist preacher who often spoke on the subject of sin. He defined sin as that abominable thing that God hates. One day some of the leading laymen came to urge their pastor to stop using the word sin. The laymen told their pastor that ...read more

Tags: Sin General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Great Boston Fire Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 27, 2012

THE GREAT BOSTON FIRE OF 1872 In the great Boston fire of 1872, sixty-five acres of land was destroyed. The damage totaled up to $75 million but in our day would be somewhere in the neighborhood of $3 billion. Hundreds of businesses were destroyed. Someone came along and wrote a message on a rough ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Salvation And The Surgeon

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Dec 17, 2012

Jesus came to be our Savior. To be our substitute. To die FOR us. But while God would be the only one pure enough to die for us... Gods don't die. And while mortals CAN die, no mortal man could ever be the sinless sacrifice the law required to pay for our sins. No ordinary man would be pure and ...read more

Tags: Christmas, Atonement, Salvation

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Faith

Contributed by Darryl Womack on Dec 17, 2015

In the movie called the Matrix there is one of the best encouragements to share our Faith with others that I have ever seen. The Spiritual leader of that rag tag bunch goes by the name of Morpheus and the young deliverer who he believes is the promised one goes by the name of Neo. Needless to say ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:5

Tags: Evangelism, Faith, Matrix

Denomination: Baptist

Rescue The Perishing

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 23, 2016

RESCUE THE PERISHING Fanny Crosby, the blind hymn writer, wrote so many hymns we love to sing. When she was up in years, she visited the Macaulay Rescue Mission in NYC. She stood before a crowd of homeless, drug-addicted, alcoholic men. She said, “is there a young man here who doesn’t have a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20

Tags: Evangelism, Witnessing

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational