In Sermon Illustrations: "Christian Believers"

Love Is Not Self-Seeking

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 28, 2009

LOVE IS NOT SELF-SEEKING I read a beautiful story that illustrates this truth. In December of 1971 the Daily News of Maryville, Tennessee, ran a brief story about a nine-year-old boy who did an inspiring and self-giving act. He loved his mother, who had been widowed, and wanted to buy her a ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:5

Tags: Christian Love

I Didn't Know Her.

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 28, 2009

"I DIDN’T KNOW HER." A few years ago, a man named David Cash and a friend and his friend Jeremy Strohmeyer were in Las Vegas. Strohmeyer followed a young girl into a bathroom and began to physically assault her. Cash came upon the scene, made a half-hearted attempt to intervene, and then left the ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:14

Tags: Christian Love

Stop For The Boat People

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 28, 2009

STOP FOR THE BOAT PEOPLE On Aug. 8, 2004, the Vietnamese community of Westminster, California, celebrated one of the kindest and bravest acts performed by a stranger on them. On Nov. 13, 1985, ninety-six Vietnamese refugees despaired for their lives and their families’ lives when the engine of the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48

Tags: Christian Love

Love Your Neighbor's Broccoli

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 28, 2009

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR’S BROCCOLI A little girl stayed for dinner at the home of her friend. The vegetable was buttered broccoli, and the mother asked if she liked it. The child replied very politely, "Oh, yes, I love it." But when the bowl of broccoli was passed, she declined to take any. The hostess ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48

Tags: Christian Love

The Categorical Imperative

Contributed by Daniel Haas on May 8, 2009

THE CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE The Golden Rule is common sense. The most concise version is to be found in the works of Immanuel Kant and goes by the name of the Categorical Imperative: "Act only according to that maxim ...read more

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: Congregational

Your First Love

Contributed by Charles Worth on May 16, 2009

YOUR FIRST LOVE Remember your first love? That innocent time in life when you had fallen "head over heels" for someone? Knowing it is the right thing to do you went to her/him and confessed your undying love; only to be told how much they "like" you as a friend. Jesus must feel that way at times. ...read more

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: Baptist

Don't Underestimate An Act Of Love

Contributed by Billy Noel on May 18, 2009

DON'T UNDERESTIMATE AN ACT OF LOVE One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must ...read more

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: Christian Church

Jesus To Them

Contributed by Shawn Rose on May 19, 2009

JESUS TO THEM A missionary, lost at sea, washed up on edge of a remote native village. Half-dead from exposure, starvation, and sea water, the natives nursed him back to health. He lived with them 20 years; never made a confession of faith, no songs, no sermons, no Scripture; but attended the sick ...read more

Tags: Christian Witness

Denomination: Baptist

Accountability Questions For Men  PRO

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on May 22, 2009

ACCOUNTABILITY QUESTIONS FOR MEN Accountability requires being vulnerable enough to allow someone to explore your habits, priorities and neglect. Chuck Swindoll for example, has seven questions that he and a group of fellow pastors challenge each other with regularly: 1. Have you been with a ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Salvation Army

Odd Disciplines & Behaviors

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on May 28, 2009

ODD DISCIPLINES & BEHAVIORS What idiosyncrasies might you need to sometimes sacrifice? What rules have you made up that you will not break for anything? In ministry, you often do what needs to be done--period! Alexandre Dumas, the elder, ate an apple at 7 a.m. each morning under the Arc de ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Dietrich Bonheoffer Wrote, "It Is A Good Thing ...

Contributed by Mark Armstrong on Jun 10, 2009

Dietrich Bonheoffer wrote, "It is a good thing to learn early that God and suffering are not opposites but rather one and the same thing and necessarily so; for me, the idea that God himself ...read more

Tags: Christian Witness

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Christ Makes Us More, Not Less

Contributed by David Hodgin on Jun 24, 2009

CHRIST MAKES US MORE, NOT LESS The Major League record for homeruns is held by the Aaron brothers. Henry and Tommie combined hit more homeruns than any other combination of brothers in baseball history. Together they hit 768 homeruns. Henry hit 755 of them and Tommie added 13. Even though one ...read more

Tags: Basics Of Christianity

Love In The Driveway  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 25, 2009

LOVE IN THE DRIVEWAY One young boy said, "Love is when his daddy reads me a bedtime story. True love is when he doesn’t skip any pages." I remember when my son Shawn was in high school. Several times he parked his truck in the middle of the driveway. That got my dander up, because I could not get ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Tags: Christian Love

I Am Free In Christ To Drink Any Coffee That I ...

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Jul 6, 2009

I am free in Christ to drink any coffee that I want. But if I know that certain brands of coffee or tea have not be grown and bought in a responsible fashion then in my opinion I am abusing my freedom and am hindering my witness to those who have suffered from the injustice. I had a Starbuck’s ...read more

Tags: Christian Liberty

Denomination: Church Of God

The More The Better

Contributed by Charles Wallis on Jul 8, 2009

THE MORE THE BETTER When it comes to exercise and fitness, the more you work out, the better it feels, and the more you want to work out. Sports teams practice for hours a day to prepare for a game. How much more should Christians do spiritual training for eternal matters? How many ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Pentecostal

Touching The Untouchable

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 10, 2009

TOUCHING THE UNTOUCHABLE I have served as a volunteer Chaplain for the Havelock Police Dept for many years. Still, I will never forget my first night out with them. I was completely green and had no idea how to act. I was trying to follow the lead of the other officers. We were called to the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Tags: Christian Love

Right And Wrong And Ruby ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 14, 2009

RIGHT AND WRONG AND RUBY BRIDGES A federal judge had ordered New Orleans to open its public schools to African-American children. White parents in the community decided to keep their children at home if this verdict was enforced. They made it known that any African-American children who came to ...read more

Scripture: James 1:22-24

Tags: Christian Values

I Hope They See Him When They See Me

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Jul 19, 2009

I HOPE THEY SEE HIM WHEN THEY SEE ME I'll never forget Gary. He showed up on my doorstep in the late 90s. I opened the door to see a man wearing jeans with holes and smattered with paint. His shirt exposed arms covered in dust, but his smile was warm and friendly. He was a contractor. He didn't ...read more

Tags: Christian Witness

Denomination: Salvation Army

I Can Do No ...

Contributed by Larry Moyer on Aug 5, 2009

I CAN DO NO LESS One day a man in the Army was reading his instructions from the General about what he was to do that day. Now the General of the Army was highly respected and loved. Someone happened to walk by and asked, "What are you reading?" The man answered, "I’m reading my instructions from ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Our Testimony Is Christ's Testimony

Contributed by Clark Tanner on Aug 11, 2009

OUR TESTIMONY IS CHRIST'S TESTIMONY In his magnificent little book, "A Faith to Proclaim," James S. Stewart made reference to Paul’s declaration to the Galatians (2:20), "I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me..." And Stewart said, "To be thus ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Orthodox