In Sermon Illustrations: "Christian Names"

Bad Experiences With Christians

Contributed by Nigel Heath on Apr 4, 2009

BAD EXPERIENCES WITH CHRISTIANS A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with the Rt. Hon. Adam Ingram MP. I dared to ask him about something I had heard to see if it was true. I had been told that Adam Ingram as a young man had attended the BTI (Bible Training Institute) Bible College in Glasgow. ...read more

Tags: Christian Witness

Denomination: Baptist

Un-Christlike Christians

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Apr 6, 2009

UN-CHRISTLIKE CHRISTIANS A couple of months ago, there was a story on CNN of a Christian school basketball team that beat another team (another Christian school, I think) by the score of 100 to 0. It was a slaughter. The coach of the winning team, even though it was clear that the other team was ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

Denomination: Church Of God

No Christianity Without The Cross  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 10, 2009

NO CHRISTIANITY WITHOUT THE CROSS Dr. H. Richard Neibuhr condemns cross-less Christianity, or the evangelical "feel good" seeker-sensitive churches, who refuse to display or talk about the cross. With biting criticism he writes, "Such beliefs as a God without wrath, bringing men without sin into a ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20

Tags: Cross

What Makes A Christian

Contributed by Clark Tanner on Sep 28, 2009

WHAT MAKES A CHRISTIAN "The true Christian desires less and less of the things and comforts and pursuits and goals of this world, and desires more and more the things that are eternal, that are pleasing to God, that are divine in nature. What do you witness in the people around you who claim to be ...read more

Tags: Basics Of Christianity

Denomination: Orthodox

Call Me A Christian  PRO

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Jun 8, 2010

CALL ME A CHRISTIAN A deacon, who was full of himself, was teaching a boy Sunday School class. He was working hard to stress the importance of living a Christian life. With an air of arrogance he asked, "Why do people call me a Christian?" After an ...read more

Tags: Pride

Denomination: Baptist

Decline Of Christianity In America  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 30, 2010

DECLINE OF CHRISTIANITY IN AMERICA North America is the only continent on earth where Christianity is not growing. Only 17.5% of the population of the US attends church on a regular Sunday. During the 1990’s there was a 19.4% decline in church attendance. 85% of churches in America are ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:42-47

Tags: Church Growth

Gallup On Committed Christians

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Nov 14, 2010

GALLUP ON COMMITTED CHRISTIANS Fewer than 10 percent of Americans are deeply committed Christians, says pollster George Gallup, who adds that these people "are far, far happier than the rest of the population." Committed Christians, Gallup found, are more tolerant than the average American, more ...read more

Tags: Christian Witness

Denomination: *other

Christians Still Persecuted

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 23, 2011

CHRISTIANS STILL PERSECUTED * Last year (July 2009), Catherina Cenzon-DeCarlo, a nurse at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City was told that she would help a doctor perform an abortion or be fired. Even though the hospital knew it was against her Christian values. * In September of 2009 at Pace ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 6:9-11

Tags: Persecution

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

When A Christian Grows

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Apr 13, 2011

WHEN A CHRISTIAN GROWS Dr. Bonar once remarked that he could tell when a Christian was growing. In proportion to his growth in grace he would elevate his Master, talk less of what he was doing, and become smaller and smaller in his own esteem, until, like the morning star, he faded away before the ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: *other

Christians Are Known For...

Contributed by Troy Borst on May 3, 2011

CHRISTIANS ARE KNOWN FOR... If you were to Google the phrase "Christians are known for" what do you think the results would be? What are people who call themselves followers of Christ known for... whether good or bad? The following are some of the results you would find: ... being trustworthy ...read more

Tags: Christian Witness

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

How Christians Are Different

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2011

HOW CHRISTIANS ARE DIFFERENT A Second Century believer, in a letter to his friend, Diognetus, described how Christians are alike and different from others. He wrote, "Though they are residents at home in their own countries, their behavior there is more like transients...Though destiny has placed ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:18-25

Tags: Christian Witness

Capitalism Without Christianity  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Sep 5, 2011

CAPITALISM WITHOUT CHRISTIANITY Pure Capitalism--that exists without a Christian influence--can become an empty shell. When Christianity is taken out of the picture of Capitalism...greed and selfishness take over. Capitalism without Christianity can result in all kinds or evils. You can end up ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:13-16

Tags: Workplace

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

We Will Remain Christians

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 27, 2011

"WE WILL REMAIN CHRISTIANS" An American journalist in 1993 interviewed a group of children from a Sunday school in southern Sudan where Arab Muslims regularly raided their village and slaughtered Christians. Many of their relatives had already been killed. The journalist asked, "Would you turn to ...read more

Scripture: Acts 7:51-60

Tags: Persecution

The Christian Is Like A Diamond

Contributed by Colin Bain on Dec 1, 2011

THE CHRISTIAN IS LIKE A DIAMOND The difference between a lump of coal and a perfect diamond is simply that although they are both carbon, and although they are both crystal-like in structure, the lump of coal is dark and dirty, while the perfect diamond lets the let shine through. The diamond is ...read more

Tags: Righteousness

Denomination: Salvation Army

Christian Herter Was The Governor Of ...

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Feb 21, 2008

Christian Herter was the governor of Massachusetts in the 1950’s the story is told of a time when he was campaigning, when he came across someone whom he was about to ignore, but found himself having to notice. Apparently, he was having a really hard day campaigning, missed his lunch and came in ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Christian Code Of Conduct  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jul 3, 2008

CHRISTIAN CODE OF CONDUCT We should all commit ourselves to a code of conduct that glorifies the Lord no matter where we are at in life. Why? Because it will benefit those around us and make God look good. Here are few dimensions to the Christian Code of Conduct: (This code was adapted from a ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Christian One Liners  PRO

Contributed by Tony Abram on Aug 22, 2008

Christian One Liners Don't let your worries get the best of you; remember, Moses started out as a basket case. *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* Some people are kind, polite, and sweet-spirited, until you try to sit in their pews. *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* Many folks want to serve God, but ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 5:2, Luke 4:1-13

Tags: Change, Transition, Obnoxious, Rest, Christian Disciplines  (view more)  (view less)

Onward Christian Soldier  PRO

Contributed by Dave Kinney on Oct 11, 2008

Onward Christian Soldier It was 1854. Pastor Dudley Tyng was voted as the new pastor of a Philadelphia church at only 29 years old. At first the work went well until he started to preach against the sin of slavery – at that point to church did not want to make anyone mad so they told him to shut ...read more

Tags: Zeal

Denomination: Baptist

Fair-Weather Christians  PRO

Contributed by Robert Leroe on Dec 9, 2008

FAIR-WEATHER CHRISTIANS During the American Revolution, farmers who joined the Continental Army during the spring and summer went AWOL in the fall and winter. They were known as "summer soldiers". They signed up with the Army after their crops were planted, they fought the British over the ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Congregational