In Sermon Illustrations: "Christian Names"

Not So Long Ago I Was In Cootamundra, A Small ...

Contributed by Cameron Smith on Aug 4, 2007

Not so long ago I was in Cootamundra, a small drought stricken town in the middle of nowhere when I heard a story of a particular farmer. A Christian man who grew wheat, who had survived the drought when suddenly the rains came. And they came hard, so hard in fact that hail came with it. And 20 ...read more

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Growth In Persecution  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 19, 2011

GROWTH IN PERSECUTION I remember feeling torn and confused when Simon Guillebaud in Burundi, Central Africa reported violence against him and Christians there. In his email he said we are not asking for protection. We know that violence and threats will come. What we ask for is boldness to preach ...read more

Scripture: Acts 11:19-24

Tags: Church Growth

You Remember The Story. Paul Was Riding Along The ...

Contributed by Jay Winters on Jun 28, 2008

You remember the story. Paul was riding along the road to Damascus, where he had papers that would allow him to lock up and possibly kill any Christians when he got there. When all of the sudden, a bright light shone down on Paul and Jesus spoke to him in a disembodied voice, "Saul, Saul, why do ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Lutheran

Are You Prepared For Tough Times?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 4, 2021

Lord Joseph Duveen, American head of the art firm that bore his name, planned in 1915 to send one of his experts to England to examine some ancient pottery. He booked passage on the Lusitania. Then the German Embassy issued a warning that the liner might be torpedoed. Duveen wanted to call off ...read more

Tags: Commitment, Preparation, Hardships, Trials, Tough Times  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Got An Attitude??  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Got an Attitude?? Scripture says this about your attitude: "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11

Tags: Attitude General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The First Mongolian ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 28, 2009

THE FIRST MONGOLIAN CHURCH The Christian authors, Bill and Amy Stearns, in their book entitled "20/20 Vision: Amazing Stories of What God Is Doing Around the World," describe how the Gospel of Jesus, the Christ, came to Mongolia. "In the 1870’s Swedish missionaries arrived in Mongolia - what was ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:8

Tags: Missions

Where Did Candy Canes Come From? Tradition Holds ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 8, 2006

Where did candy canes come from? Tradition holds that in about 1670, the choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral was frustrated by fidgety kids at the Living Nativity. He had some white, sugar-candy sticks made to keep the youngsters quiet. The sticks were curved like shepherds’ staffs in honor of the ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Where Did Candy Canes Come From? Tradition Holds ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 8, 2006

Where did candy canes come from? Tradition holds that in about 1670, the choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral was frustrated by fidgety kids at the living Nativity. He had some white, sugar-candy sticks made to keep the youngsters quiet. The sticks were curved like shepherds’ staffs in honor of the ...read more

Tags: Birth Of Jesus

A Preacher Extols A King Instead Of The King Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 10, 2009

A preacher extols a king instead of the King of kings There was a preacher in 19th century Scandinavia who, in the vestry one Sunday morning, heard that the King would be present at worship. Understandably rattled he ditched his well prepared sermon and spoke on and on about the Christian virtues ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:15-20

Tags: Worldliness

A Sacrifice Of Praise Hurts!

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Mar 1, 2012

A SACRIFICE OF PRAISE HURTS! Several years ago, there was a song on Christian radio that said, "We bring a sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord." It had a happy, upbeat tune. Listening to it, I had the feeling that the singers were intrigued by the words but had not personally ...read more

Tags: Prayer Adoration

Denomination: Baptist

Stephen Kuusisto Grew Up Feeling A Stigma About ...

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Aug 5, 2008

"Stephen Kuusisto grew up feeling a stigma about being legally blind. For him, sight consisted of a kaleidoscope of shapes, colors, and shadows. Privately he would press his face close to the page of a book and memorize street names in an exhausting attempt to appear more able to see than he really ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit General

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Christmases Past  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 10, 2002

CHRISTMASES PAST Christmas was not celebrated during the 1st 2 centuries after Christ’s life on earth. In AD 245, when a group of scholars attempted to pinpoint the exact date of Christ’s birth, a church council denounced the endeavor, declaring it wrong to celebrate the birthday of Christ "as ...read more

Tags: Christmas, Birth Of Jesus

Charisma" Magazine Had An Article On Martyrs In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

"Charisma" magazine had an article on martyrs in the 1990s. For many contemporary Christians, the word "martyr" evokes images of ancient saints being torn apart by lions in a Roman coliseum. Yet martyrdom did not end with the fall of the Roman Empire, or with the collapse of Soviet Communism. The ...read more

Tags: Prayer How To

Have You Ever Heard Of Rockin' Rollin ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Mar 13, 2001

ILL. Have you ever heard of Rockin’ Rollin Stewart? Let me ask you another question. How many of you have ever watched a sporting event, a Super Bowl or Monday night football game, & have seen the giant sign saying "John 3:16?" How many of you have seen that? That’s amazing! Rockin’ Rollin ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Why Me?

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Sep 27, 2005

From the 9-20-05 Daily Bread A few years ago, an unkempt, poorly adjusted youth named Tim… was converted to Christ in an evangelistic crusade. Several days later…he was sent to my home so that I could help him find a good church. And so it was that he began attending with me. Though Tim needed ...read more

Tags: Joy

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Sleepless  PRO

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Jul 28, 2007

Sleepless There once was a man named Randy Lo – his friends just called him Lo. Lo lived a hard life ignoring the many attempts of friends to introduce him to Jesus Christ. Eventually, though, Lo did become a Christian, giving his life over to our Lord Jesus. After some time, his walk with the Lord ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Christ In One

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Dec 12, 2010

CHRIST IN ONE What is a Christian? In the LETTER TO DIOGNETUS, which dates back to the second century A.D., an anonymous writer describes a strange people who are in the world but not of the world. "Christians are not differentiated from other people by country, language, or customs; you see, ...read more

Tags: Disciples

Denomination: *other

Today Is Nigeria's 32nd Independence Anniversary. ...

Contributed by Abiodun Adeniyi on May 1, 2008

Today is Nigeria’s 32nd Independence anniversary. At a time like this, every one of us needs to ask the question whether the independence we are celebrating today has any relevance to the one we got in the year 1960. In the same vein, many of us Christians need to ask ourselves whether the freedom ...read more

Tags: Action

Denomination: Pentecostal

Jonathan Edwards Wrote: "I Suppose No One ...  PRO

Contributed by Andrew Chan on May 23, 2001

Jonathan Edwards wrote: “I suppose no one will doubt that some natural men do reach out to the evidence of the truth of the Christian religion on the basis of rational proofs or arguments. Doubtless Judas thought Jesus was the Messiah on the basis of things he saw and heard. Yet he was a devil all ...read more

Tags: Doubt, Apostles Judas, Parable Sower And Seed

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Perseverance--James Does Not Leave Us In Despair ...  PRO

Contributed by R. David Reynolds on Oct 9, 2004

Perseverance--James does not leave us in despair and defeat. He assures us that our trials or tests develop Christian perseverance. THE UPPER ROOM in the last few weeks has had a couple of fantastic devotionals on Perseverance. A Texas lady by the name of Lou Storm wrote the devotional for ...read more

Tags: Endurance, Faith

Denomination: Methodist