In Sermon Illustrations: "Church Growth"

We Can Transform Our Lives--Even When It Is No ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 26, 2009

We can transform our lives--even when it is no longer possible to receive our parents' blessing. (Source: John Trent and Gary Smalley, "The Blessing". From a ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Boat People

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 26, 2009

BOAT PEOPLE There are three kinds of people -- rowboat people, sailboat people, and steamboat people. Rowboat people need to be pushed or shoved along. Sailboat people move when a favorable wind is blowing. Steamboat people move continuously, through calm or storm. They are masters of themselves, ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Kaiser Medical Has A Slogan Called, "Thrive": ...

Contributed by Charles Wallis on Feb 3, 2009

Kaiser Medical has a slogan called, "Thrive": They are promoting health as more than just getting by, but living well. Knowing God is not just about getting by, or even getting to heaven. There must be more! His Spirit ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Fatal Metaphor Of Progress, Which Means ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"The fatal metaphor of progress, which means leaving things behind us, has utterly obscured the real idea of ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Everybody Wants To Be Somebody; Nobody Wants To ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

Everybody wants to be somebody; nobody ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

If We Dont Change, We Dont Grow. If We Dont ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"If we dont change, we dont grow. If we dont grow, we are not really living. Growth demands a ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Be Not Afraid Of Growing Slowly, Be Afraid Only ...

Contributed by C Vincent on Feb 13, 2009

Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Joni's Story

Contributed by Paul Carlson on Feb 16, 2009

JONI'S STORY Joni Eareckson Tada is an American Christian author, artist, and founder and CEO of Joni and Friends, an "organization accelerating Christian ministry in the disability community". She wrote an autobiography entitled Joni and appeared in a film of the same name. She has a daily radio ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Baptist

God Doesn't Give Trip-Tiks

Contributed by Tim Smith on Mar 9, 2009

GOD DOESN'T GIVE TRIP-TIKS You remember the AAA Trip-Tiks? You flip page by page and it showed every mile, every hotel you were going to stay at, and every sight you would see. I remember sitting in the back of my parents' car just watching mile after mile go by. And even though I knew what was ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Methodist

Regression Example  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2009

REGRESSION EXAMPLE Several years ago, there was an article in the Virginia Medical Monthly about a lady who regressed in her life development. This lady had three children. When her husband died, she started regressing in her development. Initially she started dressing like a twenty-year-old. She ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 5:11-14

Tags: Growth In Christ

Kenneth Hagin: "We Feed Our Physical Bodies ...  PRO

Contributed by Sharon Stonestreet on Mar 22, 2009

Kenneth Hagin: "We feed our physical bodies three hot meals a day and our spiritual ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Stages Of The Christian Life

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 24, 2009

THE STAGES OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE Several years ago I heard someone describe the Christian experience as similar to that of a piano player, and suddenly the commands of the Bible made more sense and seemed less daunting. When a person begins playing piano, do we expect them to play a piece by ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:1-3

Tags: Growth In Christ

Too Close To Where I Got In  PRO

Contributed by Rick Pendleton on Apr 9, 2009

TOO CLOSE TO WHERE I GOT IN A little boy fell out of the bed in his sleep. His father picked him up and put him back in bed. He asked him, "Son, what happened?" The little boy responded, "I fell asleep too close to where I got in." I believe that describes too many Christians today...they have ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Baptist

How Will You Ever Learn?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 15, 2009

HOW WILL YOU EVER LEARN? I heard the story of a nine-year-old girl who returned from Sunday School and as her father was sitting down with his newspaper after a delicious Sunday lunch, she asked him some questions. "Daddy, why did God make all the leaves green?" He thought a moment and replied, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:21

Tags: Growth In Christ

Christian Maturity: It's In The Details

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 16, 2009

CHRISTIAN MATURITY: IT'S IN THE DETAILS Ted Williams, who died in 2002 was arguably the best hitter baseball has ever known. He was the last baseball player to hit better than .400 in a season. Upon his death, George Will said in his column "There is no joy in Red Sox Nation, a.k.a. New England, ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 5:14

Tags: Growth In Christ

Courage: Breaking The Barrier

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 19, 2009

COURAGE: BREAKING THE BARRIER Seek courage and strength to move out of your comfort zone. You will need it. Even the smallest of changes even if they are for the best disrupts our relational systems. Without courage, without trusted companions, and with strength, growth and maturity will never ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 16:13

Tags: Growth In Christ

D.l. Moody Illustrates How To Grow ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 12, 2009

D.L. Moody Illustrates How to Grow Spiritually In one of his meetings, D.L. Moody was explaining to his audience the truth that we cannot bring about spiritual changes in our lives by our own strength. He demonstrated the principal like this: “Tell me,” he said to his audience, “how can I get the ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:16-26

Tags: Growth In Christ

A Lot Of Christians Have A Tendency To Think That ...

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Dec 9, 2009

A lot of Christians have a tendency to think that --- even though it was God’s Grace and Mercy that saved us --- now that we are saved, it’s all up to us to get on with the business of struggling to “live the Christian life” on our own power. We rev up our own dedication, will power, grit, and ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Tending Your ...

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Jan 9, 2010

TENDING YOUR GARDEN Suppose 2 women were planting a vegetable garden. On the same day, they prepared the earth and planted their seeds. One then neglected her garden and waited for her vegetables to grow. The other woman worked in her garden regularly. She put cages around the young tomato ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Focus On Christ

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 6, 2010

FOCUS ON CHRIST This bit of strange news was released by the Associated Press this past week: RIVERTON, Wyo. -- Officials say a magnifying glass set on a stand in a sunny room started a small blaze in a Wyoming home. UPS worker Buddy Armstrong was delivering a package to 84-year-old Thomas ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:1-2

Tags: Growth In Christ