In Sermon Illustrations: "Church Purpose Of"

Keys To The Kingdom?

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Sep 29, 2009

KEYS TO THE KINGDOM? At a former church, the day I started my job as an associate pastor I was given a set of keys to the church by one of the Trustees, Bill. Bill told me, "Peter, these are not all the keys to the church, we are only giving you four keys: One key to the church building, one key ...read more

Tags: Basics Of Christianity

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Pastoral Search Committee Of The First Lukewarm ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 30, 2012

PASTORAL SEARCH COMMITTEE OF THE FIRST LUKEWARM CHURCH I was recently contacted by a pulpit committee that was interested in my ministry. I met with Chairman of the Disenchanted, Bro Tepid. He described his church; First Lukewarm Church of the Apathetic. “Nothing too boring, nothing too exciting. ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:14-22

Tags: Lukewarm

Driven By Hurt

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Feb 11, 2022

DRIVEN BY HURT! MIGHT I ADD A PREACHER’S PERSPECTIVE TO START THIS LESSON? BE KIND TO EVERY PERSON. PERHAPS YOU DO NOT KNOW THE PROBLEMS AND THE BATTLES OTHERS ARE FACING. A preacher friend of mine was having some self-doubts and fears he was facing. There was a rather large family that had ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 61:3, 1 Peter 5:7

Tags: Bitter, Hurt, Ministry

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Sin Ultimately Destroys Us. Several Years Ago In ...

Contributed by Joe La Rue on Jul 10, 2008

Sin ultimately destroys us. Several years ago in my home church in Indianapolis where I had grown up, the minister, we’ll call him John, was caught having an affair with a missionary that the church supported and that he had recently visited on behalf of the church family. His wife, we’ll call her ...read more

Tags: Sin Wages Of

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Leveling The Ground! (10.21.05--That ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Oct 19, 2005

Leveling the Ground! (10.21.05--That Person!--Genesis 5:3-5) As I paid for my fuel purchase in he came. Everyone in town knew him as just plain Frank. He was dirty, loud and smelly. Most people avoided him because he was just different from most other folks. He didn’t bath or shower but once in a ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 5:3-5

Tags: Racism

Denomination: Lutheran

What Are You Doing, Lord? Amazing Grace

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 31, 2011

WHAT ARE YOU DOING, LORD? AMAZING GRACE A couple days ago I was commuting to the church from Boissevain where we were camping this week, and heard an interview with a young woman named Kristen James Anderson, ironically on the last day of our free satellite radio. She came from a great family, ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 42:5

Tags: Grace

Blessed Are The Merciful

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Blessed Are The Merciful In the Sermon on the Mount, we notice that Jesus' subject was not on how people are to be saved, but on the fruit of those who allow the Holy Spirit to work in their lives. One of the signs or evidences that a person has been converted is that he is now merciful. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:7

Tags: Character

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Salt Of The Earth  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Salt of the Earth Matthew 5:13 says to Christians, "You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men." Our Lord is telling His disciples that ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:13

Tags: Character

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[033] A Message From A Poem – Belshazzar’s Time Had Ended

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 21, 2025

[033] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – BELSHAZZAR’S TIME HAD ENDED The purpose of this poem is to retell the story from Daniel in poem form. There is not much to say about it for it follows the biblical narrative, but it is the last stanza that is important in defining biblical principles. God’s word ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:10, Daniel 5:24-30

Tags: Wrath, Daniel, Judgment, Babylon, Belshazzar, Found Wanting  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

One Who Receives This Word, And By It Salvation, ...

Contributed by John Harvey on Jan 4, 2006

“One who receives this Word, and by it salvation, receives along with it the duty of passing this Word on…Where there is no mission there is no Church, and where there is ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To

Denomination: Baptist

When Almighty God, The Creator And Possessors Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Todd Hudnall on Dec 10, 2001

When Almighty God, the creator and possessors of all things, came to earth, He left the riches of Heaven to become a man. More than anyone who ever lived, Jesus realized that earth was not His real home. He was simply a pilgrim, a sojourner, on the great mission of redemption. He didn’t come to ...read more

Tags: Humanity Of Christ, Finding Fulfillment

Denomination: Assembly Of God

You’d Have To Be Living Under A Rock Not To ...  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Smith on Sep 27, 2002

You’d have to be living under a rock not to have heard of Star Wars, but if you are not “into” the Star Wars saga you may not know that the two-foot tall, 800+year old character you just saw is Yoda. Now, it’s true, Yoda can’t speak a straight forward English sentence. “Totally backward his ...read more

Tags: Television And Movies, God The Father, Descriptions Of God

Denomination: Christian Church

I Am The New Year  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 23, 2002

I AM THE NEW YEAR I am the new year. I am an unspoiled page in your book of time. I am your next chance at the art of living. I am your opportunity to practice what you have learned about life during the last twelve months. All that you sought and didn’t find is hidden in me, waiting for you to ...read more

Tags: New Year's Day, Giving Yourself

How's Your Faith?  PRO

Contributed by Clarence Clough on Jan 29, 2005

"How’s Your Faith?" by Victor Knowles-- Paul was concerned about their faith. Five times in ten verses he mentions their faith. How is yours? Notice the different degrees of faith. Which is yours? I. Dead Faith (James 2:17,20,26), II. Little Faith (Matthew 6:30), III. Weak Faith (Rom. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 3:1-10

Tags: Faith General

Denomination: Church Of God

Maybe God Wants Us To Say Wow

Contributed by Sean Harder on Jun 25, 2009

MAYBE GOD WANTS US TO SAY WOW Last week a young man asked me why God made sharks. I could have come up with many scientific answers, but again the point of all this is to give God glory, so I finally answered "Maybe sometimes God just wants us to say wow." I used to wonder why God made mosquitoes ...read more

Tags: Beauty

Tying Off The Tap Root  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2011

TYING OFF THE TAP ROOT The Japanese introduced a tree to the world that is called a Bonsai tree. It is measured in inches instead of feet as other trees are measured. It is not allowed to reach anywhere near its full growth potential but instead grows in a stunted miniature form. The reason for ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 2:1-7

Tags: Prayer General

The Lonely Frog

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Dec 8, 2014

You’ve heard the one, I ‘m sure, about the lonely frog who goes to see a fortune-teller. He’s told not to worry. She says, “You’re going to meet a beautiful young girl, and she will want to know everything about you.” “That’s great!” the excited frog says. “When will I meet her?” And the psychic ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 2:1-13

Tags: Fate, Providence

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Homosexuality In First Century Greek Culture

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Sep 24, 2019

Craig Keener writes, “Greek men were commonly bisexual; not only was homosexual behavior approved…but elements of the culture socialized boys in this direction. Men and women were segregated growing up, and male bonds became close. Apparently due to a deficiency in the number of women (which many ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:24-32

Tags: Gay, Homosexuality, Lesbian, Gender, Bisexuality  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

When I Was Younger, My Mom Used To Sew. She Made ...

Contributed by John Boquist on Aug 3, 2008

When I was younger, my mom used to sew. She made a lot of my clothes when I was growing up. Anyway, we had quite a few pair of scissors in our house, and we used them for many things: cutting paper, string, plastic, whatever. But mom's good sewing scissors were off-limits. They were the scissors ...read more

Tags: Holiness

Denomination: Baptist

The Apathy Club  PRO

Contributed by Dean O'bryan on Aug 25, 2008

The Apathy Club Did you hear about the college students who wanted to form a new organization on their campus? They called it the "Apathy Club"? Their "Apathy Club" wasn't going to be like any other student group. Where most organizations have a purpose or goal -- or some common interest to unify ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:10-19

Tags: Path, Promise, Apathy, Performance, Commitment To Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist