In Sermon Illustrations: "Church Small Groups" showing 661-680 of 9,711

The Church Confronts The World With A Message ...

Contributed by Dean Courtier on Mar 18, 2010

"The Church confronts the world with a message the world craves for but resents, because it comes through ...read more

Tags: Church General

Denomination: Pentecostal

Old-School Church Discipline

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

OLD-SCHOOL CHURCH DISCIPLINE The Amish practice shunning – ignoring, turning away from, avoiding. When a person is disciplined by the community, relationships are severed between parents and children, or brother and sister, or even husbands and wives. Because the Amish are so isolated from those ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:15-17

Tags: Church Discipline

When We Truly Are The Church

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Feb 6, 2011

WHEN WE TRULY ARE THE CHURCH Chuck Colson tells this story: "My mind goes back to a Christmas 20 years ago in Romania, when the country was still in the grip of communist tyranny. The story begins with Laszlo Tokes, pastor of a fast-growing reformed church in the city of Timisoara. His ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Methodist

The First Big Church Fight

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 28, 2011

THE FIRST BIG CHURCH FIGHT The first big dispute in the church was not over the deity of Christ, the atoning work of the cross, or the reality of the resurrection. It was over what was and was not necessary for salvation. All the players believed in Jesus as God and Savior; they all ...read more

Tags: Action

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Lion King: Jesus' Church

Contributed by Ken Pell on Mar 14, 2011

THE LION KING: JESUS' CHURCH Disney's movie "The Lion King" features a young lion named Simba who is destined to rule the jungle but finds himself "on the outs." As the story opens, his father takes him to "Pride Rock" (the equivalent of a throne) and shows him his inheritance ... he would rule as ...read more

Tags: Sin Deceptive

Denomination: Nazarene

Missions Is Not The Ultimate Goal Of The Church. ...

Contributed by Tim Spear on Sep 6, 2011

Missions is not the ultimate goal of the Church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. Worship...is the fuel and goal of missions. ...read more

Tags: Worship Purpose

Denomination: Baptist

Alabama Judge: Church Or Jail

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Sep 26, 2011

ALABAMA JUDGE: CHURCH OR JAIL Is going to church a privilege or a sentence? It depends upon you and the particular church. For some in Alabama, it is a sentence: BAY MINETTE, Ala. (AP) — Authorities say non-violent offenders in southern Alabama will have a new choice: Go to jail, or go to church ...read more

Tags: Church General

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Where Is The Church When It Hurts?

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 13, 2012

WHERE IS THE CHURCH WHEN IT HURTS? Where is God in the midst of the storm? One author answered that question with this incident: "In Washington and Chicago, as I talked about the special edition of Where Is God When It Hurts?, inevitably the interviewer would turn the question back on me. 'Well, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:22-36

Tags: Comfort

The Church, Therefore, Earnestly Desires That ...

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jan 26, 2013

The Church, therefore, earnestly desires that Christ's faithful, when present at this mystery of faith, should not be there as strangers or silent spectators; on the contrary, through a good understanding of the rites and prayers they should take part in the sacred action conscious of what they are ...read more

Tags: Worship Purpose

Denomination: Catholic

The American Church Is Big Business

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 26, 2016

A GREAT QUOTE ABOUT THE AMERICAN CHURCH Biblical Scholar, Dr. Richard Halverson once said, “When the Greeks got the Gospel, they turned it into a philosophy; when the Romans got the Gospel, they turned it into a government; when the Europeans got the Gospel, they turned it into a ...read more

Scripture: Acts 4:1-30

Tags: Church, Wealth

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Painless Way To Give In Church

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 20, 2019

Having a little trouble with giving at the church? Maybe we could all learn a little lesson from the old country preacher who told everyone to stand up at the beginning of the offering. He then instructed everyone to lean forward to the person standing in front of them and grab their purse or ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:9

Tags: Money, Giving, Stewardship, Tithing, Offerings  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Preacher Of An Underground Chinese Church ...

Contributed by Mitchell Skelton on Mar 22, 2009

The preacher of an underground Chinese church tells others of the precautions they must take to avoid government persecution. Each time their church reaches ten to fifteen members, they split to reduce attention. They also alternate meeting places for the same reason. Because phone lines are ...read more

Tags: Persecution

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

32% Of Evangelical Protestant Churches Are In A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 14, 2009

32% of evangelical Protestant churches are in a strong financial position vs. 13% ...read more

Tags: Church Growth

The Church Must Serve The Truth

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jul 8, 2009

THE CHURCH MUST SERVE THE TRUTH The Church does not have technical solutions to offer [10] and does not claim 'to interfere in any way in the politics of States.' [11] She does, however, have a mission of truth to accomplish, in every time and circumstance, for a society that is attuned to man, to ...read more

Tags: Truth

Denomination: Catholic

Nicolaitan Compromise With Idolatry In Church Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 2, 2009

Nicolaitan Compromise with Idolatry in Church of Pergamum Bruce Longenecker's book, "The Lost Letters of Pergamum" (pp. 165-166) illustrates their teaching in a story about a Nicolaitan (Kalandion) that attended the Pergamum church. Kalandion is visiting a Christian who has been imprisoned for ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 2:12-17

Tags: Idolatry, Reputation

Church Cake Cover-Up  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 19, 2009

CHURCH CAKE COVER-UP It was time for the annual cake sale at a Presbyterian church not much different than our own. Ms. Billings always made the most beautiful cakes...she was expected to make another one this year. However, Ms. Billings was a very busy woman with the time she spent with her ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 11:1-15

Tags: Hypocrisy, Cake

How To Gather A Crowd At Church!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 25, 2021

How to Gather a Crowd at Church! A cattle rancher got saved and surrendered to preach. He went to a Bible conference which was all about how to build a crowd. Asked about it later, he said, "It was strange. In all my years as a cattle rancher, I never had to go to a conference to learn how ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-3

Tags: Bible, Teaching, Preaching, Word Of God, Pastors, Churches  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

They Keep You Quiet In Church

Contributed by John Bright on Apr 27, 2021

A 6-year-old girl was sitting in church with her very fidgety 4-year-old brother. She spoke to him with a stern voice, “You’re supposed to be quiet in church.” So her brother asked, “Whose gonna make me?” She ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:46-47

Tags: Church, Children, Worship, Quiet

Denomination: Methodist

Lazarus Churches That Are Dead And Stinketh!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 31, 2022

Vance Havner once commented that ministries often begin with a man who has a vision. That vision is captured by others and becomes a movement. As the movement gains followers and momentum, it becomes a machine. After a while, people forget all about the vision and what was once a movement ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7:14

Tags: Book Of Acts, Backsliding, Dying Churches, Church, Holy Spirit, Revival, Repentance  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Church Without The Holy Spirit

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 19, 2022

David Platt in his book, Radical, has a chapter entitled, "Beginning at the End of Ourselves -- The Importance of Relying on God's Power (Subsection entitled - “Dependent on Ourselves or Desperate for His Spirit?”). This is where I am most convicted as a pastor that I am part of a system ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:11

Tags: Church, Holy Spirit, Pentecost, Power, Pastors, Programs  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational