In Sermon Illustrations: "Confident Belief"

Get On The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2008

GET ON THE PLANE “Many people argue, ’I do believe in Christ. I believe in the Church, and I believe in the Bible. Isn’t that enough?’ No! You must RECEIVE Christ. "I may go to the airport. I have a reservation. I have a ticket in my pocket. The plane is one the ramp. It is a big, powerful ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Fasting Is Getting More Attention These Days. In ...

Contributed by Anne Benefield on Mar 5, 2009

Fasting is getting more attention these days. In a special issue of Time Magazine on "How Faith Can Heal" Jeffrey Kluger writes: "Faith and health overlap in other ways too. Take fasting. One of the staples of both traditional wellness protocols and traditional religious rituals is the cleansing ...read more

Tags: Fast

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

I Am One Of Them

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 13, 2009

I AM ONE OF THEM As a third-century man was anticipating death, he penned these last words to a friend: "It’s a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy, which is a thousand times ...read more

Tags: Christian Witness

In His Book I Surrender, Patrick Morley Writes ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Oct 22, 2009

In his book I Surrender, Patrick Morley writes that the church’s integrity problem is in the misconception "that we can add Christ to our lives, but not subtract sin. It is a change in belief without a change in behavior." He goes on to say, "It is revival without reformation, without repentance." ...read more

Tags: Repentance, Christian Values

Denomination: Pentecostal

Safe Rooms

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 22, 2011

SAFE ROOMS Lynne and I and the family were moving to Tulsa from Missouri and were looking at potential homes. One thing we came across was a house with a 'safe room' or actually only a 'safe closet'. A closet, which served as a coat closet near the front door, was built with steel walls and a ...read more

Scripture: John 3:1-21

Tags: Unbelief

Downward Trends In U.s. Christianity

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 15, 2012

DOWNWARD TRENDS IN U.S. CHRISTIANITY In George Barna's new book on U.S. Christians called Futurecast, he tracks annual changes from 1991 to 2011 and shows that all the major trend lines of religious belief and behavior ran downward except two: More people claim they have accepted Jesus as their ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-16

Tags: Church Practices

Model Kylie Bisutti, 21, Has Decided To Leave ...

Contributed by Gene Gregory on Aug 27, 2012

Model Kylie Bisutti, 21, has decided to leave Victoria’s Secret because it clashes with her Christian beliefs. “I just became so convicted of honoring the Lord and my body and wanting to be a role model for other women out there who look up to me,” Bisutti said today on “Good Morning ...read more

Tags: Conscience

Denomination: Baptist

Ayn Rand Vs. Christian Community

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 13, 2014

What we observe in that early community of Christians stands in stark contrast to the philosophy of Ayn Rand, who has been getting a lot of press lately. She is known for her belief in what she called Rational Egoism which translates Rational Self-Interest which she described as "The Virtue of ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:42-47

Tags: Selfishness, Atheism, Capitalism

Does One Vote Matter?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 1, 2016

DOES ONE VOTE MATTER???? Yes! Your ONE VOTE matters. Voter participation often suffers because of the generally accepted belief that “one vote really can’t make a difference.” Here is historical proof quite to the contrary! 1645: 1 VOTE gave control of England to Oliver Cromwell. 1649: 1 VOTE ...read more

Scripture: Romans 13:1-10

Tags: Citizenship, Government, Voting, Elections

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Three Types Of Suffering

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 25, 2025

“Wesley adopted a traditional Christian distinction between types of suffering: natural, moral, and penal. People suffer because of disease and natural disaster; people suffer because other people harm them; and people suffer because they are punished for wrongdoing. (Natural Suffering) Wesley ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:17

Tags: Suffering, Moral, Natural, Penal

Denomination: Methodist

I Love The Jason Bourne Stories. Jason Bourne Is ...

Contributed by Scott Brewer on Jul 23, 2007

I love the Jason Bourne stories. Jason Bourne is a fictional character created by Robert Ludlum in books and film. The first film, “The Bourne Identity”, is the intriguing story of what it is like when you forget who you are. Jason Bourne is a highly trained, specialized agent of the US government ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:1-9, Matthew 4:1-11

Denomination: Baptist

The Other 19 Percent

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 9, 2009

THE OTHER 19 PERCENT Even if they’re unsure of it, most people want to believe in Heaven, and most people have some concept of it. TIME took a poll 10 years ago, and 81% of the people they surveyed said they believed in the existence of Heaven, where people lived forever with God after they ...read more

Scripture: John 12:37-50

Tags: Atheism

George Hunter Contends That The First ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 17, 2000

George Hunter contends that the first characteristic of a secular person in the modern world is that he or she is ignorant of basic Christianity. It has been said of the Baby Busters, those born between 1963 and 1977 and the first generation to grow up in a postmodern context, that they lack even ...read more

Scripture: Jude 1:1-21

I Recently Heard Of Four Scholars Who Were ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Gibney on Aug 5, 2002

I recently heard of four scholars who were arguing over Bible translations. One said he preferred the King James Version because of its beautiful, eloquent old English. Another said he preferred the American Standard Bible for its literalism, the way it moves the reader from passage to passage with ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Strong Woman Versus A Woman Of Strength  PRO

Contributed by Troy Borst on May 7, 2003

STRONG WOMAN VERSUS A WOMAN OF STRENGTH A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape ... but a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape... A strong woman isn’t afraid of anything ... but a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear... A strong woman ...read more

Scripture: John 4:4-42

Tags: Women

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Date, March 28th. The Year, 1992. The ...

Contributed by Chip Monck on Mar 9, 2005

The date, March 28th. The year, 1992. The place, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The moment seizer, and dare I say these words in a Kentucky pulpit, Christian Leattner. First ever player to start in four Final Fours. MVP of the East Regional of the NCAA tournament when he scored 31 points against ...read more

Tags: Finding Fulfillment

Denomination: Wesleyan

Strong Emotions

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Nov 16, 2005

There is nothing wrong with strong emotions; even those that center squarely upon ourselves. Witness the story of missionary Adoniram Judson. He sweated out Burma’s heat for 18 years without a furlough, six years without a convert. Enduring torture and imprisonment, he admitted that he never saw a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 10:38

Tags: Prayer Persistence

Denomination: Lutheran

The American Psychological Association Research ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2006

The American Psychological Association research has found that religious involvement is the best indicator of psychological self-esteem among 8th graders. H.B. London of Focus on the Family notes that is the same age as young people in churches begin to drift. Other findings in the study: · 8th ...read more

Tags: Children

On The Fourth Of July In 1951, Florence Chadwick, ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jan 30, 2006

On the Fourth of July in 1951, Florence Chadwick, the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions, attempted to swim from Catalina Island to the California coast. The challenge was not so much the distance, but the bone-chilling waters of the Pacific. To complicate matters, a dense ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:6

Tags: Endurance

Denomination: Lutheran

A Member Of Alcoholics Anonymous Once Sent ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2006

A member of Alcoholics Anonymous once sent columnist Ann Landers the following: We drank for happiness and became unhappy. We drank for joy and became miserable. We drank for sociability and became argumentative. We drank for sophistication and became obnoxious. We drank for friendship and ...read more

Tags: Addiction