In Sermon Illustrations: "Control"

C. S. Lewis Said That

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Mar 29, 2009

C. S. Lewis said that “the devil laughs when he sees us overcome by pride: “He is perfectly content to see you becoming chaste and brave and self-controlled provided, all the time, he is setting up in you the Dictatorship of Pride… For Pride is spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of ...read more

Tags: Sin General

Denomination: Other

Longer Life

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 14, 2009

LONGER LIFE Average U.S. life expectancy has risen to an all-time record of 78.1 years for babies born in 2006, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What’s more, the death rate for 11 of the top 15 causes of death (including heart disease, cancer and stroke) slowed in 2006. White ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 16:31

Tags: Aging

Titanic Arrogance

Contributed by Casey Sabella on Apr 6, 2012

TITANIC ARROGANCE "Control your Irish passions, Thomas. Your uncle here tells me you proposed 64 lifeboats and he had to pull your arm to get you down to 32. Now, I will remind you just as I reminded him--these are my ships. And, according to our contract, I have final say on the design. I'll not ...read more

Tags: Arrogance

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Parents Support Abstinence Based Sex Education ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2006

Parents Support Abstinence based sex education according to a new Zogby International poll. It found that 75% of parents disapproved of the condom-based sex education curriculum promoted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 61% also disapproved of the “comprehensive” sex ...read more

Tags: Sexuality

A.m. Hunter Says, "'remembering,' In The ...  PRO

Contributed by Darryl Bell on Apr 17, 2006

A.M. Hunter says, “’Remembering,’ in the biblical idiom, is not to entertain a pallid idea of a past event in one’s mind, but to make the event present again so that it controls the will and becomes potent in our lives for good or ill” (quoted in David Garland, The NIV Application Commentary: Mark, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 22:14-20

Tags: Lord's Supper

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Silver Shoe Kid

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Oct 27, 2006

Story – Silver shoe kid. I worked for years in a department store. There was this kid that worked in the China Department. A place of high value products. This kid was offered a much better position – turned it down! Why? Because he walk out each day with a set of silverware I each shoe. Big ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Gentle Gain  PRO

Contributed by Jonathan Busch on Feb 2, 2003

THE GENTLE GAIN “In our rough-and-rugged individualism, we think of gentleness as weakness, being soft, and virtually spineless. Not so! ... Gentleness includes such enviable qualities as having strength under control, being calm and peaceful when surrounded by a heated atmosphere, emitting a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:5

Tags: Christian Love, Sermon On The Mount, Meekness

Denomination: Pentecostal

The People Who Received Help From Jesus Were ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 26, 2005

The people who received help from Jesus were mainly “normal,” respectable, religious people. Yet they were demonized. A demon had gained access to some area of their personalities, and as a result they themselves were not in full control. We need to remember that the moral and ethical code ...read more

3. Holman Also Reminds Us The Focus Of The ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Mar 16, 2005

3. Holman also reminds us the focus of the Bible: God as the Bible’s Primary Subject The Bible and history begin with God (Gen. 1:1). The last chapter of the Bible describes God as the “Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Rev. 22:13 NRSV). All the way through ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 22:13

Tags: God's Provision, Focus

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

J.r.r Tolkein, Famous Writer Leaves Us With This ...

Contributed by Charles Bruner on Jul 19, 2005

J.R.R Tolkein, famous writer leaves us with this profound thought. “It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succor of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to ...read more

Tags: Endurance

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Great Divide Between Brain And Tongue

Contributed by James Snyder on Nov 12, 2022

As my Uncle Fred used to say, one of the great benefits of getting old is that you know everything. If you had ever met Uncle Fred, you would easily conclude that he certainly wasn’t getting old. Of course, there are things I have learned during my aging career that has been of great use to me. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:10

Tags: Temptation, Tongue, Brain

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

During The 1960s, Psychologist Walter Mischel ...  PRO

Contributed by Grant Van Boeschoten on Jun 13, 2007

During the 1960s, psychologist Walter Mischel conducted what became known as "the marshmallow test" with four-year-olds in the preschool at Stanford University. The object of the exercise was to assess each preschooler’s ability to delay gratification. Each child was given one marshmallow. They ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:2

Tags: Church, Marriage, Family, Parenting, Church Growth, Home, Padres, Going To Church, Assertiveness  (view more)  (view less)

Out Of Our Depth

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Out Of Our Depth The 3-year old felt secure in his father’s arms as Dad stood in the middle of the pool. But Dad, for fun, began walking slowly toward the deep end, gently chanting, "Deeper and deeper and deeper," as the water rose higher and higher on the child. The lad’s face registered ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

Many Of You May Be Familiar With A Movie Filmed A ...

Contributed by Scott Jensen on Oct 13, 2007

Many of you may be familiar with a movie filmed a few years ago called “The Matrix.” This movie was about people that lived in a computer generated universe known as the matrix. Most of the people didn’t realize that the world they saw was computer generated. The few that did, wanted to free the ...read more

Denomination: Lutheran

Last Week During Fellowship, I Told Some Of You ...

Contributed by Curt Cizek on Aug 9, 2008

Last week during fellowship, I told some of you about a scene from the Dark Knight, the new Batman movie. Have any of you seen the movie? The Joker threatens the city of Gotham, so the mayor decides to begin evacuating the city. The prison is emptied and put on a ferry to carry them away so that ...read more

Tags: Judgment

Denomination: Lutheran

Stella Awards

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

STELLA AWARDS Several years ago Stella Lieback sued McDonalds for pouring hot coffee on herself. Her grandson was driving the car with Stella in it. At her request, he stopped the car so she could add cream to her coffee. She spilled the coffee on her leg and burned herself. Her lawsuit originally ...read more

Tags: Character

Are You ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 7, 2009

ARE YOU SERIOUS? Mr. Merv Grazinski of Oklahoma City purchased a brand new 32-foot Winnebago motor home. On his first trip home, having driven onto the freeway, he set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the drivers seat to go into the back and make himself a cup of coffee. Not ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:18

Tags: Christian Values

Philosophical Arguments Can Be Very Confusing And ...

Contributed by Nigel Heath on Aug 12, 2009

Philosophical arguments can be very confusing and also very convincing. ILLUSTR RC Sproul quotes some research that reveals: ‘Over 90% of students entering college in USA are convinced of, and committed to the relativity of truth’ = That there is no objective reality. What is actually being ...read more

Tags: Truth

Denomination: Baptist

Some Years Ago, Richard Foster Wrote A Book In ...

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Feb 20, 2004

Some years ago, Richard Foster wrote a book in which he described what he thought were the three most likely forces at work in the lives of modern Americans. His list? Money, sex, and power. And, you know, it’s possible. These things may very well be the base metals we use for forging a belief ...read more

Tags: Doubt, Faith General

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Tertullian (160–230 A.d.), The Theologian Of ...

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Dec 10, 2007

Tertullian (160–230 A.D.), the theologian of Carthage, wrote about heathen husbands being angry with their Christian wives because they wanted to kiss martyrs’ bonds, embrace Christians, and visit the cottages of the poor. Often when an unbelieving spouse wants to leave the marriage the believer ...read more

Denomination: Other