In Sermon Illustrations: "Control"

Alcohol Use

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Mar 12, 2012

ALCOHOL USE According to MSNBC, “Alcohol abuse kills some 75,000 Americans each year and shortens the lives of these people by an average of 30 years, a U.S. government study suggested Thursday. Excessive alcohol consumption is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States ...read more

Tags: Alcohol

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Three Types Of Fruit

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 2, 2023

The fruit of the Spirit is singular. it is "fruit" and not "fruits". It is only one letter, but it matters deeply. When you walk in the Spirit, all of these things described in Galatians 5:19-23 will be present in your life. However, there is a three-fold outline in Galatians ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:19-23

Tags: Holy Spirit, Flesh, Fruit Of The Spirit, Spiritual Maturity, Walking In The Spirit  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Teen Abortions Are Now Just 19% Of The Total ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2006

Teen Abortions are now just 19% of the total number, according to a study by Janice Crouse of the Beverly LaHaye Institute. Women over 20 get 80% of all abortions, with 48% by women 25 and older, increasingly as a method of birth control. Repeat abortions have also risen steadily over the years, ...read more

Tags: Abortion

John Wooden, Former Basketball Coach At Ucla, ...

Contributed by David Ward on Sep 27, 2006

John Wooden, former basketball coach at UCLA, was the antithesis of many of today’s coaches. He seldom left his seat on the Bruins bench during a UCLA game. "I tried to teach players that if they lose their temper or get out of control, they will get beat," he says. Pressed in an interview to be ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Baptist

God Wants To Spread His Word Through Us To The ...

Contributed by Tony Abram on Mar 7, 2007

God wants to spread His Word through us to the World. He wants to use the whole man, spirit, soul and body. In 1936 a radio broadcast was transmitted to America from England. Just before the voice of King Edward VIII was to be heard, someone stumbled over a wire in the control room of WJZ (now ...read more

The Air Craft Carrier  PRO

Contributed by Jonathan Busch on Feb 23, 2003

Illus The Air Craft Carrier When a plain takes off from an aircraft carrier several things happen. 1) Point Aircraft Carrier into the Wind 2) Catapult the Plane down the deck 3) Planes are designed to respond to the laws 4) Pilot has ultimate control The laws are designed to take affect if all the ...read more

Tags: Children

Denomination: Pentecostal

In A Story That Appeared In The New Yorker Cnn ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 28, 2003

In a story that appeared in the New Yorker CNN founder Ted Turner was suicidal after the breakup of his marriage to Jane Fonda and losing control of Turner Broadcasting. Turner told the magazine that his marriage to Fonda broke up partly because of her decision to become a Christian. Turner is a ...read more

The Turkey  PRO

Contributed by George Rennau on Nov 23, 2003

The turkey shot out of the oven and rocketed into the air, it knocked every plate off the table and partly demolished a chair. It ricocheted into a corner and burst with a deafening boom, then splattered all over the kitchen, completely obscuring the room. It stuck to the walls and the ...read more

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday

Denomination: Assembly Of God

What Does Living By Faith Mean Today? It Means ...  PRO

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Oct 18, 2000

What does living by faith mean today? It means deciding what is the controlling principle in our lives. Is it luck or chance? I had just parked my car at the office and a lady came up to me and said, "That’s a nice car but I wouldn’t want to drive it!" I was rather puzzled and asked "Why not?" ...read more

Tags: Faith General

Denomination: Baptist

Do You Think Television Doesn't Have A Strong ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Jul 5, 2007

Do you think television doesn’t have a strong influence on young people? MTV knows otherwise. A recent self-promotional ad in an advertising trade publication brags, "Any channel can deliver eyeballs. But how many can include hearts and minds?" In another ad, MTV calls itself "not a TV ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

In 1932 Aldous Huxley Published A Science Fiction ...

Contributed by Glenn Newton on Jan 24, 2008

In 1932 Aldous Huxley published a science fiction novel entitled "Brave New World." In it he wrote about the year 2532. He described a world very different from his own. - Some of the characteristics he describes are: The practice of cloning being perfected - World controlled by science & ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

It's Only A Game...

Contributed by Bruce Rzengota on Feb 2, 2009

IT'S ONLY A GAME... Unhappy with a series of calls throughout the game, parents and fans in attendance at a Concord, N.H., little league baseball game last Wednesday expressed their displeasure with the umpires by showering them with vulgarities, threatening them and confronting them face-to-face ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

George Whitfield's Sense Of Urgency In Preaching ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 26, 2009

George Whitfield’s Sense of Urgency in Preaching the Gospel "It should bless our hearts to see people turn to Christ, but it should also break our hearts when they turn away. George Whitfield often had to stop preaching because he broke into tears. When someone suggested that he should control ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 10:1-11

Tags: Evangelism, Evangelism Urgency

Gary Bettenhausen

Contributed by Davon Huss on Mar 13, 2021

We must decide what we mean by success. Gary Bettenhausen will help us to decide it. Some years ago, in an Indianapolis 500 race, veteran driver Al Unser lost control of his race car, which then skidded into the track wall and exploded into flames. Seconds later, another driver slammed his ...read more

Scripture: John 12:23-33, Mark 8:35

Tags: Success, Loser

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Apollo 11 Was A Tribute To Modern Technology: No ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 30, 2001

Apollo 11 was a tribute to modern technology: No foul ups; no glitches. Man had accomplished the impossible without a hitch. In fact Apollo missions 11 and 12 were so error-free they seemed almost routine. The world resumed breathing. The television ratings for moonwalks began to decline. When ...read more

Tags: Fig, Tree

Not A Slave? Think Again

Contributed by Nickolas Kooi on Jun 22, 2017

Paul says that you were a slave. Slavery is unfortunately still alive and well in our world. The story of a young girl named “Dodzi” is a common one in Ghana. Dodzi was orphaned at nine months and lived with her Grandmother, who served as her guardian. Her Grandmother had a lot on her plate as ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:12-23

Tags: Sin, Slave

Denomination: Lutheran

How It Happened  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Jul 17, 2002

How It Happened: God populated the earth with broccoli & cauliflower & spinach, green & yellow vegetables of all kinds, so Man & Woman would live long & healthy lives. Then Satan created McDonald’s. And McDonald’s brought forth the 99-cent double-cheeseburger. Then Satan said to Man, "You want ...read more

Tags: Temptation Resisting, Addiction, Giving Yourself

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

In The Mid 1800's Francis Thompson Was In The ...  PRO

Contributed by Clark Tanner on Nov 6, 2000

In the mid 1800’s Francis Thompson was in the throes of battle with truth. Ravished by alcohol and drug abuse, He had begun to sense the relentless pursuit of the Holy Spirit, and the harder he ran, the more he felt the hot breath (so to speak) of what he called “The Hound of Heaven” on his ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost, Promises Of God

Denomination: Orthodox

I Remember Reading About A Guy Who Stopped In The ...  PRO

Contributed by Brent Zastrow on Mar 1, 2001

I remember reading about a guy who stopped in the grocery store on the way home from work to pick up a couple of items for his wife. He wandered around aimlessly for a while searching out the needed groceries. As is often the case in the grocery store, he kept passing this same shopper in almost ...read more

Tags: Peace, Promises Of God, Faith

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Just Follow Directions  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 5, 2011

JUST FOLLOW DIRECTIONS Robert Kupferschmid was an 81-year old man who had no flying experience. However, due to a tragic emergency, he was forced to fly an airplane. On June 17, 1998, he and his 52-year-old pilot friend, Wesley Sickle, were flying from Indianapolis to Muncie, Indiana. During the ...read more

Scripture: James 2:14-26

Tags: Faith Vs. Works