In Sermon Illustrations: "Count Your Blessings"

Where Is Your Compass?

Contributed by Scott Jensen on May 1, 2008

WHERE IS YOUR COMPASS? Before the days of modern navigational aids, a traveler made the Atlantic crossing in a boat equipped with two compasses. One was fixed to the deck where the man at the wheel could see it. The other compass was fastened up on one of the masts, and often a sailor would be ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Denomination: Lutheran

Circumcise Your Sin

Contributed by Stephen Smarowsky on Jul 22, 2008

CIRCUMCISE YOUR SIN Thousands of years ago, before Christ was even born, devout Jewish parents would practice rituals or customs when having a child. The first of the customs was that the child be circumcised; the cutting of the skin. This symbolized that you were a part of the family of ...read more

Tags: Dead To Sin

Denomination: Baptist

Soldiers In Your Cup

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2008

Soldiers in Your Cup A sweet little boy surprised his grandmother one morning and brought her a cup of coffee. He made it himself and was so proud. He anxiously waited to hear the verdict on the quality of the coffee. The grandmother had never in her life had such a bad cup of coffee, and as she ...read more

Tags: Family

What Is Your Legacy?

Contributed by Russell Brownworth on Sep 16, 2008

What is Your Legacy? This week I had the extreme privilege of praying at a ceremony honoring the memory of Sandra Waugh Bradshaw, one of the heroic flight crew of 9/11's Flight 93. Sandy went to Grays Chapel and had ties to this community. I want to suggest to you that in the moment that brave ...read more

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: United Methodist

Your Chains Are Gone

Contributed by Donny Granberry on Sep 23, 2008

Your Chains Are Gone You will never be a visionary if you cannot see your future. I had a Lab when we were pastored before, and I kept her on a chain. In a few days she had worn the ground to dirt all the way to the end of her chain. She would take off and stop at the dirt just before the ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 3:1-15

Tags: God Brings Hope

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Pass Your Wisdom

Contributed by Charles Whitmire on Sep 28, 2008

Pass Your Wisdom You and I are supposed to be passing wisdom to each other... Here's the good news - every one of you can do that! Every one of you has the potential to pass on wisdom: To help someone grow, to help inspire someone, to champion someone ...to add value to their life. Every one of ...read more

Tags: Encouragement

Denomination: Baptist

The Thread In Your Eye

Contributed by Ovidiu Radulescu on Oct 14, 2008

The Thread in Your Eye I awoke one morning with a terrible pain in my eye. I had no idea why it hurt, but I could not do what needed to be done that day with that kind of pain in my eye. I went to the Optometrist who spent a great deal of time examining my eye. Then he reached in with a swab and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:3

Tags: Judgment

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Plan Your Life

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Oct 24, 2008

PLAN YOUR LIFE A famous British writer George Bernard Shaw once visited a sculptor Sir Jacob Epstein at his studio. The visitor noticed a huge block of stone standing in one corner and asked what it was for. "I don’t know yet. I’m still making plans." Shaw was astounded. "You mean you plan your ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6

Tags: Plan, Preparation, Life Purpose

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Support Your Leadership

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Nov 11, 2008

SUPPORT YOUR LEADERSHIP Doing what is right means that we give our leaders support. This does not mean we have to agree with them all the time. In our governmental structure, it also does not mean that we should not criticize their decisions if they are bad ones. We are allowed that freedom. ...read more

Tags: Election

Denomination: Church Of God

Unlock Your Antlers

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2008

UNLOCK YOUR ANTLERS In an old monastery in Germany, I'm told you can see two racks of ancient deer antlers permanently interlocked. Apparently the animals had been fighting fiercely, and their horns became so tangled that they could not be disengaged. As a result, both of them died of hunger. ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Prep Your Heart

Contributed by Chris Surber on Jan 29, 2009

PREP YOUR HEART My wife and I have had a painter in the house this week creating a very colorful and fun bedroom for our two youngest sons. The painter is a man who cares deeply about his craft. In conversation with him this week, I have learned a great deal more about the nature of painting than ...read more

Tags: Preparation

Denomination: Christian Church

Having Your "Rights"

Contributed by Todd Leupold on Mar 2, 2009

HAVING YOUR "RIGHTS" Dr. Ironside tells a story from his childhood we should all remember: "Many years ago as a little fellow I attended a meeting in Toronto where some difficulty had come up between brethren and they did as the apostle suggests. My dear mother took me along . . . and I well ...read more

Tags: Dealing With Conflicts

Denomination: Baptist

What Is Your Struggle

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Aug 25, 2021

As a group of frogs was traveling through the woods, two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs crowded around the pit and saw how deep it was, they told the two frogs that there was no hope left for them. However, the two frogs decided to ignore what the others were saying and they ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-20

Tags: Faith, Believe In Yourself

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Love Your Neighbour

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Oct 12, 2021

Canadian Folk singer (and believer) Bruce Cockburn wrote this song for his church in San Franciso. The story is told in Christianity Today, October 12, 2021. ORDERS; (Bruce Cockburn) The just the merciful the cruel The stumbling well-intentioned fool The deft the oaf the witless pawn The golden ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Tags: Parables, Neighbor, Love

Denomination: Pentecostal

Choosing Your Attitude

Contributed by David Swanger on Jan 24, 2024

In his book Take the Stairs, Roy Vaden tells of visiting Jamaica and complaining to the cab driver about the rain. The cab driver smiled and responded, “In Jamaica, man, we don’t have rain; we only have liquid sunshine.” As they drove through town, Vaden commented on how annoying all the speed ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 118:24

Tags: Attitude, Choice

Pleasing Your Dad

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on May 27, 2024

PLEASING YOUR FATHER This one guy seemed to be very concerned about pleasing his dad. The story goes like this… One day a young boy was driving a load of hay to the market. He came around a corner too fast and his trailer load of hay tipped over. The young man stopped the tractor, jumped out and ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-4, Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 27:16, Proverbs 20:20, Romans 13:7, John 14:1-11  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Dads, Farmers, Honor, Father's Day

Denomination: Baptist

Go In This Might Of Yours

Contributed by Samuel M on Jul 17, 2024

When Israelites were oppressed by the Midianites, God came to Gideon and said “Go in this might of yours and deliver Israelites”. God did not bestow on Gideon any additional or greater strength and wisdom, but said that the existing might of his was sufficient to deliver the Israelites. So many ...read more

Scripture: Judges 6:14

Tags: Faith, Hope

Taking Your Cut

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 22, 2025

A lady lost her handbag in the bustle of Christmas shopping. It was found by an honest little boy and returned to her. Looking in her purse, she commented, "That's funny. When I lost my bag there was only a $100 bill in it. Now there are five $20 bills." The boy quickly replied, ...read more

Tags: Self Interest, Shrewd

Denomination: Independent/Bible

We Get A New Family  PRO

Contributed by Brian La Croix on Feb 20, 2008

#3 – We Get a New Family Ephesians 2:19-22 November 4, 2007 NOTE: THE ME/WE/GOD/YOU/WE FORMAT USED IN MY MESSAGES IS BORROWED FROM ANDY STANLEY’S BOOK, "COMMUNICATING FOR A CHANGE." Introduction We’ve been looking at different benefits or blessings of following Christ – living for Him, and not ...read more

Tags: Faith, Thanksgiving, Blessing, Revival

Denomination: Wesleyan

Be Found Doing Your Duty

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 1, 2011

BE FOUND DOING YOUR DUTY The time was the 19th of May, 1780. The place was Hartford, Connecticut. The day has gone down in New England history as a terrible foretaste of Judgment Day. For at noon the skies turned from blue to gray and by mid-afternoon had blackened over so densely that, in that ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 2:8-11

Tags: Judgment