In Sermon Illustrations: "Dependence"

Ashes To Diamonds

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 14, 2009

ASHES TO DIAMONDS A company in Switzerland transforms the ashes of the dearly departed into a diamond of up to 1 carat in 6-8 weeks. A pound of ashes is enough to make a diamond; a human body leaves behind an average 5.5 to 6.6 pounds of ashes. The carbon, which makes up about 15% of the ashes, is ...read more

Tags: Death

The Phrase That Helps Remind Me Of Not Giving In ...

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Aug 10, 2009

The phrase that helps remind me of not giving in to weariness (and we all get tired) is: Keeping on Keeping On. Again this is not praying the same prayer in order to wear God down, it is being consistent, constant, and unwavering even when we don’t feel like it. I’m sure the widow wanted to give up ...read more

Tags: Prayer, Prayer Persistence

Denomination: Church Of God

Joy Goes Deeper

Contributed by Ken Pell on Aug 2, 2010

JOY GOES DEEPER "Joy is like the hidden note in the glass. Joy is tuning in to what God is doing around you, seeing the world through his eyes, picking up on his delight in us as his children. Anyone can find happiness for a while...Happiness depends on what is happening to you. Joy is different; ...read more

Tags: Joy

Denomination: Nazarene

What Are You Worth?  PRO

Contributed by Juan P Barrientez Jr. on Nov 18, 2012

WHAT ARE YOU WORTH? The price of a dead body to be used by medical students and CNBC had the following information: Spine - $900 Hand and Forearm - $385 Shoulder -$500 Heart - $500 Corneas - $6,000/pair Kidneys - $300-500 Intact Head - $6,000 Brain - $600 Knees - $650 each Tendons - ...read more

Tags: Human Body

Denomination: Baptist

Honesty

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Feb 7, 2022

Blaise Pascal observed that human life is nothing but perpetual delusion; human relationships are based on mutual deception. Martin Buber wrote of the uncanny game of hide and seek we play - in which the soul seeks to hide from itself. Thomas Merton - our minds are deformed with a contempt for ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 20:16, Ephesians 4:15, Matthew 5:33-37

Tags: Deception, Truth, Integrity, Misinformation

Denomination: Pentecostal

Look Up

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Mar 2, 2009

LOOK UP I love those scenes in action films, comics, or cartoons where you have one set of bad guys pursuing the hero from one end of a tunnel or corridor and another set of bad guys is converging from the other side. You know the hero is in between them, but when the groups of pursuers meet in ...read more

Tags: Fear And Worry

Denomination: *other

Hush Puppies

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Aug 27, 2014

Are you familiar with the brush-suede shoe called Hush Puppies? It was popular when I was a kid. The brand was all but dead until late 1994. Sales were down to 30,000 pairs a year, mostly sold in backwoods outlets and small-town family stores. Wolverine, the company that makes Hush Puppies, was ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 6:10

Tags: Prayer Power, Importance Of Prayer

Denomination: Baptist

The Fundamental Idea Of Spirit In Hebrew And ...  PRO

Contributed by Mike Wilkins on Apr 6, 2005

“The Fundamental idea of Spirit in Hebrew and Greek is breath, air, wind, storm – the intensity depending on the context. It may be a gentle breath (John 20:22), a gale-force wind (Ex 15:8), a cooling breeze (Gen 3:8). Most essentially Spirit is transcendent and divine, not mere flesh; it is the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 17:17-18, Psalm 69:1-3, 1 Samuel 17:1

Tags: Holy Spirit Baptism, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit In Believers, Spirit

Denomination: *other

While Visiting The U.s. After World War Ii, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 17, 2006

While visiting the U.S. after World War II, Winston Churchill was aboard a train bound for Missouri with President Harry Truman. They were in a special car which had the presidential seal hung up on a wall. Truman noticed Churchill studying the seal and he pointed out that he had changed it so that ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

Forgiving My Enemy  PRO

Contributed by Kenneth Squires on Apr 18, 2003

FORGIVING MY ENEMY Ronald Reagan’s attitude after the 1982 attempt on his life made an impression on his daughter, Patti Davis: “The following day my father said he knew his physical healing was directly dependent on his ability to forgive John Hinckley. By showing me that forgiveness is the key ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness, Forgive, Forgiveness General, Christlikeness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

Some Timber Producers Have To Wait Up To 180 ...  PRO

Contributed by W F on Sep 29, 2004

Some timber producers have to wait up to 180 years to produce a harvest! That means the planter will never know the great grandchild who reaps the harvest, and the harvester will never know the forefather who planted the seed. The future depends on the foresight and patience of each ...read more

Tags: Second Coming

Denomination: *other

Someone Once Said "Joy Is Like The Hidden Note ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Simms on Jan 2, 2005

Someone once said “Joy is like the hidden note in the glass. Joy is tuning in to what God is doing around you, seeing the world through his eyes, picking up on his delight in us as his children. Anyone can find happiness for a while. . . Happiness depends on what is happening to you. Joy is ...read more

Tags: Emotions

Denomination: Baptist

The Father Wants Us To Be Filled Only With ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Wallace on Sep 8, 2001

“The Father wants us to be filled only with His Christ. Will you let Him deal so thoroughly in His love, until you are consumed with Him, having to continually depend upon Him, instead of anything of yourself? For God to take you deeper into Himself, He must expose all in you that is not of ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:19

Tags: Discipleship, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Sunflower Is Probably The Most Amazing ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

The Sunflower is probably the most amazing flowers God created. They literally follow the sun. No I don’t know about you, but one the most amazing things I have seen is a field of sunflowers. Watching one follow the sun through is cute. Watching hundreds in absolute unison follow the sun is ...read more

Scripture: John 20:19-31, Acts 4:32, John 17:11, Psalm 133:1

Tags: Relationships, Faith General

Grow Out Of Your Shell

Contributed by Donny Granberry on Jun 21, 2008

GROW OUT OF YOUR SHELL From time to time lobsters have to leave their shell in order to grow. They need their shell to protect them, yet if they do not abandon it the old shell would become their prison – and finally their casket. We are not much different from lobsters. To change and grow we ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Bill Graham ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2008

Bill Graham said: “We are rich in the things that perish, but poor in the things of the spirit. We are rich in gadgets, but poor in faith. We are rich in goods, but poor in grace. We are rich in know-how, but poor in character. We are rich in words, but poor in deeds.” Jesus said that our ...read more

Tags: Money

Billy Graham ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

Billy Graham said: “We are rich in the things that perish, but poor in the things of the spirit. We are rich in gadgets, but poor in faith. We are rich in goods, but poor in grace. We are rich in know-how, but poor in character. We are rich in words, but poor in deeds.” Jesus said that our ...read more

Tags: Money

When We Try To Figure Everything Out Instead Of ...

Contributed by Charles Wallis on Feb 8, 2009

When we try to figure everything out instead of trusting God, we get cynical and miss out on miracles. "The Logical Song" by Supertramp: "When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful, a miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical. And all the birds in the trees, well they’d be singing so ...read more

Tags: Doubt

Denomination: Pentecostal

Power Comes From God

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Feb 10, 2009

POWER COMES FROM GOD There is an interesting account about Thomas Aquinas visiting Pope Innocent II in the 12th century. The great theologian and philosopher came upon the pope auditing some of the Vatican's treasure. The pope stated, "No more must the church say with Peter that of silver and gold ...read more

Tags: Power

Denomination: *other

The Fifth Century North African Church Father ...

Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on May 28, 2009

THE FIFTH CENTURY NORTH AFRICAN CHURCH FATHER AUGUSTINE SAID THAT “WHOEVER DENIES THE TRINITY IS IN DANGER OF LOSING HIS SALVATION : YET ON THE OTHER THE SIDE OF THE COIN HE SAID, “WHOEVER TRIES TO UNDERSTAND THE TRINITY IS IN DANGER OF LOSING HIS MIND.” P145 THE MOSIAC OF CHRISTIAN BELIEF ...read more

Tags: Trinity

Denomination: Baptist