In Sermon Illustrations: "Devoted To Prayer"

I Came Across Some Definitions Of Things We Use ...  PRO

Contributed by Pat Cook on Aug 4, 2003

I came across some definitions of things we use in the church. MAGI: The most famous trio to attend a baby shower. MANGER: 1. Where Mary gave birth to Jesus because Joseph didn’t have private health cover. 2. The Biblical proof that holiday travel has always been rough. BULLETIN: Church ...read more

Tags: Worship Definition

Denomination: Baptist

That Thursday Evening, Just As Isabel Was ...

Contributed by Tom Doubt on Oct 29, 2003

That Thursday evening, just as Isabel was reaching the peak of her fury, we were watching TV news of the storm. A reporter, standing on the beach at Nags Head, rain hat blowing all over the place, was telling us how the high waves were producing a storm surge. Reporters are obliged to speak from ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

Denomination: Baptist

In Country, Town Or City

Contributed by Stephen Wright on Mar 11, 2007

In country, town or city Some people can be found Who spend their lives in grumbling At ev’rything around; O yes, they always grumble, No matter what we say, For these are chronic grumblers And they grumble night and day. They grumble when it’s raining, They grumble when it’s dry, And if the ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Dietrich Bonhoeffer Said, "He Who Is Alone With ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “He who is alone with his sins is utterly alone. It may be that Christians, not withstanding corporate worship, common prayer, and all their fellowship in service, may still be left to their loneliness. The final breakthrough to fellowship does not occur because, though ...read more

Tags: Faith

You Can't Judge The Spirituality Of A Christian ...

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Oct 19, 2007

"You can’t judge the spirituality of a Christian on the basis of his prayers, since praying is often done for its effect on the listeners. Nor can you measure a person’s spiritual status by the loudness of his "AMENs" and "hallelujahs." The generosity of one’s giving is not an infallible test for ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Several Years Ago, I Was Working On Replacing An ...

Contributed by Todd Pugh on Jan 14, 2008

Several years ago, I was working on replacing an old, falling-over retaining wall on the side of my house. Some of the stones I replaced were too big for me to move and some were cemented together into “blobs” of rock and concrete. So I set out to bust them up with a sledge hammer. I struck ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

Sitting Down For Jesus

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 3, 2008

Sitting Down for Jesus In his book entitled, "The Trouble With Jesus," Joe Stowell tells the story of the mayor's prayer breakfast in Chicago. If it were not for the performance of Wheaton College choir, the name of Jesus would not have even been mentioned. The keynote speaker was saying that ...read more

Tags: Confidence

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Accountability Questions For Men  PRO

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on May 22, 2009

ACCOUNTABILITY QUESTIONS FOR MEN Accountability requires being vulnerable enough to allow someone to explore your habits, priorities and neglect. Chuck Swindoll for example, has seven questions that he and a group of fellow pastors challenge each other with regularly: 1. Have you been with a ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Salvation Army

I Also Remembered A Man Who Wrongly Jailed For ...

Contributed by Pastor Gbenga Shadare on Jun 11, 2010

I also remembered a man who wrongly jailed for raping a woman; an incident that never occurred. The woman had lied about the incident. She had concocted it and unfortunately she was believed by the jury and the judge. No DNA evidence was collected and inspite of the man protesting his innocence, he ...read more

Tags: Examples Of Faith

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Don't Be Impatient

Contributed by Tim White on Apr 15, 2013

DON'T BE IMPATIENT When I was a teen-ager, my mom finally gave in to my dad. After mom and dad bought our Christmas, dad talked mom into allowing us to open the gifts days, sometimes weeks early. He couldn’t wait until we opened our gifts. The problem is that it took a lot of the joy out of ...read more

Tags: Time

Denomination: Baptist

Misapplied Scriptures, John 9:31: Does God Hear Sinners, Or Not?

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Oct 13, 2023

Introduction: This is another verse of Scripture which has been used and misused by many people for a long time. Some folks teach that it’s basically useless for any sinner to pray because “well, right there, it says, ‘God heareth not sinners!’” But is that what the verse really teaches? Here’s ...read more

Scripture: John 9:31, Psalm 66:18

Tags: Blind Men, Misapplied Scripture, Unusual Healings, Jesus

Denomination: Baptist

Encourage: Plant A Tree

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Mar 6, 2024

There was a man that looked around the barren community where he lived. The man wanted to do something to help the lifeless areas around his community. The man decided there was nothing he could do to help his neighbors. He prayed and asked God to help him help his family and his friends to bring ...read more

Scripture: Jude 1:22, Ezekiel 11:19

Tags: Help, Encourage, Make A Difference

Denomination: Assembly Of God

When I Was A Freshman At Lincoln Christian ...

Contributed by Matthew Rogers on Feb 25, 2002

When I was a freshman at Lincoln Christian College, I had an experience that made me seriously question my calling into the ministry. My professor for a class on the Life of Christ had approached me about leading the group in a Scripture reading and prayer to begin our class time. I agreed. But ...read more

Tags: Christian Love, Gifts Encouragement

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Anyone With Children Can Relate To Peter's Words. ...

Contributed by Kory Wilcoxson on Feb 19, 2005

Anyone with children can relate to Peter’s words. Leigh and I certainly can as we work on teaching Sydney the language of faith. She’s learning pretty well. She can recite her way through the Lord’s prayer, and knows “Jesus Loves Me.” I remember when she first tried to sing, “Amazing Grace,” she ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Believe It Or Not, The Following Announcements ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 8, 2005

Believe it or not, the following announcements actually appeared in various church bulletins. 1. Don’t let worry kill you -- let the church help. 2. Thursday night - Potluck supper. Prayer and medication to follow. 3. Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community. 4. ...read more

Tags: Church General

Too Big For God

Contributed by Scott Epperson on Jan 1, 2007

TO BIG FOR GOD Remember when you first came to God compelled by the Holy Ghost you were found in sin and conceived by grace and mercy. Remember your first breath of the life everything look so much brighter and you had hope and faith in nothing else but in Christ. I remember the feeling of the ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Humans Do Not Start From That Direct ...

Contributed by John Shearhart on Feb 16, 2007

“The humans do not start from that direct perception of Him which we, unhappily, cannot avoid. They have never known that ghastly luminosity, that stabbing and searing glare which makes the background of permanent pain to our lives. If you look into your patient’s mind when he is praying, you will ...read more

John Newton: Infidel Restored  PRO

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Jan 18, 2009

John Newton: Infidel Restored John Newton continued his ministry into his old age, turning a deaf ear to friends who urged him to accept retirement, as by the time he reached 80 he was almost blind and partially deaf. "I cannot stop" he replied. "What! Shall the old African blasphemer stop while ...read more

Tags: Christian Witness

Denomination: Baptist

South Park: God's Authority

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Feb 15, 2009

SOUTH PARK: GOD'S AUTHORITY The hostile atheists do not want to admit that God is Creator because such an admission would give God authority over their lives. They would rather serve chance so that all experience is relative and so that there are no absolutes-—except perhaps, their certainty that ...read more

Tags: Atheism

Denomination: *other

Delivering Papers In The Rain

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Mar 23, 2009

DELIVERING PAPERS IN THE RAIN When I was ten, my mother and I somehow had gotten involved in a bible memory course. It was all through the mail, and we didn’t go to a church anywhere, even occasionally, but we would memorize ten verses a week. During the time, the materials gave some Scriptures ...read more

Tags: Doubt

Denomination: Church Of God