In Sermon Illustrations: "Difference"

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

Diversity In The Church  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2009

DIVERSITY IN THE CHURCH Philip Yancey put it this way in an article in Christianity Today just this last November. He writes, "As I read accounts of the New Testament church, no characteristic stands out more sharply than [diversity]. Beginning with Pentecost, the Christian church dismantled the ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 3:28

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

View Everyone As God's Creation  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 9, 2009

VIEW EVERYONE AS GOD’S CREATION Presbyterian biblical scholar/ minister/author Carl Howie tells about an incident that took place in a New York subway. It was winter, and an especially cold and bitter night. Very few people were on the subway at that hour. At each station, the train would screech ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:10

Tags: Judgment

The Problem Of Living For Time

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 9, 2009

THE PROBLEM OF LIVING FOR TIME By the time it’s all over, Tom Brady’s will be the fourth face on the Mount Rushmore of New England sports, right up there with Larry Byrd, Bobby Orr and Ted Williams. He is what they were: single-minded, blessed with the ability to lift a team, a cutthroat ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 5:8-20, Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

Tags: Fulfillment

He Died For Me  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 27, 2009

HE DIED FOR ME During the U.S. Civil War, conscription was not absolute. The drafted man could always hire a substitute if he could afford it. Starting in 1862, the U.S. government allowed this escape from military service on the theory that, so long as each name drawn from the wheel produced a ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:21-30

Tags: Cross

Don Sutton's Motivation  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jun 1, 2009

DON SUTTON'S MOTIVATION Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Don Sutton hadn’t won a game in 8 weeks. The press was suggesting that he be dropped from the starting lineup. The future looked bleak, and Sutton felt terrible. Then, before a game, Dodgers manager Walter Alston tapped him on the shoulder. "I’d ...read more

Tags: Encouragement

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Right And Wrong And Ruby ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 14, 2009

RIGHT AND WRONG AND RUBY BRIDGES A federal judge had ordered New Orleans to open its public schools to African-American children. White parents in the community decided to keep their children at home if this verdict was enforced. They made it known that any African-American children who came to ...read more

Scripture: James 1:22-24

Tags: Christian Values

But Proffering Our Physical Lives As Living ...

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Aug 11, 2009

But proffering our physical lives as living sacrifices, we get the benefit of living life to its fullest because we are in agreement with God as to priorities and purpose. We aren’t really giving up our lives. We are learning to stand beside ourselves and see ourselves as God sees us. We see our ...read more

Tags: Faith, Sacrifices

Denomination: *other

Several Years Ago, The Leadership Of A Fairly ...

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Sep 10, 2009

Several years ago, the leadership of a fairly large English church became tired of the ‘worship wars.’ They were tired of different people getting mad and getting upset when the worship leader didn’t embrace their particular way or mode of worship. Some wanted hymns. Some wanted both. Some wanted ...read more

Tags: Worship Purpose

Denomination: Church Of God

What Do You Listen For?

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 17, 2009

WHAT DO YOU LISTEN FOR? A Native American was walking in downtown New York City alongside a friend who was a resident of the city. Right in the centre of Manhattan, the Native American seized his friend's arm and whispered, "Wait! I can hear a cricket." His friend replied "Come on! A cricket? ...read more

Tags: Call Of The Disciples

Denomination: Anglican

Mr. And Mrs. ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 24, 2009

"Mr. and Mrs. Thing" John MacArthur, in his book titled Overcoming Materialism, offers this analysis: Mr. and Mrs. Thing are a very pleasant and successful couple. At least, that’s the verdict of most people, who tend to measure success with a “thingometer.” And when the “thingometer” is put to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:19-21

Tags: Materialism

Cinderella Man Tells The True Story Of Boxing ...

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Jan 4, 2010

Cinderella Man tells the true story of boxing legend James J. Braddock (Russell Crowe), who made an incredible comeback during the Great Depression. Injured and arthritic, Braddock’s promising career was cut short, and he had to go on public assistance when he couldn’t get work at the docks in New ...read more

Tags: Strength

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

History Of The Ship Mv ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 27, 2010

History of the ship MV Doulos When built for the White Star Line in 1912 the Titanic was the marvel of her age. At nearly 883 feet in length, Titanic was longer than the tallest structures on Earth at the time. Over 1800 people left England on the “unsinkable ship”, but only 675 arrived. After ...read more

Scripture: John 6:1-13

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Radical Faith  PRO

Contributed by Ken Pell on Jan 24, 2011

RADICAL FAITH I want to read to you the opening story from David Platt's book "The Radical Question" (Multnomah Press). Imagine a scene that took place in Asia not so long ago: A room in an ordinary house, dimly lit, all the blinds on the windows closed. Twenty leaders from churches in the ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 12:10-17

Tags: Persecution, Better Together

Denomination: Nazarene

God Made Himself Understandable  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 15, 2011

GOD MADE HIMSELF UNDERSTANDABLE I read of a story from the famous Danish philosopher from the mid 1800s, a Christian theologian named Soren Kierkegaard. It is a familiar story, a story rewritten by many over the ages in many different forms, yet it is still relevant today. Here’s what he wrote: A ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-14, Habakkuk 1:1-5

Tags: Christmas, Understandable

The Story Of Catherine Lawes

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 26, 2011

THE STORY OF CATHERINE LAWES "Don’t set foot in the prison," people told her, but Catherine Lawes, whose husband was the warden at Sing Sing in 1921, went anyway. The first time there was a prison basketball game, she went, 3 daughters in tow and sat in the bleachers with the inmates. When she ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:12

Tags: Jesus Teachings

White As Snow  PRO

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on May 15, 2011

WHITE AS SNOW Ash Wednesday — it’s kind of a solemn day. It’s the start of Lent —a word which means “spring” in German. But more than this, it’s the time each year when we intently focus on the path Christ Jesus laid out for us to follow — to be true to his word, true to his calling, and ...read more

Scripture: Joel 1:14, Joel 1:14-27

Tags: Deception, Confession Of Sin

Denomination: Lutheran

Separation Of Church And State...?

Contributed by Jeff Strite on May 30, 2011

SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE...? God has promised: "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD." But... wait a minute. I thought those same founders wanted to separate the Church from the State! How many of you have ever heard that phrase? Of course you have. And I'll give a hundred dollar ...read more

Tags: America

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Hope Of Maria

Contributed by Ken Pell on Jun 5, 2011

HOPE OF MARIA Hope weans God’s people from seeking and trusting this world. The story is told of Maria. She lived in a small town in southern Kentucky. She did not see or hear from her husband for years. Edward was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division during the Korean war and captured when the ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:2-3

Tags: Pleasing God, God Brings Hope

Denomination: Nazarene

The Big Announcement

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 1, 2011

THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT We hear good news in lots of different ways, and I am glad that we got to hear the Easter story told by some of our children this morning. There is something about hearing a child tell this great story that gives it new power. I can no longer hear the Resurrection story ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:1-10

Tags: Easter Resurrection