In Sermon Illustrations: "Easter Sunrise Service"

Spiritual Health Checks  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Spiritual Health Checks (Devoted to Prayer) There are four signs that show that the child of God is a healthy Christian. One is a heart hungry for God's Word, second is his desire to be involved in Christian fellowship, third he observes "Communion," and four he is devoted to prayer. (Acts ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:42

Tags: Church Discipline

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Can You Be ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2008

CAN YOU BE TRUSTED? Before the breakup of the Soviet Union, Christians were routinely persecuted for their faith by the Communist regime. We have many inspiring stories of courageous Christians behind the Iron Curtain who were willing to die for their faith during this difficult period in world ...read more

Tags: Persecution

We Get A Whole Bunch

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 9, 2008

We Get a Whole Bunch Pastor John R Ramsey once wrote, "For some time I have had a person provide me with a rose boutonniere to pin on the lapel of my suit every Sunday. Because I always got a flower on Sunday morning, I really did not think much of it. It was a nice gesture that I appreciated, but ...read more

Tags: God's Love

Andy Stanley Tells The Story Of When He Was 13 ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

Andy Stanley tells the story of when he was 13 and learning the meaning of the phrase, “Actions speak louder than words.” His dad was the Associate pastor of First Baptist in Atlanta when the senior pastor was asked to resign. Charles Stanley was asked to preach on Sundays until a suitable ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

Do Not Keep On ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 10, 2009

DO NOT KEEP ON BABBLING Dr. Clarence Bass, professor at Bethel Theological Seminary, early in his ministry preached at a church in Los Angeles. He thought he had done quite well as he stood at the door greeting people as they left the church. The remarks about his preaching were complimentary. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:5-15

Tags: Prayer How To

We Are Not ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 13, 2009

WE ARE NOT INVINCIBLE "Humanly speaking, this was a time when God’s glory was discounted, and His people were not a testimony to His great Name." Sinclair Ferguson’s "Isaac’s Storm" is a very interesting book about the hurricane that wiped out Galveston in 1900. One of the main plot lines of the ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

He Leadeth ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 14, 2009

HE LEADETH ME When Joseph Gilmore was just out of seminary, he filled in a couple of weeks at FBC in Philadelphia, PA. And he gave this testimony: "At the mid-week service, on the 26th of March, 1862, I set out to give the people an exposition of the 23rd Psalm, which I had given before on three ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:2

Tags: Wisdom

Eyes And Toes

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Aug 11, 2009

EYES AND TOES There is a terrific story I once heard in a taped message from a marvelous Baptist pastor named Ron Dunn. Dunn's parable suggested that once upon a time there was a body where the eyes convinced all of the other parts of the body that the gift of SIGHT was the only important gift. ...read more

Denomination: *other

O In Peter Schaeffer's Play ...

Contributed by David Rumley on Oct 28, 2009

o In Peter Schaeffer’s Play Amadeus o Story of Salieri  Makes a prayer before God…  I would offer up secretly the proudest prayer a boy could think of. “Lord, make me a great composer! Let me celebrate your glory through music – and be celebrated myself! Make me famous through the ...read more

Tags: Salvation, Assurance Of Salvation

Denomination: Pentecostal

Rare Italian Automobile Good Only For ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 24, 2009

Rare Italian Automobile Good Only for Show I heard this week about a very, very special automobile. It was built in the 1920’s by the Italian manufacturer Bugatti, and it was designed to be sold to the outrageously wealthy. This car was equipped with 450 horses under the hood; it was some 22 feet ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:19-21

Tags: Materialism

A Small Congregation In The Foothills Of The ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Wallace on Mar 25, 2010

A small congregation in the foothills of the Great Smokies built a new sanctuary on a piece of land willed to them by a church member. Ten days before the new church was to open, the local building inspector informed the pastor that the parking lot was inadequate for the size of the building. Until ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-10

Tags: Faith, Mountain Moving

Denomination: Wesleyan

Minister The Word  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Nov 28, 2010

MINISTER THE WORD There are valid ministries which are pleasing to the Lord such as, missions, youth ministries, local church services and ministerial alliances. However, there are two ministries that are often set on the back burner. The ministry of truly preaching the whole council of God's ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:4

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Phil Sheldrake's Story

Contributed by Warner Pidgeon on Apr 10, 2011

PHIL SHELDRAKE'S STORY At the age of 14 Phil Sheldrake was invited by a school friend to attend an event called Festival ’89. The event was being held on Sun Corner in Billericay and hosted by the preacher J. John. That night, Phil came to find a personal faith in Jesus. With his best friend, ...read more

Tags: Youth

Denomination: Anglican

Seeing You For Real

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 3, 2011

SEEING YOU FOR REAL Just a few years ago, Leadership Journal did an interview with Saul Cruz, who along with his wife founded Armonia (Harmony) Ministries in Mexico City. They minister to hundreds of poor people all over Mexico today, but they began their ministry by planting a church on the edge ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:17-19

Tags: Servanthood

Attitude Not Aptitude  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2011

ATTITUDE NOT APTITUDE Jesus' message here is that everybody can be great ... because anybody can serve. Dave Stone says that "service is the language of grace." One day a couple of church members were out distributing loaves of bread in a low-income housing complex. They came to an apartment ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:10-11, 1 Corinthians 2:9-11, Mark 12:30-31, 1 Peter 4:10, Mark 12:1-27  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Love, Servanthood

Dream Center

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 26, 2012

DREAM CENTER At age 16, Matthew Barnett dreamed of a church that would be open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year serving the inner-city’s physical and spiritual needs and bringing a message of hope to the hopeless. In 1994 at the age of 20, he moved from Phoenix to Los Angeles to pastor a small ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Denomination: Methodist

Too Often, Churchgoers Can Become ...

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Aug 5, 2012

Too often, churchgoers can become “spiritual hitchhikers”. Have you ever been driving along the road when suddenly you saw a hitchhiker ahead? What’s the universal symbol of the hitchhiker? (his thumb) His thumb signal is giving a message loud and clear, "If you will furnish the car, the ...read more

Tags: Servanthood

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Strength Through Humility

Contributed by Gordon Mcculloch on Jul 7, 2014

And I must say here, this does not come automatically, we have to work at it and develop it, and many times we grit our teeth as we think we fail every now and again, but I will end with this analogy, it is the best I can up with, it is crude … but think of yourself when you give your offering, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 11:16-30

Tags: Humility, Strength

Denomination: Episcopal

Corrie Ten Boom On Forgiveness

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2022

Corrie Ten Boom had her entire family killed in a Nazi concentration camp for hiding Jews in their home. In her book, “The Hiding Place” she writes: It was at a church service in Munich that I saw him, a former S.S. man who had stood guard at the shower room door in the processing center at ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:13

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness

Dying For Treasure

Contributed by Dr. Bradford Reaves on Aug 11, 2023

Have you ever heard about a man named Forrest Fenn? Forrest Fenn was a pilot in the US Air Force, earning the rank of Major and awarded the Silver Star for his sermon in Vietnam, which flew 328 combat missions within a year. After his service to his country, he ran an art gallery where he made his ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:19-24

Tags: Money, Treasure

Denomination: Brethren