In Sermon Illustrations: "Emerging Church"

Years Ago, I Spent A Summer Working At Church ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Years ago, I spent a summer working at Church Camp in Prescott, Arizona. I took a wrong turn --- walking back to the camp from a trip into town ---and I got hopelessly lost. After I walked around a water tower in the dark, I completely lost my sense of direction. It was getting late. I was feeling ...read more

Tags: Promises Of God

Imagine You Are On Your Way To Church One Sunday ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Imagine you are on your way to church one Sunday morning. You have had a more difficult week than normal. You are physically, emotionally and spiritually drained. You realize that you are running on fumes and are looking forward to getting your tank filled up so you can face the world again Monday ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 3:6-11

Tags: Communion, Easter Palm Sunday

How Would Your Church Respond If Your Young ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

How would your church respond if your young people were approached by an organized cult? One night at a church skating party, a group of teenagers were "befriended" by several men who asked about their spiritual lives. The teenagers were given an invitation to join them for a series of special ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:29-30

Tags: Paul

At The 1st Church I Served, I Was Visiting With ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

At the 1st church I served, I was visiting with a husband and his wife. Lela, the wife, was the most gentle women you could ever encounter. Her husband Marvin wasn’t a bad guy either… but he rarely showed up for church. Couldn’t be bothered. Well, here I was – just trying to get acquainted – when ...read more

Tags: Faith General

What The Church Can Learn From The Carolina P...

Contributed by Amiri Hooker on Feb 6, 2016

What the Church can learn from the Carolina Panthers: by Burt Williams 1. Leadership matters: The leadership on Offence and Defense this year is stellar and it begins with the primary leaders Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly, they lead the team on the field and have the responsibility to adjust the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 99:1-9

Tags: Disciples, Football, Church Leadership

Denomination: United Methodist

The Word Was Being Made Real In The Back Of His Church

Contributed by Tim Smith on Aug 13, 2017

Pastor Thomas Tewell tells the story of getting ready for their 11 p.m. Christmas Eve service. As the people were gathering, a man named Jim came in. Jim was a recovering alcoholic, sober just 6 months, but his disease had cost him his family, his job, just about everything. He went in to the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10

Tags: Christmas, Grace, Ministry, The Word Made Flesh

Denomination: Methodist

Forgiveness - Emanuel Ame Church And Renee Napier Stories

Contributed by Kerry Haynes on Aug 19, 2018

Christians of all people should lead the way in forgiveness. And some do. On June 17, 2015, Dylann Roof entered a Bible study group at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Even though he was white, he received a warm welcome from the all-black congregation. When the group closed ...read more

Tags: Second Chance, Releasing To God, Forgiveness, Moving Forward, Anger  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

How Can You Tell When A Church Is Dying?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 31, 2022

FUNNY STORY!!! Calvin Coolidge, our thirtieth president, was an extremely quiet and reserved man with very little personality. When questioned, he rarely answered in more than two or three words—a tendency which earned him the nickname, “Silent Cal.” The public saw him as a stiff and emotionless ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7:14

Tags: Renewal, Church Growth, Acts, Death Of A Vision, Church, Revival  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When A Bar Had More Faith Than The Church!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 8, 2022

DO YOU BELIEVE IN PRAYER? A tale is told about a small town that had historically been “dry,” but then a local businessman decided to build a bar. A group of believers from a local church were concerned and planned an all-night prayer meeting to ask God to intervene. It just so happened that ...read more

Tags: Church, Prayer, Humor, Jokes

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Church: A Place Where Nations And Cultures Are Brought Together.

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Feb 28, 2023

Edgington Young, the first missionary to the native community of Saskatchewan had gone there with the message of the love of God the Father, and they received it like a new revelation. When he told his message an old chief said, “When you spoke of the great Spirit just now, did I hear you say, ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:14, 2 Corinthians 5:18, John 10:14-16, Matthew 16:13-21

Tags: Adoption, Good Shepherd, All People, Mission, Racial Barriers, Evangelism, Church  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Thief On The Cross Didn't Go To Church!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 3, 2024

A pastor saw one of his sheep in the grocery store and got around to asking where they had been lately. Was it something I said? Is it another church?" The man laughed and said, "Oh, no, we love you and the people of our church." The pastor was left to his own curiosity. He then ...read more

Scripture: James 2:14-26

Tags: Church, Salvation, Work, Excuses, Tithing, Thief On The Cross, Faith, Grace, Service, Baptism  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Why They Serve Coffee  PRO

Contributed by Jim Kane on Mar 10, 2002

WHY THEY SERVE COFFEE Some of the most humorous and enlightening moments in our lives center around eating and drinking. Take for instance the interaction between a pastor and young boy in a certain congregation. It seems this particular congregation loved good fellowship and always served ...read more

Scripture: Mark 14:37

Tags: Church, Church Practices, Preaching

Denomination: Church Of God

I Read A Book Some Time Ago Entitled Wisdom ...  PRO

Contributed by Martin Wiles on May 8, 2002

I read a book some time ago entitled Wisdom Hunter. Randal Arthur, a missionary, wrote it. It told of a pastor who was involved in a denomination that controlled its people with traditions and their interpretations of God’s Word. He became disgusted with that and even turned away from God. Finally, ...read more

Tags: Church Practices, Church Purpose Of

Denomination: Baptist

A Poem - "You See God" (From Twentieth Century ...  PRO

Contributed by Sheila Crowe on Sep 25, 2002

A poem - “You see God” (From twentieth Century Christian) You see God it is like this: We could attend church more faithfully if your day came at some other time. You have chosen a day that comes at the end of a hard week, and we’re all tired out. No only that, but it’s the day following ...read more

Tags: Church Purpose Of, Church General

Denomination: United Methodist

The Bible Tells Us That Where Your Treasure Is, ...  PRO

Contributed by D. Greg Ebie on Jan 24, 2003

· The Bible tells us that where your treasure is, there your heart is also. That means we could accurately say that many folks are more committed to professional sports than they are to the church. In 1993 the total attendance at worship services in the U.S. was 5.6 billion, while the total ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 29:18

Tags: Church General, Church Purpose Of

Denomination: Assembly Of God

A Mother Wakes Up Her Son One Morning And Says, ...  PRO

Contributed by Donald Smith on Apr 23, 2003

A mother wakes up her son one morning and says, “Honey, it’s time to get ready for church.” The son replies, “But mom, I don’t want to go to church today!” The mother persisted, “But you have to go to church!” The son again responded, “I don’t want to go to church mom!” The mother said…, “You ...read more

Tags: Church Practices, Church General

Denomination: Methodist

There Is A Story About A Story About Vladimir ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeremy Houck on Apr 27, 2003

There is a story about a story about Vladimir Nabokov, the Russian writer who wrote Lolita, and Pale Fire. One summer Nabokov and his family were staying with some friends in Alta, Utah. While there Nabokov took the opportunity to enlarge his collection of butterflies and moths. One evening at ...read more

Tags: Church General, Church Purpose Of

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Here Are The Top 10 Things You'll Probably Never ...  PRO

Contributed by Keith Davis on May 5, 2003

HERE ARE THE TOP 10 THINGS YOU’LL PROBABLY NEVER HEAR IN CHURCH 10.Hey! It’s MY turn to sit in the front pew! 9. Sign me up for nursery duty for a whole quarter! 8. Preacher, I was so enthralled, I never noticed your sermon went overtime 25 minutes. 7. Personally, I find visitation night much ...read more

Tags: Church Purpose Of, Church General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

William P Barker Wrote, "If The Last Mighty Act ...  PRO

Contributed by Larry Brincefield on May 28, 2003

William P Barker wrote, "If the last mighty act of God had been the resurrection and ascension, today there would be no church. If the pattern outlined in the first chapter of Acts had continued, the apostles and others would never have left Jerusalem to witness. They would have formed a ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:9-11

Tags: Church General, Church Purpose Of

Denomination: Nazarene

Have You Heard The Story Of Jim Smith And Ron ...  PRO

Contributed by Larry Brincefield on May 30, 2003

Have you heard the story of Jim Smith and Ron Jones? Jim went to church one Sunday morning. He heard the organist miss a note, and he made a face. He saw a teen talking when everyone else was praying. He felt sure that the usher was watching to see how much money he put in the offering plate, ...read more

Tags: Church General, Church Purpose Of

Denomination: Nazarene