In Sermon Illustrations: "Ephesians 1:1-2:1"

John Wesley Provides The Most Convicting Analysis ...  PRO

Contributed by Kenneth Squires on Jul 20, 2004

John Wesley provides the most convicting analysis on what it means to be a true servant: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you can.” Rick ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:11-13

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Pentecostal

If Our Greatest Need Had Been Information, God ...  PRO

Contributed by Martin Kim on Dec 28, 2004

“If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent an economist. But, our ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:7

Tags: Christmas Advent

Denomination: Adventist

Cymbala's Easter Story  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jan 31, 2005

CYMBALA'S EASTER STORY Jim Cymbala preaches at a church in the slums of New York. He tells the following story: It was Easter Sunday and I was so tired at the end of the day that I just went to the edge of the platform, pulled down my tie and sat down and draped my feet over the edge. It was a ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 18:15-18, Luke 23:32-34, 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, John 13:34-35, Matthew 25:34-45, Psalm 40:1-3, Ephesians 2:1-10, Colossians 1:1-11, Matthew 18:22-35, Matthew 22:1-14  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Second Coming, New Year, Dignity, Body Of Christ, Supper, Work  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Not Only Do We Know God By Jesus Christ Alone, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 10, 2006

“Not only do we know God by Jesus Christ alone, but we know ourselves only by Jesus Christ. We know life and death only through Jesus Christ. Apart from Jesus Christ, we do not know what is our ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:17-23

Tags: God's Provision

Yates Pool Is A Famous Oil Field In West Texas. ...

Contributed by Steven Angus on Sep 26, 2006

Yates Pool is a famous oil field in West Texas. During the Great Depression of the 1930’s, this field was a sheep ranch owned by a man named Ira Yates. Because of Yates’ inability to make enough money on his ranching operation to make his mortgage payment, he was in danger of losing his ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:3, 2 Peter 1:3

Denomination: United Methodist

A Seminary Professor Was Vacationing With His ...  PRO

Contributed by Bob Soulliere on Nov 2, 2006

A seminary professor was vacationing with his wife in Gatlinburg, TN. One morning, they were eating breakfast at a little restaurant, hoping to enjoy a quiet, family meal. While they were waiting for their food, they noticed a distinguished looking, white-haired man moving from table to table, ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-22, Romans 12:1-2

Tags: Discernment

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

I Read The Story Of A Twenty-Six Year Old School ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Willis on Dec 18, 2006

I read the story of a twenty-six year old school teacher who had never been married. She said that when she was a little girl her parents had divorced and her mother had gone to live in a far away state while she had stayed with her father who was a physician. She said, “I spent my whole life ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11, Ephesians 1:6

Denomination: Baptist

When You First Met "J.e.", You Could Tell He Was ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Willis on Dec 29, 2006

When you first met “J.E.”, you could tell he was a very angry man. In fact, at age 54 he’d been an angry person for many years. In a Bible study that night, many questions had been raised in his mind. Talking with the leader afterward, J.E. said, “I asked Jesus to be my Savior when I was 9 years ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:1-7, Romans 12:1-3

Tags: Mind

Denomination: Baptist

Hans Christian Andersen's Tale Of "The Ugly ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Willis on Dec 29, 2006

Hans Christian Andersen’s tale of “The Ugly Duckling” illustrates the truth that what you know and believe to be truth determines your behavior. Although hatched in the same nest as the other eggs, this “duckling” looked different. He was big and ugly, not soft and yellow like the other ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:1-3, Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, Luke 10:27, Mark 7:1-23  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Faith, Storm, Trial, Trust

Denomination: Baptist

You See Many People Want The Benefits Of Being ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

You see many people want the benefits of being in the Son without actually “being in the Son.” They want ‘heaven without the hassle’. So it is pretty common for people to believe in Christ and yet still walk in darkness. In 2 Corinthians 11:14, “And no wonder For Satan himself masquerades as an ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:13-14

Tags: Satan

One Word  PRO

Contributed by Michael Brown on Mar 11, 2008

One Word I sat down one day and began to think about what word I would choose if I could only choose one word to describe myself; one word which would describe me better than any other word. Many words immediately began to pour into my mind. I could think of so many aspects of my life that I ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10, Matthew 27:42-54, Matthew 27:4, Matthew 27:1-4

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Predestination Talks

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 12, 2009

THE PREDESTINATION TALKS Ligon Duncan, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, MS, tells the following story: I well remember as a fifteen year-old boy at my grandparents’ house, reading through Ephesians 1 with grandmother and granddad and my aunt and the family for our morning ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-14

Tags: God's Sovereign Will

Godlessness Whether You Call It By Its Right ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Godlessness Whether you call it by its right name or another, it is at the root of the disintegration of any people or nation. Godlessness is not atheism ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:5, Philippians 2:13

Tags: Cults

Although We Cannot Conceive Either By Argument Or ...

Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on Jun 2, 2009

Although we cannot conceive either by argument or reason how God has elected us before the foundation of the world, yet we know it by His declaring it to us; and experience itself vouches for it sufficiently, when we are ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:4

Tags: Election

Denomination: Baptist

A Forever Family

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 10, 2009

A FOREVER FAMILY Author Keith Miller tells of an outgoing 40-year-old woman who was part of a sharing group he led. Here is her story: "When I was a tiny little girl, my parents died and I was put in an orphanage. I was not pretty at all and no one seemed to want me. But I longed to be adopted ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-14

Tags: Adoption

Look At Yourself As What You'll Be

Contributed by Rickey Bennett on Aug 19, 2009

LOOK AT YOURSELF AS WHAT YOU'LL BE The Puritan Richard Sibbes offers encouragement along those lines in his book The Bruised Reed. He said, "Let us not therefore be discouraged at the small beginnings of grace, but look on ourselves as elected to be 'holy and without blame' ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:30, Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 1:4, Colossians 3:1-4

Tags: Gospel, Truth, Encouragement, Integrity

Denomination: *other

What Is The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 11, 2009

What is the Church? They tell me the story that long ago there was a small church, in a small town, in a small county, where a small congregation had tried for years to get the biggest “sinner” in town, Sam, to come to church. Sam the sinner would have nothing to do with the church. He wouldn’t ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:22-23

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

The Church's Identity And Purpose

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 15, 2009

THE CHURCH'S IDENTITY AND PURPOSE In his book, The Family of God, Batsell Barrett Baxter says the following: "There are some who think of the church as an organization like other organizations. It is true that the church is an organization, but it is not primarily an organization. Rather, it is ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 1:21-23

Tags: Church Purpose Of

Charles Wesley Would Not Be Adopted  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 6, 2010

CHARLES WESLEY WOULD NOT BE ADOPTED In 1721, a wealthy Irishman offered to adopt Charles Wesley and make him his legal heir. The 13-year-old boy refused the offer, choosing to continue his way through school under very difficult circumstances. This turned out to be one of the most momentous ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:4-6, Ephesians 1:5-6

Tags: Adoption

It Is Safe To Die In Jesus

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Apr 12, 2010

IT IS SAFE TO DIE IN JESUS Max Lucado in his book Fearless, says, "There are many rooms in my Father's home, and I am going to prepare a place for you." We Westerners might miss the wedding images, but you can bet your sweet chuppah that Jesus' listener's didn't. This was a groom-to-bride ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:5-6

Tags: Death

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational