In Sermon Illustrations: "Ephesians 1:1-5:28"

We Are Not To Be Isolated But Insulated," Said ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 2, 2008

"We are not to be isolated but insulated," said Vance Havner, "moving in the midst of evil but untouched by it." Separation is contact with contamination. Jesus was "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners" (Heb. 7:26), yet He was "a friend of tax collectors and sinners" (Luke ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:17-24

Tags: Worldliness

On Anger

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 11, 2009

ON ANGER The late great writer, Bede Jarrett (1881 - 1937), once wrote: "The world needs anger. The world often continues to allow evil because it isn’t angry enough." The late great Indian political and spiritual leader, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869 - 1948), once said, "Man should forget ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:25-27

Tags: Anger

I Have Never Forgotten You

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Feb 12, 2009

I HAVE NEVER FORGOTTEN YOU On Jan. 27, 2009 and I got to go to part of the state evangelism conference in Ruston, LA. Charles Thornton from Texas was one of the preachers. God is using his life in a fantastic way to help reach people in apartment complexes. Their ministry moves CARES Teams into ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:25-32

Tags: Encouragement, Love Of God, Family Love

Denomination: Baptist

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

Alcohol Consumption Increasing

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 13, 2009

ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION INCREASING Wine consumption increased 4% in 2007, while distilled spirits were up 3.2% and beer 1.2%. Distilled spirits sales reached more than 182 million nine-liter cases (their 10th straight year of growth) and wine sales reached 294.4 million cases, the 14th consecutive ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:18

Tags: Alcohol

Non-Denoms Growing

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 13, 2009

NON-DENOMS GROWING Nearly 5% of the adult population consists of Protestants who attend non-denominational churches. 13% of all members of U.S. evangelical churches belong to non-denominational congregations. The United Methodist ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:3-6

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Gma Dove ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 13, 2009

GMA DOVE AWARDS The 39th annual GMA Dove Awards were awarded 1/25/08 and televised live on the Gospel Music Channel. The Dove Awards in the overall categories went to: Artist of the Year: Toby Mac Female Vocalist of the Year: Natalie Grant Male Vocalist of the Year: Chris Tomlin Group of the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:19-20

Tags: Music

No Talking Him Into ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 16, 2009

NO TALKING HIM INTO IT One lady said: Rushing to work, I was driving too fast and as a result was pulled over by the highway patrol. The state trooper noticed that my shirt had the name of a local high school on it. "I teach math there," I explained. The trooper smiled, and said, "Okay, here’s a ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: Salvation

Consumed With Consumerism

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Mar 4, 2009

Consumed with Consumerism We Americans are CONSUMED with the CONSUMER mentality! We’re used to choosing whatever gives us the most "perks and bennies" at any given time. We look for a restaurant with the best price and menu and atmosphere and location. We go to the clothing store that carries ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:10-12

Tags: Church Purpose Of

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

An Ad For The U.s. Marines Pictures A Sword, And ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

An ad for the U.S. Marines pictures a sword, and beneath it the words: “Earned, not given.” If you want to become a Marine, be prepared to earn the right to be called a “Marine” through sacrifice, hardship, and training. If you get it, you deserve it. But if you want to become a Christian, you must ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: Evangelism How To

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

So If The Kingdom Of Heaven Is So Valuable, Why ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

So if the kingdom of heaven is so valuable, why doesn’t everybody do everything they can to be a part of it? I think it’s because value is often in the eye of the beholder. What has value and what doesn’t is really up to personal interpretation. What some people think are valuable have no value at ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:1-12

Tags: Fig Tree, Parable General

There Are Two (2) African Tribes Who Have An ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

There are two (2) African tribes who have an unusual way of expressing thanks One of them, the Masai tribe, a pastoral and hunting people of Kenya and Tanzania, West Africa, bow and put their foreheads on the ground, and say, "My head is in the dirt." The other tribe, whose name I do not know, sit ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:19-20

Tags: Joy

When Things In Your Life Seem Almost Too Much To ...

Contributed by Fran Van Hoven on Jun 29, 2007

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar... and the wine...:A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-17

Tags: Busy, 24 Hours, Time, Not Enough Time

Denomination: Assembly Of God

When Jane Fell In Love With Richard, She Knew Had ...

Contributed by Sylvester Fergusson on Jul 17, 2007

When Jane fell in love with Richard, she knew had found her prince. At six feet three inches, Richard, 195 pounds was as lean and muscular at age twenty-three as they had been when Jane admired him on the basket ball court in high school. Ruggedly handsome, Richard was the strong silent type, which ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:18-19, Ephesians 5:21, Ephesians 6:1-9

Tags: Love, Husband, Wife, Faithfulness, Attention, Fornication, Adultery, Affection, Vows, Fornicators  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Adventist

As I Was Growing Up With A Younger Brother And ...  PRO

Contributed by Richard Goble on Oct 30, 2007

As I was growing up with a younger brother and sister, one of our favorite games to play was baseball. We had a plastic bat and ball, and we would team up with some of the neighborhood kids and play ball in the back yard. On one particular occasion my mom took our bat away from us because we were ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:16-21

Tags: Forgiveness, Blood, Satan, Giving, Selfless, Care, Regeneration, Sacrificial, Young Men, Fear Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Humanism

Contributed by Richard Tow on Nov 17, 2020

"During the construction of Emerson Hall at Harvard University, president Charles Eliot invited psychologist and philosopher William James to suggest a suitable inscription for the stone lintel over the doors of the philosophy department. After some reflection, James sent Eliot a line from ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:20, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Jude 1:25, Ephesians 3:21, 2 Corinthians 10:17, Romans 16:27, Psalm 8:4  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Glory, Man, Humanism, Boast, Glorifying, God, Doxology, Perspective, Pride, Worldview, Orientation  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic

It's Too Late To Do Anything!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Dec 8, 2020

Here is an illustration of these two basic approaches to righteousness: SAVIOR or SELF? An Englishman by the name of Ebenezer Wooten had just concluded a preaching service in the village square. The crowd had dispersed, and he was busily engaged in loading the equipment. A young man approached ...read more

Scripture: Titus 3:5, Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: Salvation, Righteousness, Witnessing, Works, Grace  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Would Jesus Do?

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Dec 15, 2020

One woman writes: Our fourth grader celebrated his birthday on crutches, so he couldn’t carry the cupcakes into school without help. I asked our sixth-grader, Noah, to help his brother carry them in. I could,” he said, but I’d prefer not to. ”Spotting a teaching moment, my husband asked Noah, What ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 4:2, Ephesians 4:31, Ephesians 3:17, Galatians 5:23

Tags: Kindness, Helpful, Christlike

Denomination: Independent/Bible

When Unity Comes

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Dec 17, 2020

Psalms 133:1 A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Ephesians 4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 133:1, Ephesians 4:3, Ephesians 4:13

Tags: Unity, Maturity

Denomination: Baptist