In Sermon Illustrations: "Ephesians 1:2-3:4"

Fred Craddock Was A Seminary Professor. Once, ...  PRO

Contributed by Tom Mccrossan on Dec 10, 2003

Fred Craddock was a seminary professor. Once, while he was lecturing at Yale University, he told of going back one summer to Gatlinburg, TN, to take a short vacation with his wife. One night they found a quiet little restaurant where they looked forward to a private meal—just the two of ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:11-23

Tags: What Is Evangelism?, Evangelism Urgency, Evangelism How To

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Story: At A Comparative Religions Conference, The ...  PRO

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Dec 31, 2003

Story: At a comparative religions conference, the wise and the scholarly were in a spirited debate about what is unique about Christianity. Someone suggested what set Christianity apart from other religions was the concept of incarnation, the idea that God took human form in Jesus. But someone ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8, John 3:16

Tags: God The Father, God's Love, Love

Denomination: Anglican

At First I Saw God As My Observer, ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 2, 2004

Illustration: At first I saw God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die. He was out there sort of like the president. I recognized His picture when I saw it, but I didn’t really know Him. But later on when I ...read more

Scripture: Luke 22:45-51, Ephesians 1:19-20, Luke 7:1-10

Tags: Great, Benefactor, Servant

I Will Pay For My Own Sins  PRO

Contributed by Gene Gregory on Mar 8, 2004

I WILL PAY FOR MY OWN SINS For some time now, we have been hearing about Mel Gibson’s new movie, The Passion of the Christ, the biblical account of the last hours of Christ’s earthly life. Some claim it is too violent and graphic. Some claim it is anti-Semitic, though the producer filmed his ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:14, Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: God's Forgiveness, Cross

Denomination: Baptist

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

C.s. Lewis Said, "In Commanding Us To Glorify ...  PRO

Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on Nov 28, 2006

C.S. Lewis said, “In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy him.” God wants our worship to be motivated ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-10, Ephesians 2:8

Tags: Contentment, Glory, Love, Worship

Denomination: Baptist

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

The Movie "Saving Private Ryan" Ends With Captain ...  PRO

Contributed by Mike Mcguire on Feb 7, 2007

The movie "Saving Private Ryan" ends with Captain Miller(Tom Hanks’ character)sitting near a bridge after an attack by German forces. His life is ebbing away as he pulls Ryan (Matt Damon)down toward him. Struggling for breath he whispers, "Earn this, earn this." As Ryan stands his face morphs back ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-10

Denomination: Baptist

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

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

Luther On Salvation By Good ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 25, 2009

LUTHER ON SALVATION BY GOOD WORKS If anyone could ever have achieved salvation by his own effort, it was Martin Luther. In 1505, when he was twenty-one years old, Luther abandoned a promising career in law and entered the monastery of the Augustinian hermits at Erfurt. As he later said, this was ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: Salvation

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

Family—the Bottom Line Of Life

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 22, 2009

Family--The Bottom Line of Life Chuck Swindoll said of the family, "Whatever else may be said about the home, it is the bottom line of life, the anvil upon which attitudes and convictions are hammered out. It is the place where life’s bills come due, the single most influential force in our ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:1-33, Ephesians 3:1-8

Tags: Family

Flight Simulator And ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 5, 2009

Flight Simulator and Grace Grace. A word used in a variety of ways. It is a word that has been used as an alternative term for prayer. It has been used to describe the way a person moves. It has also been used by many parents to name their daughters. Still, none of these uses seem to catch the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8

Tags: Grace

The Purpose Of The Holy Spirit  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 16, 2009

THE PURPOSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT N T Wright, the famous New Testament scholar talks about the task of Christians in the world. He says, "Many say, 'Oh yes, the Holy Spirit came in his place to live in us.' Yes, but for what purpose? The Holy Spirit came to empower us to be God's life in the world. ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-10, Ephesians 4:2-10

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Chuck Smith Meets A New Brother In Christ—a ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 23, 2009

Chuck Smith Meets a New Brother in Christ—A Tribal Chief in New Guinea Chuck Smith: I was over in New Guinea and I had this native chieftain come up to me. He had to speak to me through an interpreter. And he had these spears in his hand. He said, "I used these to kill men. But," he said, "now ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:3-6

Tags: Body Of Christ, Church Body Of Christ

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