In Sermon Illustrations: "False Shepherds"

Just Start Another One?

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Mar 22, 2019

WOW! Do we know in 2016 there were 33,000 distinct denominations? It is estimated by 2025 there will be 55,000 denominations? Wow? You can’t get along with others? Just go out and start your own? C.H. Spurgeon penned the words: The time will come when ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:9

Tags: Start, Denominations

Denomination: Assembly Of God

A.w. Tozer: The Divine Conquest  PRO

Contributed by Brad Bailey on Aug 6, 2004

A.W. Tozer, "The Divine Conquest" - “While few would dare thus to voice their secret feelings, there are millions who have imbibed the notion that they hold in their hands the keys of heaven and hell. The whole content of modern … contributes to this attitude. Man is made large and God ...read more

Tags: Divinity Of Christ, Humanity Of Christ

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Let Me Tell You About C.s.lewis, The Author Of ...

Contributed by Pat Cook on Feb 7, 2006

Let me tell you about C.S.Lewis, the author of the Chronicles of Narnia. In 1952 he had been writing to one of his fans an American woman named Joy Gresham, a recent convert to Christianity, and who had been a Communist Jew. She was also going through a hard divorce. He autographed her copy of his ...read more

Tags: Doubt

Denomination: Baptist

Seeing But Not Eating

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jun 8, 2009

SEEING BUT NOT EATING The Jewish Rabbi known as Rav held a similar viewpoint. Brad Young summarizes his view, "One will be judged not only for sins committed against Torah but also for pleasures in life that were neglected because of a false religious abstinence. The sense of joy in living comes ...read more

Tags: Enjoyment

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Paul Told Timothy To Do The Work Of An ...

Contributed by Charles R. Swindoll on Nov 1, 2004

Paul told Timothy to do the work of an evangelist. That was not his gift. He had the pastoral gifts of shepherding, teaching, and administration, but he still had to work outside his comfort zone. He may not have been called to be an evangelist or especially empowered for that type of ...read more

Tags: Evangelism Fear Of, Sharing My Testimony

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Let Us Only Take Heed That This Office Of Christ ...

Contributed by Tim Spear on Sep 6, 2011

Let us only take heed that this office of Christ is not set before us in vain. It will profit us nothing at the last day that Jesus was a Shepherd, if during our lifetime, we never heard His voice and followed Him. If we love life, let us ...read more

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Baptist

Miss Gad-About

Contributed by J.d. Tutell on Jan 3, 2011

MISS GAD-ABOUT Years ago a man named Phillip Keller went from being a shepherd to a pastor, in his book on the 23rd Psalm he talks about one particular sheep that he had. Phillip took great pride in maintaining his fields, they were far greener than that of his neighbor, much better then the ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

Denomination: Baptist

A Common Phrase Used In The World Of Healing Is, ...  PRO

Contributed by Kenneth Squires on Mar 22, 2005

A common phrase used in the world of healing is, “time heals all wounds.” I have found this to be more false than true. As a pastor, I talk regularly with people who are still carrying hurts from 30 or 40 years ago. The real truth is, time often makes things worse. Wounds that are left untended ...read more

Tags: God In The Hardships

Denomination: Pentecostal

Mindy Caliguire In Spiritual Friendship Says, ...

Contributed by Davon Huss on Oct 1, 2007

Mindy Caliguire in Spiritual friendship says, “What do you do when you can’t stand the thought of praying, when the words of the Bible seem plastic and false… when you have been doing everything ‘right’ and the bottom falls out? It’s at these times when it is the spiritual friends who throw ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Error Vs. Person In Error

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Apr 26, 2013

ERROR VS. PERSON IN ERROR This love and good will, to be sure, must in no way render us indifferent to truth and goodness. Indeed love itself impels the disciples of Christ to speak the saving truth to all men. But it is necessary to distinguish between error, which always merits repudiation, and ...read more

Tags: Grace, Opportunity

Denomination: Catholic

The Seriousness Of Errant Doctrine Can Be ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Apr 10, 2008

The seriousness of errant doctrine can be compared to a missile aimed a mere one degree off target. The difference seems slight and negligible at first, yet the results of the error increase dramatically throughout the flight, until the missile totally misses its intended target. So it is with ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

Above Reproach

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 2, 2008

ABOVE REPROACH A friend told Plato of a terrible charge that had been leveled against the famous philosopher. Knowing it was not true, his friend said, "What are we going to do?" Plato replied, "We must simply live in such a way that all people will know it is false." Paul said that an elder is to ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:9-11

Tags: Action

It's Not A Picture Of A Ceo Of A Church –– ...

Contributed by Keith Davis on May 5, 2003

“It’s not a picture of a CEO of a church –– sitting behind a desk or in a boardroom, making decisions, tapping gavels, dispatching memos, and announcing edicts it’s not a picture of a dynamic speaker who can hold an audience in his hand and bring people to tears and it’s not even a learned scholar ...read more

Tags: Leadership General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

An Impressive Coat Of Wool

Contributed by John Harvey on Dec 7, 2006

Take for instance the story of Shrek. Now this is not about an ogre who is friends with a talking donkey, but about a wild sheep in New Zealand. Shrek was a young sheep when he escaped form his shepherd. This is not an uncommon occurrence, because sheep are notorious for wandering off. What is ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Through The Valley Of Death  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 14, 2003

THROUGH THE VALLEY OF DEATH Philip Crosby, in his book "March Till They Die," gives an account of a forced march that American and European soldiers who had been captured had to endure in Korea. It was November of 1950, and the North Koreans were being pushed north. As they went, they forced the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 23:34

Tags: Jesus Teachings, Jesus Christ, People In Acts

Martin Luther Wrote: " Faith . . . Honors Him ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Martin Luther wrote: " Faith . . . honors him whom it trusts with the most reverent and highest regard since it considers him truthful and trustworthy. There is no other honor equal to the estimate of truthfulness and righteousness with which we honor him whom we trust. . . . On the other hand, ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Prayer, According To The Mishna

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Dec 28, 2009

PRAYER, ACCORDING TO THE MISHNA "One who says the Tefillah so that it can be heard is of the small of faith; he who raises his voice in praying is of the false prophets; he who belches and yawns is of the arrogant; if he sneezes during his prayer it is a bad sign for him — some say, it shows that ...read more

Tags: Prayer How To

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Ethics Defined

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Apr 19, 2010

ETHICS DEFINED According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, ethics is, "The science of morals, or of human duty… Applied ethics presents a scheme of action applicable to the various relations of human life and labor, and sets forth what the rights and duties are which are involved in these ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Some People Have Such Bad Nerves That They ...

Contributed by Tony Abram on Jan 25, 2007

1.Some people have such bad nerves that they cannot sleep in church. 2. If people sleep during the sermon, the pastor needs to wake up. 3. Sometimes how well you sleep depends on how little you lie. 4. If you cannot sleep at night, don’t count sheep, talk to the ...read more

Fred Smith, In His Book Learning To Lead Wrote ...  PRO

Contributed by Denn Guptill on Oct 23, 2000

Fred Smith, in his book Learning to Lead wrote “The shepherd or pastor’s ultimate goal is not to please the sheep but to please God.” Cecil Paul the Author of Passages of a Pastor says that pastors need to free themselves from and I quote “The Tyranny of Evaluation.” Tim Hansel writing in his ...read more

Tags: Leadership General, Doing God's Will, Gifts Leadership

Denomination: Wesleyan