In Sermon Illustrations: "False Shepherds"

Losing Jesus

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Dec 13, 2010

LOSING JESUS For about 14 years, I have been teaching AWANA. I teach each of our three division, beginning with a puppet skit and then a flannel graph lesson with felt figures. I taught the Christmas Story to the Sparks, K-2nd grade, then I moved everything into the auditorium to teach the Flames ...read more

Tags: Birth Of Jesus

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Running With A Stopwatch

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 15, 2012

RUNNING WITH A STOPWATCH Long-distance runner Paavo Nurmi of Finland was an Olympic champion, winning twelve medals (nine of them gold) in the 1920, 1924, and 1928 Games. Nurmi was famous not only for his achievements, but also for running with a stopwatch in his hand to check his performance. ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-13

Tags: Disciplines General

Work Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 9, 2008

Work of Love Aleida Huissen, 78, of Rotterdam, Netherlands, has been smoking for 50 years. And for 50 years she has been trying to give up her harmful habit. But she has not been successful—that is, until recently. She has now given up cigarettes, cigars, and pipes. GOODNESS GRACIOUS! The secret? ...read more

Tags: Sacrifices

Why So ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 15, 2009

“Why so Cheerful?” On a train to Liverpool a Christian worker found himself in a crowded compartment seated near two soldiers, one a private, and the other a sergeant in his middle thirties. The private was a young lad, ruddy and open of countenance. The Christian worker’s heart went out to the ...read more

Scripture: Habakkuk 3:18

Tags: Joy

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

Putting The Dog In Dogma

Contributed by Christopher Lanham on Jul 22, 2010

PUTTING THE DOG IN DOGMA The pit bull, as you may know, is bred to be a fighter. But what you may not know is what they were originally bred to fight with. The pit bull is a actually a mutt that made good -- having terrier and mastiff breeds in its line. From the mastiff side of the tree, they ...read more

Tags: Doctrine

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Unity Of The Bible

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 4, 2021

Notice the UNITY of the Bible. it is miraculous! * The Bible was written over a period of 1,500 years. • The Bible was written by over 40 different authors (Among them were kings, military leaders, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, tax collectors, poets, statesmen, musicians, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-3

Tags: Bible, Scripture, Christ, Plan Of Salvation, Unity Of The Bible  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Proverbs On The Words That We Speak

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 18, 2024

PROVERBS ON WORDS THAT WE SPEAK The Book of Proverbs shows us the seriousness of our words before the Lord. _________________________________________ "Violence covers the mouth of the wicked" (Proverbs 10:11). "The mouth of the foolish is a present destruction" (Proverbs ...read more

Tags: Lying, Wisdom, Mouth, Words, Speech, Lips  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

This Past Sunday Afternoon, After Katrina Had ...

Contributed by Gene Gregory on Sep 24, 2005

This past Sunday afternoon, after Katrina had already made a mess of South Florida, Gladys and I watched the news as the killer storm made it’s way across the Gulf, with its eye focused on the gulf coast. We, along with many of you and countless millions of others across the country, watched with ...read more

Tags: Evangelism Fear Of

Denomination: Baptist

While We Are Reviewing The Ten Commandments, Let ...  PRO

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Jul 12, 2007

While we are reviewing the Ten Commandments, let me also give you some “sign language” to remember all ten in order. 1 – Raise your index finger – I am the Lord, your God. You shall have no other gods before me. 2 – Raise your first two fingers – The second looks like the first – but it isn’t. ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

Eric "The Swimmer" Moussambani Of Equatorial ...

Contributed by Kenneth Mitchell on Jan 31, 2008

Eric "The Swimmer" Moussambani of Equatorial Guinea was an unlikely hero of the Sydney Olympic Games. The 22-year-old African had only learned to swim last January, had only practiced in a 20 meter pool without lane markers, and had never raced more than 50 meters. By special invitation of the ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Specialists

Contributed by Troy Borst on Sep 17, 2008

The Specialists In The Wounded Healer, Henri Nouwen retells a tale from ancient India: Four royal brothers decided each to master a special ability. Time went by, and the brothers met to reveal what they had learned. "I have mastered a science," said the first, "by which I can take but a bone of ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Reluctant Fasting  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

RELUCTANT FASTING I ran across an article a few months back in Discipleship Journal called "Confessions of a Reluctant Faster." The author mentioned how God impressed upon her the need to pray and fast for a woman in her small group deeply involved in New Age. She didn't like the idea of fasting, ...read more

Tags: Fast

Wesley's Peace  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

WESLEY'S PEACE Although Charles Wesley had been engaged in preaching the gospel with much diligence and earnestness, he did not know what it was to enjoy peace with God until he was in his thirtieth year. Being laid low by an alarming illness, and seeming as if he were going to die, a young ...read more

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

On Temptation

Contributed by Paul Carlson on Feb 21, 2009

ON TEMPTATION A number of years ago, the Douglas Aircraft company was competing with Boeing to sell Eastern Airlines its first big jets. War hero Eddie Rickenbacker, the head of Eastern Airlines, reportedly told Donald Douglas that the specifications and claims made by Douglas’s company for the ...read more

Tags: Temptation General

Denomination: Baptist

So How Do We Avoid Deception? There's Only One ...

Contributed by Brian La Croix on Apr 27, 2009

So how do we avoid deception? There’s only one main way to do that: By studying the truth. I had heard years ago that bank tellers and such are trained to spot counterfeit money by studying the real stuff so much that they can spot the phony stuff right away. I wasn’t sure if that was really ...read more

Tags: Truth Of Christ

Denomination: Wesleyan

Benedict ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 31, 2010

Benedict Arnold In American history, there is a man who became famous for all the wrong reasons. You have probably heard his name, even if you don’t know the details of his life. Benedict Arnold is a name that brings to mind betrayal and treason; yet he actually was a gifted man and a great ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:18-27

Tags: War

A Liar Rips His Pants

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 20, 2011

A LIAR RIPS HIS PANTS Aaron Siebers. The 27-year-old Denver man, a Blockbuster employee, was skateboarding one afternoon when he fell and ripped his uniform pants. Due to work last night--and concerned about getting "written up" by Blockbuster superiors for not wearing his work-issued ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 12:22

Tags: Lies

Telemarketers

Contributed by Edward Hardee on Aug 28, 2017

IRS Spam Call - I wanted to share an experience that I just had on the phone. I got that dreaded spam call from the IRS. I knew it was false but I felt like I wanted to talk to a person about it. So I called the number. A young lady answered. She gave me a name and told me I owed $4800 on my IRS ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20

Tags: Witness, Opportunities

Denomination: Church Of God

Christmas Adorations  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Christmas Adorations For thousands of years the Israelites had been looking for the coming of the Messiah. There in Bethlehem by the miraculous power of God, Mary, a young virgin, gave birth to the Savior of the world. Most people missed that glorious event, but a few did not. Who are the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:11

Tags: Christmas, Savior

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational