In Sermon Illustrations: "Fleshly Desires"

Shopkeeper Seeks Revenge On Bitter ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 5, 2009

Shopkeeper Seeks Revenge on Bitter Rival What you believe about Jesus determines what you do with him. Two shopkeepers were bitter rivals. Their stores were directly across the street from each other, and they would spend each day keeping track of each other’s business. If one got a customer, he ...read more

Scripture: John 11:45-53

Tags: Bitterness

Chuck Swindoll Judges A Man Unfairly At A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 14, 2009

Chuck Swindoll Judges a Man Unfairly at a Pastor’s Conference It is so easy to get into the trap of judging others unfairly! Chuck Swindoll told of his being at a pastor’s conference where he would be speaking. The first day there a man approached him and said how greatly he had looked forward to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:1-5

Tags: Pastors, Faults

How Not To Get Out Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 11, 2009

How Not To Get Out of Problems When the preacher’s car broke down on a country road, he walked to a nearby roadhouse to use the phone. After calling for a tow truck, he spotted his old friend, Frank, drunk and shabbily dressed at the bar. "What happened to you, Frank?" asked the good reverend. "You ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:24

Tags: Money

Build Me A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 6, 2010

Build Me A Bridge A man walking along a California beach was deep in prayer. Suddenly the sky clouded above his head and, in a booming voice, the Lord said, "Because you have TRIED to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant you one wish." The man said, "Build a bridge to Hawaii so I can drive ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:7

Tags: Marriage General

One Of The Great Paradoxes Of The Christian Faith ...

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Jul 7, 2010

One of the great paradoxes of the Christian faith is that God wants us to talk to Him about everything that is going on in our lives, even though He already knows everything. So why pray? If you’ve ever wrestled with that question, perhaps the thoughts of the 19th-century preacher, R. A. Torrey, ...read more

Tags: Prayer General

Denomination: Baptist

The Culture Of Complaint  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 27, 2010

THE CULTURE OF COMPLAINT In 1991, Robert Hughes, an art critic, wrote a book called The Culture of Complaint. His thesis is that we live in a culture in which we perceive ourselves as being entitled to having all our wants and desires fulfilled. When that doesn't happen, we become "victims," we ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 15:1-21

Tags: God Brings Purpose

As A Pastor I Learned A Valuable Lesson Early In ...

Contributed by Kelly Benton on Nov 10, 2010

Early in my ministry, I learned a hard but necessary lesson. I was deeply concerned about offending people in the congregation. I carefully guarded my words, avoiding anything that might make someone uncomfortable or rub them the wrong way. Part of that came from fear—fear that if I preached tough, ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 1:10

Tags: Preaching, Pleasing The Father

Denomination: Other

Not Pure Enough

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Feb 6, 2011

NOT PURE ENOUGH Back in the 1600's a man named Roger Williams who left England and came over to join the Puritans. He was a very gifted preacher and many churches asked him to come fill their pulpits. But Williams had one major flaw - an overwhelming desire to have purist doctrine he could manage. ...read more

Tags: Purity

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Bone Or A Steak?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 25, 2011

A BONE OR A STEAK? Which is better, a bone or a steak? Think of it this way. It’s easy to give a dog a bone, but it’s almost impossible to take a bone away from a dog. Even our little Schnauzer, Betsy, the world’s friendliest dog, will growl at me if I try to take a bone away from her. But ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

Testimony Of Charles Spurgeon  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2011

TESTIMONY OF CHARLES SPURGEON Charles Spurgeon, credited as the greatest preacher in the history of the English World, read a copy of Pilgrim’s Progress while plundering through his grandfather’s belongings. Through this book he became aware of his sinfulness and depravity. He carried this guilt ...read more

Scripture: John 3:14

Tags: Salvation

Go Back! You're Too Young

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 21, 2011

GO BACK! YOU'RE TOO YOUNG Wilbur E. Nelson told the story of his father who was the senior elder in his church for many years. He said: "When I was a boy, eleven years of age, an evangelist held a series of meetings in our church. One night he asked every Christian to come forward and also asked ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Tags: Children

What Is Not God's Will

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Oct 7, 2011

WHAT IS NOT GOD'S WILL Sometimes we want things we know is not God's will. Jay Kesler wrote of a time when he caused an auto accident. He prayed that it did not happen, but it did. I know how the young Jay Kesler felt. I've done things that I wanted to undo and said things that I wanted to ...read more

Tags: Prayer How To

Denomination: Baptist

I Want To Go Home

Contributed by Johnny A. Palmer Jr. on Dec 11, 2011

I WANT TO GO HOME Fred Smith, an influential Christian businessman was seriously ill in the summer of 2004. He was hospitalized, semiconscious, and not expected to live. Periodically he would mutter, "I want to go home, I want to go home." After an emotional family conference, the family ...read more

Tags: Death

Denomination: Baptist

The Straightest Path  PRO

Contributed by Perry Greene on Apr 12, 2012

THE STRAIGHTEST PATH Two boys were playing in the snow one day, when one said to the other, "Let us see who can make the straightest path in the snow." His companion readily accepted the proposition, and they started. One boy fixed his eyes on a tree, and walked along without taking his eyes off ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:13-15

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

To Whoever Finds This...i Love You  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Nov 19, 2012

TO WHOEVER FINDS THIS...I LOVE YOU Several years ago there was a girl in an orphanage. She was unattractive and had mannerisms that were not very attractive either, and so she was disliked and shunned by the other children and was not liked by her teachers. The head of the institution looked for ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:30-40

Tags: Kids, Child, Children, God's Love

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

C.s. Lewis On The Difference Between Heaven And Hell  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 11, 2014

LEWIS: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL C. S. Lewis once provided a powerful image of the difference between heaven and hell. He described hungry people sitting at a huge banquet loaded with delicious food. Every person had a meter-long fork and knife attached to their hands (that’s about ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 22:1-14

Tags: Jesus Parables, Wedding Banquet, Heaven And Hell

The Rotten Egg

Contributed by Daniel King, D. Min. on Jul 25, 2018

Main Idea: No matter how many good things you have done, one sin is enough to send you to hell. Verses: “There is none who does good, no, not one” (Romans 3:12 NKJV). “For the greatness of your iniquity Your skirts have been uncovered, Your heels made bare. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 13:22-23

Tags: Sin, Good Works

Denomination: Charismatic

Put Some Fire In That Sermon

Contributed by Ron Freeman, Evangelist on Sep 23, 2019

Brother Jim H. Warren, my mentor and father in the faith; had witnessed my preaching on several occasions while I was in training under him, in Biloxi, MS, in 1967. He was a dynamic preacher; full of faith and powerful in his delivery of the word of God. After hearing my second sermon, he felt the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 18:24-28, John 6:63

Tags: Mentoring, Coaching, Fervent In Spirit, Jim H Warren, Son In The Gospel, Fire In That Sermon, Sermon In The Fire, Excited About Preaching, Dynamic In Presentation, Apollos Preaching, Father In The Faith, Full Of Wisdom And Love  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Want Is Something I Would Like To Have, ...

Contributed by R. David Reynolds on Sep 16, 2007

A want is something I would like to have, something I may wish or long for, something that I find desirable, but it is not something that I must absolutely have. I can live without having all my wants supplied, but all my needs must be met. Some personal examples quickly come to my mind. I had ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

One Raw Winter Night A Farmer Heard An Irregular ...  PRO

Contributed by Joo-Ching Chng on Dec 30, 2007

One raw winter night a farmer heard an irregular thumping sound against his kitchen storm door. He went to a window and watched as tiny, shivering sparrows, attracted to the evident warmth inside, beat in vain against the glass. Touched, the farmer bundled up and trudged through fresh snow to open ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal