In Sermon Illustrations: "Following Christs Example"

Living Stones

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on May 22, 2011

LIVING STONES I have to tell ya, I’m so proud of my baby girl. She's working on a project for the school’s science-fair by growing citrine crystals in the basement. What normally takes thousands of years to do in nature; chemists have somehow been able to reproduce in a matter of weeks. I think ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Lutheran

Can't Never Did Nothing.

Contributed by Michael Walther on May 27, 2011

"CAN'T NEVER DID NOTHING." When I was in high school, I worked as a janitor. I was the summer help, and I was teamed up with the regular janitor named Jim. Jim was a rough character. When I first met him he reminded me of Charles Manson. He was a former Marine who had been through some very ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Lutheran

The Mayor's Martyr Maid

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Jun 3, 2011

THE MAYOR'S MARTYR MAID "I found one!" The inquisitor held up a Bible and hollered out, "Bring in the mayor and his family. Someone is studying the Bible in this house!" In the 16th century, Philip II sent the Duke of Alba to Flanders to stamp out the Protestants who insisted on reading the ...read more

Tags: Commitment To Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Kevin Williams Wrote In His Sermon, "All Or ...

Contributed by Derrick Tuper on Jun 3, 2011

Kevin Williams wrote in his sermon, "All or Nothing At All," "The time has come to stop shortchanging God. There are no part time positions in the body of Christ. ...read more

Tags: Commitment To Christ

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Famous People

Contributed by Tim Hinrichs on Jun 8, 2011

FAMOUS PEOPLE Do you know anyone famous? Maybe relatives or ancestors who did something incredible? Once I worked part time at a luxury condo in Minneapolis as a security guard letting residents in and out of the complex. One late night a man entered whom I didn't recognize. As he began walking ...read more

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Lutheran

Trees Don't Struggle To Grow

Contributed by Christopher Lanham on Jun 9, 2011

TREES DON'T STRUGGLE TO GROW Rich Ratts, former pastor of Grace Community Church here in Jackson and a now a church planter in Traverse City, once spoke at a pastor’s appreciation breakfast I attended. He began by talking about a cheery orchard outside his window. One night when he couldn’t go ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Tozer: Salvation Demands Obedience

Contributed by Derrick Tuper on Jun 16, 2011

TOZER: SALVATION DEMANDS OBEDIENCE A. W. Tozer was a man of God who was troubled with the idea that Christian profession does not demand obedience to Christ. He said: "[Years ago] no one would ever dare to rise in a meeting and say, 'I am a Christian' if he had not surrendered his whole being to ...read more

Tags: Lordship Of Christ

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Wizard Of Oz: Getting Home

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jul 10, 2011

THE WIZARD OF OZ: GETTING HOME I remember watching the Wizard of Oz. Dorothy is trying to find her way home, and along the way she runs into a scarecrow with no brain, a tin man with no heart, and a lion with no courage. But they learn that there is a wizard in the land of Oz who can help them ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Methodist

Fire Of Discipleship

Contributed by Brad Henry on Jul 26, 2011

FIRE OF DISCIPLESHIP I love to make a campfire. Many years ago I remember going on a fishing trip in the mountains of Arizona. There were about 10 men from our church and it was a great time of fellowship. It was my duty to get the fire going. Well get it going I did. I had it so hot in that cabin ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

King Of The Jungle

Contributed by Randy Wilson on Aug 1, 2011

KING OF THE JUNGLE I'm reminded of the lion who woke up one morning and decided it was time to stroll through the jungle and check on his kingdom. He came first to a giraffe chewing on some leaves up in a tree. "Hey, long neck," he asked, "Who's the king of the jungle?" "Why you are on great ...read more

Tags: Lordship Of Christ

Denomination: Baptist

Rooted For Life  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2011

ROOTED FOR LIFE There was once a farmer who went to town to purchase seeds for his farm. As he was returning home, one of the squash seeds he had purchased fell from his pocket onto the ground. It happened that within a few feet was another seed of a different type. The place where the two seeds ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 2:1-7

Tags: Growth In Christ

Cheap Purchase—high Price  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 4, 2011

CHEAP PURCHASE--HIGH PRICE In Decision magazine some time ago, Karen Morerod wrote about shopping in a store for a sweater. She was looking for one at minimal cost, so she went to the clearance rack. As she flipped through the sweaters, one caught her eye. It was the right color and the right ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:13-21

Tags: Blood Of Christ

If You Want It Bad Enough

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 10, 2011

IF YOU WANT IT BAD ENOUGH When a person first comes to faith in Christ and gets a taste of His grace, they can’t get enough of the Bible. Pat Summerall, the well-known sports announcer, trusted Christ with his life and overcame alcohol in the late 60’s. As he describes his life with Christ, he ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:2-3

Tags: Growth In Christ

Junk-Food Addictions  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 10, 2011

JUNK-FOOD ADDICTIONS If we’re going to get our appetite back for the pure, spiritual milk of God’s Word, then we need to get rid of the junk food of broken relationships. We need to put away those wrong attitudes of the heart that keep us from loving each other. The five things listed here are ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:1-3

Tags: Growth In Christ

More Accustomed To Action Than Talk  PRO

Contributed by Dennis Davidson on Aug 11, 2011

MORE ACCUSTOMED TO ACTION THAN TALK All great enterprises begin at a critical moment--a moment when a decision is made and someone launches himself into a never-to-be-forgotten enterprise. PIZARRO, the noted Spanish explorer, faced such a moment. He languished with his men on a small island ...read more

Tags: Commitment To Christ

Denomination: Baptist

Stradivarius Mystery

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2011

STRADIVARIUS MYSTERY Perhaps the greatest of all Stradivarius mysteries is why no modern violinmaker has been able to replicate Stradivari’s work. The violins of Stradivari’s time were treated with a varnish made from the resinous material of any of a number of possible plants. We don’t know what ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:24-29

Tags: Growth In Christ

The Believer's Gps

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 22, 2011

THE BELIEVER'S GPS Last week we introduced a device known as a GPS or Global Positioning Systems. This device allows the user to know where they are and where they want to go. It works through a process known as triangulation. There are 24 Dept. of Defense satellites constantly circling our earth ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:27

Tags: Jesus Christ

Dwarfish Christianity

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 24, 2011

DWARFISH CHRISTIANITY Charles Spurgeon, the famed pastor of the Metropolitan Baptist Tabernacle in London made this observation in the late 1800’s when he came in contact with a community of small framed men. "There was once in London a club of small men, whose qualification for membership lay in ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:10-20, 1 Timothy 3:10-12

Tags: Growth In Christ

Temptation Doesn't Always End In Failure

Contributed by Brad Henry on Sep 7, 2011

TEMPTATION DOESN'T ALWAYS END IN FAILURE The same Spirit that came down from heaven like a dove now led Jesus into the desert so He could be tempted by Satan. Why? Have you ever felt that you have been unjustly persecuted? Have you ever felt passed over, left behind, cast away or just can't seem ...read more

Tags: Temptation Of Christ

Stain Removal: Homeboy Industries

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Sep 9, 2011

STAIN REMOVAL: HOMEBOY INDUSTRIES Father Greg Boyle is in the business of erasing the past. A Jesuit priest, he is the founder and director of Homeboy Industries in East Los Angeles. Father Boyle put together a team of physicians trained in the laser technology of tattoo removal. The team is ...read more

Tags: Blood Of Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed