In Sermon Illustrations: "Free To Serve"

Everywhere I Look People Offer Me Rewards If I ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Jan 29, 2010

Everywhere I look people offer me rewards if I buy this or shop at their store, or buy petrol at certain petrol stations. I am rewarded on my credit card if I buy a certain amount using their card. People at the Super Market ask me “Do you have a rewards Card?” Buy one get one free. We bought a ...read more

Tags: Servanthood

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God Wants To Pull The Stickers Out  PRO

Contributed by Tim White on Jun 6, 2011

GOD WANTS TO PULL THE STICKERS OUT The little girl hopped away screaming. Obviously, the fear of living forever with a sticker in her foot was not as terrifying as the thought of me pulling it out. But a five-year-old could not out-run the preacher. Not hopping on one foot, anyway. After I ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:6

Tags: Sanctification

Denomination: Baptist

A Modern Day (Sports) Parable

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Aug 21, 2019

The Parable Of The Free Agent Hockey Players “For the kingdom of heaven is like a rich sports owner who went out at 6 AM on July 1st , free agency day, to find players for his hockey team. At the local Starbucks he found a Superstar player. He said, “I’ll make you a good offer. - $5 million per ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:1-16

Tags: Kingdom Of God, Grace, Gospel

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Seventeen Year Cicada Locust Lives Up To Its ...  PRO

Contributed by Russell Brownworth on May 1, 2007

The seventeen year cicada locust lives up to its name. When my children were little the locusts invaded. The little bugs had lived as larvae in the ground for a long seventeen year snooze. When they awoke one Saturday morning, it sounded like all the chain saws in the county had been ...read more

Tags: Love

Denomination: United Methodist

Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Motives For Meditation

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 25, 2024

Dietrich Bonhoeffer required his seminarians to give half an hour each morning to scripture meditation. Many of the students struggled with this task, so he wrote these instructions to help them understand the importance of meditation and to help them learn how to meditate on God’s Word. Why do I ...read more

Tags: Prayer, Word Of God, Meditation, Quiet Time, Spiritual Discipline, Devotionals, Bible  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Cross Made The Difference

Contributed by David Simpson on Apr 20, 2020

I (David Simpson) grew up as part of the spiritual family of Hardwick Christian Church. Along with my parents and sisters, I learned about Jesus and Bible there. I don’t ever remember a Sunday throughout my childhood and into my teen years when I was not in that church building and doing life with ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 1:5, John 3:16

Tags: Good Friday, Cross, Lord's Supper, Blood Of Jesus, Cross Of Jesus, Sacrifice Of Jesus, Communion  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian Church

Promises Are ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2009

PROMISES ARE SACRIFICES Promises are funny things. They’re easy to make and often easier to break, but generally hard to keep. Robert Frost poetically captured that truth in his poem, Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening. He talks about how sometimes we wish we could be free, for just a little bit ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 119:140

Tags: Promises Of God

Artesian Forgiveness!" Matthew 5: 43-48 Key ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jun 30, 2004

“Artesian Forgiveness!” Matthew 5: 43-48 Key verse(s): 46 “If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?” Here at Beech Springs one of the things that sets these few acres apart is the artesian well that highlights our front yard. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Kindness

Denomination: Lutheran

In The Chronicles Of Narnia, Several Young ...  PRO

Contributed by Glenn Robertson on Nov 16, 2005

In The Chronicles of Narnia, several young children represent Christians in a world of dragons, elves, unicorns, and many other mythical creatures. One of the children is a young boy named Eustace. Eustace is a very selfish boy. He always tries to see life for how it best benefits him. What he ...read more

Tags: Narnia

Denomination: Baptist

Make This Muddled World A Better Place

Contributed by David Simpson on Feb 5, 2018

Make This Muddled World A Better Place January 24, 2018 Lanier Christian Church David Simpson The Academy Award Nominations came out yesterday. Of the movies nominated, one of them is about famous British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, entitled: Darkest Hour. Churchill left us with many ...read more

Tags: Bless Others, Give Of Self, Be A Blessing To Oth, Service, Compassion, Winston Churchill  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian Church

Peter V. Deison, In His Book The Priority Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Lewis Petrie on Jan 3, 2001

Peter V. Deison, in his book The Priority of Knowing God, tells about Ramad, a man of India who was a member of a gang of robbers. On one occasion, while burglarizing a house, Ramad noticed a small black book containing very thin pages just right for making cigarettes. So he took it. Each ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence, Becoming A Christian

Denomination: Baptist

Too Many Times I Have Played The Part Of Humpty ...  PRO

Contributed by James May on Jul 11, 2001

Too many times I have played the part of Humpty Dumpty as I stayed on the wall, walked the fence between serving God and the Devil. Just like old “Humpty”, I fell off of the wall too. All my “king’s horses” of personal accomplishments, education, abilities and reasoning could not repair the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:21-22

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, God's Provision

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Have You Ever Been To Someone’s Home For An ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Demastus on Oct 22, 2001

Have you ever been to someone’s home for an evening party thinking that dinner was going to be served and you were mistaken? You arrive hungry only to realize it’s an open house with only a few finger foods or desserts on the table. You try to fill up on the finger foods, but they don’t satisfy. ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-6, Acts 2:42-47

Tags: Apologetics The Bible, Church Purpose Of

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Holy Spirit Amplifies Witness, Citation: Jeffrey ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Jan 3, 2002

[Holy Spirit Amplifies Witness, Citation: Jeffrey Arthurs, Portland, Oregon; source: "All Things Considered," National Public Radio (7-30-00)] The sound of the gavel opening the Republican National Convention on July 31, 2000 was not really the sound of the gavel. When doing sound tests, the audio ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit Attributes, Promises Of God, What Is Evangelism?

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Hug Of My Own  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2002

A HUG OF MY OWN When my wife and I lived in Honduras, we spent part of our time helping a ministry called Amor y Vida (Love and Life). This ministry acted as an orphanage and hospice because the people who lived there were children who had cancer and had been abandoned by their family. While we ...read more

Tags: Christian Love, Compassion

Flip Wilson Was A Popular Comedian Several Years ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on May 15, 2002

Flip Wilson was a popular comedian several years ago, and one of his characters was a Preacher at the “What’s Happening Now Church.” Flip did a Skit where he told about this preacher. He’d shout out: "IF THIS CHURCH IS GOING TO SERVE GOD IT’S GOT TO GET DOWN ON ITS KNEES AND CRAWL!!!" And the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:1-10

Tags: Giving General, Church Practices

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Merlin Carothers, Author Of The Book Prison To ...  PRO

Contributed by Ron Crow on Mar 7, 2003

Merlin Carothers, author of the book Prison to Praise, had firsthand experience of what it is like to be declared righteous. During World War II, he joined the army. Anxious to get into some action, Carothers went AWOL but was caught and sentenced to five years in prison. Instead of sentencing him ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost, Grace

Denomination: Baptist

Brothers In Blue  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 11, 2003

BROTHERS IN BLUE Myron Kelly and Eugene Kelly of the Osceola, Arkansas, Police Department were more than brothers in blue, they were brothers in life. That’s why they made a solemn vow to each other that they would -- quote -- "be together until the end." And it's why Eugene Kelly went along with ...read more

Tags: Holidays Civic, Christian Disciplines

There Is A New Series On Tv Called Joan Of ...

Contributed by Paul Larsen on Dec 23, 2003

There is a new series on TV called Joan of Arcadia. It is about a teenager named Joan. Joan is a pretty typical teen in that she gets in trouble at school for talking and failing to do her homework. She has problems at home. The biggest problem being that her brother was in a car accident and ...read more

Tags: Jesus Christ, Lordship Of Christ

Denomination: Orthodox

Youth Pastor Burnout: The Bridges Project, A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2006

Youth Pastor Burnout: The Bridges Project, a research study of the Institute for Youth Ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary, has identified several factors common to youth pastors who experience burn-out or a lack of success in ministry: ►Inability to shape healthy work relationships ...read more

Tags: Church General