In Sermon Illustrations: "Freedom"

Lyle Schaller, Church Consultant, Addressed The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 6, 2006

Lyle Schaller, church consultant, addressed the influence and implication of consumerism in the church, at the recent Leadership Network conference, Gathering of Church Champions. He cited 3 major changes: (1) “Arrival of the ministry of the laity—lay people get satisfaction from ministry, not ...read more

Tags: Church General

Poem: An Unknown Author Expressed This Concept In ...

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Sep 2, 2007

Poem: An Unknown author expressed this concept in a Poem called: “In the Crucible” Out from the mine and the darkness, Out from the damp and the mold, Out from the fiery furnace, Cometh each grain of gold. Crushed into atoms and leveled Down to the humblest dust With never a heart to pity, With ...read more

Denomination: Other

When My Parents Had Me Baptized An Infant, They ...

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Dec 23, 2009

When my parents had me baptized an infant, they were acknowledging that God would be faithful in working in my life. They did not know what shape or form my life would take, but they knew it would be in His hands and under His guidance. When I made my profession of faith I thought I was laying a ...read more

Tags: Baptism

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

No Picture Exists  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 3, 2011

NO PICTURE EXISTS On a wall near the main entrance to the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, is a portrait of a man with this inscription underneath. "James Butler Bonham--no picture of him exists. This portrait is of his nephew, Major James Bonham, deceased, who greatly resembled his uncle. It is ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:3-8

Tags: Jesus Christ

Ineffective Churches

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 5, 2011

INEFFECTIVE CHURCHES Chuck Colson makes an interesting observation. He points out that when the Communists took over Russia in 1917, they did not make Christianity illegal. The Soviet constitution guaranteed freedom of religion. What they did do is make it illegal for the churches to do any "good ...read more

Scripture: Titus 3:14

Tags: Christian Witness

Quote: "Though It Is Largely A Subjective Proof, ...  PRO

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Mar 22, 2008

Quote: “Though it is largely a subjective proof, the endurance of the church of Jesus Christ through over 2,000 years is evidence of His resurrection reality. His church and His Word have survived skepticism, persecution, heresy, unfaithfulness, and disobedience. Critics have denounced the ...read more

Denomination: Other

Support Your Leadership

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Nov 11, 2008

SUPPORT YOUR LEADERSHIP Doing what is right means that we give our leaders support. This does not mean we have to agree with them all the time. In our governmental structure, it also does not mean that we should not criticize their decisions if they are bad ones. We are allowed that freedom. ...read more

Tags: Election

Denomination: Church Of God

The Golden Chain

Contributed by Jesse Bennett on Nov 19, 2008

THE GOLDEN CHAIN When Adam sinned in the garden he condemned all of his children to death. When Adam walked the earth without sin, heaven and earth were connected...man walked with God, Angels could be heard singing, heaven was very near—connected, if you will, by a Huge Golden chain. When Adam ...read more

Tags: Atonement

Denomination: Baptist

Diversity In The Church  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2009

DIVERSITY IN THE CHURCH Philip Yancey put it this way in an article in Christianity Today just this last November. He writes, "As I read accounts of the New Testament church, no characteristic stands out more sharply than [diversity]. Beginning with Pentecost, the Christian church dismantled the ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 3:28

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

The Debbie Haters' Club

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 19, 2011

THE DEBBIE HATERS' CLUB Bill White, of Paramount, California, talks about his friend, Greg, who recently put together a mini high school reunion when he went back home to Indiana to visit his parents. He hadn't seen many of his classmates in over 17 years; but when they got together, they had a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:21-26

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

In June 1839, A Spanish Schooner Left The Shore ...  PRO

Contributed by Fred Sigle on Jun 7, 2007

In June 1839, a Spanish schooner left the shore of Havana, Cuba and set SAIL for Porta Prince, another part of the ISLAND. The CARGO in the BOWELS of La Amistad (the name of the BOAT, which ironically means, The Friendship) was 53 Africans KIDNAPPED from the Mendi village of West Africa and ...read more

Tags: Friend, Friendship

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Step Into The Image Of Christ!" Hebrews 5:1-9 ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Feb 14, 2005

“Step Into The Image of Christ!” Hebrews 5:1-9 Key verse(s): 8-9:“Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him . . .” Why do we love the Constitution so! A document that is nearly 220 ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 5:1-9

Tags: Call Of The Disciples

Denomination: Lutheran

Oscar Cervantes Is A Dramatic Example Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Kenneth Henes on Oct 27, 2000

Oscar Cervantes is a dramatic example of Christ’s power to transform lives. As a child, Oscar began to get into trouble. Then as he got older, he was jailed 17 times for brutal crimes. Prison psychiatrists said he was beyond help. But they were wrong! During a brief interval of freedom, Oscar met ...read more

Tags: God The Father, Lordship Of Christ, Sin Bondage To

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Children Have] A Great Need To Know Where ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Emmert on May 22, 2001

[Children have] a great need to know where behavioral boundaries are and who has the courage to enforce them. Years ago, during the early days of the progressive-education movement, an enthusiastic theorist decided to take down the chain-link fence that surrounded the nursery-school yard. He ...read more

Tags: Children, Parenting

Denomination: United Methodist

The Word ‘christian' Means Different Things To ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 26, 2002

“The word ‘Christian’ means different things to different people. To one person, it means a stiff, uptight, inflexible way of life—colorless and unbending. To another, it means a risky, surprised-filled venture, lived on tiptoe at the edge of expectation. Either of these pictures can be ...read more

On 29th October Ad 312 The First Roman Emperor ...  PRO

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Aug 22, 2005

On 29th October AD 312 the first Roman Emperor converted to the Christian faith, Constantine the Great, entered Rome. He was a worshipper of the sun god, Sol. On 28th October the forces he commanded were trying to conquer Rome. There was a great battle to take a bridge leading to the city. His ...read more

Tags: Lordship Of Christ

Denomination: Baptist

Swindoll States This About "Grace Killers": ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Sep 25, 2005

Swindoll states this about “Grace Killers”: There are killers on the loose today. The problem is that you can’t tell by looking. They don’t wear little buttons that give away their identity, nor do they carry signs warning every body to stay away. On the contrary, a lot of them carry Bibles and ...read more

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Gifts Of Service Are Sometimes Considered ...  PRO

Contributed by Robert Fox on Dec 20, 2005

The gifts of service are sometimes considered "second-rate." compared with gifts like "evangelism." Without faithful Christians exercising their gift of service, the gifts of evangelism are powerless. It is quite true that people don’t “care how much you know until they know how much you ...read more

Tags: Gifts General

Denomination: Baptist

An Arab Chief Tells A Story Of A Spy Who Was ...  PRO

Contributed by George Rhodes on Apr 19, 2006

An Arab chief tells a story of a spy who was captured and then sentenced to death by a general in the Persian army. This general had the strange custom of giving condemned criminals a choice between the firing squad and the big, black door. As the moment for execution drew near, the spy was brought ...read more

Tags: Making Choices, Christian Liberty

Denomination: Baptist

The Message Of The Sacrifice Of Canadian Troops ...

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Nov 4, 2006

The message of the sacrifice of Canadian troops and allied forces for the freedom of the world from dominating forces in World War I and the threat of Fascist and Nazi rule in World War II is not hard to understand. What is difficult to grasp is the price paid. We cannot appreciate the living ...read more

Denomination: Salvation Army