In Sermon Illustrations: "Freewill Offerings"

Bold Book Marketing Ploy? In The Package-Goods ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2008

Bold Book Marketing Ploy? In the package-goods world, offering free samples is usually a slam-dunk: Customers fall in love with the freebie and then turn into paying customers. But in the world of book publishing, the news that Harper Collins will give away free electronic versions of ...read more

Tags: Internet

Nearly 70% Of U.s. Churches Provide Direct ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2008

Nearly 70% of U.S. churches provide direct health services and 65% provide educational health programs, according to the National Council of Churches (NCC) USA Congregational Health Survey. Only 6.4% offer no programs of any kind in health care ministries. The congregations surveyed have an average ...read more

Tags: Church Practices

Charles Wesley Would Not Be Adopted  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 6, 2010

CHARLES WESLEY WOULD NOT BE ADOPTED In 1721, a wealthy Irishman offered to adopt Charles Wesley and make him his legal heir. The 13-year-old boy refused the offer, choosing to continue his way through school under very difficult circumstances. This turned out to be one of the most momentous ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:4-6, Ephesians 1:5-6

Tags: Adoption

God's Judgement

Contributed by John Bright on Sep 23, 2025

I don’t believe that God’s Judgement should be our main focus, but I also believe it’s wrong to never mention the Judgement of God. Remember, God must judge humanity because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Our God is a Holy God who also wants us to be holy. (1 ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:5, Romans 3:23, 1 Peter 1:16

Tags: Grace, Holy Spirit, Judgment, Holiness

Denomination: Methodist

People In The U.s. Hold 1.3 Billion Credit Cards ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2006

People in the U.S. hold 1.3 billion credit cards and receive an offer for a new on once a week on average. (Foster ...read more

Tags: Money

Life Is The Acceptance Of Responsibilities Or ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Life is the acceptance of responsibilities or their evasion, it is a business of meeting obligations or avoiding them. To every man the choice is continually being offered, ...read more

Tags: Learning

I Got Carried Away  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 21, 2002

I GOT CARRIED AWAY The late Danny Thomas lost his life savings of $600.00 at a time when he was out of work. He and his wife, Rosie, had a baby on the way, and they needed money. Danny worked at part-time jobs so Rosie could buy groceries. He also borrowed money from friends. It was a tough time ...read more

Tags: Giving General, God's Provision

The Good Samaritan  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 8, 2002

Luke 10:30-37 John Darley and Daniel Batson are two Princeton University psychologists. Some years ago they decided to conduct a study, inspired by the story of the Good Samaritan. They conducted the study at Princeton Theological Seminary. They met with a group of seminarians and asked each one ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:30-37

Tags: Compassion, Christian Love

Pax Romana  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Dec 30, 2012

PAX ROMANA About 27 years before Jesus was born Rome experienced something unique that history has called Pax Romana = the peace of Rome. Beginning with the reign of Augustine, Emperor of Rome and lasting till about 180 A.D. (a period of 200 years) Rome was at peace. They had few internal ...read more

Tags: Peace

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Golden Calf

Contributed by John Bright on Apr 6, 2025

In Exodus 32, the people are complaining that Moses has been gone for too long. They go to Aaron and say, “Make us a god.” To this, Aaron replies, “NO WAY!” Not really, that’s what he should have told them. What really happened: Exodus 32:2 “ And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 32:2-6

Tags: Golden Calf, Fertility Idol, Idol

Denomination: Methodist

65279;there's A Story About A Young Child Who ...  PRO

Contributed by Rev. Matthew Parker on Mar 7, 2004

There’s a story about a young child who lay in hospital dying of cancer, withering away to nothing. Her family was devastated. Friends came, from church, from work...and tried to offer solace. They tried but could only come up with unhelpful little sayings that didn’t begin to touch the ...read more

Tags: Character, Christian Love

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Like Bill Hybels, I Believe That There Is Nothing ...  PRO

Contributed by Jim Kane on May 25, 2004

Like Bill Hybels, I believe that there is nothing like the local church when it is working right. In addition, I agree with what he says after that sentence: “Its beauty is indescribable. Its power is breathtaking. Its potential is unlimited. It comforts the grieving and heals the broken in the ...read more

Tags: Church Purpose Of

Denomination: Church Of God

Sleeping The Night Before Your ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 25, 2009

SLEEPING THE NIGHT BEFORE YOUR EXECUTION In 1555, Nicholas Ridley was burned at the stake because of his witness for Christ. On the night before Ridley’s execution, his brother offered to remain with him in the prison chamber to be of assistance and comfort. Nicholas declined the offer and replied ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:7

Tags: Peace

Church Health Services

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 13, 2009

CHURCH HEALTH SERVICES Nearly 70% of U.S. churches provide direct health services and 65% provide educational health programs, according to the National Council of Churches (NCC) USA Congregational Health Survey. Only 6.4% offer no programs of any kind in health care ministries. The congregations ...read more

Tags: Church Purpose Of

Many Of Us Cannot Reach The Mission Fields On ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Many of us cannot reach the mission fields on our feet, but we can reach them on our knees. Solid lasting missionary work is accomplished by prayer, ...read more

Tags: Great Commission

Listening Vs. Hearing

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 24, 2010

LISTENING VS. HEARING A school music teacher asked her class the difference between listening and hearing. At first there was no response. Finally a hand went up and a youngster ...read more

Tags: Leadership Listening

Denomination: Brethren

More Than 50% Of The Churches With 100 Or More In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2006

More than 50% of the churches with 100 or more in attendance offer classes for new believers and youth outreach activities compared to 33% with less than ...read more

Tags: Church Purpose Of

The Future Is Not A Result Of Choices Among ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"The future is not a result of choices among alternative paths offered by the present, but a place that is created created first in the mind and will, created next in activity. The ...read more

Tags: God's Sovereign Will

Jean Nicholas Grou, Who Was A Jesuit Priest In ...

Contributed by Paul Green on Jul 14, 2009

Jean Nicholas Grou, who was a Jesuit priest in the 1700s. He wrote, ‘Let your suffering be borne for God; suffer with submission and patience and suffer in union with ...read more

Tags: Suffering, Prayer General

Denomination: Baptist

Transcending Tradition

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 13, 2009

TRANSCENDING TRADITION During these tough economic times, churches all across the country are seeing a sharp drop in their offerings. Thankfully, we haven’t seen that here, yet, but a lot of churches have, one of them being the Cross Timbers Community Church in Argyle, Texas. Their drop in income ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 13:5

Tags: God Brings Hope