In Sermon Illustrations: "Future Oriented"

The Aged Atheist  PRO

Contributed by Dave Kinney on Mar 29, 2009

Dr. Jess Moody once wrote with biting sarcasm, "What do aged atheists have to talk about, as they sit around waiting to die? Do they discuss the legacy of morality, decency, integrity, and spiritual sensitivity they have given to their children? Or the good atheism has done the world: the ...read more

Tags: Atheism

Denomination: Baptist

Fiedler's Forecasting Rules

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 21, 2010

FIEDLER'S FORECASTING RULES 1. It is very difficult to forecast, especially about the future. 2. He who lives by the crystal ball soon learns to eat ground glass. 3. The moment you forecast, you know you’re going to be wrong--you just don’t know when and in which direction. 4. If you’re ever ...read more

Tags: Prophecy

Denomination: Brethren

For Thou Art With Me

Contributed by John Bright on Apr 17, 2025

In Psalm 23:4, we read: “4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.” I often to talk to folks who are grieving the loss of a loved one to remember the “FIVE LITTLE WORDS” of Psalm 23:4 – For… thou… art… with… me. Jesus died so that ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:4

Tags: God With Us, Fear

Denomination: Methodist

The Missed Opportunity In Mongolian ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 4, 2009

The Missed Opportunity in Mongolian History A 13-year-old Mongolian inherited land from his father. Through great strategy and awesome fighting ability, he formed fighting bands that conquered village after village. Eventually he became known as Genghis Khan and ruled over 2 million people. His ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

Baptism Is A Lot Like A Wedding Ring. Baptism ...  PRO

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Feb 26, 2002

Baptism is a lot like a wedding ring. Baptism is symbolic of the washing away of our sins. It is also symbolic of a new way of life. It has been said that Baptism is to the Christian faith what the wedding ring is to a marriage. It is a symbol. "Like the wedding ring, baptism draws a mark on ...read more

Tags: Baptism, Call Of The Disciples, Commitment, Marriage

Denomination: United Methodist

True Leaders Must Be Rather Than Just Do. They ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 6, 2006

True leaders must be rather than just do. They must lead by vision and values of the organization rather than by mere hierarchical position. The emerging role of future leaders has at least 5 dimensions: (1) to articulate and communicate the mission, vision and values of the organization; (2) to ...read more

Tags: Leadership General

Postmodernism Is, Almost By Definition, A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 7, 2006

Postmodernism is, almost by definition, a transitional cusp of social, cultural, economic and ideological history when modernism’s high-minded principles and preoccupations have ceased to function, but before they have been replaced with a totally new system of values. It represents a moment of ...read more

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

If You Haven't Looked At Christ On The Cross, ...

Contributed by Joseph Daniel on Jan 7, 2007

“If you haven’t looked at Christ on the cross, you’ll have to look at Him on the throne – with great trembling. The sacrificial death of Christ will be brought before the eyes of all who refuse to accept His free gift of forgiveness and eternal life. In Bethlehem He came in mercy to forgive sin. ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

There Are Others Who Know About This Miracle ...  PRO

Contributed by Mike Wilkins on Jan 15, 2007

There are others who know about this miracle birth The humblest of people catch a glimpse of their worth For it isn’t to the palace that the Christ child comes But to shepherds and street people, hookers and bums And the message is clear if you’ve got [you have] ears to hear That forgiveness is ...read more

Denomination: *other

The Dimensions Of Leadership

Contributed by Perry Greene on Feb 5, 2013

THE DIMENSIONS OF LEADERSHIP True leaders must be rather than just do. They must lead by vision and values of the organization rather than by mere hierarchical position. The emerging role of future leaders has at least 5 dimensions: (1) to articulate and communicate the mission, vision and ...read more

Tags: Leadership General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

There Goes My Life  PRO

Contributed by Scott Sharpes on Dec 17, 2003

THERE GOES MY LIFE Kenny Chesney has a new song/music video out entitled, “There Goes My Life…” It’s a ballad focusing on the life of two young kids in high school that find themselves in a crisis moment of a pregnancy out of wedlock. (I want to say here that I’m not advocating the immoral ...read more

Tags: Christmas, God In The Hardships

Denomination: Nazarene

A Catholic Sister, Sister Chris Schenk, Was ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

A Catholic sister, Sister Chris Schenk, was shocked when she took theology classes several years ago (1994) that taught Mary Magdalene, “a woman who had been one of Jesus’ most courageous apostles had been turned into a prostitute.” Then Schenk learned there were efforts to restore the reputation ...read more

Scripture: John 20:11-18

Tags: Easter Resurrection

By Life Or By Death  PRO

Contributed by Dana Chau on Apr 22, 2002

BY LIFE OR BY DEATH John Piper, in his book, Future Grace, reprinted a letter by Carl Lundquist, former president of Bethel College and Seminary. In 1988, the doctors told him he had a rare form of cancer called mycosis fungoides, which invaded the skin over his entire body and ended his life ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:1, Philippians 2:1-4, Philippians 2:1-4

Tags: Worship General, Church Practices

Denomination: *other

Christopher Reeve

Contributed by Walter Rogers on Apr 3, 2007

3. Christopher Reeve a. Superman brought fame b. Man of Steel – Hero #1 (A hero is someone who commits a courageous actions with ou considering the consequences, someone who is larger than life) c. Horse Accident, Memorial Day 1995, on 3rd of 15 jumps, horse stopped and he fell, breaking his neck. ...read more

Denomination: Adventist

How Easy It Is To Give Credit And Thanks To ...

Contributed by Keith Broyles on Nov 24, 2008

How easy it is to give credit and thanks to everything and everyone but the real source of al our blessings! God deserves our thanks. For some of us there may be many reasons to be thankful this coming Thursday. Perhaps we may even see it as the best year we have ever had. For others of us, it ...read more

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday

Denomination: Methodist

There Was This Teacher...

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jun 1, 2009

THERE WAS THIS TEACHER... Eric Butterworth once told about a college professor who had his sociology class go into the Baltimore slums to get case histories of 200 young boys. The students were asked to write an evaluation of each boy’s future. In every case the students wrote, "He hasn’t got a ...read more

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

John Wycliffe Had A Vision Of A Bible In The ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

John Wycliffe had a vision of a Bible in the common English tongue. But dogmatists anchored to the past killed him for it. John Huss dreamed a dream of a responsible Christian life guided by the scriptures. Traditionalists burned him at the stake. Martin Luther was awakened to a new reality of ...read more

Tags: Discipleship, Kingdom Of God, God's Provision

A Wealthy Man Once Called His Faithful Assistant ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 24, 2002

A wealthy man once called his faithful assistant into his office and said, “I’ve put you name in my will, and you will get $10,000 when I die. As it may be some time before you get that legacy, I want to make you happy by paying you each year the legal interest on that amount. Here is a check for ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:13-14, Deuteronomy 6:1-15

Tags: Salvation

Charles Spurgeon Offers This Warning: "If You ...  PRO

Contributed by Robert Leroe on Jul 10, 2002

Charles Spurgeon offers this warning: “If you haven’t looked at Christ on the cross, you’ll have to look at Him on the throne—with great trembling. The sacrificial death of Christ will be brought before the eyes of all who refuse to accept His free gift of forgiveness and eternal life. In ...read more

Tags: God's Judgment, Lordship Of Christ

Denomination: Congregational

But God Gives Us Wisdom, His Wisdom, Much Of ...

Contributed by Jim Kane on Sep 27, 2008

But God gives us wisdom, His wisdom, much of which, I believe is hindsight that develops our foresight, though we cannot see or know the near future as it develops in front of us. William V. Pietsch gives us the picture of being on a ship in this regard as he wrote, ‘someone once compared God’s ...read more

Tags: Wisdom

Denomination: Church Of God