Contributed by Greg Buchner on Aug 9, 2004
I can remember when we first arrived as the pastor’s family at Ravenna, there was only a handful of people. In fact, within the first couple weeks it became evident that the Ravenna congregation couldn’t even pay the pastor’s salary.
But instead of crying to the conference for help or making the
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Methodist
Contributed by Jim Kane on Sep 4, 2005
Do you know that at one point ‘pew rental’ was a common custom in the church? It was one of the ways, if not the chief way, to raise money. It was like paying admission.
I did a short Internet search and found several articles on the subject including one about church in Australia that mentioned
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Church Of God
When Revelation was given to John all the apostles had been murdered because a shift occurred in Rome’s dealing with the Christians:
Christian History Issue 27 notes: “The persecutors and their motives changed in A.D. 64. On July 19 that year a great fire engulfed much of Rome; only four of the
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Evangelical/Non-Denominational
Contributed by Anne Benefield on Mar 5, 2009
DANCING WITH GOD
One of my very favorite stories is told by Gertrud Mueller Nelson in To Dance with God: Family Ritual and Community Celebration. It’s the first thing she says at the beginning of Chapter 1:
"Some years ago, I spent an afternoon caught up in a piece of sewing I was doing. The
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Presbyterian/Reformed
Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 11, 2025
A rich millionaire decides to throw a massive party for his 50th birthday, so during this party he grabs the microphone and he announces to his guests that down in the garden of his mansion he has a swimming pool with two great white sharks in it. 'I will give anything they desire of mine, to
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Independent/Bible
Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 15, 2002
based on 3 ratings
| 3,188 views
There are many heresies among us; all of them detract from the eternal truths of God. The most dangerous one is the one we hear as the new theme of political speeches and commencement addresses. This heresy is rooted in academia and thrives in prideful minds. This heresy is very evident in popular
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Contributed by Darren Ethier on May 9, 2002
based on 5 ratings
| 991 views
What if I owned a greenhouse that had been given to me by my father? He used state of the art equipment to create the ideal structure for growth. The atmosphere is perfect. The lighting exact. The temperature is suited for flowers, fruit, or anything I want, and what I want is flowers and fruit.
I
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Pentecostal
Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Jul 29, 2003
based on 9 ratings
| 2,951 views
This parable (of the Wedding Garment) has something to tell us of the attitude we should have in coming to worship. The way we approach anything demonstrates the spirit in which we come. Is it willingly or do we begrudge the time out of our lives? If we go to visit in a friend’s house, we don’t
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Baptist
Contributed by Donnie Martin on Aug 17, 2004
The tragedies of ones life can be devastating. But those same tragedies can lead to greater developments, as was true in the following story.
Braille
It was 1818 in France, and Louis, a boy of 9, was sitting in his father’s workshop. The father was a harness-maker and the boy loved to watch his
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Baptist
Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 21, 2004
based on 2 ratings
| 2,505 views
When I was young boy, my brother planted brussels sprouts in his garden. We lived in a climate where the Brussels sprouts did not grow and so they just came up and never produced fruit. However a big leafy weed grew in the midst of the sickly Brussel sprouts row. Since the Brussel Sprouts row was
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Contributed by Thomas Cash on Dec 10, 2009
Though there are no scripture references specifically telling us, please understand that Satan, the arch enemy of the Lord God and of all humanity, must have been screaming in rage over the events transpiring in Bethlehem that night.
Did you know that the first prediction of God sending a Savior
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Christian/Church Of Christ
Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011
ARTHUR'S ENVY
When I served on staff at Rayne Memorial UMC on St. Charles Avenue, a young man named Arthur began attending. Arthur was a nice guy but was different, both in appearance and in personality. Arthur got involved in the young adult ministry I had started at the church and was accepted
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Methodist
John Bevere notes: That when Adam sinned in the Garden he not only became subject to decay and death all of creation itself suffered the consequence of Adams choice to sin.
i. “Consequently, not only Adam but all creation he was placed over immediately took the nature of death. Prior to Adam’s
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Evangelical/Non-Denominational
Contributed by Tony Abram on Jul 7, 2008
based on 2 ratings
| 6,647 views
ON THE ENEMY: BE ENCOURAGED
1. When the devil brings up your past, bring up his future.
2. The man who is fully surrendered to the Lord will never deliberately surrender to the Enemy.
3. When adversity is most ready to strike us, God is most ready to strengthen us.
4. The devil is an equal
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Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2008
based on 3 ratings
| 2,950 views
SUNBEAM
This illustration concerns an incident one day when C.S. Lewis was in the tool shed in his garden. He noticed a sunbeam shining across the shed. It was showing up the dust particles. He must have seen the same thing many times before, but this time he was captivated by it.
He traced the
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Contributed by Mark Eberly on Aug 18, 2008
I recently heard a woman talk about how her spiritual mentor gave her explicit instructions to make amends. She didn’t want to do it. Apparently she blew up at a bank teller and was rude and nasty even though it wasn’t the teller’s fault. This woman didn’t want to apologize even though she knew
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Church Of God
Sermon Central