In Sermon Illustrations: "Genesis 1 1 2 4a"

The Poor Are Much Greater Givers Than The Rich. ...  PRO

Contributed by Lynn Malone on Nov 3, 2005

The poor are much greater givers than the rich. Did you know that? According to U.S. News and World Report, the poorest households in America gave 5.5% of their income to charity last year. The wealthiest households gave only 2.9%. According to the magazine Confident Living, ...read more

Tags: Giving General

Denomination: Methodist

Pornography Revenues Now Exceed The Combined ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 6, 2006

Pornography revenues now exceed the combined revenues of Coca-Cola and McDonnell Douglas. ’96 porn video sales & rental profits were $4.2 billion. Americans spend more money at strip clubs than at Broadway, off-Broadway, regional and nonprofit theaters; at the opera, the ballet, ...read more

Tags: Addiction

Fewer Protestants: A University Of Chicago Survey ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2006

Fewer Protestants: A University of Chicago survey shows U.S. Protestants are now 52% of the population, down from 62% in ‘93, and may no longer be the nation’s largest religious group by year’s end. The 52% included about 2% of respondents who said they were Church ...read more

Tags: Church General

American Religion: Gallup's ‘04 Data Shows More ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2006

American Religion: Gallup’s ‘04 data shows more than 8 in 10 Americans identify with a Christian religion, 24% Catholic, 50% Protestant, and 10% as some other form of Christianity. It also indicates 9% have no religious preference, and another 2% don’t answer the question, leaving 5% ...read more

Tags: Church General

Volunteers Down

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2008

VOLUNTEERS DOWN In ’06 more than 61 million Americans donated their time to charity, the fewest since ’02, and down 4.4 million from ’05, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Experts note volunteering spiked after 9/11/01 and Hurricane Katrina may have played a role in that it wiped out ...read more

Tags: Servanthood

Big Idea Productions' Parent Classic Media ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2008

Big Idea Productions' parent Classic Media Holdings, Inc. has been acquired by U.K.-based Entertainment Rights, owner of rights to many characters, including Fat Albert & the Cosby Kids, Postman Pat, and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. VeggieTales officials say the organization has a ...read more

Tags: Television And Movies

Heroes And ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 13, 2009

HEROES AND ROLE-MODELS British adults were asked who they would want their children to look up to in an Opinion Research poll. Family members topped the list, followed by multi-millionaire entrepreneur and daredevil Richard Branson. Jesus Christ came in 3rd in the ...read more

Tags: Parenting

Steps Of Bible Study

Contributed by Jim Kane on Feb 27, 2010

STEPS OF BIBLE STUDY Bible study starts with Observation: What does it say? Then we move on to step 2 with Interpretation: What does it mean? Then we move on to step 3 with Correlation: How does it fit with the Bible as a whole? Finally, we end with Application: How do I use it in my life? ...read more

Tags: Bible Study

Denomination: Church Of God

God Works In Tranquility

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 13, 2010

GOD WORKS IN TRANQUILITY Fuss and feverishness, anxiety, intensity, intolerance, instability, pessimism and wobble, and every kind of hurry and worry--these, even on the highest levels, are signs of the self-made and self-acting soul; the spiritual parvenu. The saints are never like that. They ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7

Tags: Anxiety

Remission

Contributed by Lou Butterfield on Sep 5, 2011

REMISSION While a graduate student at Indiana University and also serving as youth minister at the North Central church in Bloomington, I had an experience I will never forget. I woke up early on this particular Sunday morning to get to the building in time to drive one of the church buses to ...read more

Tags: Born Again

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Another Celebration In The Bank

Contributed by James Snyder on Feb 11, 2023

This month The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and I celebrate the 52nd anniversary of our engagement. In August, it’ll be the 52nd anniversary of our wedding. I can’t believe we have been together for 52 years. But, alas, here it is. I first met her in September of 1970 when I went to Bible ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6

Tags: Marriage, Celebration, Anniversary

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

These Shepherds Were Symbolic Of Jesus Christ The ...  PRO

Contributed by Frank Gallagher on Sep 13, 2001

These shepherds were symbolic of Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd, who would also humbly follow God’s will. Their sheep represent us as believers, in several ways: - Sheep cannot clean themselves. Some animals such as a cat can do that, but not sheep. Likewise, we as unbelievers were not able to ...read more

Tags: Jesus Teachings

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Martyn Lloyd-Jones On ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 22, 2010

Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Sin We tend to think of sin as we see it in rags and in the gutters of life. We look at a drunkard, poor fellow, and we say, there is sin. But that is not the essence of sin. To have a real picture and a true understanding of sin, you must look at some great saint, some ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1

Tags: Sin General, Depravity Of Man

You Can't See It, Hear It, Or Touch It, But Scent ...

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Apr 7, 2010

You can’t see it, hear it, or touch it, but scent is powerful. The smell of things like crayons, petunias, and colognes evoke memories that transport me to the past and bring to mind people and places I might not otherwise recall. Some celebrities have fragrances named after them. Fans can ...read more

Tags: Scent, Christian Values

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Limited Understanding

Contributed by Bret Toman on Jan 4, 2011

LIMITED UNDERSTANDING Suppose I take my 2 year old to the doctor and he gets a shot in the arm and it really hurts. He doesn’t understand that the shot is to help him get better. All he knows is that shot hurt. And daddy just stood there. Doesn’t dad know how bad a shot hurts? Was he unable to ...read more

Tags: Humility

Denomination: Baptist

Power For Holy Living

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jun 30, 2014

Ludwig Nommensen traveled to begin mission work with a tribe in southeast Asia. The village chief welcomed Ludwig and said, "You have 2 years to learn our customs and convince us you have a message worth hearing." After 2 years, the tribal leader asked the missionary how Christianity differs from ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-47

Tags: Holy Spirit, Law, Holy Living

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Gun Laws

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Mar 18, 2018

Gun Laws Laws - "are sent by Him to punish those who do wrong and commend those who do right." 2 Peter 2:14 - Keeping this truth in the context of guns. Nothing wrong with making sure there are laws which make it hard for wicked or mentally ill people from getting guns. Those (mentally ill or ...read more

Tags: Gun Laws, Guns, Laws

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Contentious Spirit - Speaking Strife

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Feb 11, 2025

Here’s a fun fact: You don’t actually have to correct someone when they’re wrong. Shocking, I know! There’s no official appointment letter naming you Earth’s Guardian of Truth and Accuracy. (If there is, it probably got lost in the mail.) Sometimes, it’s okay to just let it go—yes, even if they ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 21:9, Proverbs 26:21

Tags: Contentious, Strife, Contentious Spirit

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Mom Managers: The First-Ever State Of The Home ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2006

Mom Managers: The first-ever State of the Home survey from Whirlpool Home Appliances finds 40% say they run their home like a business, with 58% keeping to-do lists at home for themselves. The tasks most often delegated to other family members include cleaning bathrooms (65%), doing dishes (62%), ...read more

Tags: Women

Bible Reading Up: New Barna Research Reports 44% ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2006

Bible Reading Up: New Barna Research reports 44% of adults read the Bible in the previous week (other than while at church), up from 37% in ‘94 and 36% in ‘99. Bible reading jumped most among Protestants (up from 47% in ‘94 to 59% in ‘04) and residents of the west coast ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence