In Sermon Illustrations: "Genesis 28 10 19a"

Worthless Slaves

Contributed by Gregg Bitter on Aug 16, 2009

WORTHLESS SLAVES Rewards from God are never merited as something God owes us but come as a free gift from his grace. Jesus brought this home at another time with a short story. Suppose you had a slave plowing the fields. Now when that slave came in, would you say, "Sit down and I’ll get you some ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Lutheran

Faithfulness In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 19, 2009

Faithfulness in Battle John Wesley once said: "Give me a hundred men who love nothing but God and hate nothing but sin, and I will shake the whole world for Christ." It doesn’t take many… but it does take someone who decides to be faithful. In December 1944, the German army launched an unexpected ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:12

Tags: War, Snow

Battle Dress For Spiritual ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 26, 2009

Battle Dress for Spiritual Warfare Marine recruits were each issued a service bag filled with clothing, in addition to a rifle, a cartridge belt, a bayonet, and a heavy steel helmet. Since those just arriving on base did not know how to care for themselves, recruits were also issued basic supplies ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:13-18

Tags: Spiritual Warfare, War

When To Relax And When To Struggle  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 26, 2009

WHEN TO RELAX AND WHEN TO STRUGGLE Author Sam Keen, in his provocative little book called Apology for Wonder, tells us the lesson he learned as young boy swimming in the Indian River inlet on the Delaware coast. Keen says that swimming there was very tricky, because the outgoing waters from the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:38-42

Tags: Anxiety

Bride-To-Be Hosts A Banquet For ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 10, 2009

Bride-to-Be Hosts a Banquet for Homeless Philip Yancey told the story of the woman who was getting married and planned a huge wedding banquet. It was going to held at the Hyatt Hotel and cost $13,000. After everything had been planned and paid for the groom dumped her. When she tried to cancel she ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Tags: Compassion

Minister Runs Ad In Local Paper To Invite ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 8, 2009

Minister Runs Ad in Local Paper to Invite Straying Sheep Back into the Fold A few years ago I was reading a book by Stephen Gaukroger. He tells the story of a New York Methodist minister who saw the need to bring his ‘ninety nine righteous’ sheep back into the fold. He put an advert in the local ...read more

Scripture: John 10:1-18

Tags: Parable Lost Sheep

Fasting Together: The Minnesota Grasshopper ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 4, 2010

FASTING TOGETHER: THE MINNESOTA GRASSHOPPER SWARM In Minnesota, during the summer of 1876, there was a swarm of grasshoppers destroying the crops. There was a fear that the grasshoppers would return, so Governor John S. Pillsbury proclaimed a day of prayer and fasting on April 26, 1877, urging ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 58:1-14

Tags: Fast

One Report States That Kids Are Media ...

Contributed by Jeremy Lane on May 15, 2010

One report states that kids are media multi-tasking 29% of the time 31% of kids say they multi-task while doing homework 8-18 year olds are exposed to 7 hours 38 minutes of media per day (with multi-tasking, turns into a total of 10 hours 45 minutes per day) 15-18 year olds spend 1 hour 51 ...read more

Tags: Media, Workplace Balance

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Pride And Peril: The Art Forger

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 6, 2011

PRIDE AND PERIL: THE ART FORGER Yesterday I was reading about a man called Han van Meegeren who was a Dutch artist and an extremely talented ART FORGER. He forged some of the world’s most famous paintings so well that the best art critics and art experts of his time thought his paintings were ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 16:18

Tags: Art

Famous People

Contributed by Tim Hinrichs on Jun 8, 2011

FAMOUS PEOPLE Do you know anyone famous? Maybe relatives or ancestors who did something incredible? Once I worked part time at a luxury condo in Minneapolis as a security guard letting residents in and out of the complex. One late night a man entered whom I didn't recognize. As he began walking ...read more

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Lutheran

How To Be A Servant  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2011

HOW TO BE A SERVANT You need to answer a very important question this morning. Are you more interested in being served or being a servant? A first grade teacher asked her students, "What do you do to help at home?" One little girl said, "I dry the dishes." One of the boys said, "I sweep the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:20-28

Tags: Servanthood

Lessons From A Banana Tree

Contributed by Michael Walther on Aug 8, 2011

LESSONS FROM A BANANA TREE I once learned an interesting lessons from a retired pastor who grew banana trees in his backyard. Bananas will grow in our hot and humid Southern Illinois summers. But the season isn't long enough for them to produce much fruit. Some people tried to overcome this by ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Lutheran

Perfect Day For Evil

Contributed by Brad Henry on Sep 13, 2011

PERFECT DAY FOR EVIL As I gave the opening prayer at Charlotte Motor Speedway to Honor 9/11, I met this man in a Fireman’s’ uniform with a New York accent. The Speedway had flown in three men who had been First Responders that day 10 years ago. This man gave me a chilling account of his day. His ...read more

Tags: Holidays Civic

Where Was God On 9/11?

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 13, 2012

WHERE WAS GOD ON 9/11? In his article, "Ten Years Later", R.C. Sproul said: "A full decade has passed since America suffered the tragedy of 9/11. Ten years ago, I repeatedly heard the question raised: 'Where was God in all of this? Where was God on 9/11 when the planes crashed into the twin towers ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 20:6-9, 2 Chronicles 20:15-17

Tags: God In The Hardships

The Spirit Of Poverty

Contributed by Charles Jones on Jun 30, 2012

THE SPIRIT OF POVERTY If: You justify your lack and make excuses. You are afraid to give under the direction of the Holy Spirit. You govern your finances with a lack of trust and don't believe God is your source. Your are suspicious that those around you may take your money. When things ...read more

Tags: Poverty

Denomination: Pentecostal

Model Kylie Bisutti, 21, Has Decided To Leave ...

Contributed by Gene Gregory on Aug 27, 2012

Model Kylie Bisutti, 21, has decided to leave Victoria’s Secret because it clashes with her Christian beliefs. “I just became so convicted of honoring the Lord and my body and wanting to be a role model for other women out there who look up to me,” Bisutti said today on “Good Morning ...read more

Tags: Conscience

Denomination: Baptist

Fallen World

Contributed by Tim White on Feb 15, 2013

FALLEN WORLD Crime rate, growth in atrocities of crime, world tension, wars (and as the Bible predicted, rumors of wars), growth and mutation of illnesses, viruses and diseases. Our great grandparents had not concept of Aids. Our nation’s founders never heart of Ebola, the flesh eating disease. ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence, Sin Fall Of Man

Denomination: Baptist

Why God?

Contributed by Larry Turner on Feb 8, 2016

Why God? God, why did this happen, Questions my soul needs to know. If you really love me Why am I hurting so? Why did you let it happen? The power is in your hand. Why did you not stop it? Please help me understand. I know it’s for a purpose. I have to figure out What is your reason. Please help ...read more

Scripture: Job 10:1-3

Tags: Struggles, Life Struggles, Questioning God, Reason For Suffering, Understanding God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Foursquare

This Was The Second Time That Someone Has Died For Me

Contributed by Tim Smith on Aug 13, 2017

James Harnish tells the story of a woman in Tampa who probably received the best Christmas present of anyone. It came the week before Christmas. In August she had been diagnosed with severe cardiomyopathy, a rare heart disorder which causes the muscels of the heart to become inflexible. In fact, ...read more

Scripture: Titus 3:4

Tags: Best Christmas Gift, Dying, Jesus Death

Denomination: Methodist

The Snake With A Flat Head

Contributed by Daniel King, D. Min. on Jul 25, 2018

Main Idea: Jesus defeated the devil and all the devil’s power is gone. Verse: “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19 NKJV). Illustration: A snake came into my living room. ...read more

Tags: Power And Authority, Power Over Satan, Satan Defeated

Denomination: Charismatic