In Sermon Illustrations: "Gift"

Entrepreneurs Are Among The Most Generous ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 7, 2008

Entrepreneurs are among the most generous donors, giving 25% more on average to charitable causes than other wealthy people, according to a Bank of America report. Very rich people — those with net assets of more than $50 million — gave 10 times as much on average as those with a net worth of ...read more

For Me The Most Powerful Way To Experience The ...

Contributed by Anne Benefield on Apr 28, 2008

For me the most powerful way to experience the presence of the Spirit is in stories. When I was in seminary, I took a course on the Holy Spirit. The professor required that we write our final paper on one of three documents. I chose the 1978 position paper on the Holy Spirit of the Presbyterian ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit General

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Christ With No ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 23, 2008

CHRIST WITH NO HANDS During World War II, a church building in Strasburg was destroyed. After the bombing, the members surveyed the area to see what damage was done. They were pleased that a statue of Christ with outstretched hands was still standing… because it had been sculpted centuries before ...read more

Tags: Servanthood

In Our Study Group, It Was Mentioned That If ...

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Dec 15, 2008

In our study group, it was mentioned that if someone broke in and stole all the Christmas gifts not to mention the decorations and Christmas ham, then most of us would have a pretty miserable Christmas. Very few of us would get up and see the empty house and walk outside and start singing the ...read more

Tags: Materialism

Denomination: Church Of God

A W Tozer Encouraged People Wanting And Having ...

Contributed by Richard Francis on Jan 31, 2009

A W Tozer encouraged people wanting and having a "personal revival" to be seeking God with ALL of their Heart to consider these two points: 1. Get thoroughly dissatisfied with yourself. Complacency is the deadly enemy of spiritual progress. The contented soul is the stagnant soul. When speaking ...read more

Tags: Revival

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Unknown Inheritances  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2009

UNKNOWN INHERITANCES A Michigan factory worker, earning less than ten thousand dollars a year, was an unknowing heir to a half-million dollars. When located by an investigator some years after his benefactor’s death, the worker explained that he had neither returned home nor kept in touch with his ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:16-17

Tags: God The Father

Fanny Crosby Gained Spiritual Insight From ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 28, 2009

Fanny Crosby Gained Spiritual Insight from Blindness Fanny Crosby was only six weeks old when she developed a minor eye inflammation. It was a simple thing to treat even in 1820, the year she was born. All the doctor had to do was apply some poultices to her eyes with a little medication. Only the ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:7-11

Tags: Gratitude

Prior To Rodger Bannister Running The Mile In ...

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Jan 17, 2010

Prior to Rodger Bannister running the mile in 3’59.4" in 1954 it was believed to be impossible, and that athletes would die in the attempt. The ’four minute barrier’ has since been broken by many athletes, and is now the standard of all professional middle distance runners. In the last 50 years ...read more

Tags: Truth Of Christ

Denomination: Salvation Army

We Are Living In A Time In Which Millions Of ...

Contributed by Antonio Silveira on Jan 30, 2010

We are living in a time in which millions of people are exploring alternatives to traditional Western Medicine. This has been called an “holistic health explosion”. We realize, of course, that traditional Western Medicine is very valuable and, for most of us, when we get sick, it is the first place ...read more

Tags: Blood Of Christ

Denomination: Baptist

Ignorance Of One's ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 27, 2010

Ignorance of One’s Inheritance A Michigan factory worker, earning less than ten thousand dollars a year, was an unknowing heir to a half-million dollars. When located by an investigator some years after his benefactor’s death, the worker explained that he had neither returned home nor kept in touch ...read more

Scripture: John 6:1-13

Tags: Inheritance, Ignorance

Two Kinds Of Giving

Contributed by T D on Dec 28, 2010

TWO KINDS OF GIVING I have witnessed in my years of ministry people come to church and when they do not like a decision of the leadership or the minister, they decide to stop giving as a protest or decide to shift their giving to missions in order to inflict pain on the ministry of the church. ...read more

Tags: Giving General

Denomination: Evangelical Free

The Prayer Police

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 16, 2011

THE PRAYER POLICE A little over 3 years ago, a group of students at an Alabama high school recited the Lord’s Prayer together in the lunchroom, which prompted a suit by the parents of another student. In response, Judge Ira Dement, on October 29, 1997, termed the action "religiously based ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:11-16

Tags: Persecution

The Next Billy Graham

Contributed by Tim Hinrichs on Feb 7, 2012

THE NEXT BILLY GRAHAM Baptist author and leader Russell Moore said recently: "The next Jonathan Edwards might be the man driving in front of you with the Darwin Fish bumper decal. The next Charles Wesley might be a ... profanity-spewing hip-hop artist right now. The next Billy Graham might be ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Denomination: Lutheran

Knowledge By Revelation

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Apr 15, 2012

KNOWLEDGE BY REVELATION Dr. Nichols states, "There must be a difference between the knowledge that comes from the gathering of information, and that which comes by revelation. The Pharisees and Sadducees had the best information anyone could have in their day. If you asked them, they would tell ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Working Hard To Earn Salvation

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 21, 2012

WORKING HARD TO EARN SALVATION United Methodist Bishop Reuben Job writes, "If we are just good enough, do enough, deny ourselves enough, we will be forgiven, redeemed, and reconciled to God. Following this path brings no peace, assurance, or sense of companionship with God. Rather than asking ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Methodist

The Debt Is Paid

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

Main Idea: Because of our sin, we owe a great debt that is impossible to pay, but Jesus paid the debt. Verse: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23 NKJV). Illustration: One time I was buying a sandwich at a store and I did not ...read more

Tags: Wages Of Sin, Jesus Paid Our Debt, Debt Is Paid, Sin

Denomination: Charismatic

It's Too Late To Do Anything!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Dec 8, 2020

Here is an illustration of these two basic approaches to righteousness: SAVIOR or SELF? An Englishman by the name of Ebenezer Wooten had just concluded a preaching service in the village square. The crowd had dispersed, and he was busily engaged in loading the equipment. A young man approached ...read more

Scripture: Titus 3:5, Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: Salvation, Righteousness, Witnessing, Works, Grace  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Does It Mean To Have Joy?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 2, 2023

Joy is God’s gift to believers. Paul speaks of more than just a mood. This is a deep confidence that was rooted in God’s sovereign control of the universe, His on unchanging divine promises and eternal spiritual realities including the assurance of ultimate victory for those in ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:19-22, Philippians 4:4

Tags: Spirit Filled Life, Happiness, Joy, Fruit Of The Spirit

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Helping Others

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Apr 12, 2024

John Chrysostom once preached a message which said, “It is foolishness and a public madness, to fill cupboards with clothing and allow men who are created in God’s image and our likeness to stand naked and trembling with the cold so that they can hardly hold themselves upright… You are large and ...read more

Scripture: John 3:17-18

Tags: Giving, Need, Helping

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Road Of Life

Contributed by David Selleck on Oct 26, 2006

"The Road of Life" Author Unknown At first, I saw Jesus Christ as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die. He was out there sort of like a president. I recognized His picture when I saw it, but I really didn’t know ...read more

Denomination: Methodist