In Sermon Illustrations: "Gifts General"

A Man Decided To Join A Monastery And One Of The ...  PRO

Contributed by David Dewitt on Aug 25, 2002

A man decided to join a monastery and one of the rules of the group was that you were only allowed to speak two words every ten years. At the end of ten years he said, "Bad food!" Ten more years went by and he said, "Hard bed!" Finally, on his 30th anniversary with the brothers, he ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:29

Tags: Communication General, Disappointment, Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Church Of God

The Familiar Orange Box And The Slogan "The ...  PRO

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Aug 29, 2002

The familiar orange box and the slogan "The Breakfast of Champions" have become more than just advertising symbols. They have become a metaphor for sports greatness and success. Many athletes, at the pinnacle of their success, have shared their childhood dreams about someday joining the legends who ...read more

Tags: Prize, Leadership General, Finding Fulfillment

Denomination: United Methodist

Dallas Willard, Professor At The University Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Gary Bordelon on Sep 21, 2002

Dallas Willard, professor at the University of Southern California’s School of Philosophy, offers this observation about the church - "By the middle of this [twentieth] century, [the church] had lost any recognized, reasonable, theologically and pychologically sound approach to ...read more

Tags: Church General, Discipleship, Growth In Christ

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

At Last I Understood: In The Final Analysis, ...  PRO

Contributed by Mike Wilkins on Sep 23, 2002

"At last I understood: in the final analysis, forgiveness is an act of faith. By forgiving another, I am trusting that God is a better justice-maker than I am. By forgiving, I release my own right to get even and leave all issues of fairness for God to work out. I leave in God’s ...read more

Scripture: Luke 17:3-5

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness General, Forgiveness

Denomination: *other

The Wrong Horse  PRO

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Sep 24, 2002

THE WRONG HORSE Two Kentucky farmers who owned racing stables had developed a keen rivalry. One spring, each of them entered a horse in a local steeplechase. Thinking that a professional rider might help him outdo his friend, one of the farmers engaged a crack jockey. The two horses were ...read more

Tags: Repentance, Sin General, Basics Of Christianity

Denomination: United Methodist

Too Smart For Hell  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 6, 2002

TOO SMART FOR HELL According to U.S. News & World Report, 78% believed in Heaven and believed they were going there. Only 60% believed in Hell, but only 4% believed they were going there. In the same article, the Rev. Mary Kraus observed "My congregation would be stunned to hear a sermon on ...read more

Tags: Second Coming, Hell, Apologetics General

Ted Turner On Hell  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 6, 2002

TED TURNER ON HELL Ted Turner, founder of Turner Broadcasting (TBS,TNT,CNN) blasted the Christian faith at a speech to the National Press Club. "Remember, heaven is going to be perfect. And I don’t really want to be there... Those of us that go to hell, which will be most of us in this room, most ...read more

Tags: God's Forgiveness, Hell, Sin General

D. Dave Thomas, Founder Of Wendy's Hamburgers, ...  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Oct 15, 2002

D. Dave Thomas, Founder of Wendy’s Hamburgers, “I got my MBA long before my GED. I even have a photograph of me in my MBA graduation outfit; a snazzy kneelength work apron. I guarantee you that I’m the only founder among America’s big companies whose picture in the corporate annual report shows ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General, Humility, Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Old Man And The Gulls  PRO

Contributed by Dan Cormie on Oct 25, 2002

THE OLD MAN AND THE GULLS It is gratitude that prompted an old man to visit an old broken pier on the eastern seacoast of Florida. Every Friday night, until his death in 1973, he would return, walking slowly and slightly stooped with a large bucket of shrimp. The sea gulls would flock to this old ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 16:11-18

Tags: Giving General, Thanksgiving Holiday, Joy

Denomination: Mennonite

Chris Seay, A Us Pastor Writing In Leadership ...  PRO

Contributed by Andrew Hamilton on Oct 25, 2002

Chris Seay, a US pastor writing in Leadership magazine – a journal for pastors, says “One of our greatest obstacles is that the people we refer to as "the lost" may be more spiritual than most of us pastors. It is difficult to teach spiritual disciplines of prayer, study, and ...read more

Tags: Cults, Disciplines General, Evangelism How To

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Accepting The Marginal  PRO

Contributed by Andrew Hamilton on Oct 26, 2002

ACCEPTING THE MARGINAL In speaking to church leaders Dallas Willard says “The leading assumption in the American church today – and the Australian one I’ll add – is that you can be a Christian but not a disciple. That has placed a tremendous burden on a mass of Christians who are not disciples. ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ, Church General, Discipleship

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

The Lady Must Have Been Desperate. She Decided ...  PRO

Contributed by Eloy Gonzalez on Oct 26, 2002

The lady must have been desperate. She decided to write a letter to Dear Abby. Her letter reads: Dear Abby, I am 44 and would like to meet a man my age with no bad habits. She signed her name, “Rose.” Abby replies: “Dear Rose: So would I.” There’s more truth to Abby’s answer than her typical ...read more

Tags: Sin General, Temptation Pride, Humility

Denomination: Lutheran

Finding The Kingdom Of God  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 28, 2002

FINDING THE KINGDOM OF GOD "In ’A Confession,’ Leo Tolstoy relates how the drive toward goodness that moved him as a boy was erased by his experiences in society. Later in life, after overwhelming success as a writer, he nevertheless sank into a psychological paralysis brought on by his vision of ...read more

Tags: Supernatural, Parable General, Kingdom Of God

A Woman Took Her Husband To The Doctor's ...  PRO

Contributed by Larry Brincefield on Oct 29, 2002

A woman took her husband to the doctor’s office. After his checkup, the doctor said, "Your husband is suffering from a very serious infection." The husband, who was hard of hearing said, "What did he say?" His wife said, "He says your sick". The doctor went on. "But there is hope. You just ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:7, 1 Peter 3:7

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Relationships, Marriage General

Denomination: Nazarene

Sodium Is An Extremely Active Element Found ...  PRO

Contributed by Steven Platt on Nov 1, 2002

Sodium is an extremely active element found naturally only in combined form; it always links itself to another element. Chlorine, on the other hand, is the poisonous gas that gives bleach its offensive odor. When sodium and chlorine are combined, the result is sodium chloride - common table salt ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:15, Ephesians 4:15

Tags: Apologetics General, Christian Values, Truth

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Waiting For God Is Not Laziness. Waiting For God ...  PRO

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Nov 11, 2002

Waiting for God is not laziness. Waiting for God is not going to sleep. Waiting for God is not the abandonment of effort. Waiting for God means, first, activity under command; second, readiness for any new command that may come; ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 40:27-31

Tags: Wait, Disciplines General, God's Provision

Denomination: Baptist

Spurgeon Wrote, "I Am Bound To The Doctrine Of ...

Contributed by Joel Preston on Nov 15, 2002

Spurgeon wrote, “I am bound to the doctrine of the depravity of the human heart, because I find myself depraved in heart, and have daily proofs ...read more

Tags: Sin Fall Of Man, Sin General

Denomination: Baptist

According To A Recent Poll] 88% Of Catholics And ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Oct 18, 2000

[According to a recent poll] 88% of Catholics and a majority of Presbyterian and Methodist evangelizers [those who actively try to share their "faith"] believe that "if people are generally good, or do enough good things for others during their lives, they ...read more

Tags: Faith General, Faith Vs. Works

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The New Life Is An Uncomfortable Fit (At First)

Contributed by Steve Malone on Nov 19, 2002

The New Life Is An Uncomfortable Fit (at first) YOU SEE - we are like Mark Twains Huckleberry Finn - the young and wild hillbilly boy – who the widow Douglas took into her home and tried to civilize… Got him to bath, dressed him in nice clothes, sent him to school… Huck can’t take it – so ...read more

Tags: Disciplines General, Discipleship, Growth In Christ

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The N.t. Never Says That A Man Is Saved On ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Jun 11, 2001

The N.T. never says that a man is saved on account of his faith, but always that he is saved through his faith, or by means of his faith; faith is merely the means which the Holy Spirit uses to apply to the individual soul ...read more

Tags: Faith Vs. Works, Faith General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational