In Sermon Illustrations: "Gifts General"

Just In Case Your Boss Catches You Asleep At Your ...  PRO

Contributed by Brian Mavis on Apr 4, 2001

Just in case your boss catches you asleep at your desk, be ready to blurt out one of these excuses: *They told me at the blood bank that this might happen. *This is just a 15-minute power nap like they raved about in that time management course you sent me to. *I was working smarter - not ...read more

Tags: Leadership General, Stress, Workplace Evangelism, Workplace

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Mark Antony Was Know As The "Silver-Throated ...  PRO

Contributed by Steve Malone on Apr 5, 2001

Mark Antony was know as the "silver-throated orator of Rome." He was a brilliant statesman magnificent in battle, courageous, and strong. And he was handsome. As far as personal qualities are concerned, he could have become a world ruler. But he had a very vulnerable and fatal flaw of moral ...read more

Tags: Temptation Resisting, Sin General, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Writer & Speaker Joni Erickson Tada Was Paralyzed ...  PRO

Contributed by Steve Malone on Apr 5, 2001

Writer & speaker Joni Erickson Tada was paralyzed from the neck down in a diving accident. In her book Secret Strength, Joni wrote about facing temptation. I was in my late 20’s, single, and with every prospect of remaining so. Sometimes lust or a bit of fantasizing would seem so inviting and so ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:18-26, Luke 5:1-7

Tags: Prayer Hardship, Sin General, Temptation Resisting

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

One Of My Favorite Columns By Erma Bombeck Tells ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Apr 22, 2001

One of my favorite columns by Erma Bombeck tells of God in the act of creating mothers. She says that on the day God created mothers He had already worked long overtime. And an angel said to Him, "Lord, you sure are spending a lot of time on this one." The Lord turned & said, "Have you read ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 21:8-14

Tags: Communication General, Commitment, Hypocrite, Pride, Sacrifice  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Miracle Of The Groceries  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 24, 2001

THE MIRACLE OF THE GROCERIES The following is a true story. In 1984, Mike and his family belonged to an East Coast church. One Sunday evening, the sermon was on sacrificial offerings, and a special offering was taken at the end of the sermon. The only money in Mike’s wallet was a $50 bill, ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Giving General, God's Provision

Dr. Karl Menninger, The Famed ...  PRO

Contributed by Larry Sarver on Apr 30, 2001

Illustration: Dr. Karl Menninger, the famed psychiatrist, once said that if he "could convince the patients in psychiatric hospitals that their sins were ...read more

Tags: God's Forgiveness, Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Help Me To Realize That It Was Not The Healthy ...  PRO

Contributed by David Yarbrough on May 7, 2001

Help me to realize that it was not the healthy who reached out to you. They bunched up in crowds, but it was those who suffered greatly who reached out to grasp you. It was the people in the streets, not in the sitting rooms of society that groped for your garment. It was needy people. People ...read more

Tags: God's Provision, Disciplines General, Disciplines Meditation

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Charles Spurgeon Said, "Lives With Many Aims Are ...  PRO

Contributed by Jim Luthy on May 8, 2001

Charles Spurgeon said, "Lives with many aims are like water trickling through innumerable streams, none of which are wide enough or deep enough to float the merest cockleshell of a boat. But a life with one purpose is like a mighty ...read more

Tags: Leadership General, Great Commission, What Is Evangelism?

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Our Prayers Lay The Track Down On Which ...  PRO

Contributed by Mary Lewis on May 10, 2001

Our prayers lay the track down on which God’s power can come. Like a mighty locomotive, his power is irresistible, but it cannot reach us without ...read more

Tags: Prayer Adoration, Prayer General, God's Omnipotence

Denomination: Baptist

Pray The Largest Prayers. You Cannot Think A ...  PRO

Contributed by Mary Lewis on May 10, 2001

Pray the largest prayers. You cannot think a prayer so large that God in answering it, will not wish you had made it larger. Pray not for crutches but for ...read more

Tags: Prayer General, Prayer Of Faith, Prayer Supplication

Denomination: Baptist

The Iron Maiden  PRO

Contributed by Jonathan Lucas on May 11, 2001

The Iron Maiden In Strausbourg, France there is an Iron Maiden that was used for torture during medievel times. Molded into the likness of a beautiful maiden it bore death for those that came within it’s grasp. Outwardly it was appealing, but it was what is inside that is deadly. As a victim ...read more

Tags: Temptation Resisting, Temptation General, Sin Deceptive

Denomination: Pentecostal

James Montgomery Boice Tells Of Lawrence Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Tom Dooley on May 11, 2001

James Montgomery Boice tells of Lawrence of Arabia visiting Paris after World War I with some Arab friends. He showed them around Paris, but what fascinated them most was the faucet in their hotel room. They spent hours turning it on and off; they thought it was wonderful. All they had to do was ...read more

Tags: God's Omnipotence, God's Provision, Prayer General

Denomination: Baptist

Several Years Ago In The Movie Hoosiers, Gene ...  PRO

Contributed by Tom Dooley on May 11, 2001

Several years ago in the movie Hoosiers, Gene Hackman played the part of Norman Dale, a former college coach with a tainted past who was hired to coach a rural high-school basketball team from Hickory, Indiana. Coach Dale leads the team all the way to the state finals. On the day of the ...read more

Tags: Church General, Church Purpose Of, What Is Evangelism?

Denomination: Baptist

Last Year About This Time Our Tennessee Titans ...  PRO

Contributed by Tom Dooley on May 11, 2001

Last year about this time our Tennessee Titans were involved in a heart wrenching defeat in the Super Bowl. All season they had fought back from deficits to win and it appeared as though they were going to pull off another comeback victory over the Rams. Unfortunately they came up about a yard ...read more

Tags: Worship General, Church Practices, God The Father

Denomination: Baptist

I Heard About An 83 Year Old Man The Other Day ...  PRO

Contributed by Tom Dooley on May 14, 2001

I heard about an 83 year old man the other day who had lived his entire life as a bachelor. One day this man gathered his four nephews and announced that he was planning to be married. His nephews were in shock. One spoke up and said, "Uncle are you getting married because this woman is ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 119:41-48

Tags: God's Provision, Marriage General, Becoming A Christian

Denomination: Baptist

A Little Boy Just Got Saved And Sat On A Bench ...  PRO

Contributed by Mike Richardson on May 16, 2001

A little boy just got saved and sat on a bench next to old man who looked upset. The little boy said to the man, "Sir, do you need to get saved?" The man startled said abruptly, "I’ll tell you I’ve been a Deacon in this church for over 30 years and Chairman of Deacons for 15 years." The ...read more

Tags: Apologetics General, Forgiveness For Others, God's Forgiveness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Reported In Usatoday.com On Saturday April 27, ...  PRO

Contributed by Andrew Chan on May 17, 2001

Reported in USATODAY.COM on Saturday April 27, 2001 at FRUITPORT, Mich. (AP) — At the funeral for his wife and infant daughter, an American missionary said he has forgiven the Peruvian pilot who shot down their small plane and said his wife would have done the same. "I’m not bragging about my ...read more

Tags: Giving General, Great Commission, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Refuse Good Advice And Watch Your Plans ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Emmert on May 22, 2001

“Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail; take good counsel and watch them succeed” (Proverbs 3:21). We can say it another way: Heed wise counsel, or watch your hopes be cancelled. The hard won truth of this proverb is evident in an experience that riveted my generation. In January of 1985 ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 1:1

Tags: Leadership General, God's Forgiveness, God's Omniscience

Denomination: United Methodist

You Probably Do Not Remember The Name Nikolai ...  PRO

Contributed by Lynell Friesen on May 24, 2001

You probably do not remember the name Nikolai Ivanovich Bukharin nor should you. But during his day he was as powerful a man as there was on earth. A Russian Communist leader he took part in the Bolshevik Revolution 1917, was editor of the Soviet newspaper Pravda (which by the way means truth), and ...read more

Tags: Apologetics General, Easter Resurrection, Miracles Of Jesus

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

A Confusing Directive Was Recently Issued By A ...  PRO

Contributed by Joel Pankow on May 24, 2001

A confusing directive was recently issued by a British Admiral. It read: “It is necessary for technical reasons, that these warheads be stored bottom-side-up, that is, with the top at the bottom and the bottom at the top. That there be no doubt which is the bottom, and which is the top, each ...read more

Tags: Call Of The Disciples, God's Omniscience, Leadership General

Denomination: Lutheran