In Sermon Illustrations: "God Is In Control"

Mr. Coffee Gets His Mug ...

Contributed by Eric Ferguson on Jun 3, 2008

Mr. Coffee Gets His Mug Money THIS COFFEE "MUG" WORTH $15.6 MILLION TO ITS OWNER SAN FRANCISCO -- When it comes to coffee, Russell Christoff is more of a fresh-brewed than a freeze-dried kind of guy. So he never scrutinized the Taster’s Choice label. When he finally did, he was staring back at ...read more

Tags: Workplace Integrity

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Grasping Your Place Greet One ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Grasping Your Place Greet One Another A Necessity in Corporate Worship Christians who get the most out of congregational worship services have learned the joy of greeting their brothers and sisters in Christ. At least four times in the New Testament Christians are told to “Greet one ...read more

Scripture: Romans 16:16

Tags: Worship Purpose

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The White Stone

Contributed by David Moore on Aug 29, 2008

The White Stone The overcomers at Pergamos were given a white stone, and in the stone a new name written.The people of Pergamos were familiar with a number of customs involving the use of a white stone. They used a voters urn in which if you approved of a candidate you placed a white stone bearing ...read more

Tags: Christian Witness

Denomination: Baptist

In His Book, Building A Contagious Church, Mark ...

Contributed by Dr. George Calhoun on Oct 20, 2008

In his book, Building a Contagious Church, Mark Mittleberg asks us to join him in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. As you walk up to the large arena, you see a mass of young people in line for a concert. The headline act is shock-rockeer Marilyn Manson (named after Marilyn Monroe and mass murderer ...read more

Tags: Outreach

Denomination: Baptist

Actions Speak Louder  PRO

Contributed by Tim Smith on Dec 10, 2008

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER Andy Stanley tells the story of when he was 13 and learning the meaning of the phrase, "Actions speak louder than words." His dad was the Associate Pastor of First Baptist in Atlanta when the senior pastor was asked to resign. Charles Stanley was asked to preach on Sundays ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:12-23

Tags: Character

Denomination: Methodist

Vesuvius: Check The Map

Contributed by Rob O'neal on Jul 7, 2009

VESUVIUS: CHECK THE MAP The people of the ancient Roman city of Herculaneum lived at the bottom of a mountain. They loved the mountain, because they believed it was a place where gods dwelt. The land was fertile, and the harbor was good, so the city prospered and grew. Then in 62 and 63 AD, ...read more

Tags: Security

Denomination: Congregational

A Forever Family

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 10, 2009

A FOREVER FAMILY Author Keith Miller tells of an outgoing 40-year-old woman who was part of a sharing group he led. Here is her story: "When I was a tiny little girl, my parents died and I was put in an orphanage. I was not pretty at all and no one seemed to want me. But I longed to be adopted ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-14

Tags: Adoption

Persecution In Uganda, Story Of Kefa ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 2, 2009

Persecution in Uganda, Story of Kefa Sempangi Kefa Sempangi (whose story is told in the book A Distant Grief, Regal Books) was a national pastor in Africa and barely escaped with his family from brutal oppression and terror in his home country of Uganda. They made their way to Philadelphia, where ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 10:16-24

Tags: Persecution

Neil Armstrong And Buzz Aldrin Were The First Men ...

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Nov 2, 2009

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first men to walk on the moon in the Apollo 11 space mission. Michael Collins third member of the group, was in charge of the command module, essential for their return to earth, which circled the moon while Armstrong and Aldrin landed. The moon lander ...read more

Tags: Lord's Supper

Denomination: Baptist

Integrity In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 11, 2009

Integrity in Sports Joseph’s family was certainly blessed because of his Integrity. And yours will be as well! In the end, the greatest success story of Joseph is certainly not his secular achievements as second in command in Egypt. His greatest achievement is his single-mindedness to follow, to ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 20:7

Tags: Character

A U.s. Volunteer Nurse Does What She Can In Haiti ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 28, 2010

A U.S. Volunteer Nurse Does What She Can In Haiti After an Earthquake John Wesley had this for his rule of life: Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can. We ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:14

Tags: Compassion

I've Been Reading A Book By Francine Rivers ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Mar 31, 2010

I've been reading a book by Francine Rivers lately about an old woman called Leota who loves the Lord and has an amazing impact upon the lives of other people in her life, yet is rejected and hated by her own daughter, Eleanor. Throughout the book there seems to be NO HOPE for this estranged ...read more

Tags: Miracles Of Jesus, Confidence In Prayer

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Was Talking To A Man On Friday About Our ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on May 17, 2010

I was talking to a man on Friday about our Church. He said he didn’t like our way of doing Church. I asked him what he meant and he said that he could not see how a Church could have a band out the front and what appeared to him to be a concert going on and so many people. He said "That’s not my ...read more

Tags: Finances, Sharing Your Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Not Everything Is Gone

Contributed by Tammy Garrison on Jul 14, 2010

NOT EVERYTHING IS GONE As I was putting this message together his past Monday evening, I got a phone call. It was the police department. I serve as one of their chaplains, and they called me to respond to a house fire. A woman was found dead inside, and her husband had just arrived on the scene, ...read more

Tags: Hardship Of Life

Denomination: Methodist

The Coat Of Christ  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

THE COAT OF CHRIST Many years ago, an evangelist by the name of Jakov arrived at a village in Serbia. He met an elderly man there named Cimmerman, and Jakov began to talk to him of the love of Christ. Cimmerman abruptly interrupted Jakov and told him that he wished to have nothing to do with ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:14-16, Romans 5:5-11

Tags: Christian Witness

The Bouquet Of Love

Contributed by Jimmy Haile on Nov 23, 2010

THE BOUQUET OF LOVE In A Second Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Rev. John R. Ramsey tells how in one church a certain person provided him with a rose boutonniere for the lapel of his suit every Sunday. At first he really appreciated it but then it sort of became routine. Then one Sunday it ...read more

Tags: Gratitude

Denomination: Baptist

Response To Hurting People  PRO

Contributed by Bret Toman on Jan 3, 2011

RESPONSE TO HURTING PEOPLE In his book Soul Talk, Larry Crabb writes: "Which is worse? A church program to build community that doesn’t get off the ground or one person sitting every Sunday in the back of the church who remains unknown? A Sunday school class that once drew hundreds but has now ...read more

Tags: Unity

Denomination: Baptist

The Angel And Anthony Burger

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Mar 22, 2011

THE ANGEL AND ANTHONY BURGER Anthony Burger died at age 44. Many feel that he is the finest gospel pianist that ever lived. He spent the last ten years playing for the Gaither Vocal Band. He last played on a cruise ship. Fifteen hundred people were on the cruise, vacationing during the day, and ...read more

Tags: Death

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Use What Is There  PRO

Contributed by Amiri Hooker on Mar 22, 2011

USE WHAT IS THERE My son Omri is large, extremely smart and very active. He has not met a tree or roof that he has not at least mentally pondered climbing. Omri's teacher runs up to me the other day and says, "Your son almost made me lose my mind, my religion and my job." This is not unusual, so I ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 8:8

Tags: Encouragement

Denomination: United Methodist

Helping The Fallen

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 25, 2011

HELPING THE FALLEN One of the most touching moments in NBA history took place in a 2003 playoff game between the Portland Trailblazers and the Dallas Mavericks. Actually, it happened before the game began. Natalie Gilbert was a 13-year-old 8th grader who had won the chance to sing the national ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 2:5-11

Tags: Encouragement