In Sermon Illustrations: "God Power Restraint"

How Badly Do You Want It?

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Sep 14, 2008

How Badly Do You Want It? In pursuing a righteous goal, Les Brown said: "If you want a thing bad enough to go out and fight for it, to work day and night for it, to give up your time, your peace, and your sleep for it … if all that you dream and scheme is about it, and life seems useless and ...read more

Tags: Goals

Denomination: Other

I Want My Dollar  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 9, 2008

I Want my Dollar A Redneck buys a ticket and wins the lottery. He goes to Austin to claim it and the man verifies his ticket number. The Redneck says, ''I want my $20 million.'' The man replied, ''No, sir. It doesn't work that way. We will give you a million today and then you'll get the rest ...read more

Tags: Gratitude

Love As Evangelism

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 9, 2008

Love as Evangelism When Henry Stanley went out in 1871 and found Dr. Livingstone, (remember: "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?") he spent some months in his company, but Livingstone never spoke to Stanley about spiritual things. Throughout those months Stanley just watched the old man. Livingstone’s ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

We Live In A World Where The Truth Is Often ...

Contributed by Chris Surber on Oct 16, 2008

We live in a world where the truth is often elusive, like shifting sand. Just west of Yuma, Arizona lay the imperial sand dunes. This is a system extends for more than 40 miles along the eastern edge of the Imperial Valley agricultural region. The dunes are really interesting phenomena of that ...read more

Tags: Security

Denomination: Christian Church

Fair-Weather Christians  PRO

Contributed by Robert Leroe on Dec 9, 2008

FAIR-WEATHER CHRISTIANS During the American Revolution, farmers who joined the Continental Army during the spring and summer went AWOL in the fall and winter. They were known as "summer soldiers". They signed up with the Army after their crops were planted, they fought the British over the ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Congregational

Despair And Depression—the News  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2008

DESPAIR AND DEPRESSION--THE NEWS Max Lucado, pastor and author describes the topic title best when he speaks of having "doubt storms". He said, "Sometimes the storm comes after the evening news. Some nights I wonder why I watch it. Some nights it's just too much. From the steps of the Supreme ...read more

Tags: Encouragement

Depression Antidote

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2008

DEPRESSION ANTIDOTE Pastor and author Warren Wiersbe draws our attention to the 51 references of the writer (psalmist) to himself, his interests, desires, feelings, questions and plans. Wiersbe advises that a healthy antidote to depression is to stop looking at self and look at God; second, to ...read more

Tags: Encouragement

C.s. Lewis, In His Essay "The Law Of Human ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 27, 2008

C.S. Lewis, in his essay "The Law of Human Nature," said, "Whenever you find a man who says he does not believe in a real Right and Wrong, you will find the same man going back on this a moment later. He may break his promise to you, but if you try breaking one to him he will be complaining "It's ...read more

Tags: Basics Of Christianity

Opening Illustration: Show The Wine Skin – ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jan 7, 2009

Opening Illustration: Show the wine skin – explain the meaning of Jesus teaching here to the church. The teaching is simple – you cannot put new wine in to old wineskins because the old worn out skins will burst and the new wine will be lost. Instead there needs to be new wine and a new skin to ...read more

Tags: New Year's Day

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Wesley And Criticism  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 26, 2009

WESLEY AND CRITICISM John Wesley was a great English preacher of the 1700’s. He was considered a rather spiffy dresser. One Sunday morning he wore a bow tie that had long ribbons that hung downward. After the sermon was over a lady walked up to him and said, "Brother Wesley, are you open to some ...read more

Tags: Complaining

What A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 7, 2009

WHAT A COINCIDENCE... A man was out on walk when he saw another man about to throw himself from a bridge into the river. He ran over to save him. "Why do you want to kill yourself?" the man asked. "I’ve nothing to live for." "Don’t you believe in God?" "Yes I do." "What a coincidence--so do I! ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:4-6

Tags: Unity, Unity In Christ

The Noted Historian And Oxford Professor Thomas ...

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Apr 13, 2009

The noted historian and Oxford professor Thomas Arnold wrote: "The evidence for our Lord’s life and death and resurrection may be, and often has been, shown to be satisfactory; it is good according to the common rules for distinguishing good evidence from bad. Thousands and tens of thousands of ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Denomination: Other

How's My Driving?

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Apr 28, 2009

HOW'S MY DRIVING? A lot of trucks have a sticker on the back that says, "How’s my driving? Call xxx-xxxx to report." This is supposed to make the driver accountable. In Ireland, most people drive very, very courteously. They have roundabouts instead of lights (they do have some lights) where ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

Denomination: Church Of God

Why The Dead ...

Contributed by Bill Butsko on Jul 11, 2009

“Why the Dead Sea?” We have heard of dead people, dead beasts, dead trees and dead flowers, but is there such a thing as a dead sea? There is and they call it dead because it receives all and gives nothing. This body of water – the most remarkable in the world – is at the southern end of the ...read more

Tags: Sin, Dead To Sin

Denomination: Christian Church

In Her Book, The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom ...

Contributed by Shane Hargrave on Aug 4, 2009

In her book, THE HIDING PLACE, Corrie Ten Boom relates an incident that taught her to be thankful for things we normally would not be thankful for. She and her sister, Betsy, prisoners of the Nazis, had just been transferred to the worst prison camp they had seen yet, Ravensbruck. Upon entering ...read more

Tags: Give Thanks, Lordship Of Christ

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Afraid Of What?

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Sep 3, 2009

AFRAID OF WHAT? Jack Benson was a missionary to China. He was held up by some bandits who took all his valuables & then held a gun to his head & forced him to kneel in the road. They told him they were going to shoot him. Benson knelt calmly, maintaining his composure through it all. The ...read more

Tags: Death

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

It's Up To ...

Contributed by Tony Abram on Sep 4, 2009

It’s Up to You…………… One song can spark a moment, One flower can wake the dream. One tree can start a forest, One bird can herald spring, One smile begins a friendship, One handclasp lifts a soul. One star can guide a ship at sea, One word can frame the goal. One vote can change a nation, One ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:31-37

Tags: Christian Values

Prayer For ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 22, 2009

Prayer for Compassion Then we can pray a prayer like David Mains prayed years ago. He was once pastor of the Circle Urban Church, an inner city church in Chicago, and one day, in the course of his ministry among such great need, he prayed, “Lord, let me see the world as you see it, and break my ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:36-38

Tags: Compassion

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

Eddy Stone Lighthouse Rebuilt On Rock And ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 10, 2009

Eddy Stone Lighthouse Rebuilt on Rock and Survives The first beacon of the Eddy Stone Lighthouse for the English Channel off the coast of Plymouth was placed there over 250 years ago to warn ships of the dangerous reefs. Winstanley, the architect who built it, was so confident of it’s strength ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 127:1

Tags: Affliction