In Sermon Illustrations: "Grow" showing 1,361-1,380 of 1,867

Wall Street Journal Banned From Church

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 4, 2008

Wall Street Journal Banned From Church Reviving an ancient practice, churches are exposing sinners and shunning those who won’t repent. By ALEXANDRA ALTER January 18, 2008; Page W1 On a quiet Sunday morning in June, as worshippers settled into the pews at Allen Baptist Church in southwestern ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

A Woman Was Trying To Raise Her Daughter As A ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Eberly on May 12, 2008

A woman was trying to raise her daughter as a Christian. However, she was getting very little support from her husband who thought Christianity was ridiculous. In fact, he often tried to undermine her efforts. One Sunday, the mother and her daughter were coming home from worship and the daughter ...read more

Tags: Children, Evolution

Denomination: Church Of God

Jimmy's Ranch

Contributed by Eric Ferguson on Jun 10, 2008

JIMMY'S RANCH When Jimmy was a little boy, he wanted to be a cowboy. He spent countless hours in front of the television, watching reruns of "Gunsmoke" and "Bonanza." He just knew that someday he would live on a ranch, wear a big cowboy hat, and ride the range just like all his cowboy ...read more

Tags: Goals

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Seeing Far Enough Ahead

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 5, 2009

SEEING FAR ENOUGH AHEAD Eight-year-old Frank had looked forward for weeks to this particular Saturday because his father had promised to take him fishing if the weather was suitable. There hadn’t been any rain for weeks, and as Saturday approached, Frank was confident of the fishing trip. But, ...read more

Tags: Disappointment

Why Fruit?  PRO

Contributed by John Tung on Feb 12, 2009

WHY FRUIT? Why are these character traits called fruit of the spirit? Why not other food groups: like meat of the spirit or bread of the spirit or dairy of the spirit? There are four reasons why it’s called fruit of the spirit: because fruit is healthy, sweet, living and whole. Fruit is healthy ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23

Tags: Spirit, Fruit, Fruit Of The Spirit

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Statistics On Loneliness

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 7, 2011

STATISTICS ON LONELINESS This week I read an article by Medical News Today about the health effects of loneliness. Quoting the article, it states that "there is evidence that the risk of developing and dying from heart disease can depend on the strength of one's social network of friends and ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

If You Want To Walk On Water…  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on May 2, 2012

John Ortberg states: "The decision to grow always involves a choice between risk and comfort. This means that to be a follower of Jesus, you must renounce comfort as the ultimate value of your life. And that’s sobering news to most of us, because we’re into comfort...but water walkers master ...read more

Scripture: Romans 4:18-22, Romans 4:3

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Are You Feeding On?  PRO

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 9, 2014

WHAT ARE YOU FEEDING ON? I really enjoy visiting Yellowstone. In fact, one of these days, when Jesus comes back, I've got dubs on Yellowstone! Come and visit me for a while! Once when I was visiting the greatest national park in America, I heard a story about bears that was amazing. In the ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 12:1-13, Exodus 12:1-51

Tags: Sanctification, Lamb Of God, Spiritual Growth, Growth In Christ

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

United We Stand

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 16, 2014

Let me read one of Aesop’s Greek fables; In the forest, there lived four oxen. They were very good friends and always went together to graze in the fields. However, every time they went, a hungry lion tried to attack them. The lion longed for their meat. But they withstood his attack by fighting ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-6

Tags: Unity, Divisions

Man Uses Gun For Backscratcher, Shoots Himself

Contributed by Matt Neace on Jun 19, 2018

Jorge Espinal was drinking beer and playing poker around 3 a.m. on a Sunday morning in his house, when he got up from the table and walked into another room. His poker buddies probably thought, "Oh, well. He has to go to the bathroom or to get something to drink." But while he as in the other ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 38:5-8

Tags: Temptation, Mistakes, Alcohol, Choices

Denomination: Baptist

Claim Your Seat At The Table

Contributed by Charlie Roberts on Dec 25, 2018

Illus. Story of Sam the dog, Growing up we had a farm dog and his name was Sam. Sam never had any of the frills dogs nowadays enjoy. Sam was never allowed to beg at the table, because Sam was never allowed in the house and was only fed table scraps my mom turned into some kind of gravy ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 18:19, Psalm 103:1-5

Tags: Entitlement, Relationship

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Faith Of A Child

Contributed by Charlie Roberts on Aug 16, 2020

How do we find rest through the chaotic mess the accuser continually throws at society? By coming, believing and trusting with the faith of a child! By trusting in our God given measure of faith and realizing everything is going to be alright, because God says it will and that’s enough! Growing ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:6

Tags: Faith, Expectation

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Fountain Of Youth

Contributed by Rev. Duraimony Dickson on Nov 6, 2020

The fountain of youth has been told in stories since medieval times. The Fountain of Youth is a mythical spring that restores the youth of anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters. Many have gone on conquests to find this mythical spring of water, but all have failed. In 1565, a Spanish explorer ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:11, Ecclesiastes 3:1

Tags: Everlasting Fountain Of Youth, Everlasting Fountain

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Old Lady: Looking For The Sonrise...

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on May 21, 2022

AN OLD LADY IN THE RESTHOME 40 YEARS AGO: DEANNA LAFFERTY READ THIS POEM TO ME WEEKLY. Deanna had brain cancer and had half of her head cut off. Her right part of her head was gone, so she could not move the left side of her body. She would hold her Bible or song book in her right hand. She ...read more

Scripture: John 3:30, Proverbs 17:28

Tags: Sunset, Sonrise, Dreaming

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Once Shaved, Always Shaved!!!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Oct 23, 2022

After twenty years of shaving himself every morning, a man in a small southern town decided he had been doing that long enough. He told his wife that from then on he’d let the local barber shave him each day.The man went to the barbershop which was owned by the pastor of the local Baptist church. ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28-39, 1 John 5:10-13

Tags: Grace, Salvation, Humor, Eternal Security, Jokes  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

There's Something About That Name!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 7, 2022

Jesus, the mere mention of His name can calm the storm, heal the broken hearted, and raise the dead. At the name of Jesus, I've seen sin-hardened men melted, derelicts transformed, the lights of hope put back into the eyes of a hopeless child... At the name of Jesus, hatred and bitterness has ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11

Tags: Worship, Praise, Healing, Prayer, Name Of Jesus  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Hope Ain't Hoping

Contributed by John Bright on May 27, 2023

I want to give you a shorthand way of remembering the difference between the hope in our Bibles and the hope out in the world. Hope ain’t hoping. Today, folks plan outside events and say, “I sure hope it doesn’t rain.” Every Sunday, some folks may show up here and say, “I sure hope PJ doesn’t ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:3-5

Tags: Faith, Hope, Hoping

Denomination: Methodist

Hatred's Bitter Fruit

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 2, 2023

One of the worst cases of hatred I have ever come across is found in a will written in 1935 by a Mr. Donohoe. It says, "Unto my two daughters, Frances Marie and Denise Victoria, by reason of their unfilial attitude toward a doting father, … I leave the sum of $1.00 to each and a father's ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:28-32

Tags: Unforgiveness, Anger Management, Fathers, Daughters, Love, Family, Anger, Bitterness, Hate  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Silent Night Holy Night

Contributed by Jm Raja Lawrence on Dec 20, 2023

"Silent Night" is one of the most beloved Christmas carols, known for its serene and tranquil melody. The story behind the song begins in the small Austrian village of Oberndorf bei Salzburg in 1818. The lyrics were written by Joseph Mohr, a young priest, and the music was composed by ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 1:16-25, Matthew 2:1-12, Luke 2:4-20

Tags: Silent Night Holy Night, Stille Nacht, Christmas, Christmas Season, Carols, Birth Of Jesus Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Matthew 24 Is Knocking On Our Door!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 6, 2024

In Matthew 24, Jesus provides insights into the signs of His return and the end times. Let’s explore some of these significant signs: False Christs and Deception: Many will come claiming to be the Messiah (Christ), deceiving people. Jesus warns against being misled by such ...read more

Tags: Revelation, Deception, Gospel, Judgment, Second Coming, Antichrist, Last Days, Rapture, War, False Teachers, Tribulation, Apostasy, Signs, Return Of Christ, Natural Disasters, Earthquakes  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational