In Sermon Illustrations: "Growing Up"

Psychology Today

Contributed by Ryan Peters on Mar 10, 2009

Psychology Today The Dangers of Loneliness (Aug 2003) Friendship is a lot like food. We need it to survive. What is more, we seem to have a basic drive for it. Psychologists find that human beings have fundamental need for inclusion in group life and for close relationships. We are truly social ...read more

Tags: Friendship General

Denomination: Pentecostal

Trusting God Through Difficult Circumstances

Contributed by Matthew Redder on May 17, 2018

Some time ago I returned from a missions trip completely full of faith and ready to set the world on fire with the love of Christ. During my first church service back in the states I was asked to close our service in prayer. I joyfully obliged and went whole-heartedly into prayer full of faith and ...read more

Tags: Faith, Healing, Prayer, Trust In God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What A Difference A Change Makes  PRO

Contributed by Bob Soulliere on May 5, 2007

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A CHANGE MAKES Once upon a time there was a prince who fell in love with a fair maiden. But his enemy captured the fair maiden and held her captive in a tower. Now the prince had a plan to rescue her, so he recruited the help of two small animals to send a message to the maiden. ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

What Is Your Value?

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Jan 17, 2020

Matthew 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? A boy asked a wise man: WHAT ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 10:29, Matthew 16:25

Tags: Value, Mirror

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Crucified With Christ

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Crucified With Christ "The Christian's Passion" Jesus said, "If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me" (Luke 9:23). We have just passed Easter--celebrating what Christ did for us on Calvary and the victory He won over sin and death. The Bible ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:23

Tags: Easter Good Friday

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[083]. A Message From A Poem – For Men - The Three Cs

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 21, 2025

[083]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – FOR MEN - THE THREE Cs There are 9 poems in this series. This poem is part of a Trilogy - three sets of three. The first set is addressed to MEN, the second to ALL CHRISTIANS and the third is SPECIFIC. This is the second one in the first set - FOR MEN. ALL ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:37, Romans 13:11-12, 2 Peter 1:13, Romans 12:1

Tags: Poetry, Poem, Take A Stand, The Flesh, Be Awake, The Old Nature, Compromise, Carnality, Complacency  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Becoming An Olympic Athlete

Contributed by Alan Perkins on Mar 4, 2026

We have to do something in order grow spiritually. What is it that we have to do? Over the past few weeks, our television screens were filled with images of the Winter Olympics in Italy. For example, you may have watched: • Luge, where they speed down an icy track at 80-90 miles an hour on what ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:24

Tags: Discipline, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Growth

Denomination: Baptist

Not Everything Is As It Seems

Contributed by James Snyder on Apr 25, 2020

For the last five days, I have not been able to sleep nor close my eyes at night. It’s been a nightmare. During the last four weeks, the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and Yours Truly have been sequestered in our home and loving it. I cannot remember a time in our marriage that we have spent ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 6:4

Tags: Humor, Relationship

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Every Branch That Bears Fruit Must Be Pruned To ...  PRO

Contributed by Stephen Smarowsky on Jun 14, 2008

Every branch that bears fruit must be pruned to bear much more fruit. I have a tomato plant that has been living for over two years now. Every winter the cold weather and heavy breeze kill more than half of the vines and leafs. If I don't prune the dead, it will spread and kill the whole plant. ...read more

Scripture: John 17:13, John 17:13-21

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Baptist

Fruit Of The Spirit  PRO

Contributed by Brian La Croix on Jul 6, 2008

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT The fruit is singular, not plural. The most common teaching is that there are nine fruits of the Spirit. But that’s not the case. It’s one “fruit,” and that fruit has those characteristics. For instance, take an apple. It’s one apple, but it has many characteristics: red, ...read more

Tags: Fruit Of The Spirit

Denomination: Wesleyan

Object Lesson: A Branch On A Tree Or A Stick In ...  PRO

Contributed by Alistair Wearring on Feb 27, 2010

OBJECT LESSON: A BRANCH ON A TREE OR A STICK IN THE MUD? ------------------------------------------- Theme: Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing Object: Two branches that has been broken from a tree -- one with leaves withering, the other without any leaves at all. Scripture: "I am the vine; you ...read more

Tags: Jesus Teachings

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In Sir Edwin Arnold’s Light Of Asia, He ...  PRO

Contributed by Tim Zingale on Dec 11, 2000

In Sir Edwin Arnold’s Light of Asia, he tells a parable from the Buddha about a mother who had lost her child. Carrying its dead body in her bosom, she come to the buddha and said:"Lord and Master, do you know any medicine that while be good for my child?" "Yes," he said, "bring me a mustard seed ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:31-32

Tags: Funerals Non-Christian, Death, World Religions

Denomination: Lutheran

Bent Low  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

BENT LOW A city boy visited his cousin who lived on a farm in the country for the first time. The city boy had never seen wheat growing in a field. It was an impressive sight for him, the wheat golden brown and ready for harvesting. He noticed that some of the wheat stood tall in the field, ...read more

Tags: Emotions, Humility

Long Days Ago A Very Poor Woman Living In England ...  PRO

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Feb 25, 2002

Long days ago a very poor woman living in England near Windsor Castle. She lived so close that she could look over the palace gardens and see grapes growing there. Her little child became very sick and she thought how good it would be to have a few of those grapes for nourishment. She took a ...read more

Tags: Assurance Of Salvation

More Than 100 Years Ago, A Soul-Winning Training ...  PRO

Contributed by James O. Davis on Oct 28, 2003

More than 100 years ago, a soul-winning training conference was being held in the City of Indianapolis. While the preacher and parishioners inside the auditorium were learning how to the reach the masses, an evangelist outside on a street corner was preaching the good news. He preached under the ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To, Evangelism Urgency

Denomination: Assembly Of God

We Are Told That In The Prairies Of South America ...  PRO

Contributed by Evie Megginson on Jul 16, 2004

We are told that in the prairies of South America there grows a flower that always inclines in the same direction. The traveler may lose his way while crossing one of those prairies, and he may have neither compass nor chart by which to steer his course; but, turning to this lovely flower, he will ...read more

Tags: Faith General

Denomination: Baptist

A Little Over 75 Years Ago A Little Known ...  PRO

Contributed by Lou Nicholes on Oct 12, 2004

A little over 75 years ago a little known American inventor, born of Russian descent named Vladimir Kosma Zworykin began to work for the Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Over the next few years Mr. Zworykin worked on an idea called an iconoscope and a kinescope. The kinescope would eventually ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:30-41

Tags: Faith General, Examples Of Faith

Denomination: Baptist

Psychologist Teach Us That There Are Two Mental ...  PRO

Contributed by Rev. Roberto D. Abella on Nov 9, 2004

Psychologist teach us that there are two mental laws that contribute heavily to our mental state of being. In other words, whether we’re happy or sad. They are: 1: The Law of Concentration. 2: The Law of Substitution. The Law of Concentration states that whatever we dwell upon grows in our life ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:8, Romans 12:2

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

In 1924, Two Climbers Were Part Of An Expedition ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Mar 9, 2006

In 1924, two climbers were part of an expedition that set out to conquer Mount Everest. As far as is known, they never reached the summit; and they never returned. Somewhere on that gigantic mountain they were overpowered by the elements and died. After the failure of the expedition, the rest of ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:29

Tags: Endurance

Denomination: Lutheran

The Voice Of The Martyrs' New Book, Iran: ...

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Aug 25, 2006

"The Voice of the Martyrs’ New Book, IRAN: Desperate For God, Released June 28, 2006 For decades, Iran has been a hotbed for terrorist activity. Little do most people know that Iran also houses the fastest-growing Muslim movement in the world: Muslims converting to Christianity. In IRAN: ...read more

Tags: Hardship Of Life

Denomination: Independent/Bible