In Sermon Illustrations: "Growing"

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

The Adultery Market

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 27, 2009

THE ADULTERY MARKET Many of us have seen the wild and funny TV ads that go along with the Super Bowl. But fans in Texas got quite a shock during the game this year. An ad by AshleyMadison.com was seen as inappropriate by the NFL and NBC. But local affiliates in Texas decided that the $250,000 for ...read more

Tags: Adultery

Family Stages

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Oct 22, 2009

FAMILY STAGES Now you know why I say, "The family takes a lot of work!" A healthy family will go through several stages that require perseverance and a good work ethic. Stage One -- The family begins at the, "I do"s and a couple is birthed. Now comes the dying to self. Stage Two -- The couple's ...read more

Tags: Family

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Driving Very Fast  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 24, 2009

DRIVING VERY FAST In his book "Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life", Pastor Charles Swindoll tells a story about the 19th Century agnostic Thomas Huxley. Some of you might recognize the name Thomas Huxley as a man who promoted Darwinism and Humanism in his attacks on Christianity in Europe in ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:1-14

Tags: Goals

The Gentlemen's Guide On What Not To Get Your ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Rzengota on Dec 28, 2009

The Gentlemen’s Guide on What Not to Get Your Wife for Christmas #10: A Vacuum Cleaner The only possible way to make this a cool gift would be to give the hands-down coolest vacuum cleaner of all time... which I’m afraid hasn’t been invented yet and probably never will be, considering that there ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Size Of Congregation Doesn't Guarantee ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 1, 2010

Size of Congregation Doesn’t Guarantee Fruitfulness It is important to note that large crowds do not necessarily mean that a teacher has a fruitful ministry. He may have a “successful” ministry, in the sense that the world measures success: by buildings, budgets, and bodies. But a “successful” ...read more

Scripture: Jude 1:12-13

Tags: Fruit Of The Spirit

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 Garris Hudson 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 Garris Hudson 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 Garris Hudson 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 Garris Hudson 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: Love, Family, Anger, Bitterness, Hate, Unforgiveness, Anger Management, Fathers, Daughters  (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)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational