In Sermon Illustrations: "hard work" showing 561-580 of 7,596

Your Best Isn't Good Enough

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 28, 2010

YOUR BEST ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH A pastor once went to a barber to get a haircut. All through the haircut, the pastor wanted to witness to the barber, but the barber kept talking non-stop and gave the pastor no chance to interrupt. Later, when the pastor was paying for the haircut, he asked the barber ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

Underdoing Personal Responsibility

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 5, 2010

UNDERDOING PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY Craig Groeschel, a well known pastor and author of the "Christian Atheist" says: "As Christians, we can be tempted to 'overdo faith.' I put that in quotes because it would be more accurate to say it's 'underdoing personal responsibility.' There's really no way ...read more

Scripture: James 2:14-26

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

Just Follow Directions  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 5, 2011

JUST FOLLOW DIRECTIONS Robert Kupferschmid was an 81-year old man who had no flying experience. However, due to a tragic emergency, he was forced to fly an airplane. On June 17, 1998, he and his 52-year-old pilot friend, Wesley Sickle, were flying from Indianapolis to Muncie, Indiana. During the ...read more

Scripture: James 2:14-26

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

Swimming With The Sharks

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Jul 2, 2011

SWIMMING WITH THE SHARKS There's an old story of a rich guy who threw a party at his mansion. One of his pride and joys was his new saltwater pool in which he had the ability to let swim in various specious of ocean fish. He had the party assemble along the edge of the pool as he ...read more

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

W. H. Auden Said: "Our Bodies Cannot Love. But ...

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jul 9, 2011

W. H. Auden said: "Our bodies cannot love. But without them, what ...read more

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

No Good Christians

Contributed by Brad Henry on Jul 26, 2011

NO GOOD CHRISTIANS Have you ever been on a vacation and then felt like you need another vacation because you were so tired? That is this life. A lot of times we do things that we think will bring us peace and contentment but in the end they just make us more worn out. The more you TRY to be a ...read more

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

Elizabeth Elliot: "If The Only Thing You Have To ...

Contributed by Scott Spencer on Aug 1, 2011

Elizabeth Elliot: "If the only thing you have to offer is a broken heart, you offer a broken heart. Realizing that nothing I have, nothing I am will be refused on the part of Christ, I simply give it to Him as the little boy gave Jesus his five loaves and two small fishes--with the same feeling of ...read more

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Do Dead Men Bleed?  PRO

Contributed by Perry Greene on Oct 3, 2011

DO DEAD MEN BLEED? It is dangerous to base our salvation experience entirely upon feeling. Knowing that, and acting upon it, are still sometimes strangers. Like the psychiatrist who took on a very disturbed man as a patient. The man thought he was dead. No matter what techniques the doctor ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:2-4

Tags: Salvation, Christian Work

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Sola Fide: Faith Alone

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 1, 2012

SOLA FIDE: FAITH ALONE Sola fide isn’t a license to sin; it’s the motivation to follow your Savior Now, there was a time in the history of the church, when this doctrine was all but lost. By the fifteenth century the church had become a massive institution of power, and the gospel was polluted. ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

We Need Help To Get Out

Contributed by Bret Toman on Mar 14, 2013

We Need Help to Get Out Follow the example of the Chilean miners. Trapped beneath two thousand feet of solid rock, the thirty-three men were desperate. The collapse of a main tunnel had sealed their exit and thrust them into survival mode. They ate two spoonfuls of tuna, a sip of milk, and a ...read more

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

Denomination: Baptist

Receiving The Blessing

Contributed by Davon Huss on Mar 26, 2013

RECEIVING THE BLESSING On a Sunday school picnic in the heat of summer, I was going around the children with a 4 gallon can of cool drink and ladling out portions to the thirsty. I came to a small boy who had a busy morning. He was red in the face, sweating profusely, obviously quite hot. He ...read more

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Position Versus Discipleship

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 7, 2013

POSITION VERSUS DISCIPLESHIP C. Gene Wilkes, in his book Jesus on Leadership, says, "Confusion arises when you equate higher 'positions' with leadership . . . As long as 'position' is honored above discipleship -- being a follower -- church leaders will honor the ambitious over the obedient." We ...read more

Scripture: James 2:14-26

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

Humble Confidence

Contributed by Suresh Manoharan on Aug 11, 2014

At the outset, I desire to bring to the fore, a ‘juicy’ tale adorning Science history. When, the invention-coal miner’s lamp- of Sir Humphrey Davy began to pale relatively before the astounding discoveries of his far more illustrious pupil Michael Faraday (in the field of electro-magnetism and ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:31

Tags: Work, Hardened, Softened

Denomination: *other

The Rotten Egg

Contributed by Daniel King, D. Min. on Jul 25, 2018

Main Idea: No matter how many good things you have done, one sin is enough to send you to hell. Verses: “There is none who does good, no, not one” (Romans 3:12 NKJV). “For the greatness of your iniquity Your skirts have been uncovered, Your heels made bare. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 13:22-23

Tags: Sin, Good Works

Denomination: Charismatic

When The First Ice Cream Cone Was Born

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 12, 2019

A lot gets accomplished when people work together. In the summer of 1904, at the World’s Fair in St. Louis, it was hot and people were searching for something to help cool them off. A vendor named Arnold had just what they were looking for……something called ice cream. People lined up for what ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:1-7

Tags: Unity, Working Together

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Redwood Trees Teach A Lesson On Unity

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 12, 2019

The huge redwood trees in California are considered the largest living things on earth and the tallest trees in the world. Some of them are over 300 feet high and over 2,500 years old. One would think that trees so large would have a tremendous root system, reaching down hundreds of feet into the ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-9

Tags: Unity, Working Together

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Kind Of Worker Are You?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Oct 15, 2019

WHAT KIND OF WORKER ARE YOU? The way you work in your business is one of the greatest ways you witness either for the Lord or against Him. Don't be a half-hearted worker like these: 1. The Vanisher - The vanisher seems to go invisible at odd times without explanation.  2. The Victim - ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:28

Tags: Work, Testimony, Business

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

It Was One Of Those Weeks

Contributed by James Snyder on Oct 19, 2019

At my stage in life, I have experienced a gazillion weeks. I thought about actually counting how many weeks I have lived, but I don’t have that many fingers or toes. It doesn’t matter how many weeks it is. I have lived enough weeks to know, when you think you have experienced everything there is ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 10:23

Tags: Week Work, Victory

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

During The Siege Of Plevna, The Czar, While ...

Contributed by Stephen Wright on Oct 13, 2007

During the siege of Plevna, the Czar, while going around the camp one evening, found a man who had fallen asleep while writing a letter to his wife. This officer had told of his hard work and exposure in the trenches, but said that these were nothing compared to his debts. "Who will pay my debts?" ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Is It Still Alive?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 9, 2002

IS IT STILL ALIVE? The Lundy-Smiths are a remarkable family from inner-city New Orleans. Susie Mae Lundy and husband, Willie J. Smith, a Baptist pastor, raised nine successful children. According to FORTUNE magazine, the parents set an entrepreneurial example built around commitment, faith and ...read more

Tags: Children, Parenting, Workplace