In Sermon Illustrations: "Heavenly Places"

Helping The Fallen

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 25, 2011

HELPING THE FALLEN One of the most touching moments in NBA history took place in a 2003 playoff game between the Portland Trailblazers and the Dallas Mavericks. Actually, it happened before the game began. Natalie Gilbert was a 13-year-old 8th grader who had won the chance to sing the national ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 2:5-11

Tags: Encouragement

What Are You Being Saved From?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 23, 2011

WHAT ARE YOU BEING SAVED FROM? Vance Havner tells the story of a who lady came forward during the invitation in one of his meetings to be saved. She was a very sophisticated and refined woman. She had a graduate’s degree and was very articulate and intelligent. When she came forward during the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:23

Tags: Evangelism How To

The Gospel Is Offensive

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Jun 24, 2011

THE GOSPEL IS OFFENSIVE There is something about the gospel that is inherently offensive. I don’t like saying that, and you may not like hearing it. But it is incontestable. The gospel puts some people off. Take David and Roland, two high school friends of mine. David was what you might call a ...read more

Tags: Truth

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Trust The Narrow, Unbeaten Path

Contributed by Sean Harder on Aug 5, 2011

TRUST THE NARROW, UNBEATEN PATH When I was younger I went hiking up Golden Ears Mountain. Several years earlier I went with my school and there was a nice rope bridge that crossed the waterfalls to keep you on the trail up the top of the mountain. The path that led to the bridge was wide, covered ...read more

Tags: Trust

An Attack Of Conscience

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 8, 2011

AN ATTACK OF CONSCIENCE This was the story in MYFOX Boston from Friday 15 April 2011 41 years after the murder of 15 year old John McCabe of Tewksbury, three suspects finally go before the judge. 60-year-old Walter Shelley, of Tewksbury, and 57-year-old Michael Ferreira of Salem. New Hampshire are ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 24:5-7

Tags: Conscience

It Won't Happen To Us

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 21, 2011

IT WON'T HAPPEN TO US We began the week with the story of the Chicago nightclub fire in which 21 people were killed as they rushed to the exit. The club had already been cited for overcrowding and other safety violations--like not enough doors and windows. What happened was that a bouncer used ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 90:1-12

Tags: Death, Life, Priorities, Choice, Death Nearness  (view more)  (view less)

The Meaning Of The Cross

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 25, 2011

THE MEANING OF THE CROSS In the 19th century, Armenian Christians, under a Turkish Muslim government, experienced a tremendous amount of persecution. The government lifted the ban on Muslims converting to Christianity in 1856. Then just eight years later, they began arresting these Muslim converts ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:12-19

Tags: Persecution

God's Whispers Are Ours To Hear

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 31, 2011

GOD'S WHISPERS ARE OURS TO HEAR Bill Hybels' book: The Power of the Whisper: "Throughout history God has spoken. For millennia, he has forged his children’s faith by promising parted waters, empowering unlikely leaders, declaring world-changing prophecies-and imparting last-minute sermons to ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Free Gas: God Knew

Contributed by Brad Henry on Sep 6, 2011

FREE GAS: GOD KNEW Yesterday we had an "event" at church. We were told to come with comfortable clothes and that was all the direction we received. When we got to church, the pastor said, "OK folks, today we are going to the gas station up the street. We are going to give $25.00 of gas to 150 cars ...read more

Tags: Prayer Answered

A 30 Part Study Of Prayer Keys During Our ...

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Oct 4, 2011

A 30 part study of prayer keys during our Wednesday night prayer meetings? You may think it will become boringly repetitive. No, No, NOOOO! During this study, we will hear how Mary, Queen of Scots, feared the prayers of John Knox more than the combined armies of Europe. We will hear Jonathan ...read more

Scripture: Luke 11:5, Luke 11:1

Tags: Prayer, Prayer How To

Denomination: Baptist

The Golden Rule: Is It Original?

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Dec 12, 2011

THE GOLDEN RULE: IS IT ORIGINAL? There are people in this world who think Jesus’ Golden Rule was nice but not original. They try to say that Jesus merely borrowed the idea from others. I once saw a poster that tried to say that. * Confucius (some 500 years before Jesus) said: "DO NOT unto ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Made In His Image  PRO

Contributed by Bret Toman on Jan 31, 2012

MADE IN HIS IMAGE In 1940 the Battle of Britain took place in the skies over England. Day after day hundreds of German bombers delivered to the targets below a cargo of death and destruction. The only thing stopping the certain defeat of the allies in western Europe was the Royal Air Force, whose ...read more

Tags: Sanctification

Denomination: Baptist

At Christmas All Roads Lead Home

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 19, 2012

AT CHRISTMAS ALL ROADS LEAD HOME Marjorie Holmes writes, "At Christmas, all roads lead home. The filled planes, the packed trains and overflowing buses all speak eloquently of a single destination: home. Despite the crowding and the crushing, the delays, the confusion, we clutch our bright ...read more

Tags: Christmas Eve

Denomination: Methodist

Moody And The Filling Of The Spirit  PRO

Contributed by Ken Pell on May 27, 2012

MOODY AND THE FILLING OF THE SPIRIT One of the great preachers in U.S. history is D. L. Moody. He pastored in Chicago and there is still a wonderful Bible College there that bears his name and values. Mr. Moody was a successful minister, but by his own admission, he lacked the power in his ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 33:1-22

Tags: Pentecost, Blessing, Esau, Isaac, Curse, Spoken Word  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Nazarene

The Basis Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2012

THE BASIS OF ACCEPTANCE Oprah Winfrey said, “I discovered I didn’t feel worthy of love unless I was accomplishing something. I suddenly realized I have never felt I could be loved for just being.” Madonna said, “My drive in life is from this horrible fear of being mediocre. That’s always been ...read more

Scripture: Romans 15:7

Tags: Fear And Worry

Healing House: "I Thought You Were Dead."  PRO

Contributed by Tim Smith on Jan 6, 2013

HEALING HOUSE: "I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD." Healing House is in Kansas City, Ks. It's a home for drug addicts started by a woman named Bobbie Jo. Bobbie Jo had been walking the streets for many years but then someone cared enough to share the Gospel with her and she was born again. At the same time, ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Ephesians 2:1-10

Tags: Giving General

Denomination: Methodist

Recently Reviewing The New Book By Dr. Tim Kimmel ...

Contributed by Rodney Bowen on Feb 7, 2013

Recently reviewing the new book by Dr. Tim Kimmel title, CONNECTING CHURCH & HOME, I found my mind and hear really pierced with the current state of our in-church parenting. Churches and families need each other. And no, I am not referring to our family’s use of the free child care that the ...read more

Tags: Family

Denomination: Baptist

Recently Reviewing The New Book By Dr. Tim Kimmel ...

Contributed by Rodney Bowen on Feb 7, 2013

Recently reviewing the new book by Dr. Tim Kimmel title, CONNECTING CHURCH & HOME, I found my mind and hear really pierced with the current state of our in-church parenting. Churches and families need each other. And no, I am not referring to our family’s use of the free child care that the ...read more

Tags: Parenting

Denomination: Baptist

The Church's Role In Parenting

Contributed by Rodney Bowen on Feb 7, 2013

THE CHURCH'S ROLE IN PARENTING Recently reviewing the new book by Dr. Tim Kimmel title, CONNECTING CHURCH & HOME, I found my mind and heart really pierced with the current state of our in-church parenting. Churches and families need each other. And no, I am not referring to our family’s use of ...read more

Tags: Children, Family, Parenting, Christian Life, Family Ministry  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Can You Hear The Cries Of Loneliness?

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Apr 3, 2013

CAN YOU HEAR THE CRIES OF LONELINESS? A Story from Max Lucado: In the summer of 1980 a story about an attractive girl who was young and successful stirred the US. The story broke the evening news with the headline; Judith Bucknell was dead -- it was number one hundred and six that year in the ...read more

Tags: Suffering Loneliness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational