In Sermon Illustrations: "Helping The Grieving"

It Was A Chilly December Evening In Downtown ...  PRO

Contributed by Eric Hickman on Dec 16, 2002

It was a chilly December evening in downtown Chicago, and about a dozen people from a suburban Christian college were Christmas caroling. A few people stopped to listen. A black man edged closer as they sang. His head nodded in rhythm with the melody. He was probably in his 20s, but his tired and ...read more

Tags: Humility, Poverty, Giving General

Denomination: Church Of God

At The Age Of 16 Years, I Was A Member Of Royal ...  PRO

Contributed by Larry Elder on Jul 11, 2003

At the age of 16 years, I was a member of Royal ranger Outpost # 4 Highland Assembly of God, Albuquerque, New Mexico. This was a top notch Ranger Ministry. The Trail Rangers consisted of 15 -17 year old boys all eager to learn and know about the outdoors. Repelling down 120-foot shear cliffs ...read more

Tags: Doubt, Faith General

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Don't Look Back  PRO

Contributed by Tylor Cates on Jan 24, 2004

DON'T LOOK BACK And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. - Luke 9:62 Text: Genesis 19:26; Luke 17:32,33 Summary: Once we start to follow Jesus we must never look back. We must give up our old way of life to find new life ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 19:26, Luke 17:32-33, Luke 9:62

Tags: Call Of The Disciples, Desire

Denomination: Baptist

In My Studies This Week I Came Across These Words ...  PRO

Contributed by Steve Malone on Apr 5, 2004

In my studies this week I came across these words from a book in my office called, The Jesus I Never Knew, by Philip Yancey. As my class in Chicago read the Gospels and watched movies about Jesus’ life, we noticed a striking pattern: the more unsavory the characters, the more at ease they seemed ...read more

Tags: Church Purpose Of

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

I Sat Down With Our Senior High Kids Awhile Ago ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

I sat down with our senior high kids awhile ago to discuss our plans for youth activities for this year. I expected to get some ideas of fun things to do, lets go bowling and to laserquest and whitewater rafting yadda yadda yadda… You know what they decided? They asked me to find two Friday night ...read more

Tags: Servanthood

Charley The Cat

Contributed by Eric Ferguson on May 16, 2008

CHARLEY THE CAT "It was around Thanksgiving, just after our daughter turned five, that we brought Charley home. We named him after Charles, Prince of Wales. The name seemed to fit just right for this shy little newly-adopted member of our family. His wonderful blue eyes seemed to look deep into ...read more

Tags: Death

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

My Favorite Story About The Holy Spirit Is The ...

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Jul 12, 2008

My favorite story about the Holy Spirit is the story C.S. Lewis told about a college student who wrote to him. The young man was an atheist. And he was very concerned, because he had made friends with some Christian students. They were enthusiastically witnessing to him about Jesus, and it had ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit General

Denomination: Baptist

God's Great Faithfulness  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

GOD'S GREAT FAITHFULNESS You can find hope in your darkest hour through the faithfulness of God. Harry Teuchert knows this is true. For years Harry had been a successful publisher of materials for churches. Everything in his life seemed to be perfect: A lovely home, a family, a solid future; but ...read more

Tags: God's Forgiveness

Redemptive Love Changes People

Contributed by Tim Smith on Mar 9, 2009

REDEMPTIVE LOVE CHANGES PEOPLE John Ed Mathison, former pastor of Frazier Memorial UMC, tells the story of Tommy Waite, an African-American man serving time in jail and converted through Frazier’s Prison Ministry. They didn’t stop there though. They discipled him and even helped him to get his ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Methodist

Salvation And Reprobation

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2009

SALVATION AND REPROBATION Someone may ask, "Of what use then is the doctrine of reprobation?" I am glad you asked! Let me suggest (from Dr. Boice) some useful aspects of the doctrine of reprobation. First, reprobation assures us that God’s purpose has not failed. God has determined the outcome ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:24-31

Tags: God's Judgment

Dependent On God

Contributed by Sidney Sumida on Oct 6, 2009

DEPENDENT ON GOD In the past few decades, there were some huge storms that hit our nation of which were Hurricane Pamela, and Hurricane Katrina, to name a few... (and, yes, not to bias about gender, there was big bad Hurricane Andrew, too). Here in the islands, we have had our share of storms as ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Charismatic

Giving Begets Giving  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Nov 30, 2009

GIVING BEGETS GIVING Leadership Magazine carried a story about four young men, Bible College students, who were renting a house together. One Saturday morning someone knocked on their door. And when they opened it, there stood this bedraggled-looking old man. His eyes were kind of marble-ized, and ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:2

Tags: Giving General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Generosity Of Poor Man Surprises Bible College ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 30, 2009

Generosity of Poor Man Surprises Bible College Students Illustration from Leadership/Melvin Newland: Leadership Magazine carried a story about 4 young men, Bible College students, who were renting a house together. One Saturday morning someone knocked on their door. And when they opened it, there ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Tags: Giving General

Tending Your ...

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Jan 9, 2010

TENDING YOUR GARDEN Suppose 2 women were planting a vegetable garden. On the same day, they prepared the earth and planted their seeds. One then neglected her garden and waited for her vegetables to grow. The other woman worked in her garden regularly. She put cages around the young tomato ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Tending Your ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 1, 2010

Tending Your Garden Suppose 2 women were planting a vegetable garden. On the same day, they prepared the earth and planted their seeds. One then neglected her garden and waited for her vegetables to grow. The other woman worked in her garden regularly. She put cages around the young tomato plants, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:5-9

Tags: Disciplines General

Shoes Pave The Way To The Kingdom

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 21, 2010

SHOES PAVE THE WAY TO THE KINGDOM Because Vance is an African American living in a predominately Hispanic neighborhood, he stands out. But what really sets Vance apart is that he is a servant-hearted father who cares not only for his own kids, but also for the many other kids who play in the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20

Tags: Evangelism How To

The Beatitudes: An Instrument Panel

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jan 31, 2011

THE BEATITUDES: AN INSTRUMENT PANEL On July 16, 1999, John F. Kennedy, Jr. was killed when the Piper Saratoga light aircraft he was piloting crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. His wife, Carolyn Bessette, and sister-in-law, Lauren Bessette, were also ...read more

Tags: Kingdom Of God

Denomination: Methodist

Salvation From The Rubble

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 28, 2011

SALVATION FROM THE RUBBLE The September 11, 2002 issues of TIME magazine has a touching article about 31-year old Genelle Guzman. Genelle was the last of just four people caught in the debris of the Twin Towers to be found alive. After the planes hit the World Trade Center, Genelle was ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:6-8

Tags: Salvation

Our Need For Pain  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 4, 2011

OUR NEED FOR PAIN There is no tougher dilemma in the Christian life than the problem of pain. It could be the pain of broken relationship, the pain of rejection, or the pain of insults. Or it could just be plain old physical pain. Nothing tests the faith like pain. It was physical pain that ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-4

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

The Wizard Of Oz: Getting Home

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jul 10, 2011

THE WIZARD OF OZ: GETTING HOME I remember watching the Wizard of Oz. Dorothy is trying to find her way home, and along the way she runs into a scarecrow with no brain, a tin man with no heart, and a lion with no courage. But they learn that there is a wizard in the land of Oz who can help them ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Methodist