In Sermon Illustrations: "Holy Place"

Do You Know The Spirit?

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 8, 2012

DO YOU KNOW THE SPIRIT? "Consider these honest questions: How many Christians suffer from a spiritual life that is dry and mechanical? How many serve a Jesus, whom they know about from the Bible, but who is not a living reality in their experience? And do we ever wonder why Holy Spirit ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Giving The Spirit His Due

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 17, 2012

GIVING THE SPIRIT HIS DUE "The Holy Spirit is underappreciated and under preached by the twenty-first-century church. There is a prejudice of sorts against the Holy Spirit that impedes many from learning more about him. The body of Christ is often divided into two sides. One side stresses the Word ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Symbol Of The Spirit

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 29, 2012

SYMBOL OF THE SPIRIT Jim Cymbala: "The Bible has other symbols for the Holy Spirit besides water. One is wind, which in the original Greek in the New Testament is the same word as breath. Wind helps us to visualize the invisible and mysterious movement of the Spirit" (John 3: 8). [Cymbala, Jim ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Less Room For Me

Contributed by Kevin Karhoff on Mar 12, 2013

The only way to be filled with the Spirit is to empty myself to me. When I empty me of me, it provides space for the Holy Spirit to fill me. The more he fills me the ...read more

Scripture: John 16:5-15

Tags: Holy Spirit General

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

A Woman Sees A Father Shopping With A Fussy ...  PRO

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Jun 3, 2013

A woman sees a father shopping with a fussy two-year-old in his grocery cart. “Be patient, Billy,” he whispers. “You can handle this, Billy. It’s okay, Billy.” The woman said to him, “I don’t mean to interrupt your shopping, but I just had to tell you how wonderfully loving and patient you are ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-33, Genesis 15:1-6

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: Baptist

When We Are Best For Communities

Contributed by Davon Huss on May 21, 2014

J. K. Jones, professor at Lincoln: "We are best for our communities when we are ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:17

Tags: Community, Holiness, Distinctiveness

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Simpson's Cocoa Powder

Contributed by Jason Albertson on Nov 8, 2014

There was a little boy once who was reading an advertisement for Simpson’s cocoa powder and asked his mother, “Mom, what does ‘100% pure’ mean?” “It means completely clean, with nothing bad in it.” Later, as she knelt by him as he prayed before going to bed, she heard him say the words, “Dear ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:8

Tags: Purity, Personal Holiness

Denomination: Methodist

Clean Pigeon

Contributed by Davon Huss on Oct 9, 2015

Lester Roloff told about visiting a friend in Massillon, Ohio who had a number of pigeons. During the visit his friend showed him one of the birds and said, “See this bird. She just flew 500 miles from St. Louis to Massillon non stop.” Roloff interrupted his host: Come on, non stop! How do you ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Tags: Clean, Holiness, Sanctify

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Christians Should Live In The World, But Not Be Filled With It.

Contributed by Tony Abram on Jan 15, 2016

Christians should live in the world, but not be filled with it. A ship lives in the water; but if the water gets into the ship, she goes to the bottom. So Christians may live in the world; ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-3, Romans 12:2, Romans 12:2

Tags: World, Holy Living

Growing Up

Contributed by Tony Abram on Jan 21, 2018

I am not what I might be, I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I wish to be, I am not what I hope to be. But I thank God I am not what I once was, and I can say ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-3

Tags: Sanctified, Holiness Walk

The Difference Maker

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Sep 16, 2020

My pastor, Wana Archer, tells about a time when he was a teenager and worked at a restaurant for .25 cents/hour. In this restaurant, there was a gambling machine that looked like a pinball machine. A player would deposit a nickel and get one shot to hit the jackpot or win some money. He noticed ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:1-11

Tags: Holy Spirit, Obedience

Denomination: Baptist

Growing Through Pain

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Oct 2, 2020

Paul Tournier, the famous Swiss physician and counselor, reported his surprise in his book Creative Suffering upon reading an article entitled “Orphans Lead the World.” The article appeared in a respected medical journal and surveyed the lives of 300 leaders who had an impact on world history. ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:14-27

Tags: Holy Spirit, Suffering

Denomination: Baptist

Like A Glove

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 23, 2022

Here’s a story of how I explain the Holy Spirit in us to children. I take an empty glove and tell the kids that it's a magic glove. I tell them it is amazing because it can pick things up. Then, I drop it on a hymn book or Bible and tell it to pick up the book. When it doesn't move, I ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:8

Tags: Holy Spirit, Abiding

Stopping To Focus

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 28, 2022

Have you ever wondered why a pigeon walks so funny? According to an interesting article in the Detroit Free Press, a pigeon walks the way it does so it can’t see where it’s going. Because it can’t adjust its focus as it moves, the pigeon actually has to bring its head to a complete stop between ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:1, John 15:1-11

Tags: Holy Spirit, Dependence

The Agitator

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 26, 2022

Does anyone know what that piece in the middle of the washer is called? The part in the middle that moves back and forth and shakes the clothes back and forth? What is that called? I’m going to call it an Agitator. What is the purpose of the Agitator? As far as I can tell, its sole purpose is to ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:17-24

Tags: Holy Spirit, Sanctification

Are We Hypocrites?

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 13, 2025

I once saw a video of a pastor who had figures, covered with sheets, up in the front of the church. As he started to preach, they were uncovered and you could see monsters and scary characters related to Halloween. The preacher kept asking, “Should these be in the House of God?” The congregation ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:11-12

Tags: Holiness, Halloween, Hypocrite

Denomination: Methodist

Pastor And Author Tony Evans Says This About ...  PRO

Contributed by Brian La Croix on Oct 5, 2001

Pastor and author Tony Evans says this about God: “Holiness is the centerpiece of God’s attributes. Of all the things God is, at the center of His being, God is holy. Never in the Bible is God called, ‘love, love, love,’ or ‘eternal, eternal, eternal,’ or ...read more

Tags: God's Holiness, Holiness, Rapture, 1000 Year Reign

Denomination: Wesleyan

Like Filthy Rags  PRO

Contributed by Richard White on Jan 3, 2002

LIKE FILTHY RAGS Jeff Bridges says, "Christians can never in themselves merit salvation through their personal holiness." Our Righteousness is like a filthy rag before a holy God. One of the early church fathers ...read more

Scripture: Mark 2:1-12

Tags: Humanity Of Christ, Holiness, Filthy Rags, God's Holiness

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

I Read The Story About A Football Player Whose ...  PRO

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Jun 3, 2003

I read the story about a football player whose performance exceeded the expectation of others. "…. In the last two minutes of the game, with the score against his team, makes a touchdown. He runs faster than his legs can carry him, and farther than he has ever dreamed of running. When he comes ...read more

Tags: Change, Holy Spirit General, Holy Spirit Attributes

Denomination: United Methodist

Emptied Out And Filled Up  PRO

Contributed by Pat Cook on Jun 28, 2003

EMPTIED OUT AND FILLED UP D. L. Moody said, “I believe firmly that the moment our hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and everything that is contrary to God’s law, the Holy Spirit will fill every corner of our hearts. But if we are full of pride and conceit and ambition ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:18, Hosea 5:4

Tags: Law, Holy Spirit In Believers, Holy Spirit General

Denomination: Baptist