In Sermon Illustrations: "In Heavenly Places"

The Stages Of The Christian Life

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 24, 2009

THE STAGES OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE Several years ago I heard someone describe the Christian experience as similar to that of a piano player, and suddenly the commands of the Bible made more sense and seemed less daunting. When a person begins playing piano, do we expect them to play a piece by ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:1-3

Tags: Growth In Christ

Three Types Of Arrows Used By The Roman ...

Contributed by Rev Dr Randall M Deal Sr on Jun 7, 2009

Three types of arrows used by the Roman military: 1. plain arrows – like arrows you’d shoot from a bow today. 2. Arrows that were dipped into tar, set on fire, and then shot through the air… with brush all around…soldiers intentionally try to catch the arrows into their shields…so they’d stick and ...read more

Tags: War

Denomination: Baptist

Divorce Barbie

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 25, 2009

DIVORCE BARBIE Too many times, we are more concerned with what we get out of giving than what we are trying to give in the first place. A father was sitting in his chair one night reading the paper. All of a sudden, he realized it was his young daughter’s birthday, and he had forgotten to get her ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:38-42

Tags: Giving Yourself

All Roads Lead To Heaven, Travel ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 21, 2009

All Roads Lead to Heaven, Travel Agent Max Lucado in a video program based on his book 3:16 Stories of Hope, has a wonderful lesson on the oft heard statement, "All roads lead to heaven". He then gives us an imaginary discussion with a travel agent. " You tell him you need a flight to Rome, Italy. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:21-23

Tags: Universalism

This Story Broke This Week From The United ...

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Dec 14, 2009

This story broke this week from the United Kingdom: " LONDON (Reuters) – Gone are the days of shepherds in tea towels and tinsel-clad angels. Britain’s competitive parents are forking out on luxury pashmina shawls and velour dressing gowns to make their child the star of the annual nativity ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Independent/Bible

I Love Baptisms. I Always Love It When People ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Dec 26, 2009

I love Baptisms. I always love it when people respond to Jesus in this way. I remember as a TEENAGER seeing people from our YOUTH GROUP being BAPTISED in a BAPTISMAL POOL at the FRONT of our Church. It was so STRANGE to me. I watched as people WALKED DOWN THE STEPS of a SMALL POOL at ...read more

Tags: Baptism

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

It Interests Me That God Tests Me By Allowing Me ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Dec 27, 2009

"It interests me that God tests me by allowing me to go through difficult situations in order to prove the quality of my character, the genuineness of my worship and the motivations of my service. What is your Marah? I can sing praises easily when things are working out well for me. Throughout my ...read more

Tags: Suffering Joy In

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Bug's Life: Small Steps Of Faith

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Mar 15, 2010

A BUG'S LIFE: SMALL STEPS OF FAITH A Bug’s Life, Start time 6:30 Overview from Belknapp: Dot complains to Flik about her underdeveloped wings. She wants to fly now! Flik encourages her, showing her that a seed that starts out small eventually grows into a towering tree-it only takes time and ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

It's Better Higher Up  PRO

Contributed by Jesse Roncales on Apr 15, 2010

IT'S BETTER HIGHER UP There was an old woman who was always bright, cheerful, and optimistic, even though she was confined to her room because of illness. She lived in an attic in the fifth floor of an old building. A friend decided to visit her one day and brought with her a wealthy woman. Since ...read more

Tags: Assurance Of Salvation

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Doubting Of Thomas  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 7, 2010

THE DOUBTING OF THOMAS In 1943, Dorothy Sayers created a series of dramatic readings from the life of Christ for broadcast on the BBC. They are published under the title, The Man Born to Be King. For each of the plays, Sayers offers notes on the characters and the way they should be read. She ...read more

Scripture: John 20:19-31

Tags: Doubt

Jack Was An Impressionable 15 Year-Old. He ...

Contributed by Gaither Bailey on Oct 16, 2010

Jack was an impressionable 15 year-old. He attended the local Presbyterian Church with his family since he was a baby. He studied for confirmation and was confirmed taking his place in the congregation. He attended youth group meetings and sat in church every Sunday. His 16th birthday was fast ...read more

Tags: Prayer Persistence

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Wandering Sheep

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 23, 2010

THE WANDERING SHEEP Dr. Andrew Bonar tells of how in the Highlands of Scotland, a sheep would often wander off into the rocks and get into places that they can't get out of. The grass on these mountains is very sweet and the sheep like it, and they will jump down ten or twelve feet, and then ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:6

Tags: Parable Lost Sheep

Denomination: Brethren

The Jeweled Lady Of Pompeii

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Dec 31, 2010

THE JEWELED LADY OF POMPEII Of the 20,000 inhabitants of Pompeii, some 2,000 lost their lives, among them a woman who loved finery above all else. As the deadly rain of fire came down, she decided to run to the harbor and escape by ship. That was wise, but this rich and beautiful woman stayed ...read more

Tags: Materialism

Denomination: *other

Be Found Doing Your Duty

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 1, 2011

BE FOUND DOING YOUR DUTY The time was the 19th of May, 1780. The place was Hartford, Connecticut. The day has gone down in New England history as a terrible foretaste of Judgment Day. For at noon the skies turned from blue to gray and by mid-afternoon had blackened over so densely that, in that ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 2:8-11

Tags: Judgment

I Tithe—he'll Find Me.  PRO

Contributed by Denn Guptill on May 1, 2011

"I TITHE--HE'LL FIND ME." Two men have ended up marooned on an island in the South Pacific. You can fill in the blanks as to how they got there. So they are on the clichéic deserted island, one palm tree, nothing to see but the ocean. One guy is in a complete panic, pacing back and forth, ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:5-21, Matthew 23:23

Tags: Offering, Tithe, Tithes

Denomination: Wesleyan

Rooted For Life  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2011

ROOTED FOR LIFE There was once a farmer who went to town to purchase seeds for his farm. As he was returning home, one of the squash seeds he had purchased fell from his pocket onto the ground. It happened that within a few feet was another seed of a different type. The place where the two seeds ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 2:1-7

Tags: Growth In Christ

The Right Name Opens Doors  PRO

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Aug 15, 2011

THE RIGHT NAME OPENS DOORS Mark Roberts wrote of a time when he visited the Capitol as a guest of Congressman John Campbell. As long as he was with the congressman, he could walk freely around the Capitol, entering many areas that were reserved "for authorized personnel only," reserved for members ...read more

Scripture: John 15:16, John 16:23-24, John 14:13-14

Tags: Prayer How To

Denomination: Baptist

Reactions Can Be Worse Than Actions  PRO

Contributed by Larry Wilson on Sep 12, 2011

REACTIONS CAN BE WORSE THAN ACTIONS While in seminary, I worked at a local Christian radio station. Part of my duties was to take hourly meter readings from the transmitter and place them on a log sheet that was subject to FCC review. The building featured indoor/outdoor green carpet, and the day ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:1-16

Tags: Action

Denomination: Baptist

Noble Savages

Contributed by Davon Huss on Oct 3, 2011

NOBLE SAVAGES For a while people have believed that our problems exist because we are too civilized. If we would just get back to nature and throw away all of the modern conveniences and the ideas found in the Christian religion, then we would be like the noble savages of old. A good example ...read more

Tags: Missions

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

I Am A Horrible Public Speaker. I Stutter When I ...

Contributed by Kelly Benton on Nov 1, 2011

I am a horrible public speaker. I stutter when I am nervous, I am self-conscious over a lisp I have. In elementary school I had to take speech classes. I freeze when I am in front of several people. But most would not know this of me. I stand here before you today as I do each week, facing my ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:26

Tags: Encouragement, All Things Possible

Denomination: Other