In Sermon Illustrations: "Influence For Christ" showing 1,481-1,500 of 7,775

The Church & Education: The Average Protestant ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 5, 2006

The Church & Education: The average Protestant church offers classes, or education on 4.6 different topics in a typical year. The most common topics taught are for new members (60%) followed by basics of Christianity (47%) how to study the Bible (43%), evangelism (39%), spiritual ...read more

Tags: Beatitudes, Growth In Christ

The Barna Research Group Recently Asked 324,000 ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 6, 2006

The Barna Research Group recently asked 324,000 Protestant pastors to define their churches. They responded like this: · Evangelistic 84% · Theologically ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Return To Roots: Mainline Denominations Are ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 13, 2006

Return To Roots: Mainline denominations are casting off generic texts and hymns and reasserting sectarian beliefs to stem declining memberships. Methodists, Presbyterians Lutherans and Episcopalians all too often don’t know their denomination’s historic distinctives. Frequently less than 25% of ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Good News/Bad News: Researcher Thomas Rainer Has ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2006

Good News/Bad News: Researcher Thomas Rainer has found that people over 50 years of age are more likely to go to church, but they’re also more “resistant” to the gospel. He says younger people are “much more likely to have an interest in spiritual ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Small Groups Grow Participation In Small Groups ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2006

Small Groups Grow Participation in small groups that meet during the week for prayer, Bible study or spiritual fellowship (excluding Sunday school or other church classes) increased from 12% in ’94 to 20% today. Men’s participation ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Barna Research Reports U.s. Adult Church ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2006

Barna Research reports U.S. adult church attendance in the Western states has risen 27% in the last decade. At the same time small group participation has grown ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Cultural Trends Alan Andrews, Director – U.s. ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2006

Cultural Trends Alan Andrews, Director – U.S. Navigators, pointed out in a recent message on the state of American culture 4 cultural trends that the Church must face when sharing the Gospel: •Globalization; an essentially secular trend that promises materialism, affluence and pleasure through a ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

New Alliance: Church Leaders From 30 ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2006

New Alliance: Church leaders from 30 denominations have agreed on a proposal to create the broadest alliance of Christians ever formed in the U.S. It would represent 5 segments of U.S. Christianity (Evangelical/ Pentecostal, Historic Protestant, Orthodox, Racial/Ethnic and Roman Catholic). The ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

The First Thing I Ask Is That People Should Not ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 8, 2006

"The first thing I ask is that people should not make use of my name, and should not call themselves Lutherans but Christians. What is Luther? The teaching is not mine. Nor was I crucified for anyone...How did I, poor stinking bag of maggots that I am, come ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

After World War Ii, A Group Of ...

Contributed by D. Greg Ebie on Feb 26, 2006

ILLUSTRATION: After World War II, a group of German students volunteered to help rebuild an English cathedral that had been severely damaged by German bombs. As work progressed, they became concerned about a large statue of Jesus, whose arms were outstretched and beneath which was the inscription: ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Assembly Of God

A Three-Year-Old Girl Was Listening Intently To ...  PRO

Contributed by D. Greg Ebie on Feb 26, 2006

A three-year-old girl was listening intently to the children’s sermon one Sunday morning at her church. The minister explained that God wants everyone to get along and love each other. He said, “God wants us all to be one.” To which the little girl replied, “But I don’t want to ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Jesus Never Called The Church To Reflect The ...

Contributed by John Shearhart on Mar 4, 2006

“Jesus never called the church to reflect the world’s culture, but to change the culture of the world. Therefore, you cannot ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

One Can Acquire Everything In Solitude -- Except ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 17, 2006

One can acquire everything in solitude -- except character. - Stendhal in "Fragments, I", ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Meaning No Disrespect To The Religious ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 17, 2006

Meaning no disrespect to the religious convictions of others, I still can’t help wondering how we can explain away what to me is the greatest miracle of all and which is recorded in history. No one denies there was such a man, that he lived and that he was put to death by crucifixion. Where...is ...read more

Tags: Home, Lordship Of Christ

No Wall Of Separation "This Extra-Constitutional ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 20, 2007

No Wall Of Separation “This extra-constitutional construct has grown tiresome,” reads the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals 4/24/06 decision to uphold a lower court’s opinion that “The First Amendment does not ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

A Mouse Looked Through The Crack In The Wall To ...  PRO

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Mar 20, 2007

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package. "What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered - he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap. Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning. "There is a mousetrap in the house! There ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Pentecostal

Too Many Church Members Are Starched And ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Too many church members are starched and ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Church Members Are Either Pillars Or ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

Church members are either pillars or caterpillars. The pillars hold up the church; the ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

The Problem Is Not That The Churches Are Filled ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"The problem is not that the churches are filled with empty pews, but that the pews ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Fellowship Is Fundamental To Mission Commitment ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Fellowship is fundamental to mission Commitment to Christ, commitment to each other in Christ, is ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ