In Sermon Illustrations: "john macarthur" showing 601-620 of 4,196

If God Intended Man To Live On Bread, Why Didn't ...  PRO

Contributed by Don Hawks on Jul 31, 2002

‘If God intended man to live on bread, why didn’t he create a bread tree?’ And the answer, in effect, is that God could have created a tree that produced crusty loaves of bread, but he prefers to offer us a grain and invite us to buy a field and plant the seed. He prefers that we till the soil ...read more

Scripture: John 6:54, John 6:51

Tags: Giving Yourself

Denomination: Methodist

D. L. Moody Was A Great Evangelist Of His ...  PRO

Contributed by Richard Burkey on May 23, 2005

D. L. Moody was a great evangelist of his generation. Think Billy Graham, and you begin to get an idea of his impact. He made this observation about eternal life, "Some day you will read in the papers that D.L. Moody, of East Northfield, is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it! At that moment I ...read more

Scripture: John 11:25-26, John 11:18-27

Tags: Heaven

Denomination: Lutheran

As A 5 Year Old I Would Pretend To Fall Asleep ...  PRO

Contributed by James Doyle on Aug 22, 2005

As a 5 year old I would pretend to fall asleep during the evening worship service! If I did, I knew my dad would carry me home. I would do this becasue we walked to and from church. It was about 1 each way. Being little wasn’t my problem. The length wasn’t my problem. I enjoyed the walk ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-6, John 14:1-10

Tags: Funerals Christian

Denomination: Baptist

Unfinished Flower Beds! (09.19.05--Grace ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Sep 15, 2005

Unfinished Flower Beds! (09.19.05--Grace Walks!--John 17:17) When we purchased Beech Springs years ago, we arrived in a valley that was purposed by trees, trees and more trees. There was little lawn because the trees shaded it out. The trees fenced in the house and driveway so that there was scant ...read more

Scripture: John 17:17, John 17:6-19

Tags: Peace, Christian Love

Denomination: Lutheran

As I Was Growing Up One Of My Favourite Books Was ...  PRO

Contributed by Warner Pidgeon on Oct 31, 2005

As I was growing up one of my favourite books was ‘The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.’ I can’t wait for 9 December 2005 when the new film hits our screens! (UK) Early on in the book I remember that Lucy finds her way to a fantasy world called Narnia. She meets a fawn called Tumnus, and while ...read more

Scripture: John 12:46, John 8:12

Tags: Narnia

Denomination: Anglican

The Branch Of The Vine Does Not Worry, And Toil, ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 8, 2006

"The branch of the vine does not worry, and toil, and rush here to seek for sunshine, and there to find rain. No; it rests in union and communion with the vine; and at the right time, and in the right way, is the ...read more

Scripture: John 15:5-8, John 15:4-10

Tags: Jesus Christ

Some Years Ago A Christian Farmer Was Deeply ...  PRO

Contributed by Jimmy Chapman on Nov 12, 2006

Some years ago a Christian farmer was deeply concerned over an unsaved carpenter. The farmer sought to explain how that the finished work of Christ was sufficient for his soul to rest upon. But the carpenter persisted in the belief that he must do something himself. One day the farmer asked the ...read more

Scripture: John 19:30, John 19:26-27

Denomination: Baptist

Don Richardson Spent Several Frustrating Years ...  PRO

Contributed by John Weeks on Dec 9, 2006

Don Richardson spent several frustrating years among the Sawi tribe in New Guinea. He had come from America as an anthropologist/missionary, hoping to bring the Christian message to a nearly stone-age tribe. But his message kept colliding with the tribe’s unusual beliefs. Christian values of love ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16, John 3:16

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Noted Chinese Christian, Watchmen Nee, Had ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Willis on Dec 14, 2006

The noted Chinese Christian, Watchmen Nee, had this to say about knowing truth: “The normal Christian life must begin with a very definite ‘knowing,’ which is not just knowing something about the truth nor understanding some important doctrine. It’s not an intellectual knowledge at all, but an ...read more

Scripture: John 18:28-38, John 14:6

Denomination: Baptist

Jingle Bells  PRO

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Dec 23, 2006

JINGLE BELLS The two of them were best friends in seminary, studying together, helping each other financially when one or the other got in a pinch, they stood by each other through thick and thin. When they graduated from seminary both coincidentally received a church call within the same state: ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-6, John 14:1-3

Tags: Death

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In Middle Eastern Countries, It Was The Slaves ...  PRO

Contributed by Chad Wright on Mar 30, 2004

In Middle Eastern countries, it was the slaves who washed the feet of guests; here Christ took the place of a slave. He makes this clear to His disciples: if their Lord and Teacher has washed their feet, then they should wash one another’s feet, that is, serve each other in humility. This must have ...read more

Scripture: John 13:1-38, John 13:1

Tags: Easter Maundy Thursday

Denomination: Lutheran

There Is Little Doubt To The Fact That Every ...  PRO

Contributed by David Taylor on Apr 23, 2003

There is little doubt to the fact that every person here has most likely heard the old adage, “Seeing is believing.” In a world filled with insatiable claims it has become commonplace for a person to respond, “I won’t believe it, until I see it.” It is this very principle that brought Robert ...read more

Scripture: John 12:37, John 6:30

Tags: Faith General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Remember Our Friend Taylor Hendley Who Took ...  PRO

Contributed by Charles R. Swindoll on Sep 28, 2004

I remember our friend Taylor Hendley who took teams of missionaries to Russia when it first opened it’s doors to us. He described how people would walk from miles around (many all night) to come to worship in a small one-room church with no heat. How to accommodate as many people as ...read more

Scripture: John 12:1-11, John 12:9-11

Tags: Worship Definition

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In September, 1938, A Man Who Lived On Long ...

Contributed by Stephen Wright on Dec 12, 2004

In September, 1938, a man who lived on Long Island ordered a very fine barometer. When it arrived he was extremely disappointed to find that the dial was stuck, pointing to “Hurricane.” After shaking the barometer very vigorously several times, its new owner sat down and wrote a scorching letter to ...read more

Scripture: John 20:19-31, John 20:1-31

Tags: Doubt

Denomination: Baptist

We Need To Cultivate The Habit Of Bearing Each ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

We need to cultivate the habit of bearing each other’s burdens. Lend a hand by lifting a heavy load. Burdens are the over loads which we can lighten by building meaningful relationships with others in the church. I read a story a few years ago about a family who found out that their un-born child ...read more

Scripture: John 9:1-6, John 9:1-38

Tags: Friendship New Friends

Every Branch That Bears Fruit Must Be Pruned To ...  PRO

Contributed by Stephen Smarowsky on Jun 14, 2008

Every branch that bears fruit must be pruned to bear much more fruit. I have a tomato plant that has been living for over two years now. Every winter the cold weather and heavy breeze kill more than half of the vines and leafs. If I don't prune the dead, it will spread and kill the whole plant. ...read more

Scripture: John 17:13, John 17:13-21

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Baptist

Without One Plea  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

WITHOUT ONE PLEA Charlotte Elliott was a sickly English woman who had developed a long history of refusing to do things she was asked to do because of her illness. Her brother, who was a pastor, had been particularly persistent in trying to get her out of herself, trying to get her involved in ...read more

Scripture: John 8:3-11, John 4:1-26

Tags: Healing, Brokenness, Trials And Difficulties, Used

No True Freedom Without God  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 24, 2009

NO TRUE FREEDOM WITHOUT GOD According to Mark Parsec, Independence Day "celebrates America’s Declaration of Independence from the tyranny of England under King George." The Declaration of Independence of 1776, he says, was not intended to declare war with England, nor did it actually establish our ...read more

Scripture: John 8:36, John 8:32

Tags: Independence Day

Better One Safe And Sure Way  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 30, 2011

BETTER ONE SAFE AND SURE WAY There is a story about a Fox boasting to a Cat about his clever tactics for escaping its enemies. "I have a whole bag of tricks," he said, "which contains a hundred different ways of escaping from my enemies." "I have only one," said the Cat; "but I can generally ...read more

Scripture: John 14:6, John 14:6-14

Tags: Salvation, Humor

Memory And Truth

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 27, 2011

MEMORY AND TRUTH Two middle-aged couples were enjoying friendly conversation when one of the men asked the other, "Fred, how was the memory clinic you went to last month?" "Outstanding," Fred replied. "They taught us all the latest psychological techniques, such as visualization, association and ...read more

Scripture: John 8:31-32, John 8:51-59

Tags: Truth