In Sermon Illustrations: "John Ortberg"

A Young Man Who Had Been Invited To A Dinner ...

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Dec 8, 2007

A young man who had been invited to a dinner given by the South African statesman John Cecil Rhodes arrived by train and had to go directly to Rhodes’s house in his travel-stained clothes. To the young guest’s horror, he found a room full of people in full evening dress. Soon Rhodes appeared, ...read more

Denomination: Other

Grace The Free Gift

Contributed by Pastor Norman Bailey, Overseer on Aug 11, 2018

If you went to work everyday and did the job that was required of you, you could demand a paycheck. You can go to your supervisor, and payroll to find out what is going on because you earned the pay that you worked so hard for. We can never work so hard to demand that God save us from sin. It was ...read more

Tags: Grace Gift, Love Life

Denomination: Pentecostal

Prayer

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Sep 13, 2020

This statement is many times use as a stand alone statement without regards to the actual meaning. When the context has to be considered and an understanding of who God is and his teachings are most important. A famous Bible scholar John Gill puts it this way: For whatever is asked in faith, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:22

Tags: Faith, Prayer

Denomination: Independent/Bible

One Of The Strongest Cases Of A Man Using His ...  PRO

Contributed by Ted Sutherland on Feb 11, 2001

One of the strongest cases of a man using his tongue to bless God and curse man relates to Augustus M. Toplady. He blessed God with the beautiful hymn of adoration that he penned, “Rock of Ages.” It is a moving, biblical tribute to Christ and His finished work of redemption. Yet the same mouth ...read more

Scripture: James 3:9-10

Tags: Christian Love, Communication General, Holiness

Denomination: Baptist

Have You Ever Seen A Mob On Tv Or Movies? They ...  PRO

Contributed by Brian La Croix on Mar 25, 2002

Have you ever seen a mob on TV or movies? They are dangerous, and can become murderous in an instant. People in mobs are like cattle before a stampede. Ever see that? In the movie Red River, John Wayne and his men are moving cattle along the Chisolm trail, and the cattle are spooked by howling ...read more

Tags: Crucifixion, Jesus Temptation

Denomination: Wesleyan

Incentive To Forgive  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 16, 2002

INCENTIVE TO FORGIVE General Oglethorpe once said to John Wesley, "I never forgive and I never forget." To which Wesley replied, "Then, Sir, I hope you never sin." Maybe the Reverend Wesley based his reply on our text or maybe on Matthew 7: 1 & 2 where it says we will be judged the way we judge. ...read more

We Have Orders To Go  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 10, 2002

We Have Orders To Go The attitude of John the Baptist may have been that of a missionary in Africa who was once asked if he really liked what he was doing. His response was shocking. "Do I like this work?" he said. "No. My wife and I do not like dirt. We have reasonable refined sensibilities. We ...read more

Tags: Evangelism Urgency, Evangelism How To

During A Monday Night Football Game Between The ...  PRO

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Jan 15, 2003

During a Monday night football game between the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants, one of the announcers observed that Walter Payton, the Bears’ running back, had accumulated over nine miles in career rushing yardage. The other announcer remarked, “Yeah, and that’s with someone knocking him ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Pentecostal

God's People Have Never Been Called To Stick ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Winter on Jan 17, 2003

God’s people have never been called to stick their heads in the sand. “Church” and “apathy” do not belong in the same sentence. Our Methodist ancestors understood this. They fought to end slavery. They championed temperance. They worked to improve prison conditions. They built clinics, schools and ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Methodist

When I Was Flying Back From The Middle East, The ...  PRO

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Apr 20, 2003

When I was flying back from the Middle East, the aircraft flew high over the Egyptian desert where there was nothing but yellow sand and then there came into view the River Nile. On either bank of the river there were broad bands of green vegetation. The river brought life. There was moisture ...read more

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Baptist

The Lord Is My Shepherd—communion Meditation  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 15, 2003

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD- COMMUNION MEDITATION The 23rd Psalm is a beautiful passage of scripture to use when celebrating communion. It describes in detail what the Good Shepherd does for us. He provides for us, comforts us, heals us, restores us, feeds us, and protects us. And if that were ...read more

Tags: Lord's Supper, Lordship Of Christ, People In Acts

And Which One Were You?  PRO

Contributed by Stan Martin on Aug 25, 2003

AND WHICH ONE WERE YOU? Maybe you heard about the Desert Storm soldier who while he was overseas received a Dear John letter from his girlfriend back home in the states. To add insult to injury, she wrote, "Will you please return my favorite photograph of myself-- I need it for ...read more

Scripture: Philemon 1:1-25, 2 Timothy 1:8-14

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

17 Words  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 17, 2003

17 WORDS According to the Atlanta Journal "The Ten Commandments contain 297 words. The Bill of Rights is stated in 463 words. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address contains 266 words. A recent federal directive to regulate the price of cabbage contains 26,911 words." In the Greek, John 1:1 contains 17 ...read more

Tags: Humanity Of Christ, Jesus Teachings, Christmas

In The Novel Moby Dick Captain Ahab Is ...  PRO

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Oct 19, 2003

In the novel Moby Dick Captain Ahab is frightened by what he sees in himself. He asks the question that many of us have asked: “What is it, what nameless, inscrutable, unearthly thing is it; what cozening, hidden lord and master, and cruel, remorseless emperor commands me; that against all natural ...read more

Tags: Sin General

Denomination: Methodist

In 1925, Betty Stam Said, "Lord, I Give Up My ...

Contributed by Davon Huss on Oct 27, 2003

In 1925, Betty Stam said, “Lord, I give up my own purposes and plans, all my own desires, hopes, and ambitions, and accept Thy will for my life. I give myself, my life, my all utterly to Thee, to be Thine forever. I had over to Thy keeping all of my friendships; all the people whom I love are to ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

One Of The Early Methodist Bases For Works Of ...

Contributed by Don Hawks on Feb 9, 2004

One of the early Methodist bases for works of piety and mercy was the Foundery in London . The main room of the building was large enough to seat 1500 people. At one time, the Foundery had been a place for casting cannon. After a serious explosion in 1716, the weapons operation moved to Woolwich. ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Methodist

We Can Be Assured That God Answers Every Prayer ...

Contributed by Tom Doubt on Mar 26, 2004

We can be assured that God answers every prayer in a merciful manner. The answer comes in one of four ways: No, Slow, Grow, Go. Your daughter asks you if she can have some candy. You might say “No” because there is a reason you do not want her to have the candy. A “Slow” may be the response to ...read more

Tags: Prayer Answered

Denomination: Baptist

A Common Sense And Satisfying Interpretation Of ...

Contributed by Herman Abrahams on Aug 31, 2003

"A common sense and satisfying interpretation of our world suggests the designing hand of a superintelligence.… There is, I shall argue, no contradiction between holding a staunch belief in supernatural design and being a creative scientist.… Just as I believe that the Book of Scripture illumines ...read more

Tags: Creation

Denomination: Charismatic

Praying 'til They Change

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 1, 2004

PRAYING TIL THEY CHANGE “George Mueller, the founder of a great Christian orphanage work in England in the 1800’s, was a powerful man of prayer. He knew the importance of keeping at prayer evne when the answer seemed delayed. When he was young he began praying that two of his friends might be ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:1-8

Tags: Parable Widow

A Dirty Dog  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 20, 2005

John Barrymore once played the role of a father who disapproved of the man his daughter planned to marry. In one scene, the daughter had to ask Barrymore what he thought of her fiancé, who had just exited. Barrymore was supposed to answer, “I think he’s a dirty dog.” One night, when the ...read more

Tags: Parenting