In Sermon Illustrations: "John Ortberg"

My Resolve For This Vision Is Reflected In The ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Dec 23, 2003

My resolve for this vision is reflected in the prayer below: More than anything else in heaven or on earth, I pray for the power to love my fellow person, to break through the condemning bigotry, the crippling prejudice, the stifling self-centeredness that smothers God’s Spirit within me, and to ...read more

Scripture: John 16:24

Tags: Prayer Adoration, Prayer Supplication

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Spotlight And A Laser Beam  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Dec 30, 2003

[illustration] Have you ever wondered what makes the difference between a spotlight and a laser beam? How can a medium-powered laser burn through steel in a matter of seconds, while the most powerful spotlight can only make it warm? Both may have the same electrical power requirements. The ...read more

Scripture: John 17:11

Tags: Humor, Fear, Forward, Backward, Unity  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

January 8, 2004 Usatoday Reported This On Their ...  PRO

Contributed by Andrew Chan on Jan 15, 2004

January 8, 2004 USATODAY reported this on their website: Woman admits she lied about losing $162M lottery ticket CLEVELAND (AP) — A woman admitted through tears Thursday that she lied about losing the winning ticket for a $162 million lottery prize, saying: "I wanted to win so badly for my kids ...read more

Scripture: John 1:16

Tags: Money, Sin Bondage To

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Unconditional Acceptance  PRO

Contributed by Tim Zingale on Jan 19, 2004

A lady says: I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree.  The last class I had to take was Sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I  wish every human being had been graced with. Her last project of the term was called ...read more

Scripture: John 5:27-31

Tags: Unconditional Love

Denomination: Lutheran

Out Of 453 Prophecies About The Coming Of Jesus, ...  PRO

Contributed by Val Black on Jan 25, 2004

Out of 453 prophecies about the Coming of Jesus, 196 told about His FIRST Coming. On the day that He was crucified, every one of those 196 prophecies had been fulfilled. If there are 453 prophecies in the Old Testament about the Coming of Jesus and 196 were fulfilled at His first coming, that ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-3

Tags: Messianic Prophecies, Second Coming

Denomination: Charismatic

Car Radio. (I Kings 19:9-13 ...  PRO

Contributed by Raymond Petzholt on Mar 25, 2004

Illustration: Car Radio. (I Kings 19:9-13 Elijah, still small voice). One of my Professors at Seminary shared about a time he was driving to a speaking engagement with his wife. There was a storm coming so he needed to listen to the radio to hear the weather report. But he also wanted to talk ...read more

Scripture: John 10:27

Tags: Prayer In The Spirit, Prayer Adoration

Denomination: Baptist

In Eastern Lands, People Used Public Baths And ...  PRO

Contributed by Chad Wright on Mar 30, 2004

In Eastern lands, people used public baths and got dressed again; as they walked in the dusty streets, their feet became dirty. On arriving home, they did not need another bath; they needed only to wash their feet. When the Jewish priests were ordained, they were washed all over (Ex. 29:4), which ...read more

Scripture: John 13:9-10

Tags: Baptism

Denomination: Lutheran

I Think That Pain And Suffering Is The Price We ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 19, 2004

I think that pain and suffering is the price we pay for being alive. Being alive means living with original sin and the mighty power of Jesus’ death on the cross. When we understand that, our question will change to, What do we do with our suffering and pain? Our pain and suffering must become ...read more

Scripture: John 9:1-38

Every Once In A While My Daughter Starts ...

Contributed by Joel Pankow on Apr 30, 2004

Every once in a while my daughter starts crying. From then on in, the battle begins. My wife and I have an ignorance contest. Who can lay the stillest for the longest without getting up? The trick to winning this battle is to learn how to tune it out. If I can somehow stay in a sort of ...read more

Scripture: John 10:27

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Faith

Denomination: Lutheran

When I Was A Boy, I Saw A Stereo At Foley's ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Simms on May 23, 2004

When I was a boy, I saw a stereo at Foley’s department store that I wanted. My father agreed to pay for the stereo on the condition that I pay him back with the money I received from mowing lawns that summer. It was my first real loan in some ways. I received the benefits of the stereo ...read more

Scripture: John 1:43-51

Tags: Apologetics General

Denomination: Baptist

One Sunday After Church, A Mom Asked Her Very ...  PRO

Contributed by Evelyn Weston on May 23, 2004

One Sunday after church, a Mom asked her very young daughter what the lesson was about. The daughter answered, "Don’t be scared, you’ll get your quilt." Needless to say, the Mom was perplexed. Later in the day, the pastor stopped by for tea and the Mom asked him what ...read more

Scripture: John 14:16

Tags: Holy Spirit Attributes

Denomination: Lutheran

When You Were Growing Up, Do You Remember The ...  PRO

Contributed by Robbie Shivar on Jun 4, 2004

When you were growing up, do you remember the phrase "Do-Over" that was often used during playtime? It would happen during a game of kick ball. The kicker would wallop the ball into the air over toward the trees. The ball would then bounce it way down through the branch and then get stuck. The ...read more

Scripture: John 21:12-19

Tags: God's Provision

Denomination: Baptist

Worship Ought Not To Be Construed In A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 12, 2004

Worship ought not to be construed in a utilitarian way. Its purpose is not to gain numbers nor for our churches to be seen as successful. Rather, the entire reason for our worship is that God deserves it. Moreover, it isn’t even useful for earning points with God, for what we do in worship won’t ...read more

Scripture: John 4:26-32

Tags: Worship Definition

I Served A Church That Had A Wonderful Young ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 8, 2004

I served a Church that had a wonderful young married couple. He was 30, she was 26 and they had two beautiful children. The oldest would come up and set with me while I was preaching. The husband worked for the State and had a good job that he enjoyed. She worked for a large nationwide company ...read more

Scripture: John 10:14

Numbers 24:17 Had Predicted That "A Star Will ...  PRO

Contributed by Joel Pankow on Aug 20, 2004

Numbers 24:17 had predicted that “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” That star was a young boy by the name of Jesus - who would save His people from their sins. Every evening when you wake up you can look at the stars and depend on the fact that it will be in the ...read more

Scripture: John 4:25-26

Tags: Lordship Of Christ, Humanity Of Christ

Denomination: Lutheran

A Real Heroine  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 26, 2004

A REAL HEROINE As you walk down the red carpet, a frenzied mob swarms around you, demanding your autograph. The reporters are snapping your picture, nearly blinding you. Every ten feet, a television crew stops you for an interview. Have you just become the hottest newest star? No, you’re at ...read more

Scripture: John 15:14

Tags: Ruth, Christian Disciplines, Endurance

Are You Being Served? Was A British Sitcom That ...  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Sep 7, 2004

Are You Being Served? was a British sitcom that ran from 1972 to 1985. It was set in the very old-fashioned Grace Brothers department store, owned by Mr. Grace. The program deals with the working life of the staff of the Ladies’ and Gent’s outfitting departments. Captain Peacock is in overall ...read more

Scripture: John 13:1-17

Tags: Faith Vs. Works, Misconceptions

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Let Me Ask You Something, Is The Moon Ever In ...  PRO

Contributed by Kent Lenard on Feb 13, 2005

Let me ask you something, is the moon ever in darkness? No its not! There are times that the sun shines so bright that the moon is not seen but it is never in darkness. But when our part of the world is dark and the moon is positioned in such a way that it reflects the light of the sun, light is ...read more

Scripture: John 1:5-15

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Baptist

I Mentioned Brian Mclaren's Book "A Generous ...  PRO

Contributed by Mike Wilkins on Feb 21, 2005

I mentioned Brian McLaren’s book “A Generous Orthodoxy” last week. The chapter after “Would Jesus Be a Christian” is titled, “Jesus, Savior of What?” In this chapter he argues that while Jesus did come to save us as individuals, we in the west have placed such a strong emphasis on personal ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16-17

Tags: Kingdom Of God

Denomination: *other

I Served As A U.s. Marine In Iraq During 2004. ...  PRO

Contributed by Troy Mason on Mar 4, 2005

I served as a U.S. Marine in Iraq during 2004. One day, I traveled with an Army unit to a border checkpoint between Iraq and Syria. We were "officially" turning over control of the border crossing to the Iraqi Border Police. To celebrate their newly regained authority, the Iraqi officers invited ...read more

Scripture: John 13:26

Tags: Bread, Lord's Supper

Denomination: Baptist