In Sermon Illustrations: "John Updike"

Shane Claiborne Tells About How His Little ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Feb 4, 2008

Shane Claiborne tells about how his little community of faith received some money. First, they won a lawsuit against the police of New York for misconduct. Shane with several hundred people had protested the arresting of people for sleeiping outside by sleeping outside. They were arrested, charged, ...read more

Scripture: John 17:20-26

Denomination: Church Of God

Abraham Lincoln's Comment, Made When Talking To A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 1, 2008

Abraham Lincoln’s comment, made when talking to a father who was chagrined and embarrassed because his 17-year-old son had begun to indulge in liquor, is most convincing: "Well, there is just one way to bring up a child in the way he should go, and ...read more

Scripture: John 8:41-59

Dietrich Bonhoeffer Says In His Book "Life ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 1, 2008

Dietrich Bonhoeffer says in his book "Life Together": “God has willed that we should seek and find His living Word in the witness of a brother/sister, in the mouth of a man/ woman. Therefore, the Christian needs another Christian who speaks God’s Word to him/her. He/she needs him again and again ...read more

Scripture: John 3:1-17

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Our Commitment In The Service Of Lord In Very ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 1, 2008

Our commitment in the service of Lord in very important in building the body of Christ. And I challenge you to commit your life in the ministry: Confidently, wholeheartedly and absolutely for the glory of God. In Yorkshire, England, during the early 1800s, two sons were born to a family named ...read more

Scripture: John 13:1-30

Tags: Servanthood

Truth – Have You Found It…  PRO

Contributed by Selvan John on Apr 2, 2008

Truth – have you found it… Truth is contemplated, says Plato Truth is reasoned, says Aristotle Truth is variable, says the Contextualists Truth is real, says the Realist Truth could be real, says the Skeptic Truth is inevitable, says the Investigator Truth is subconscious, says Freud Truth is ...read more

Scripture: John 14:6

Denomination: Pentecostal

Scarab Beetles  PRO

Contributed by Eric Ferguson on Apr 29, 2008

SCARAB BEETLES Many people find beetles and bugs somewhat creepy, but if here’s one beetle in the world that could turn you into a beetle lover - the jewel scarab. Jewel scarabs live in the jungles of Honduras and have the shape of your regular Christmas beetle. But their colours are so dazzling ...read more

Scripture: John 3:3-21

Tags: Christmas, Jesus, Born Again

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Before We Can Understand The Sufficient, ...

Contributed by Dave Kinney on Jun 2, 2008

"Before we can understand the sufficient, abundant life – we need to sufficiently, abundantly believe in an ...read more

Scripture: John 10:10

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Baptist

The Hotel ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 13, 2009

THE HOTEL TEST A Jewish lady named Mrs. Rosenberg many years ago was stranded late one night at a fashionable resort - one that did not admit Jews. The desk clerk looked down at his book and said, "Sorry, no room. The hotel is full." The Jewish lady said, "But your sign says that you have ...read more

Scripture: John 15:18

Tags: Persecution

The Spinning Got ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2009

THE SPINNING GOT HIM A boy entered a grocery store and asked the grocer for a box of Duz detergent. The grocer was puzzled and asked why he wanted a box of Duz. The boy said that he was going to wash his cat. The grocer said, "Young man, you shouldn’t wash your cat with this kind of soap." ...read more

Scripture: John 16:33

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Standing In The Doorway  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2009

STANDING IN THE DOORWAY John Todd was born in Rutledge, Vermont, into a family of several children. They later moved to the village of Killingsworth back in the early 1800s. And, there, at a very young age, both John’s parents died. The relatives wondered what they would do with so many ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-3

Tags: Death

Abundant Life  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 7, 2009

ABUNDANT LIFE In December 1990, the threat of war with Iraq was looming. Many reserves and National Guard troops were mobilized. There were some homes where father and mother were both deployed. Recognizing this situation (that both father and mother would be gone overseas), a civic organization ...read more

Scripture: John 10:10

Tags: Joy

I Was Blind, But Now I Can See  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2009

I WAS BLIND, BUT NOW I CAN SEE There were two boys who grew up together. They were close friends as children, but as they entered their teen years their paths began to diverge, and they ended up in very different places. Ernie was always in trouble. He began by shoplifting small things from stores ...read more

Scripture: John 9:25

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Worship In Spirit And ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 9, 2009

WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH When Lawrence of Arabia was in Paris with some of his Arab friends after World War I, he took them to see the sights of the city. His friends showed little interest in the Louvre, the Arch of Triumph, or Napoleon’s tomb. The thing that really interested them was the ...read more

Scripture: John 4:23

Tags: Worship General

The Other 19 Percent

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 9, 2009

THE OTHER 19 PERCENT Even if they’re unsure of it, most people want to believe in Heaven, and most people have some concept of it. TIME took a poll 10 years ago, and 81% of the people they surveyed said they believed in the existence of Heaven, where people lived forever with God after they ...read more

Scripture: John 12:37-50

Tags: Atheism

The Bible As Holy

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 14, 2009

THE BIBLE AS HOLY The Bible is deemed a holy book by 84% of the U.S. public. Although 84% of Barna Research respondents described themselves as Christian, 7% did not consider the Bible to be sacred, while 38% of adults who do not consider themselves Christian categorized it as such. Most ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1

Tags: Bible Truth

Jehovah ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 27, 2009

JEHOVAH SHAMMAH I like what Charles Spurgeon once said, "Whatever your difficulties and trials and sorrows, all is well with you if God is your delight, and His presence your joy." When you feel abandoned or afraid, address Him as Jehovah Shammah. When ...read more

Scripture: John 16:33

Tags: Trials And Difficulties, Trials

Loving Without Agreeing  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 28, 2009

LOVING WITHOUT AGREEING We can love others without totally agreeing with them. Often love is worked out by agreeing to disagree. We can offer love and care for people who are different from us and people we don’t agree with. This fact is illustrated by a true story that took place in the state of ...read more

Scripture: John 13:34-35

Tags: Christian Love

Kurtis Warner: Christlike Love  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 28, 2009

KURTIS WARNER: CHRISTLIKE LOVE You never know when an encouraging act of kindness will bring about change in a person’s life for the better. In a supermarket, Kurtis, the stock boy, was busily working when a new voice came over the intercom asking for a carry out at checkout register 4. Kurtis ...read more

Scripture: John 13:34-35

Tags: Christian Love

Seasick Hope  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 28, 2009

SEASICK HOPE A passenger on an ocean liner was enduring a rough Atlantic crossing. As he leaned over the rail, his face a shade of green, a steward came along and tried to encourage him: "Don’t be discouraged, sir! No one’s ever died of seasickness yet!" The nauseous passenger looked up at the ...read more

Scripture: John 16:33

Tags: God Brings Hope

Talk To Jesus Like Your Daughter

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 10, 2009

TALK TO JESUS LIKE YOUR DAUGHTER I was reading about a grieving woman. She went to the Rev. F. B. Meyer looking for help. She said, "Pastor, my daughter died last year. I miss her so much. I made breakfast for her every morning. And even when I had to go to work, I knew that she would be there ...read more

Scripture: John 11:35

Tags: God In The Hardships