In Sermon Illustrations: "Life Change"

The Rise And Fall Of Nine Rich Men  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 6, 2011

THE RISE AND FALL OF NINE RICH MEN A popular story recounts a meeting that may have taken place at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago in 1923. There is debate whether the meeting in fact occurred, but what is not in question is the actual rise and fall of the men featured in the story, who were ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-10

Tags: Money

Ever-Flowing Stream Of Grace  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Ever-flowing Stream Of Grace "Empowerment for Service" Jesus taught, "Christians know His voice." Christians also know, [He] is the Lord [and] He is the everlasting God, the Creator of... the earth. He [does] not grow tired or weary..." (Isaiah 40:28) "Empowerment for Service: We serve the ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 40:8

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Drastic Decline Among Americans Who Live With A Biblical Worldview

Contributed by Timothy Lueking on Mar 30, 2023

The year was 1999 and George Barna just wrapped up his latest study on the status of the Worldview of American adults. He was shocked to discover that only 12% of American adults were living their life with a Biblical worldview. He knew that if this trend did not change then it would mean a rapid ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:6, Matthew 9:37-38

Tags: Evangelism, Harvest, Statistics, Biblical Worldview, American Adults  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Light Is Powerful (And Sometimes Annoying)

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Feb 20, 2026

I had a teacher in high school who used to do an experiment with a light bulb. He had a static electricity machine and when you put a light bulb near the source of static electricity, the bulb would burn. The only problem was that he was also holding on to the electrical cord attached to the light ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:13-16, Isaiah 49:6

Tags: All Nations, Mission, Sent, Evangelism, Light  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

God's Whispers Are Ours To Hear

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 31, 2011

GOD'S WHISPERS ARE OURS TO HEAR Bill Hybels' book: The Power of the Whisper: "Throughout history God has spoken. For millennia, he has forged his children’s faith by promising parted waters, empowering unlikely leaders, declaring world-changing prophecies-and imparting last-minute sermons to ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Treat Each Other Like The Answer To A Prayer  PRO

Contributed by Dave Clark on Dec 11, 2012

TREAT EACH OTHER LIKE THE ANSWER TO A PRAYER I can still see one of the great provokers in my life. I met her on a work trip to Kentucky. Our youth group was working on a woman’s house, but it wasn’t very much fun. We hated where we were. Porches and front yards littered with old cars, sofas ...read more

Scripture: Luke 8:43-48, Acts 10:30-33

Tags: Prayer Of Faith

Denomination: Disciples Of Christ

Three Views On Civil Disobedience By Believers

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 29, 2023

There are at least three general positions on the matter of civil disobedience. The anarchist view says that a person can choose to disobey the government whenever he likes and whenever he feels he is personally justified in doing so. Such a stance has no biblical support whatsoever, as evidenced ...read more

Tags: Leaders, Civil Disobedience, Patriotism, Persecution, America, Submission, Government, Authority  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Getting Back On Track

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2008

GETTING BACK ON TRACK Jim Baker is back in the pulpit again. "It's awesome to die and come back," he told about 400 worshipers at Way of Life Church, where he was the guest speaker one Sunday. The former PTL Ministries leader presided over a multimillion dollar TV ministry until he resigned amid a ...read more

Tags: Basics Of Christianity

I Can Do All Things (Hand In Glove Illustration)

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Jan 20, 2026

The change in Peter happened when he stopped believing: .... "I can do all things" ... and started to understand that: Hear God's Word BIBLE "I can do all things through Christ ... who strengthens me." END (Philippians 4:13). Beloved ... We ... You and I ... can do all ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:13

Tags: Glove, Hand, Strengthens

Denomination: Anglican

Sins Are Habits  PRO

Contributed by John Sattler on Feb 18, 2013

SINS ARE HABITS I’m reading a book right now called "The Power of Habit" (http://charlesduhigg.com/the-power-of-habit/) about how so much of our daily life is lived by habit. We have to. Our brain needs habits in order for us to be able to function. Just about everything we do is habitual. How ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:28, Romans 12:2

Tags: Temptation General

Denomination: Lutheran

Selfishness

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Apr 12, 2024

A while back I was in store getting some groceries as I observed a mother battling with her child. He was screaming at the top of his lungs and lying on the floor kicking and lashing out at his mother. The mother was really embarrassed by the child’s behavior, and she seemed overwhelmed and shocked ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:3-4

Tags: Selfish, Me Focused

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Have Your Heard About The Recent Experience Of A ...  PRO

Contributed by Jim Kane on Nov 3, 2001

Have your heard about the recent experience of a pastor who changed the order of worship so that the sermon was given before the offering was taken. This upset a four year old ...read more

Tags: Church Practices, Giving General

Denomination: Church Of God

Postal Carrier Linda Harrell Wasn't Supposed To ...

Contributed by Charles Wallis on Nov 20, 2008

Postal carrier Linda Harrell wasn’t supposed to be at this particular location, but her route had been changed that day. At an instant moment, she looked up as a baby fell from a window ...read more

Tags: Time

Denomination: Pentecostal

A Few Years Back, A Galveston Church Had A ...  PRO

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Jun 23, 2004

A few years back, a Galveston church had a Tithing Demonstration Sunday for its members. On a designated Sunday everyone was asked to give a tithe of one week’s salary. They urged everyone … whether or not they usually tithed … to give a tithe that one time. As you could imagine, the offering ...read more

Tags: Giving General, Gifts Giving

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Be Careful What You Say

Contributed by Mitch Davis on Aug 4, 2006

Be Careful What You Say In the course of your conversation each and every day, Think twice, try to be careful of what you have to say; Your remarks may be picked up by someone’s listening ear, You may be surprised at what some people think they hear. Things that you innocently say, or try to ...read more

Tags: Sin General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

One Of My Distant Relatives, A Young Man, Came To ...

Contributed by Ovidiu Radulescu on May 26, 2009

One of my distant relatives, a young man, came to me once and showed me four photos of four different girls. This was before Twitter and Facebook… He said: - Man, I love all of them and I wish to have the power to combine them all in one. Cecilia – great body; Martha – a face like an angel; ...read more

Tags: Marriage, Marriage General

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Balanced Scale?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 13, 2009

BALANCED SCALE? I read that years ago in England when they still used the balanced scales that a baker sued a farmer over the pound of butter that he was buying. And he said that when he first started buying butter from the farmer, it was a full pound. But gradually the farmer was selling him less ...read more

Scripture: Leviticus 19:36, Proverbs 11:1, Proverbs 16:11, Proverbs 20:23

Tags: Weight, Judgment, Hypocrisy, Honesty

How Many Of You Still Balance Your Checkbook By ...

Contributed by Jerry Blaxton on Mar 1, 2010

How many of you still balance your checkbook by hand every month? How many of you have so little money in your account, you have to balance it every month? How many of you have so much money in the bank, you don’t have to worry about balancing it? Every month the bank sends you a statement that ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Baptist

Integrity On A Bus

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Jul 19, 2010

INTEGRITY ON A BUS One Sunday a pastor preached a sermon on honesty. Monday morning he took the bus took get to his office. He paid the fare, and the bus driver gave him back too much change. During the rest of the journey, the pastor was rationalizing how God had provided him with some extra ...read more

Tags: Commandments God's Name

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Today's Witches (Translation Follows)

Contributed by David Pin on Feb 19, 2011

TODAY'S WITCHES (TRANSLATION FOLLOWS) Hoy en día las brujas no son mujeres con un grano en la nariz y sólo algunos dientes que mostar, tampoco tienen una voz desagradable y una risa burlona. Por el contrario, en mi país por ejemplo, las brujas modernas son rubias, hablan con dulzura, son bonitas y ...read more

Tags: False Teaching

Denomination: Charismatic