In Sermon Illustrations: "Living As Light"

Phillip Yancey On Expectations And ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 1, 2010

Phillip Yancey on Expectations and Disappointment Phillip Yancey had this to say about people’s expectations: Daniel Boorstin, former librarian of Congress and director of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, offers this assessment of contemporary culture: When we pick up our ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:25-34

Tags: Disappointment

Music To Raise The Dead

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on May 10, 2010

"MUSIC TO RAISE THE DEAD", an album from a Christian Rock group called Resurrection startled the Christian world with it's intensity in the 1970's. They did this in a day when many conservative pastors and evangelists actively thundered their warnings from the pulpit against the evils of rock music ...read more

Tags: Gifts Healing

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Mom's Chicken Soup Coupled With Forgiveness Wins ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 10, 2010

Mom’s Chicken Soup Coupled with Forgiveness Wins Over Disgruntled Church Member A lady tells as story that is a real picture of forgiveness. She says my mom, now in heaven, was a good cook. She was a good forgiver too and the combination of these two qualities resulted one day in an incident I love ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Same, Same

Contributed by Scott Wakefield on May 17, 2010

Found at http://www.christianstandard.com/articledisplay.asp?id=783 In an article for Christian Standard magazine, preacher and college president Matt Proctor reflects on the Incarnation: My 5-year-old, Carl, and my 3-year-old, Conrad, love it when I dress like them. After they put on jeans and a ...read more

Tags: Incarnation, Humanity Of Christ

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

I'm Always Fascinated By The Stories Of People ...

Contributed by Bret Toman on May 20, 2010

I'm always fascinated by the stories of people who win large sums of money in lotteries. A large majority of whom wish they had never won. Willie Hurt of Lansing, Mich., won $3.1 million in 1989. Two years later he was broke and charged with murder. His lawyer says Hurt spent his fortune on a ...read more

Tags: Money, Gambling

Denomination: Baptist

Why Be Buried With A Fork In Your ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 4, 2010

Why Be Buried With a Fork in Your Hand There was a woman who had been told she only had 3 months to live. Her doctor recommended that she start making preparations to die. And so, she contacted her Pastor to talk about her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at her funeral, what ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Tags: Heaven

Phantom Guilt

Contributed by Larry Wilson on Jul 9, 2010

PHANTOM GUILT Amputees often experience some sensation of a phantom limb. Somewhere, locked in their brains, a memory lingers of the nonexistent hand or leg. Invisible toes curl, imaginary hands grasp things, a "leg" feels so sturdy a patient may try to stand on it. For a few, the experience ...read more

Tags: Guilt

Denomination: Baptist

The Legend Of Jose Rivera

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 30, 2010

THE LEGEND OF JOSE RIVERA Have you heard the folk story of the bandit Jose' Rivera, who became notorious in several little towns in Texas for robbing their banks and businesses? Finally the townsfolk, weary of the constant plundering, hired a ranger to track down Jose' Rivera in his hideout in ...read more

Tags: Temptation General

Denomination: Brethren

James Von Moltke: For What A Mighty Task

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 22, 2011

JAMES VON MOLTKE: FOR WHAT A MIGHTY TASK James von Moltke came from a long line of German warriors and soldiers. For two centuries the name Moltke resounded proudly in the history of the Prussians and Germans. But James would serve a different fate. He was just as brave and just as devoted but his ...read more

Scripture: John 15:12-13

Tags: Heroism

Making Your Life Count For Something

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 7, 2011

MAKING YOUR LIFE COUNT FOR SOMETHING Many years ago at a Presbyterian retreat center near Asheville, NC, the annual summer conference was being held. An elderly man with a neatly clipped white goatee and resonant voice rose to speak. He explained that he was a medical doctor and he had a story to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:25-33

Tags: Missions

How James Montgomery Boice Faced Faced Death From ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2011

How James Montgomery Boice Faced Faced Death from Cancer On May 7, 2000, Dr. Boice stood in this pulpit for the last time to speak about his cancer that would take his life in a month. Here is an excerpt: "If I were to reflect on what goes on theologically here, there are two things I would ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28-39, Romans 12:1-2

Tags: Death Nearness

Thankful People Are Happy People  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 19, 2011

THANKFUL PEOPLE ARE HAPPY PEOPLE I read a news story once of a woman who was getting ready to jump off a 44 story building in New York City. Witnesses said that she did not look like the type of person who would do such a thing. She was very distinguished and well dressed. All the attempts ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 103:1-5

Tags: Family, Gratitude, Share

True Unity  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 26, 2011

TRUE UNITY Unity is not simply an intellectual exercise. We can believe the same things, recite the same creeds, belong to the same denomination, but that does not mean we have unity. In his book Soul Talk, Larry Crabb writes: "Which is worse? A church program to build community that doesn’t ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16, Ephesians 4:1-22, 1 Samuel 25:14-35

Tags: Unity

Unsung Heroines

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 6, 2011

UNSUNG HEROINES In Tom Brokaw’s book "The Greatest Generation Speaks," Veronica Mackey Hulick tells of her service during World War II. Veronica was 20 when she joined the Navy WAVES [Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service]. She and about 1500 other bright young women worked for hours at ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:35, Mark 9:33-35

Tags: Servanthood

Communion Meditation: Compassion In A Deli

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 11, 2011

COMMUNION MEDITATION: COMPASSION IN A DELI Dr. Fred Craddic tells of the time he was asked to speak in Winnipeg, Canada. While he was there he stopped into a deli get something to eat. He said the place was packed but people moved over and made room for him. Many people in there where just in to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46

Tags: Compassion

Balloons

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on May 15, 2011

BALLOONS One Sunday afternoon in late February, my family and I went out to brunch after the morning’s worship services. Upon leaving, my girls asked the hosts if they could have a balloon. Certainly they said – what color? So, my two youngest were each given a balloon, a huge ...read more

Tags: Fulfillment

Denomination: Lutheran

Doubting (Enter Your Name)

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Jul 30, 2011

DOUBTING (ENTER YOUR NAME) The most famous doubter of all time is Thomas. Through history Judas has been the only disciple criticized more than Thomas. Tradition has given him a new name: "Doubting Thomas." He wanted proof that Jesus was resurrected from the dead. But can you blame him? When the ...read more

Scripture: James 1:6-8, Matthew 21:21, Mark 11:23

Tags: Faith, Doubt, Prayer

Denomination: Baptist

Just Wanted To Tell You I Love You  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 29, 2011

JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU I LOVE YOU Paul Powell tells the story of a well-known preacher from years ago. His name was Carter Jones. Carter had a small room in the attic of his home that he used as a place of prayer. When he was especially burdened, he would make his way up the winding staircase to ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:29-31

Tags: Love For God

Our "In Jesus" Voice

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Nov 28, 2011

OUR "IN JESUS" VOICE I'm always intrigued by the phrase some parents and care-givers use with children: "Now children, we need to use our 'indoor' voices." What Ephesians 4 is saying is that when in the church (not the building) we need to use our "in Jesus" voices. Those voices need to lift up, ...read more

Tags: Encouragement

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

John Macarthur On Knowing God's Will

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Mar 27, 2012

JOHN MACARTHUR ON KNOWING GOD'S WILL God’s will is that you be saved, Spirit-filled, sanctified, submissive, and suffering. God’s Word makes all this clear. Do not read on until you have grasped these five principles. You say, "MacArthur, you were going to tell me what school I should go to. You ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11

Tags: God's Will, Knowing God's Will

Denomination: Baptist