In Sermon Illustrations: "Living Sacrifice"

Praying The Armor Of God

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 12, 2019

PRAYING THE ARMOR OF GOD This is a prayer I shared with our congregation after teaching a series on Spiritual Warfare based upon an exposition of Ephesians 6:10-18. "Good morning, Lord. It’s going to be a great day because I am preparing to win spiritual battles for Your glory and ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18

Tags: Spiritual Warfare, Prayer

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Do You Know How To Use The Sword Of The Spirit?

Contributed by Doug Fannon on Oct 26, 2020

Many years ago when I was in Army basic training, I spent many hours on the rifle range. Not just an afternoon on the range like many of you who experience Air Force Basic Training. I spent quite literally two-thirds of my training time on the rifle range. I was issued an M-16 assault rifle for ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:17, 2 Timothy 2:15

Tags: Bible, Scripture, Word Of God, Armor Of God, Sword Of The Spirit  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Bee The Body Of Christ

Contributed by Dr. Bradford Reaves on Jan 14, 2022

My dad has bees. Today I went to his house and he showed me all of the honey he had gotten from the hives. He took the lid off of a 5 gallon bucket full of honey and on top of the honey there were 3 little bees, struggling. They were covered in sticky honey and drowning. I asked him if we could ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:27, Galatians 6:2

Tags: Caring, Bees, Love, Church, Family, Body Of Christ, Helping  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Brethren

The Greatest Building Disaster In History

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 2, 2022

In 1174, the Italian architect Bonnano Pisano began work on what would become his most famous project: a separately standing eight-story bell tower in the city of Pisa. There was just one “little” problem: builders quickly discovered that the soil was much softer than they had anticipated, and the ...read more

Tags: Foundations, Eternity, Obedience, Rock, Sand, Word Of God, Parables  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Giving

Contributed by Brad Beaman on Apr 17, 2022

Henry Parsons Crowell contracted tuberculosis when a boy and could not go to school. His Father and brother died of tuberculosis, and he should have died of it too. He made a contract with God. If he were spared he would use his abilities to amass large sums of money for evangelism. For the next 50 ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:7-8

Tags: Giving, Purpose Of Giving, Cheerful Giver

Denomination: Baptist

Evolution Is The Problem - And The Solution?

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jul 19, 2023

Gov Pritzker (Illinois) gave the 2023 Commencement Address at North Eastern University "… Whenever we see someone who doesn't look like us, or sound like us, or act like us or love like us, or live like us - the first thought that crosses almost everyone's brain is rooted in either ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-3, Romans 3:23, Galatians 5:22-23, Psalm 139:14, Romans 7:21-25, Genesis 1:27, Genesis 3:17-19  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Fruit Of The Spirit, Evolution, Compassion, Salvation, Kindness, Education, Humanity  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

12 Rules For Raising Delinquent Children

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jul 8, 2024

TWELVE RULES FOR RAISING DELINQUENT CHILDREN (HOUSTON, TEXAS POLICE DEPT., 1960) 1. Begin with infancy to give the child everything he wants. In this way he will grow up to believe the world owes him a living. 2. When he picks up bad words, laugh at him. This will make him think he's cute. ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 22:6

Tags: Training, Police, Discipline, Fathers, Children, Parents, Mothers, Home  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Thine Is The Glory!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 12, 2024

If you seek your own glory you will lose that, and His. But, if you seek His, you will get yours directly from Him. We are all tempted, like the youth Narcissus in the Greek fable, to bend over the brook and fall in love with ourselves, and we get changed into flowers, and fade in an hour. But he ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:9-15

Tags: Ministry, Glory, Worship, Praise, Power, Kingdom, Lord's Prayer, Glory Of God, Judgment Seat Of Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Last Supper By Leonardo Da Vinci

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 21, 2025

Story: Leonardo da Vinci took seven years to paint his famous picture the "Last Supper". He used living people to depict the figures representing the Twelve Apostles and Christ. He started the fresco with Jesus Christ himself. It is reputed that he viewed hundreds and hundreds of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Tags: Last Supper, Leonardo Da Vinci

Denomination: Anglican

The Business Executive

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 25, 2025

Story: A business manager went on holiday to an island in Greece. One day, while he was on the beach, he was called up on his mobile phone by his secretary, wanting some help. He gave her some instructions and told her to call him back when she had finished. As he was pacing up and down ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20

Tags: Fisherman, Business Manager

Denomination: Anglican

Rebellion At The Heart Of Mankind (Funny Story)

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Nov 20, 2025

When my granddaughter was about three years old, ... my wife Lee and I ... were babysitting our grandchildren in Morton Illinois. Anna wanted to go outside and play on our own. I thought this was a good teaching moment. So, ... I knelt down beside her ... so that we could look at each other ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 6:12-23, Romans 6:16-18, John 8:34, John 8:31-32  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Slave, Mortal, Freedom, Sin, Heart, Teach, Rebellion  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

The Peter Principle - I Will Change Your Name

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Jan 19, 2026

Back in the 60's ... a man named Laurence J. Peter ... visited several corporations ... and studied some of their management styles ... and characteristics. As a result, ... he came up with a maxim ... which was later named after him ... called ... "The Peter Principle." (Pause) I ...read more

Scripture: John 1:42, Acts 5:29, 1 Samuel 16:7, Philippians 4:13

Tags: Name, Heart, Peter, Change, New Creation, Principle  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

We Get A New Family  PRO

Contributed by Brian La Croix on Feb 20, 2008

#3 – We Get a New Family Ephesians 2:19-22 November 4, 2007 NOTE: THE ME/WE/GOD/YOU/WE FORMAT USED IN MY MESSAGES IS BORROWED FROM ANDY STANLEY’S BOOK, "COMMUNICATING FOR A CHANGE." Introduction We’ve been looking at different benefits or blessings of following Christ – living for Him, and not ...read more

Tags: Faith, Thanksgiving, Blessing, Revival

Denomination: Wesleyan

By Bobby G. Bodenhamer, ...

Contributed by Bobby Bodenhamer on Oct 17, 2008

By Bobby G. Bodenhamer, D.Min. For October 19, 2008 Introduction - A life of "change" Isn’t it remarkable how rapidly things change? In looking at this passage in Jeremiah my mind was drawn back over my life time. I was borne (I think I was born. Dad always told me that he found me in an old ...read more

Tags: Testimonies About Jesus

Denomination: *other

The Other Woman By David ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 27, 2010

THE OTHER WOMAN by David Farrell. Prov. 23:22 - "Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old." After 21 years of marriage, I’ve discovered a new way of keeping the spark of love and intimacy alive in my relationship with my wife: I’ve recently started ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 23:22

Tags: Mother's Day, Honor Parents

[055]. A Message From A Poem – Death For The Christian

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 12, 2025

[055]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – DEATH FOR THE CHRISTIAN We deal with a subject today we often like to forget about. When we are young we give it little thought but when we are old, it tends to preoccupy our minds a lot more. This poem is not so much about the subject of death itself, as it is ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 1:18, 2 Corinthians 5:8, Hebrews 9:27

Tags: Egypt, Poetry, Poem, Christian Death, Absent From The Body, Keys Of Death And Hades, Death, Fear  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Only A Few Days Ago I Saw A Video Of The Bradford ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Holdcroft on Nov 8, 2003

Only a few days ago I saw a video of the Bradford City fire disaster, as part of a fire training exercise at work. I was eight years old when it happened, and had heard about it, but I had never seen the footage, that was captured live, by a shocked camera crew who just kept filming. On Saturday ...read more

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

Denomination: Pentecostal

David Wilkerson's Founder Of Teen Challenge ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jan 30, 2004

David Wilkerson's founder of Teen Challenge states from his book Sipping Saints: 1. Drinking is the world's most staggering problem. We face the horrible statistics of more than a million young Americans becoming alcoholics. Six million of their parents are already there. We have become a sodden ...read more

Tags: Addiction

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Several Times My Daughter Had Telephoned To ...  PRO

Contributed by Philip Harrelson on Feb 19, 2005

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say... "Mother, you must come see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. "I will come next Tuesday, " I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call. Next Tuesday dawned ...read more

Tags: Discipleship, Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Pentecostal

Mud-Gazing?" Luke 12:13-15 Key Verse(S) ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on May 3, 2005

“Mud-Gazing?” Luke 12:13-15 Key verse(s) 13:“Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Do you sing because you are happy; or are you happy because you sing? You’ve met the person. They always seem to have a positive attitude about nearly ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:13-15

Tags: Peace, Joy, Christian Love

Denomination: Lutheran