In Sermon Illustrations: "Mission Of Church"

A Painless Way To Give In Church

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 20, 2019

Having a little trouble with giving at the church? Maybe we could all learn a little lesson from the old country preacher who told everyone to stand up at the beginning of the offering. He then instructed everyone to lean forward to the person standing in front of them and grab their purse or ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:9

Tags: Money, Giving, Stewardship, Tithing, Offerings  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How To Gather A Crowd At Church!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 25, 2021

How to Gather a Crowd at Church! A cattle rancher got saved and surrendered to preach. He went to a Bible conference which was all about how to build a crowd. Asked about it later, he said, "It was strange. In all my years as a cattle rancher, I never had to go to a conference to learn how ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-3

Tags: Bible, Teaching, Preaching, Word Of God, Pastors, Churches  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

They Keep You Quiet In Church

Contributed by John Bright on Apr 27, 2021

A 6-year-old girl was sitting in church with her very fidgety 4-year-old brother. She spoke to him with a stern voice, “You’re supposed to be quiet in church.” So her brother asked, “Whose gonna make me?” She ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:46-47

Tags: Church, Children, Worship, Quiet

Denomination: Methodist

Lazarus Churches That Are Dead And Stinketh!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 31, 2022

Vance Havner once commented that ministries often begin with a man who has a vision. That vision is captured by others and becomes a movement. As the movement gains followers and momentum, it becomes a machine. After a while, people forget all about the vision and what was once a movement ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7:14

Tags: Book Of Acts, Backsliding, Dying Churches, Church, Holy Spirit, Revival, Repentance  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Church Without The Holy Spirit

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 19, 2022

David Platt in his book, Radical, has a chapter entitled, "Beginning at the End of Ourselves -- The Importance of Relying on God's Power (Subsection entitled - “Dependent on Ourselves or Desperate for His Spirit?”). This is where I am most convicted as a pastor that I am part of a system ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:11

Tags: Church, Holy Spirit, Pentecost, Power, Pastors, Programs  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What The Church Needs Today

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 19, 2022

E.M. Bounds is right when he says, "What the Church needs today is not more machinery or more novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use— men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit, Pentecost, Anointing, Pastors, Simon Peter, Acts 2, Ministry, Church  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Church Is Called To Minister In The Marketplace.

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 4, 2022

Return the Cross to Golgotha I simply argue that the cross be raised again at the center of the marketplace as well as on the steeple of the church. I am recovering the claim that Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral between two candles; But on a cross between two thieves: on a town garbage ...read more

Tags: Evangelism, Church, Gospel, Cross, Great Commission, Marketplace, Wintessing  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Ten Rules For Improving The Church

Contributed by David Parks on Jun 3, 2022

TEN RULES FOR IMPROVING THE CHURCH 1. Tell yourself over and over that since you are not perfect you would not fit into a perfect congregation, if one existed. 2. Instead of picking out the worldly members to point to, pick out the sincere, dedicated, spiritual members and thank God for them. You ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:1-2, 1 Peter 4:8, Matthew 7:1-5

Tags: Church, Encouragement, Judgementalism

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Church Is A Battleship, Not A Cruise Ship!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 2, 2023

Adrian Rogers said "We are in a spiritual war! And the Church is not a cruise ship with the Senior Pastor as the Master of Ceremonies! Indeed, the Church is not a showboat…...it is a battleship. We, in the Body of Christ, are called to see Satan's strongholds crumble under the ...read more

Tags: Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Prayer, Revival, Victory, Demons, Strongholds  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When A Thief Was Surprised At Church!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 13, 2023

When I was pastoring in Texas, something strange happened one Christmas that I will never stop laughing about. Because it was a Christmas holiday, we were at home with our family taking a break from our normal ministry schedule. We did not go to the church campus for the weekend. But, while we ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 3:10-11, Proverbs 3:9-10, 1 Timothy 6:10, 1 Corinthians 16:1-2

Tags: Pastors, Tithing, Robbing God, Stealing, Surprises, Church, Giving, Humor  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Church That Voted God Out!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 28, 2024

The story is told about a poor woman who lived across the tracks and wanted to join a very fashionable church. She talked to the pastor about it, but he sought to discourage her. He suggested she go home and think about it carefully for a week. At the end of the week she came back. He said, “Go ...read more

Scripture: James 2:1-12

Tags: Church, Revival, Favoritism, Pastors, Membership, Partiality  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

1 Corinthians 13 — Church Version  PRO

Contributed by Jim Kane on Jan 28, 2003

1 Corinthians 13 - church version “If our church could hold services in five languages or our members could speak three, but we didn’t love others, we would be all talk and no action. If our church really expressed it’s spiritual gifts with wholehearted service and we became spiritual giants, but ...read more

Scripture: Acts 3:1

Tags: Church General, Christian Love

Denomination: Church Of God

Church Asks Non-Participants To Leave

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 21, 2011

CHURCH ASKS NON-PARTICIPANTS TO LEAVE Just a few years ago, Larknews.com carried the following fictional piece of satire on its website. In the form of a news release, it reported: Julie and Bob Clark were stunned to receive a letter from their church in July asking them to "participate in the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:15-16

Tags: Church Growth

John Piper, From Our Sister Church, Bethlehem ...

Contributed by Rev Dr Randall M Deal Sr on Jun 7, 2009

John Piper, from our sister church, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis: “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. WORSHIP IS! Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When the age is over, and countless millions of ...read more

Tags: Worship Definition, Worship General

Denomination: Baptist

If The Church Were To Lose Its Hierarchy, Its ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Sutherlin on Jun 5, 2001

"If the church were to lose its hierarchy, its clergy, its vast collection of learning amassed over the centuries, even the text of its sacred books, and had to face the world with nothing but the living presence of the Risen Jesus and its mission to proclaim the Good News to all nations and ...read more

Tags: Great Commission, Church Purpose Of, What Is Evangelism?

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Your Church Magazine Reports Staff Compensation ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 10, 2006

Your Church magazine reports staff compensation accounts for more than 40% of an average church’s budget. Churches with budgets over $500,000 spend 40% while smaller budget churches spend closer to 46% on compensation. Church facilities expenses account for 20%, Missions receives 16%, church ...read more

Tags: Giving General

Wycliffe Bible Translator Chet Bitterman's Death ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 30, 2009

Wycliffe Bible Translator Chet Bitterman’s Death Motivated Others for Missionary Service Jesus Himself said that the end would come only after the “gospel of the Kingdom” is “preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations” (Matthew 24:14). As His coming approaches, Jesus wants the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:14

Tags: Missions, Bible Translation

Missionary Explains Gospel To A Devoted ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 26, 2010

Missionary Explains Gospel to a Devoted Hindu Faith in Jesus is the means to appropriate God’s justification. Since Jesus Christ has finished the salvation of humanity, man’s response is to rely on that finished work. Reliance on Jesus for salvation is putting our total trust in Him. Perhaps a ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:21-31

Tags: Missions, Salvation By Grace

How Big Is Jesus??????

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 16, 2014

HOW BIG IS JESUS???????? At the end of a worship service, a little girl came up to her Pastor and asked, "How big is Jesus?" The puzzled pastor pondered and said, "I don’t know, sweetheart. The Bible doesn’t say. He was a carpenter, so I am sure he had big hands and strong shoulders. Maybe ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:21

Tags: Evangelism, Jesus, Missions

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Give Thanks

Contributed by Jonathan Meade on Nov 18, 2023

At 16, a mission to Honduras with my father was an eye-opening experience that left an incredible mark on my soul. I found myself in a foreign land, surrounded by poverty and heart wrenching realities that I had never encountered before. One particular night, our bus pulled into a dimly lit gas ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Tags: Thanksgiving, Missions, Gratitude

Denomination: Independent/Bible