In Sermon Illustrations: "Natural"

Deep Within California's Remote And Rugged ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 12, 2005

"Deep within California’s remote and rugged desert mountain ranges, living on the brink of extinction, less than a thousand bighorn sheep maintain a fragile grip on the future. Their hope lies with the crop of lambs born each winter. In preparation for this moment, ewes wander alone into the rocky ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:23-27

Tags: Jesus Teachings, Creation

I Was 12 Years Old When I Discovered I Had The ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Mccoy on Feb 8, 2006

I was 12 years old when I discovered I had the power to knock down my older sister! We were out playing in the new fallen snow. It was all good natured. But, this winter was different. I had had a growth streak & was about the same height of my older sister. In the rough & tumble of having ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: Baptist

What Does A Coach Look For Most In An Athlete? ...

Contributed by Johnny Creasong on Nov 3, 2006

What does a coach look for most in an athlete? Shari Kuchenbecker and her team of research assistants from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles interviewed six hundred and fifty-eight coaches representing forty-three sports. The athletes they coached ranged in age from three to twenty-two. ...read more

Denomination: Church Of God

Ever Watch Segments Of A Marathon Race? If You ...

Contributed by Darren Mccormick on Nov 7, 2006

Ever watch segments of a marathon race? If you have you’ve probably noticed marathon runners being handed drinks along the way. Usually it’s water, Gatorade or something similar. One thing you won’t find---you won’t find marathon runners guzzling Mt. Dew, Vault or Starbucks coffee during a race ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Other Gods  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 10, 2009

OTHER GODS J.I. Packer described the propensity to Other Gods: "What other gods could we have besides the Lord? Plenty. For Israel there were the Canaanite Baals, those jolly nature gods whose worship was a rampage of gluttony, drunkenness, and ritual prostitution. For us there are still the ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 20:3

Tags: Idolatry

The Only One In Thirty-Five Years

Contributed by Bill Butsko on Aug 5, 2009

THE ONLY ONE IN THIRTY-FIVE YEARS A soldier in the American Third Army was sent to a rest camp after a period of active service. When he returned to his outfit, he wrote a letter to General George Patton and thanked him for the splendid care he had received. General Patton wrote back that for ...read more

Tags: Gratitude

Denomination: Christian Church

Bronze ...

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Nov 7, 2009

BRONZE MEDALLISTS There is a fascinating research study done by Vicki Medvec, a professor at Northwestern University. She studied Olympic medallists and she discovered that Bronze medallists were happier than Silver medallists. Here’s why. Medvec found that Silver medallists tended to focus on ...read more

Tags: Attitude General

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Canadian Figure Skater - Joannie ...

Contributed by Brian Buriff on Mar 1, 2010

Canadian Figure Skater - Joannie Rochette 1. Her mother said these words 1 week before they traveled to Vancouver : "I always encouraged her to have confidence in herself, to believe in her dreams . . . The hurdles she faces motivate her to rise above them, Joannie has always been naturally ...read more

Tags: Sports

Denomination: Church Of God

Musalaha In Jerusalem

Contributed by Warner Pidgeon on Jan 30, 2011

MUSALAHA IN JERUSALEM Musalaha is a charity in the Holy Land working for reconciliation. It is an Arabic word that means "reconciliation" and I recently received this communication from the head of Musalaha - Salim Munayer, who writes: At the end of 2010, more than 150 people assembled, stood ...read more

Tags: Unity

Denomination: Anglican

Church On Fire

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on Jun 15, 2011

CHURCH ON FIRE Here's an interesting article that goes well with Pentecost. The article’s title read, "Fireworks Blamed for Church Fire." The story begins, "Fireworks were blamed for a fire that tore through a church in Brush Prairie, on Monday... . The church's roof collapsed as the fire ...read more

Tags: Pentecost

Denomination: Lutheran

Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde: Our Irrevocable Acts  PRO

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Jun 30, 2011

DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE: OUR IRREVOCABLE ACTS Robert Louis Stevenson, in "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," set forth the irrevocable nature of every act we perform. Mr. Jekyll discovered a drug that would transform him into a man devoid of any conscience and therefore able to enjoy any vice or sin. ...read more

Tags: Romans, Sin Bondage To

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Prayer Police

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 16, 2011

THE PRAYER POLICE A little over 3 years ago, a group of students at an Alabama high school recited the Lord’s Prayer together in the lunchroom, which prompted a suit by the parents of another student. In response, Judge Ira Dement, on October 29, 1997, termed the action "religiously based ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:11-16

Tags: Persecution

Understanding The Spiritual Gifts By Dr. Dale A. ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Oct 13, 2011

Understanding The Spiritual Gifts By Dr. Dale A. Robbins 1. The ministry of Spiritual Gifts originates in the New Testament, commissioned by our Lord Jesus Christ. After He established His church on the earth and ascended to Heaven, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to equip His church with power and ...read more

Tags: Gifts General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Adam And Eve Virus

Contributed by Daniel J. Little on Nov 15, 2011

THE ADAM AND EVE VIRUS The Genesis narrative (chapter 3) tells us how God gave Adam and Eve His wisdom as well as His authority, and then how they pursued a counterfeit authority and an alien wisdom—actually satanic wisdom. The moment they introduced that dark wisdom into their lives a radical ...read more

Tags: Sin Fall Of Man

Denomination: *other

The World's Accent  PRO

Contributed by Tim White on Mar 22, 2012

THE WORLD'S ACCENT When I was a boy, my Arkansas cousins moved to California for two years. When they moved back, they talked funny. Just living in California for two years influenced how they said "You guys" and how often they said it. I prefer "Y'all" to "You guys" any day. My cousins promised ...read more

Scripture: James 4:4, Romans 12:2

Tags: Sin Deceptive

Denomination: Baptist

What Forgiveness Is Not...

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 27, 2014

I think there are many today who are confused about forgiveness. Let’s talk about what forgiveness IS NOT. FORGIVENESS IS NOT EASY. It is the most difficult you will ever do to forgive someone who has stolen from you, lied about, hurt you or broken a vow to you. FORGIVENESS IS NOT NATURAL. The ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 50:15-20

Tags: Forgiveness, Cross, Forgiving Others, Joseph In Egypt

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Homosexuality In First Century Greek Culture

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Sep 24, 2019

Craig Keener writes, “Greek men were commonly bisexual; not only was homosexual behavior approved…but elements of the culture socialized boys in this direction. Men and women were segregated growing up, and male bonds became close. Apparently due to a deficiency in the number of women (which many ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:24-32

Tags: Gay, Homosexuality, Lesbian, Gender, Bisexuality  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Thank You, Mom, For Being Strong For Me

Contributed by Jerry Cosper on May 4, 2020

It almost brings tears to my eyes when I watch the commercials where the child is growing up and is leaving home for college, or to get married and live in another city. I think about how difficult it must have been for my mom to watch me drive off to college in another city. And then later to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:41-50

Tags: Mothers Day, Mothers Strength

Denomination: Baptist

The Celtic Was Of Spirituality Was Amazingly ...

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Feb 18, 2008

The Celtic was of spirituality was amazingly holistic. It did not reflect the dualism of the modern age. The Irish such as Patrick understood that the earth was the Lord’s. They saw God’s hand at work in nature (in their environment). They saw their work on earth to be part of their spiritual ...read more

Denomination: Church Of God

When The Bible Insists We Give Honor And Glory ...  PRO

Contributed by Glenn Durham on Mar 12, 2008

When the Bible insists we give honor and glory only to the one true God (when we are warned against idolatry), something more is being referred to than simply the statues before which pagans bow. The idols my heart adores are all those things which I demand for joy and significance. Pastor Tim ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:16-22

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed