In Sermon Illustrations: "New Age"

Forgiving Flowers

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jun 9, 2011

FORGIVING FLOWERS Fifteen years ago in Houston, a man named Ron Flowers accidentally shot school teacher Deirdra Washington through a car window during the course of a failed drug deal and was sent to prison for 35 years. Her family was consumed, destroyed by grief and anger. For 14 years Flowers ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

How To Promote Good Health In Infants

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 8, 2012

HOW TO PROMOTE GOOD HEALTH IN INFANTS A person who is "born again" starts a new life similar to that of a newborn infant. Seven rules that promote good health in babies can be adapted and applied to a Christian’s spiritual growth. 1. Daily Food. Take in the "pure milk of the word" through study ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:42-47

Tags: Growth In Christ

The Body: The Image Of God

Contributed by Bret Toman on Oct 31, 2012

THE BODY: THE IMAGE OF GOD Paul Brand writing about what it means to be in the image of God in his book In His Image: "We will not explore the psychological and mental attributes in each one of us that might reflect the image of God. Instead, we will center on a community, that group of God’s ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Baptist

Death

Contributed by Jeffrey Rowe on Dec 29, 2012

In Psalm 23, death is described as casting a shadow. Let’s look at that for a moment. Have you ever been enjoying a nice sunny day when all of a sudden a dark cloud hides the sun? All of a sudden you’re in this shadow! What does the shadow do? It hides the light. It makes it more difficult to ...read more

Tags: Death

Denomination: Holiness

My Son's A Sports Repairman  PRO

Contributed by Lance Hostetter on Feb 24, 2013

MY SON'S A SPORTS REPAIRMAN Three ladies were sitting around and bragging about their children. The first one says, "You know my son, he graduated first in his class from Stanford, he’s now a doctor making $250,000 a year in Chicago." The second woman says, "You know my son, he graduated first in ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 23:25, Proverbs 10:1

Tags: Boasting

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Power Of Snowflakes  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 20, 2014

THE POWER OF SNOWFLAKES We can learn great lessons of unity and its power simply by observing the nature. For example a single snow flake that looks beautiful and innocent. If it remains on its own it can easily fly away or quickly melt away. On it's own it does no harm and poses no threat to any ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 11:1-9, Luke 10:38-42, Ephesians 4:13-14

Tags: Power, Unity, Power Of Unity

The Bible And Good Leaders

Contributed by Davon Huss on Mar 24, 2014

Gene Getz was leading some Bible studies on the qualifications of church leaders. Two men were there who were new Christians and had little knowledge of the Bible. After a few sessions these two men said, "You know this is the first time we've heard this list of qualifications from the Bible. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:4-12

Tags: Household, Godly Husbands, True Leader

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Sacrificial Love

Contributed by Davon Huss on Sep 13, 2014

Watchman Nee, a Chinese evangelist, tells of a Christian he once knew in China. He was a rice farmer, and his fields lay high on a mountain. Every day he pumped water into the paddies of new rice. And every morning he returned to find that an unbelieving neighbor who lived down the hill had ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:21

Tags: Evil, Overcome, Good, Unbeliever

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Hero Vs Hero Maker

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jun 28, 2018

What does it mean to be a hero maker? A hero maker is a leader who shifts from being the hero to making others the hero in God's unfolding story. Real hero makers first die to any vision of personal glory. The dying involves a very real transition, one of grief and loss of ever becoming that ...read more

Scripture: John 14:12, Matthew 6:33

Tags: Leadership, Disciple Making, Leadership Training

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Tomorrow

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 10, 2019

It is reported that Colonel Rahl, commander of the British troops in Trenton, New Jersey, was playing cards when a courier brought an urgent message stating that General George Washington was crossing the Delaware River. Rahl put the letter in his pocket and didn't bother to read it until his ...read more

Scripture: James 4:13-17

Tags: Procrastination, Tomorrow

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Inn

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 25, 2019

The INN was full. The "inn" is mentioned in the Old Testament, and was still in operation in the New. The Inn was located on land that had been given to Chimham by DAVID (2 Samuel 19:32-40). It was a place to accommodate a number of TRAVELERS (Jeremiah 41:17). Holman Bible Dictionary ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:6-7

Tags: Christmas, Bethlehem, Inn, No Room At The Inn

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Happiness

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jun 11, 2020

Augustine on Depravity and Grace; “Without you what am I to myself but a guide to my own self destruction?” “... the self which willed to serve (God) was identical with the self which was unwilling. It was I. I was neither wholly willing nor wholly unwilling. So I was in conflict with myself ...read more

Scripture: Romans 7:7-25

Tags: Grace, Sin, Depravity

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Discovered By Mistake

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on May 24, 2021

In 1968, scientist Spencer Silver at the 3M company created a very weak adhesive that would peel off when removed from any surface. The funny thing was that he was in fact trying to create a super strong adhesive No one thought there was any use for such a product, until another scientist, Art Fry, ...read more

Scripture: Acts 21:17-40

Tags: Mistakes, Failure, Uninended

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Three Dimensions Of Pentecost

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 19, 2022

When you stop and consider the work of the Holy Spirit—and that’s what Pentecost is all about—there are three direct dimensions: • First, the Holy Spirit does an INWARD work in us. He is the One who administers justification, regeneration, and the new birth in our lives. He is the One who cleanses ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit, Pentecost, Revival, Simon Peter

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Don't See The Evidence

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Mar 31, 2022

I was with a friend talking to a new acquaintance when she began touting the virtues of a weight loss book she had read a few years earlier. “It will completely change your relationship with food,” she exclaimed, insisting he take down the name of the book and its author. I saw the man glance at ...read more

Scripture: James 1:22, James 1:23, James 1:24, James 1:25, 2 Corinthians 8:21  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Doer Of The Word, Integrity, Honesty

Denomination: Charismatic

Seven Wonders Of Grace

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 6, 2022

SEVEN WONDERS OF GRACE. Text - Galatians 2:20.  There are seven spiritual wonders in this marvelous text: 1. That the Son of God should love a persecutor like Saul. "Who loved me." 2. That the Son of God should be crucified. "Crucified with Christ." 3. That Christ ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20

Tags: Faith, Grace, Discipleship, Christian Life, Death To Self  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Keys To Understanding The Parables

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 13, 2022

KEYS TO UNDERSTANDING THE PARABLES Parables provide insight into the nature, coming, growth and of the Kingdom of God. Parables are by design intended to be surprising. They often sneak up on us. Parables are used to simulate thinking and cause the hearer to carefully contemplate what they ...read more

Tags: Teaching, Truth, Preaching, Parables, Kingdom Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Churches Closed Due To Lack Of Power!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 10, 2023

Bill Crowder gives us a pithy Illustration of Need for Power. The first winter that my wife Marlene and I were married was marked by severe blizzards. I can vividly remember one Sunday when we awoke to find that the electricity had been knocked out by an ice storm. Huddled around a ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:8

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

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Where Is The Mission Field?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 10, 2023

Most people associate missions with leaving for another city, country, or continent. This is because, technically speaking, we refer to those who have crossed cultural, ethnic, or geographic lines in order to share about Jesus as missionaries. However, mission work includes more than rain forest ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:8

Tags: Evangelism, Holy Spirit, Pentecost, Missions, Revival, Witnessing, Great Commission  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Hank Aaron And Yogi Berra

Contributed by David Swanger on Jan 19, 2024

There is a story involving Yogi Berra, the well-known catcher for the New York Yankees, and Hank Aaron, who at the time was the chief power hitter for the Milwaukee Braves. The teams were playing in the World Series, and as usual Yogi was keeping up his ceaseless chatter, intended to pep up his ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:13-14

Tags: Goals, Distractions