In Sermon Illustrations: "New Beginnings"

Human Distraction: Humans Specialize In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2006

Human Distraction: Humans specialize in distraction, especially when the task at hand requires intellectual heavy lifting. But in the era of e-mail, instant messaging, Googling, e-commerce and iTunes, potential distractions while seated at a computer are not only ever-present but very enticing. ...read more

Tags: Workplace

Fear To Joy, Bondage To Freedom  PRO

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Apr 15, 2006

FEAR TO JOY, BONDAGE TO FREEDOM A poor German girl announced that she was going to give a piano concert. In order to attract people to come, she mentioned in the advertisements that she was the student of the famous Hungarian professor, Franz Liszt. But it was a falsehood. To her dismay, she ...read more

Tags: Repentance

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Listen To What Oswald Chambers Wrote About ...

Contributed by Danny Rogers on Sep 23, 2006

: Listen to what Oswald Chambers wrote about this passage in his devotional My Utmost for His Highest. “A person will easily say, “Oh yes, I know I am a sinner,” but when he comes into the presence of God he cannot get away with such a broad and indefinite statement. Our conviction is focused on ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Baptist

The Law Has A Purpose. In The Case Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Eddie Snipes on Oct 26, 2000

The law has a purpose. In the case of Cain’s wife, there was no need for this law at the beginning. There are over 130,000 genes that we inherit from our parents (Explain genes to the ancient world). Genes are formed in pairs. At the moment of conception, we inherit one gene of each pair from each ...read more

Tags: Apologetics General, Sin Fall Of Man

Denomination: Baptist

One Of My Favorite Movies Is The Christmas ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Emmert on Mar 5, 2001

One of my favorite movies is the Christmas classic, A Christmas Story, the saga of a little boy named Ralphie Parker growing up in Gary, Indiana of the 1950’s. Ralphie has been drinking Ovaltine for months, saving up box tops so that he could send in a get a Little Orphan Annie Secret Decoder Ring. ...read more

Tags: Emotions, Christmas, Prayer Adoration, Hope

Denomination: United Methodist

Have You Ever Heard Of The Lotus Effect? The ...  PRO

Contributed by Howard Flynn on May 17, 2001

Have you ever heard of the Lotus Effect? The lotus is a beautiful blossom with dazzling whiteness. It is the national flower of India, the sacred flower of Hinduism, and prominent in Buddhism. It begins its life in the mud of a pond, shoots up through the muck and scum, and blossoms with a ...read more

Tags: Holiness, Call Of The Disciples

Denomination: Adventist

Evangelistic Zeal  PRO

Contributed by Ian Biss on Oct 1, 2001

EVANGELISTIC ZEAL Mordecai Ham emerged as an evangelist from Kentucky at the turn of the century. He had a background in business and the study of law. From the very beginning his approach was zealous and blunt. Rather than sit and talk with Christians at revival sites, Ham insisted on being taken ...read more

Tags: Sharing My Testimony, Sharing Your Faith, Great Commission

Denomination: Grace Brethren

It Came Without Packages, Boxes, Or Bags  PRO

Contributed by Carla Powell on Jan 2, 2002

IT CAME WITHOUT PACKAGES, BOXES, OR BAGS "Fa-who-for-ay; da-who-dor-ay; welcome, Christmas, come this way; Fa-who-for-ay; da-who-dor-ay; welcome, Christmas, Christmas day." They continue, singing, "Christmas day is in our grasp so long as we have hands to clasp." The Grinch can hardly believe ...read more

Tags: Christmas, Birth Of Jesus

Denomination: Lutheran

Here Are Some Opening Lines To Books Or Poems. ...  PRO

Contributed by Steven Platt on Mar 8, 2002

Here are some opening lines to books or poems. See if you recognize them. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" -A Tale of Two Cities- Charles Dickens "Call me Ishmael" -Moby Dick – Herman Melville "Tell me, O Muse, of the man of many devices, who wandered full many ways after ...read more

Tags: Creation, Bible Influence

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

There Once Was An Oyster  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Mar 19, 2002

There once was an oyster whose story I tell, Who found that sand had got under his shell; Just one little grain, but it gave him much pain, For oysters have feelings although they’re so plain. Now, did he berate the working of Fate Which had led him to such a deplorable state? Did he curse ...read more

Tags: Endurance, Peace

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Flip Wilson Was A Popular Comedian Several Years ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on May 15, 2002

Flip Wilson was a popular comedian several years ago, and one of his characters was a Preacher at the “What’s Happening Now Church.” Flip did a Skit where he told about this preacher. He’d shout out: "IF THIS CHURCH IS GOING TO SERVE GOD IT’S GOT TO GET DOWN ON ITS KNEES AND CRAWL!!!" And the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:1-10

Tags: Giving General, Church Practices

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

My Very First Dream

Contributed by Troy Borst on Dec 8, 2006

INTRODUCTION… My very first dream (p) I would like to begin this morning by telling you about the very first dream I can remember. It is not a long dream. I honestly do not know how old I was when I had this dream, I think I was in first or second grade. The setting of the dream is my back ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

You Know It's A Bad Church Business Meeting ...

Contributed by John Shearhart on Feb 16, 2007

You Know It’s A Bad Church Business Meeting When... …People arrive at the meeting, clutching copies of books about "spiritual abuse." …You’re asked to try on a pair of bloody gloves. …A loyal supporter presses a can of Mace into your hands. …The church constitution suddenly becomes revered as ...read more

Tags: Church General

I Read A Story About A Man Watching Birds Flying ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 26, 2007

I read a story about a man watching birds flying around Niagara Falls. He stood and watched these birds over a period of time as they swooped down through the mist and near the falls themselves. Gradually, little bits of ice began to build up on the wings of the birds and eventually the weight of ...read more

We Are Often Like The Child Who When Walking With ...

Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on Oct 17, 2007

We are often like the child who when walking with their parents they either have the tendancy to lag behind their parents kicking their heels or even run ahead doing their own thing for instance. 1. Maybe we’ve been walking for so long we’ve stopped and were tired and are reluctant to go on, were ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Chuck Swindoll Makes This Observation About Our ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Dec 4, 2007

Chuck Swindoll makes this observation about our chapter 7 of Ecc.: The man is describing life under the sun-ragged-edge reality, without God. Thus far in his journey, that has been his mindset, and it continues to be. But from here on, something begins to come into focus-the wisdom that has been ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Who Is Jesus?

Contributed by Michael Brown on Mar 11, 2008

Who is Jesus? In chemistry, He turned water to wine; In biology, He was born without the normal conception; In physics, He disproved the law of gravity when he ascended into heaven; In economics, He disproved the law of diminishing return by feeding 5000 men with two fish & five loaves of ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Senior Pastor Was Doing The Children's Sermon ...  PRO

Contributed by Pete Pawelek on May 28, 2008

The senior pastor was doing the children’s sermon one day at his church. He had decided to talk to the kids about how to write a good sermon, in hopes of inspiring some to grow up and go into the ministry. So he asked the children, "What makes a good sermon?" Of course all the little kids raised ...read more

Tags: Children

Denomination: *other

This Year (2008), Over 600 Students At Florida ...

Contributed by Jay Winters on Jun 29, 2008

This year (2008), over 600 students at Florida State are going to be the first people in their families to go to college. Compared to their peers, these students have a somewhat more daunting task ahead of them. They will be more likely to drop out. They will be more likely to work outside of ...read more

Tags: Future

Denomination: Lutheran

Most Respected Name

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 31, 2008

MOST RESPECTED NAME When Salvation Army founder William Booth was dying, there were some legal matters to tend to. The lawyer said to Mrs. Booth, "If you can get him to sign these papers the will will be executed much more smoothly." The problem was that he was drifting in and out of ...read more

Tags: Examples Of Faith