In Sermon Illustrations: "New Ministry"

Sailing Into A New Harbor (Funeral)

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Mar 1, 2023

BIBLE For I am already being poured out ... like a drink offering, ... and the time has come for my departure. ..... I have fought the good fight, .... I have finished the race, .... I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, .... which the Lord, .... the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:6-8

Tags: Death, Ship, Funeral, Departure, Harbor, Horizon  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

A Whole New Understanding Of Patience

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 22, 2024

Hebrews 12:1 tells us to "run with endurance" the race set before us. George Matheson wrote, "We commonly associate endure or patience with lying down. We think of it as the angel that guards the couch of the invalid. Yet, there is a patience that I believe to be harder -- the ...read more

Tags: Patience, Prophets, Waiting On The Lord, Job, Endurance, Second Coming  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Building A Deck

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Aug 12, 2008

BUILDING A DECK I have been building a deck in my backyard this summer, right now I am placing the finishing touches on it. Before I built my deck, I looked through different deck plans, and compared the different kinds of deck materials and figured out pretty much what I needed. Then I went to ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:23

Tags: Ministry, Motivation, Pride

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Blackaby Shares From His Book "The Power Of ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Feb 26, 2010

Blackaby shares from his book “The Power of the Call” pages 10-14 on a clear picture of what one looks like who is called by God into pastoral ministry: i. The pastor is chosen ii. He is chosen by God iii. He is chosen by God to be His servant iv. He is chosen by God to shepherd His people v. He ...read more

Tags: Ordination, Pastoral Ministry

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

He Who Is

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 22, 2012

He Who is "the image of the invisible God" (Col. 1:15),(21) is Himself the perfect man. To the sons of Adam He restores the divine likeness which had been disfigured from the first sin onward. Since human nature as He assumed it was not annulled,(22) by that very fact it has been raised up to a ...read more

Tags: Incarnation, Jesus' Ministry

Denomination: Catholic

Driven By Hurt

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Feb 11, 2022

DRIVEN BY HURT! MIGHT I ADD A PREACHER’S PERSPECTIVE TO START THIS LESSON? BE KIND TO EVERY PERSON. PERHAPS YOU DO NOT KNOW THE PROBLEMS AND THE BATTLES OTHERS ARE FACING. A preacher friend of mine was having some self-doubts and fears he was facing. There was a rather large family that had ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 61:3, 1 Peter 5:7

Tags: Bitter, Hurt, Ministry

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Are You Serving Or Souring

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Jun 13, 2022

If you are not serving where you are do not expect to be called to somewhere else to serve. Act 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. Saul/Paul and Barnabas were already serving in the church ...read more

Scripture: Acts 13:2

Tags: Service, Ministry, Call

Denomination: Baptist

Trouble? Joe Was Trouble...

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Oct 25, 2023

TROUBLE? JOE WAS TROUBLE! SOMEONE IS HURTING! I had taught school in Virginia several years. I was assistant principal. I often observed the kids in the younger classes and thought someday I will teach that child. There was a young boy named Joe. Joe was in the office pretty often in some kind ...read more

Scripture: Micah 6:8, Mark 12:29

Tags: Help, Trouble, Ministry

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Where Does Your Ministry Rely Upon God's Power?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 15, 2023

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”) Platt went on to say, "This is where I am most convicted as a pastor. I ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:8-11, Ephesians 5:18

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

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The New Golden Rule For Business, First Developed ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2008

The New Golden Rule for business, first developed by Fred Reichheld, loyalty expert and author, is the one statistic that increasingly is taken most seriously by investors. Originally dubbed the Net Promoter Score, it could also be called the Customer Evangelism Score. It may be the most revealing ...read more

Tags: Workplace Success

Why Did Jesus Need To Be Baptized?  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Mar 3, 2013

Why would Jesus need to be baptized by John? Well... Jesus' baptism by John was the beginning of Jesus' ministry. Mark 1:1 starts out: "The BEGINNING of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" and then Mark starts telling us about Jesus' baptism by John. In Luke 3:23 ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:13-15

Tags: Ministry, High Priest, Water Baptism, Jesus' Ministry, Baptism  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Pastors' Blessings & Blisters: New Pulpit & Pew ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 3, 2006

Pastors’ Blessings & Blisters: New Pulpit & Pew research done in cooperation with Duke University and funded by the Lilly Endowment reports that 60% of pastors say “they have never doubted their calling,” and 70% “indicate they have never considered leaving pastoral ministry.” Additional survey ...read more

Tags: Church General

Joke: Doctor: I Have Some Good News And I Have ...

Contributed by Rev Dr Randall M Deal Sr on Mar 29, 2009

JOKE: Doctor: I have some good news and I have some bad news. Patient: What’s the good news? Doctor: The good news is that the tests you took showed that you have 24 hours to live. Patient: That’s the good news? What’s ...read more

Tags: Death, News

Denomination: Baptist

This Is An Alleged New Year’s Letter ...  PRO

Contributed by Tony Fox on Dec 12, 2000

ILL: This is an alleged New Year’s letter written from a church member to the pastor. Dear Pastor: You often stress attendance at worship as being very important for a Christian, but I think a person has a right to miss now and then. I think every person ought to be excused for the following ...read more

Scripture: Mark 7:24-30, Mark 7:1-8

Tags: New Year's Day, Growth In Christ, Faith, Sandra

Denomination: Baptist

A Pastor Was Called To A New Church. The First ...  PRO

Contributed by Steve Heartsill on Oct 25, 2000

A pastor was called to a new church. The first Sunday the pastor was there, his message was taken from John 3:16. The message was entitled, "How to Be Born Again." The message was well received, but no decisions were made. The second Sunday, the pastor’s message was taken from John 3:16 and was ...read more

Tags: Becoming A Christian, Lordship Of Christ, Forgiveness In Jesus

Denomination: Baptist

One Of The Most Dramatic Symbols Of The New ...  PRO

Contributed by Steven Chapman on Nov 6, 2000

One of the most dramatic symbols of the new political freedoms in the worlds was the tearing down of the Berlin Wall. In 1990, church leaders invited Billy Graham to conduct a rally at the Brandenburg Gate. They said that rock stars, entertainers, and political groups had rallied at the Wall, but ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost, Finding Fulfillment

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

You Have Established A New Relationship With ...  PRO

Contributed by Rob Clifton on May 23, 2001

"You have established a new relationship with the powers of darkness. Whatever you were before you were a Christian- straight, horoscope reader, witch, warlock, or satanist- you are now a sworn foe of the legions of hell. Have no delusions about their reality or their hostility, but do not fear ...read more

Tags: Demons, Doubt, Paranormal

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Certain Congregation Was About To Erect A New ...  PRO

Contributed by Norbert Garcia on May 29, 2001

A certain congregation was about to erect a new church edifice. The building committee, in consecutive meetings passed the following resolutions: 1. We shall build a new church 2. The new building is to be located on the site of the old one. 3. The material in the old building is to be ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:17

Tags: Unity, Church Practices, Church General

Denomination: Adventist

When A New Calf Is Born, Sometimes It ...  PRO

Contributed by Joel Pankow on Jul 5, 2001

When a new calf is born, sometimes it doesn’t come to and breathe well right away. And so what a farmer will do - is to take a stick and jab it up the nostril of the calf. This jabbing irritates the calf - gets his heart pumping - hurries up his breathing. As a result, instead of dying, the calf ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 17:8-16

Tags: God In The Hardships, Forgiveness In Jesus, Endurance

Denomination: Lutheran

A Construction Crew Was Building A New Road ...  PRO

Contributed by Jason Patrick on Dec 1, 2001

A construction crew was building a new road through a rural area, knocking down trees as it progressed. A superintendent noticed that one tree had a nest of birds who couldn’t yet fly and he marked the tree so that it would not be cut down. Several weeks later the superintendent came back to the ...read more

Tags: God's Provision, Grace

Denomination: Baptist