In Sermon Illustrations: "New Suit"

Communion In Your ‘civvies'  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 13, 2002

COMMUNION IN YOUR ‘CIVVIES’ Janet Daley writes in the UK Telegraph about a “movement among Church of England clergy in favour of going into civvies.” One of the things that the Church of England Synod is debating is the agitation some are having for dress-down Sundays, which would allow the vicar ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:6-7, Hebrews 13:1-16

Tags: Christmas, Hope, Humanity Of Christ, Lord's Supper

The Attention Of The Country Was Recently ...  PRO

Contributed by Robert Leroe on Dec 9, 2002

The attention of the country was recently focused on a high school football game in McDermott, Ohio. In the final quarter, Dave Frants and Derek Dewit, the rival coaches called a timeout, conferred together, and agreed upon a highly unusual play. On one team was 17-year old Jake Porter, a ...read more

Tags: Endurance, Compassion, Grace

Denomination: Congregational

A Perfect Preacher  PRO

Contributed by David Parks on Jan 30, 2003

A PERFECT PREACHER After hundreds of years, a model preacher has been found to suit everyone. He preaches exactly 20 minutes and then sits down. He condemns sin but never hurts anyone. He works from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. In every type of work from preaching to custodial service. He makes $60.00 a ...read more

Tags: Church, Leadership General, Leadership, John The Baptist, Hope, Pastor, Pastors, Qualification, Sin, Thanksgiving, Thanks, Thankful  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

How Not To Get Out Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 11, 2009

How Not To Get Out of Problems When the preacher’s car broke down on a country road, he walked to a nearby roadhouse to use the phone. After calling for a tow truck, he spotted his old friend, Frank, drunk and shabbily dressed at the bar. "What happened to you, Frank?" asked the good reverend. "You ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:24

Tags: Money

Deceiver  PRO

Contributed by Michael Walther on May 25, 2011

DECEIVER Ephesians 6.10-12 Especially, "schemes of the devil..." Here Paul explains the realities of evil in this world. How different this is from popular ideas about evil. There is a comical view of evil -- the character who wears a red suit and carries a pitch fork. Then there is the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-12

Tags: Satan

Denomination: Lutheran

If We Want The Respect Of Others, We Must Also ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

If we want the respect of others, we must also give them the respect they deserve. This is a lesson that Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa learned at a very young age. When he was a child growing up in South Africa, Racism was still a big problem. If a black person and a white person met while ...read more

Tags: Friendship General

Max Lucado: People On A Plane And People On A Pew ...  PRO

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Jun 19, 2007

Max Lucado: People on a plane and people on a pew have a lot in common – All are on a journey. Most are satisfied with a predictable experience. We like to say, “It was a nice flight/It was a nice worship service.” We exit the same way we enter, and we’re happy to return next time. But a ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

Looks Great, But Where's ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 13, 2009

LOOKS GREAT, BUT WHERE’S GOD? I am reminded of the story about how a cowboy ventured right off the range one Sunday and attended church. This was a fine church; one of the town’s best and most influential. And the people wore suits that even Armani couldn’t afford. The problem is the cowboy ...read more

Tags: Worship General

Sea Sponge Collection And The Spirit

Contributed by Chris Surber on Apr 23, 2009

SEA SPONGE COLLECTION AND THE SPIRIT When my wife Christina and I lived in Tarpon Springs, Florida, one of our favorite places to visit was the Greek Sponge Docks. We lived on a few blocks away, in fact, and we would often take evening walks past the boats, restaurants, and little shops that are ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit General

Denomination: Christian Church

Salvation Is Not A Matter Of Improvement Or ...

Contributed by Shawn Rose on May 19, 2009

“Salvation is not a matter of improvement or perfection of what has previously existed. It is total transformation. The New Testament speaks of believers having a new mind, a new will, a new heart, a new inheritance, a new relationship, new power, new knowledge, new wisdom, new perception, new ...read more

Tags: Change

Denomination: Baptist

In The Beginning, God Created The Heavens And The ...  PRO

Contributed by Gerald Cornelius on Mar 27, 2001

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Quickly, God was faced with a class action suit for failure to file an environmental impact statement. God was granted a temporary permit for the project, but was stymied with the “cease and desist” order for the earthly part. Then God said, ...read more

Tags: Creation, Apologetics God, Government, Hell

Denomination: Baptist

If You Ask Anyone In My Family If They Have Ever ...

Contributed by Doris Sparks on Apr 5, 2007

If you ask anyone in my family if they have ever seen an angel; they would tell you the story that occurred on winter Sunday. We were driving up a very steep hill in town in a van. This was before mini-vans and this big 9-passenger van was not good on slippery roads. The road was snow packed and ...read more

Denomination: Lutheran

Your Grumbling Goes With You

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jun 15, 2009

YOUR GRUMBLING GOES WITH YOU There was a boy named Grumble Tone who ran away to sea, "I’m sick of things on land," he said, "as sick as I can be; A life upon the bounding wave will suit a lad like me!" The seething ocean billows failed to stimulate his mirth, For he did not like the vessel, nor ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:14-18

Tags: Complaining

Denomination: Other

Who Are You?

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Oct 19, 2009

WHO ARE YOU? Sheila Walsh is a Christian singer, writer, and former host of The 700 Club. She describes how her disconnected spirituality literally hit a wall. "One morning I was sitting on national television with my nice suit and inflatable hairdo and that night I was in the locked ward of a ...read more

Tags: Hypocrisy

Denomination: Church Of God

Violinist Hoped To Pleases His Father With His ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 20, 2009

Violinist Hoped To Pleases His Father With His Performance More Than the Audience Paul was not a man pleaser, but a bondservant of Christ. His message had not changed and would not change to accommodate men. As the servant of Christ, he preached the truth revealed to him by Christ. His objective in ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 1:10

Tags: Ambition, God Worthy Of Praise

No Hate For Evil

Contributed by Davon Huss on Mar 10, 2010

NO HATE FOR EVIL Story taken from Dr. David Jeremiah: The Ortiz family ministers to a small congregation in Ariel, about 40 miles north of Jerusalem. On the Feast of Purim, gifts of food and drink are sent to friends. As if in celebration of the holiday, a gift basket was delivered to the Ortiz ...read more

Tags: Cross

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Craving Milk

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Oct 26, 2011

CRAVING MILK I remember our grandkids had ravenous appetites towards mother's milk and they all grew fat as over-stuffed ticks. All 4 of them were roly-poly by 3 months of age. There was an obvious direct corollary between milk ingested and weight gain. Likewise, spiritual infants who crave ...read more

Tags: Basics Of Christianity

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Faith

Contributed by Darryl Womack on Dec 17, 2015

In the movie called the Matrix there is one of the best encouragements to share our Faith with others that I have ever seen. The Spiritual leader of that rag tag bunch goes by the name of Morpheus and the young deliverer who he believes is the promised one goes by the name of Neo. Needless to say ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:5

Tags: Evangelism, Faith, Matrix

Denomination: Baptist

People On A Plane And People On A Pew Have A Lot ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

People on a plane and people on a pew have a lot in common – All are on a journey. Most are satisfied with a predictable experience. We like to say, “It was a nice flight/It was a nice worship service.” We exit the same way we enter, and we’re happy to return next time. A few are not content ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

In The Movie, "Hook," Robin Williams Plays Peter ...

Contributed by Brian La Croix on Oct 29, 2007

In the movie, “Hook,” Robin Williams plays Peter Pan, who had left Neverland and had grown up to be a corporate attorney. He is completely focused on his job, and ends up neglecting his son over and over. There is a line that he quotes from time to time in the beginning of the movie that sets the ...read more

Denomination: Wesleyan