In Sermon Illustrations: "Not Relying On Self"

A Recent Survey Of Discipleship Journal Readers ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 26, 2002

A recent survey of Discipleship Journal readers ranked areas of greatest spiritual challenge to them. These are listed in this order. 1. Materialism. 2. Pride. 3. Self-centeredness. 4. Laziness. 5. Tied were: Anger/Bitterness/Sexual lust. 6. Envy. 7. Gluttony. 8. Lying. (3) There’s little ...read more

My Kids Love Keys. Car Keys. House Keys. A Ring ...  PRO

Contributed by Kenneth Squires on Mar 26, 2003

My kids love keys. Car keys. House keys. A ring of old used keys that sit at the bottom of their toy box. The mystery for the child is what does this key fit? Even as I write this, our 4 year-old has grabbed my wife’s keys and is about to launch into a world of self-discovery as he moves through ...read more

Tags: Children

Denomination: Pentecostal

We All Know What It's Like To Still Have Growing ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Nov 14, 2003

We all know what it’s like to still have growing to do. Jeanne Olsen, a mother of five from Illinois, took her daughter Kirsten, age 9, out for a mother-daughter breakfast. During their meal, Jeanne courageously asked her daughter, "How do you think I could be a better mom?" Kirsten thought for a ...read more

Tags: Prayer Confession, Parenting

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

To Accept People Is To Be For Them. It Is To ...  PRO

Contributed by Steve Malone on Oct 7, 2004

“To accept people is to be for them. It is to recognize that it is a very good thing that these people are alive, and to long for the best for them. It does not, of course mean to approve of everything they do. It means to continue to want what is best for their souls no matter what they do.” AND – ...read more

Tags: Friendship New Friends

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Spiritual Leadership

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Sep 9, 2007

Spiritual Leadership Samuel Logan Brengle said: Spiritual leadership is not won by promotion, but by prayers and tears. It is attained by much heart-searching and humbling before God; by self-surrender, a courageous sacrifice of every idol, a bold, uncompromising, and uncomplaining embracing of ...read more

Denomination: Other

The Magazine "Discipleship Journal" Asked Its ...

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Jan 21, 2008

The magazine “Discipleship Journal” asked its readers to rank the areas of greatest spiritual challenge to them. The results came back in this order: (the top 5 were) 1. Materialism 2. Pride 3. Self-centeredness 4. Laziness 5. (Tie) Anger/Bitterness and Sexual lust The respondents also noted that ...read more

Rick Warren ("Purpose Driven") Accurately ...  PRO

Contributed by Glenn Durham on Mar 4, 2008

Rick Warren (“Purpose Driven”) accurately observes: “We can measure our servant’s heart by how we respond when others treat us like servants. How do you react when you’re taken for granted, bossed around, treated as an inferior…? Unfortunately, a lot of our service is often self-serving. We serve ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Someone Wrote: What Is Your God? "Whatever You ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

Someone wrote: WHAT IS YOUR GOD? "Whatever you love most, serve most, seek out most, give to the most, worship the most, and care about the most is your god. Your “god” can be your career, your bank account, the way you look, a particular position or degree, influence, power, or physical ...read more

Tags: Worship General

Run To The Refuge

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 13, 2009

RUN TO THE REFUGE Bunker gear, over 1,000 degrees of heat, protection from fire scene elements, provides a refuge/safety for self... importance of ARFF truck...refuge, responsible for protection of firefighters, T3000 3,000 gal. of water, large truck, nozzles, discharge 1,000 gpm...truck was place ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 35:6-34

Tags: God In The Hardships

Faith: Reason At Rest

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Mar 23, 2009

FAITH: REASON AT REST The late Manley Beasley defined faith as a "reason at rest with God." To me, that's powerful, but it hits me even harder when I remember that he went on to say, "Faith is dependency upon God, and this God-dependency only begins when self-dependency ends." And what do we see ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: *other

True Biblical Worship So Satisfies Our Total ...

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Jul 17, 2009

True biblical worship so satisfies our total personality that we don’t have to shop around for man-made substitutes. William Temple made this clear in his masterful definition of worship: For worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; ...read more

Tags: Worship, Worship General

Denomination: Baptist

Intercessory Prayer

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Apr 19, 2018

Richard Foster in his book "Prayer: Finding the Hearts True Home", says that intercession is a way of loving others. Intercessory prayer is selfless prayer, even self-giving prayer. "Intercessory prayer is priestly ministry, and one of the most challenging teachings in the New Testament is the ...read more

Tags: Prayer, Pray For One Another, Prayer And Obedience

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Three Types Of People Spiritually

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Oct 15, 2019

(Joshua 1, I Corinth. 2:13-3:3) EGYPT (NATURAL) - unbelievers who are in bondage to sin. Christ is on the outside of their life. Those in Egypt were freed from their slavery by the blood of a sacrificial Lamb, a picture of Christ on the Cross, who sets us free from sin. WILDERNESS (CARNAL) – ...read more

Tags: Egypt, Canaan, The Wilderness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Where Is Your Faith?

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 25, 2014

“A weak faith is weakened by predicaments and catastrophes, whereas a strong faith is strengthened by them.” – Victor Frankl Rain poured down and thunder boomed one dark night in September in Western Oklahoma. It had been a quiet, pleasant evening at the nursing center, and nurses and residents ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:7

Tags: Active Faith, Encourage Others, Courageous Women, Faith Lifestyle

Denomination: Charismatic

It Is Well  PRO

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Mar 14, 2002

IT IS WELL “H. G. Spafford was a businessman in Chicago. He was a dedicated Christian. [There were times in his life when the wisdom he followed was earthly, unspiritual, and subject to the enemy’s schemes]. He had some serious financial reversals, and during the time of readjustment, he lost ...read more

Tags: Peace, God Brings Hope

Denomination: United Methodist

The Author Inside You: Americans Write 750,000 ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2006

The Author Inside You: Americans write 750,000 book-length manuscripts a year, of which fewer than 60,000 are published. A ‘02 Jenkins Group survey found: 81% of Americans feel they should write a book., 28% see it as a self-help or DIY book, 27% a non-fiction book, 27% a fiction work, and 20% ...read more

Tags: Entertainment

My Father  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 24, 2003

My Father is very patient and kind. My Father is not envious, never boastful. My Father is not arrogant. My Father is never rude, nor is He self-seeking. My Father is not quick to take offense. My Father keeps no score of wrongs. My Father does not gloat over my sins but is always glad when truth ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

The Gospel Writers Simply Wrote "They Crucified ...

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Mar 16, 2004

The gospel writers simply wrote "They crucified Jesus". Who crucified him? I’ll tell you who crucified him. I did - and you did, and they did, those groups around the cross. The old Negro spiritual asked the question, "Were you there when they crucified my Lord?" “They” crucified the Lord? It ...read more

Tags: Cross

Denomination: Baptist

The Fight  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Goettsche on Oct 18, 2000

John White, Have you ever gone fishing in a polluted river and hauled out an old shoe, a tea kettle, or a rusty can? I get a similar sort of catch if I cast as a bait the word holiness into the murky depths of my mind. To my dismay I come up with such associations as: thinness hollow-eyed ...read more

Tags: Holiness, Apologetics General, Disciplines General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Recent Survey Of Discipleship Journal Readers ...  PRO

Contributed by Lynn Floyd on Nov 10, 2001

A recent survey of Discipleship Journal readers ranked areas of greatest spiritual challenge to them: 1. Materialism. 2. Pride. 3. Self-centeredness. 4. Laziness. 5. (Tie) Anger/Bitterness. 5. (Tie) Sexual lust. 7. Envy. 8. Gluttony. 9. Lying. Survey respondents noted temptations were more potent ...read more

Tags: Temptation Resisting, Temptation General, Temptation Pride

Denomination: Baptist