In Sermon Illustrations: "Outward Appearances"

The Loser  PRO

Contributed by Eric Ferguson on May 9, 2008

THE LOSER For Sparky, school was all but impossible. He failed every subject in the eighth grade. He flunked physics in high school, getting a grade of zero. Sparky also flunked Latin, Algebra, and English. He didn't do much better in sports. Although he did manage to make the school's golf ...read more

Tags: Confidence

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The ...

Contributed by Eric Ferguson on May 27, 2008

Illustration: The brick A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. ...read more

Tags: Mercy

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Christian Code Of Conduct  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jul 3, 2008

CHRISTIAN CODE OF CONDUCT We should all commit ourselves to a code of conduct that glorifies the Lord no matter where we are at in life. Why? Because it will benefit those around us and make God look good. Here are few dimensions to the Christian Code of Conduct: (This code was adapted from a ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Heart Of Mary: Highly Favored

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

The Heart of Mary: Highly Favored "The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.'" (Luke 1:28) This spoken blessing into her life did not come from abroad, but from the very throne of God and the term "highly favored" (kecharitomene) is an active ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:28

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Got An Attitude??  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Got an Attitude?? Scripture says this about your attitude: "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11

Tags: Attitude General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Charles H. Townes, Who Won A Nobel Prize For ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 16, 2009

Charles H. Townes, who won a Nobel Prize for his work in laser technology, opened a talk with a disclaimer: "It’s like the beaver told the rabbit as they stared up at the immense wall of the Hoover Dam: ’No, I didn’t actually build it myself. But it was based on an idea of mine.’" We are often ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20

Tags: Humility

Psychology Today

Contributed by Ryan Peters on Mar 10, 2009

Psychology Today The Dangers of Loneliness (Aug 2003) Friendship is a lot like food. We need it to survive. What is more, we seem to have a basic drive for it. Psychologists find that human beings have fundamental need for inclusion in group life and for close relationships. We are truly social ...read more

Tags: Friendship General

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Legend Of Momo

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 13, 2009

THE LEGEND OF MOMO Back in 1971 and 1972 around Louisiana, MO there was a story that stirred up the nation. It is the legend of MOMO the Missouri Monster. Witnesses claim to have seen a huge, hairy, hulking creature stalking the woods and lonely country roads. The creature is similar to the ...read more

Tags: Apologetics The Bible

The Water Jug Of The Prophet Joel

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Apr 13, 2009

THE WATER JUG OF THE PROPHET JOEL So, I’m walking through the Museum of Biblical Archeology in Jerusalem, and I’m walking through an area with various kinds of pottery on display, and there in front of me is this absolutely perfectly preserved water jug. It stopped me cold. Now understand, as ...read more

Tags: Faith General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Power In Touching The Untouchable  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 14, 2009

THE POWER IN TOUCHING THE UNTOUCHABLE Jesus, the Christ, is still in the business of touching the untouchable! You may feel like you are too dirty or too wicked for Jesus, the Christ, to touch you with His forgiveness today! As an illustration, you may remember the move enitled "The Elephant ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:8

Tags: Grace

Character: Prototype Plus Pneumatic Force  PRO

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Aug 14, 2009

CHARACTER: PROTOTYPE PLUS PNEUMATIC FORCE Jesus is the very imprint or prototype of God’s essential reality. The word used in the Greek here is pronounced "kah-rahk-TEER" (sometimes "kah-rahk-TAYR") and it is the word from which we get "character." In the original Greek usage, it meant an imprint ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:1-6

Tags: Jesus Christ, Potter, Fix, Who Is Jesus

Denomination: *other

Giving Begets Giving  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Nov 30, 2009

GIVING BEGETS GIVING Leadership Magazine carried a story about four young men, Bible College students, who were renting a house together. One Saturday morning someone knocked on their door. And when they opened it, there stood this bedraggled-looking old man. His eyes were kind of marble-ized, and ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:2

Tags: Giving General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Generosity Of Poor Man Surprises Bible College ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 30, 2009

Generosity of Poor Man Surprises Bible College Students Illustration from Leadership/Melvin Newland: Leadership Magazine carried a story about 4 young men, Bible College students, who were renting a house together. One Saturday morning someone knocked on their door. And when they opened it, there ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Tags: Giving General

Power Of The Word Of God-----A Friend Of Mine, ...

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Jan 16, 2010

POWER OF THE WORD OF GOD-----A friend of mine, Bill, was a bible translator for Wycliff Bible Translators in some very remote mountains in Bolivia. Bill was on the second Wycliff team. The first Wycliff team went into the most prominent village in the area and learned the local Bolivian language. ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Prison Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2010

The Prison of Bitterness Because we live in a world full of people that don’t know grace. It’s foreign to them. They don’t know it. And if they don’t hear about it and experience it from the body of Christ, they will never know it. I first learned of this story from Max Lucado. Each week Kevin ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:31-32

Tags: Bitterness

Power Of The Translated Word Of God  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 6, 2010

POWER OF THE TRANSLATED WORD OF GOD This is a strategy still used today, because it works and this is how it is still used today: A friend of mine, Bill, was a bible translator for Wycliff Bible Translators in some very remote mountains in Bolivia. Bill was on the second Wycliff team. The first ...read more

Scripture: Acts 12:24, Acts 12:1-25

Tags: Bible Influence

Cheap Grace

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Mar 15, 2010

CHEAP GRACE (defined and adapted from Dietrich Bonhoeffer) a). Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our Church. We are fighting today for costly grace. b). Cheap grace means grace as a doctrine, a principle, a system. It means forgiveness of sins proclaimed as a general truth, the love of God ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Child-Speak

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2010

CHILD-SPEAK Someone had noticed that the word "father" appears in the dictionary just before the word "fatigued" and just after the word "fathead." So to all us fatigued, fathead fathers, Happy Father's Day! *** One time a little boy was asked to define Father's Day and he said, "It's just like ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 22:6

Tags: Father's Day

Breaking The Heart Of The Father

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 30, 2010

BREAKING THE HEART OF THE FATHER D. J. Wilbur Chapman told a story related to him by R. A. Torrey of an old father and mother who determined to give their boy an education. They were as poor as they could be. They had a conference in their home, and decided to send their boy to the university. ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 23:22-26

Tags: God The Father

History Of "The Star Spangled Banner"

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 19, 2011

HISTORY OF "THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER" An American lawyer was dispatched to negotiate for the release of several prisoners, including a civilian named Dr. William Beanes. Although the negotiation for prisoner exchange was initially successful, Francis Scott Key and the American official, Colonel ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:51-58

Tags: Independence Day