In Sermon Illustrations: "Own"

Greater Treasure

Contributed by Brent Long on Sep 11, 2011

GREATER TREASURE In the first week of July, 2011 reports of a discovery in poverty-filled South India crossed the news wire. The vaults of the Padmanabhaswamy temple were opened after 130 years. Temple records mention the treasure, and its existence was known to locals. However, no one knew its ...read more

Tags: Blessing

Denomination: Apostolic

Who Will Speak Out?

Contributed by David Parks on Feb 21, 2012

WHO WILL SPEAK OUT? Martin Niemoller was a decorated U-boat captain in the First World War but subsequently became a minister of religion and a relatively high profile opponent of the Nazis as they increasingly gained firm hold of the reins to power in Germany. Niemoeller was active as a leader ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Two Women Praying

Contributed by Robert Sickler on Mar 6, 2012

TWO WOMEN PRAYING There were two widow women, each with only a single son. The two young men both got involved in drugs and they both ended up in prison. The women were devout Christians and both had been in constant prayer for many years. When their two boys were sent to prison the one woman ...read more

Tags: Prayer Answered

Denomination: Christian Church

On Habits

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Mar 7, 2012

ON HABITS Someone Once Said... * Thoughts produce acts, acts produce habits, and habits produce character.--Anonymous * If we realize the extent to which we are mere walking bundles of habits, we would give more heed to their own formation.--William James* * First we ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:2

Tags: Disciplines General

Denomination: Baptist

Kyle Idleman: I Cheapened The Gospel  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Apr 15, 2012

KYLE IDLEMAN: I CHEAPENED THE GOSPEL "Many of the fans turn to go home. I was struck by the fact that Jesus doesn't chase after them. He doesn't soften his message to make it more appealing. He doesn't send the disciples chasing after them with a creative handout inviting them to come back for a ...read more

Scripture: John 6:60-69

Tags: Easter Palm Sunday

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

If You Want To Walk On Water…  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on May 2, 2012

John Ortberg states: "The decision to grow always involves a choice between risk and comfort. This means that to be a follower of Jesus, you must renounce comfort as the ultimate value of your life. And that’s sobering news to most of us, because we’re into comfort...but water walkers master ...read more

Scripture: Romans 4:18-22, Romans 4:3

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Self-Image

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 15, 2012

SELF-IMAGE There's a story about a girl who was the daughter of one of the royal families of Europe. She had a big, round nose that destroyed her beauty in the eyes of others--and especially in her own eyes. She grew up with this terrible image of herself as an ugly person. So her family hired a ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:1-11

Tags: Self

False Messiah—rev. Sun Myung Moon

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 10, 2012

FALSE MESSIAH—REV. SUN MYUNG MOON It amazes me how many religions are in stark opposition to Christianity; and they do not even have God as their leader. In fact, they are just empty philosophies being advanced by empty followers. While members of Congress looked on, Rev. Sun Myung Moon declared ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:18-29

Tags: Antichrist

Communion: In Remembrance

Contributed by Gene Gregory on Aug 11, 2012

COMMUNION: IN REMEMBRANCE A man was working in his backyard one day, when his neighbor began talking to him over the fence. He said, "Yeah, my wife and I went to one of those seminars yesterday, you know, where they teach you ways to improve your memory and such." His neighbor commented, ...read more

Scripture: James 1:19-21, James 1:19

Tags: Lord's Supper

Denomination: Baptist

On Fasting  PRO

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Apr 20, 2013

ON FASTING The Didache, is a first or second century document that relates to us outside the New Testament the teaching of the early church. This document "prescribed two fast days a week: Wednesday and Friday." For early Christians; this was seen as a regular part of daily discipleship. John ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:16, Matthew 9:14-15

Tags: Fast

Denomination: Brethren

Genuine Repentance--The Case Of Genelle Guzman ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 4, 2013

GENUINE REPENTANCE--THE CASE OF GENELLE GUZMAN MCMILLAN Genelle Guzman McMillan was the last person to be rescued from the collapse of the twin towers of the World Trade Center. She had been trapped in the rubble for 27 hours when at last firefighters heard her calling and pulled her out. This ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:28-32

Tags: Repentance

Feed Them

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Sep 12, 2016

The thing is that Jesus did perform the miracle, but he didn’t feed the five thousand. You may be thinking here; Andrew you’re just being a bit silly about this. But for Jesus disciples this was one of those great learning moments. The disciples rock up with a problem and Jesus says we'll solve it, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 6:35-44

Tags: Equipped For Service, Miracle, Hands On, Service, Feeding 5000  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Salvation Army

Doctrinal Differences

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on May 27, 2017

I began my Christian journey, like most I suppose, with a narrow doctrinal point of view. But, I was curious and did not stay within denominational boundaries. The graduate school of theology that I chose had professors who were from a wide variety of Protestant backgrounds. Professors there tried ...read more

Scripture: John 17:1-11

Tags: Unity, Ecumenism, Denominationalism

Denomination: Baptist

That Sounds Like A Cross To Me  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Lee on Feb 13, 2018

That Sounds Like a Cross to Me “Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Mark 8:34 A little boy was playing in the yard. He fell and scraped his elbow. It was bleeding a ...read more

Tags: Cross, Suffering, Follow Me

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Persecuted For Faithfulness

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Aug 6, 2018

Many of our sisters and brothers are persecuted even in our own time. Voice of the Martyrs reports, for example, the experience of a young man named Philip, who lives in Laos. Philip walked two hours to another village to hear the gospel. Just three weeks after he returned home as a new believer, ...read more

Scripture: John 15:18-20

Tags: Persecution, Faithfulness

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Coronavirus And Our Need For The Transcendent

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Mar 21, 2020

Children, as Jesus said, Don't be afraid. Your family is probably founded on some kind of faith. Listen to your parents and other adults whom you trust, and know that nearly everyone is working hard to get us through this trouble. ? In fifty years you will remember this crisis as one of the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:27

Tags: Fear, Forgiveness, Pandemic, Covid 19

Denomination: Catholic

Fountain Of Youth

Contributed by Rev. Duraimony Dickson on Nov 6, 2020

The fountain of youth has been told in stories since medieval times. The Fountain of Youth is a mythical spring that restores the youth of anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters. Many have gone on conquests to find this mythical spring of water, but all have failed. In 1565, a Spanish explorer ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:11, Ecclesiastes 3:1

Tags: Everlasting Fountain Of Youth, Everlasting Fountain

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Answer To My Prayers

Contributed by John Bright on Mar 5, 2021

I don’t see as many vending machines around as I used to see. The ones I see now, you can pay with your phone or your smart watch. In the old days, all the vending machines had the food on metal coils that would rotate and move the food forward when you make your selection. Sometimes, that item ...read more

Scripture: John 14:13, Luke 4:38-44

Tags: God, Prayer, Vending Machine

Denomination: Methodist

Defaced From Family Will

Contributed by Ron Freeman, Evangelist on Mar 14, 2021

I was told by a wonderful woman who had married a negro man after falling in love with him during the 1940s. She met him in Pittsburg, PA, and later moved to Chicago, IL for the safety of their family. Her father was filled with bitterness and anger and defaced her from the will. He disowned her ...read more

Scripture: James 2:8-9, Matthew 22:37-40

Tags: Prince Harry, Racism, Transgression, Respect Of Persons, Royal Law Of Love, Family Will, Meghan Markle, Sin, Bigotry, Brotherly Love, Prejudice, Hatred  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Discover Your Style Of Evangelism

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 4, 2022

A true heart of compassion will let those on the way to destruction know they can escape, but the only escape is through Jesus Christ. We need to tell people they're in trouble with God and that God alone has provided a way to escape. But how? Do we all have to share the same way? No, the ...read more

Tags: Great Supper, Styles, Service, Gospel, Parables, Witnessing, Spiritual Gifts, Methods, Evangelism  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational