In Sermon Illustrations: "Pastor Appreciation"

Teens Admire...?

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Mar 10, 2010

TEENS ADMIRE...? Have you thought lately about who teenagers admire? World Almanac and Book of Facts surveyed eight graders a few years ago and discovered that the top thirty names were movie stars and athletes. Not one admired adult was a religious leader, statesman, author, painter, doctor, ...read more

Tags: Culture

Denomination: Baptist

An Inner City Church Had An Annual Student ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 23, 2001

An inner city church had an annual student recognition day. Normally, students would share about their educational experiences and then the pastor would get up and offer a few closing words. One year, the pastor’s words were a bit alarming. He stood up in front of all the young graduates and ...read more

Scripture: Acts 22:1-15, Mark 15:1-15, Daniel 1:6-12

Tags: Witnessing, Life

Colver's Ministry  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 31, 2008

COLVER'S MINISTRY Nathaniel Colver was born on May 10, 1874 and lived in Champlain, New York; his family was one of thirteen families to reside there at the time. He was born into a Christian home and spent the vast majority of his youth learning to read from three books: The Bible, a Psalm book, ...read more

Tags: God's Sovereign Will

God Wants Our Christianity To Be Where Everyone ...

Contributed by Thomas Cash on Mar 9, 2010

God wants our Christianity to be where everyone can see it. We get into trouble when we are secretive about our faith. Don’t make a decision to follow Jesus if you intend to do so only in the presence of other believers. Be ready to identify yourself as Christ’s disciple in your home, your ...read more

Tags: Testimonies About Jesus

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Praying In The Hay

Contributed by Guy Caley on May 5, 2003

PRAYING IN THE HAY Armin Gesswein learned about praying God’s promises in a hayloft. Armin was a longtime Pastor, interdenominational prayer organizer and founder of the "Revival Prayer fellowship." When he began as a young Lutheran pastor trying to establish a church on Long Island and having ...read more

Tags: Prayer General, Prayer How To

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Ticket When Going To Train Station-Going 60 In 40 ...

Contributed by Myriam Salcedo-Gonzalez on Dec 2, 2006

Ticket when going to train station-going 60 in 40 zone. I wanted to fight it! The radar was wrong. When was the last time they checked it? I had just come out from a stop sign and the road was uphill, how could I be going 60? Impossible! Good thing I was not close to the my church! Can you imagine, ...read more

Denomination: Adventist

But We Must Focus On The ...

Contributed by Brian Harvison on May 29, 2008

But we must focus on the good Reminds me of a story about a newlywed farmer and his wife Mother-in-law visit demanding an inspection Genuinely tried to be friendly Hoping for non-antagonistic relationship To no avail, nagged at every opportunity Demanding changes, offering unwanted advice and ...read more

Tags: Possibilities

Denomination: Baptist

Stumbling Block Of Envy

Contributed by Jim Kane on Sep 4, 2008

Stumbling Block of Envy When I was a few months from graduation from seminary, the church I had attended during college had a position open and I was very interested in it. The pastor had become a spiritual mentor to me, and I was hopeful for the opportunity to work with him. When we met to ...read more

Tags: Envy

Denomination: Church Of God

In The First Half Of The 17th Century, Germany ...

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Oct 14, 2008

In the first half of the 17th century, Germany was in the midst of wars and famine and pestilence. In the city of Eilenburg lived a pastor by the name of Martin Rinkart. During one especially oppressive period, Rinkart conducted up to 50 funerals a day as a plague swept through the town and as the ...read more

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday

Denomination: Other

Don't Wait On The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2009

DON’T WAIT ON THE DECISION I recently heard a terrible story about a young man who made a bad decision. The church of a pastor friend of mine had a drama about hell, and a mother brought her 26-year-old son who had been in rehab. When the pastor gave the invitation, the mother got up to go to the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 26:26-29

Tags: Salvation

Reconcilation Story

Contributed by Jim Kane on May 18, 2009

RECONCILATION STORY It was a conversation that has stuck with me over the years. I was not a part of the conversation, per se, but I was a part of the audience that listened. I think that it took place in 1986 but I cannot remember. It was, I remember, a Sunday night at the church where I was ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Church Of God

Boss: Mark Dever On The Four Aspects Of ...

Contributed by Tim White on May 7, 2011

BOSS: MARK DEVER ON THE FOUR ASPECTS OF LEADERSHIP B=Boss. The leader "reproves, rebukes, and exhorts with all longsuffering and doctrine." There is a delicate balance in local churches between pastoral authority (Hebrews 13) and congregational authority (Matthew 18). The pastors must exercise ...read more

Tags: Leadership General

Denomination: Baptist

A Common Phrase Used In The World Of Healing Is, ...  PRO

Contributed by Kenneth Squires on Mar 22, 2005

A common phrase used in the world of healing is, “time heals all wounds.” I have found this to be more false than true. As a pastor, I talk regularly with people who are still carrying hurts from 30 or 40 years ago. The real truth is, time often makes things worse. Wounds that are left untended ...read more

Tags: God In The Hardships

Denomination: Pentecostal

Church Finances: The Average Church Budget Size ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2006

Church finances: The average church budget size is $292,790 (median: $203,590). Senior pastors earn a median base salary of $31,006 and a median housing allowance of $15,250. 66% of church treasurers are responsible for the oversight of church expenditures. 57% of churches use debt only as needed ...read more

Tags: Church Practices

What We Believe: A Recent Newsweek Poll Gauges ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2006

What We Believe: A recent Newsweek poll gauges Americans’ opinions on the Book of Revelation and end times: *36% believe the Book of Revelation contains “true prophecy,” while 47% say it is metaphorical. *55% think the faithful will be taken up to heaven in the rapture. *74% of Americans believe ...read more

Tags: Apologetics The Bible

Recently, The Media Reported On A Well Known ...

Contributed by Michael De Rosa on Nov 5, 2006

Recently, the media reported on a well known Christian pastor, Ted Haggard, who allegedy committed the sin of homosexuality. It was hurtful to read this. It was only a few short years before this that I read one of his books, How to keep your City from going to Hell. I was motivated by it, but ...read more

Denomination: Free Methodist

Wisdom, Skill, And ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 2, 2009

Wisdom, Skill, and Virtue Someone once said: Wisdom is knowing what to do next, skill is knowing how to do it, and virtue is doing it. (Everywoman’s Family Circle as found in Tan, Paul Lee: Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations : A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-16

Tags: Wisdom

The Joy That I Pursue

Contributed by Tim Spear on Dec 4, 2012

"The joy that I pursue is not the hope of getting rich with things from you. I have not come to you for your things, but for yourself. And this desire I now intensify and demonstrate by giving up things, in the hope of enjoying you more, not things. By giving to you what you do not need, and what I ...read more

Tags: Tithes, Joy In The Lord

Denomination: Baptist

Today, We Need Our Eyes Opened To Jesus Just As ...  PRO

Contributed by Daryl Bahn on Apr 11, 2002

Today, we need our eyes opened to Jesus just as much as those early Christians. In one church, a sign that only the pastor could see was taped up in the pulpit. It quoted the words of John 12:21, (spoken by the Greeks who were in Jerusalem for the Passover to Philip) – “Sir, we would like to see ...read more

Tags: Faith General

Denomination: Lutheran

An Epitaph To Grace  PRO

Contributed by Robert Renberg Jr. on Jul 18, 2002

AN EPITAPH TO GRACE In a small cemetery of a parish churchyard in Olney, England, stands a granite tombstone w/ this inscription: “John Newton, clerk [pastor], once an infidel & Libertine, a servant of slavers in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, preserved, ...read more

Tags: Repentance, Confession Of Sin

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational