In Sermon Illustrations: "Paul And Timothy"

Preferences – Being A Disciple Of Christ Also ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2008

Preferences – Being a disciple of Christ also means that you deny, you forgo, you give up many of your preferences for Christ. Before anything that is truly of God can be born, your own preferences have to die. Your desire to serve or lead in this type of church or that, has to be laid on the altar ...read more

The Early Church Of God Reformers Believed That ...

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Jul 15, 2008

The early Church of God reformers believed that at a second point in time after we begin believing in Jesus, God Himself sends His Spirit to guide and direct in order to surrender our entire lives into His care. They found many people believed in Jesus but then experienced God in such a profound ...read more

Tags: Sanctification

Denomination: Church Of God

A Winning Team  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 8, 2008

A WINNING TEAM Lee Iacocca once asked legendary football coach Vince Lombardi what it took to make a winning team. In the book Iacocca records Lombardi’s answer: "There are a lot of coaches with good ball clubs who know the fundamentals and have plenty of discipline but still don’t win the game. ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:9-10, John 13:34-35, Romans 12:10, Ephesians 4:2

Tags: Success, Church Body, Teamwork, Church Health, Church Body Of Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Opening Illustration: This Last Week I Have Been ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Sep 9, 2008

Opening Illustration: This last week I have been watching the Olympics and I have noticed how important proper techniques and proper form is for the Olympic athletes. I saw it the diving, in gymnastics, in swimming and even in track and field. The experts would always point out how important it was ...read more

Tags: Worship General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Forgiveness Sets Me Free.

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

"FORGIVENESS SETS ME FREE." Kenneth Hart, a psychology professor at the University of Windsor (Ontario, Canada), studied sixty-six recovering alcoholics. The individuals had one thing in common: They were all angry with someone. Teaching forgiveness, Hart found, is one way to break the cycle that ...read more

Tags: God's Forgiveness

Volcanic Rock And Coal

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Feb 3, 2009

VOLCANIC ROCK AND COAL When I went to Italy on holiday, one of the tours was to visit Mount Vesuvius. I climbed to the summit, and there was a huge crater with smoke coming out of it because, although the volcano is dormant just now, deep down in the earth there's molten rock. When the pressure ...read more

Tags: Atonement

Denomination: Baptist

Augustine And The Bible  PRO

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Mar 3, 2009

AUGUSTINE AND THE BIBLE For 2,000 years the Bible, often unaided by any human intervention, has transformed the lives of those who read it, many times dramatically so. St. Augustine is a good example. For most of his life he was a famed academic in the Roman Empire. He was very successful in ...read more

Scripture: Romans 13:8-19

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Pentecostal

A Recent Front-Page Story In The Wall Street ...  PRO

Contributed by Karl Eckhoff on Feb 12, 2004

A recent front-page story in the Wall Street Journal (January 6, 2004) reported U.S. Marines being trained for duty in Iraq are getting drilled in people skills as well as heavy weaponry. They are receiving instruction about staying respectful as well as about staying alive. Marines are still ...read more

Scripture: Philemon 1:8-14

Tags: Gifts Wisdom, Gifts General

Denomination: Lutheran

British Clergyman Repudiates The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 6, 2010

British Clergyman Repudiates the Church’s Traditional Understanding of the Cross The Very Reverend Dr. Jeffrey Philip Hywel John believes that the church’s traditional understanding of the cross of Christ is both “repulsive” and “insane.” His comments in the spring of 2007 about the cross ignited a ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Tags: Cross, False Doctrine

Can't Miss

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 20, 2011

CAN'T MISS Every so often, in the world of high school boys' basketball, there comes a player with incredible talent and skill. He and his team become the focus of a lot of media attention. That player becomes one of the most talked about high school athletes in the nation. Recruiters from the ...read more

Scripture: Haggai 1:9

Tags: Humility

Sending The Very Best  PRO

Contributed by Perry Greene on Nov 18, 2011

SENDING THE VERY BEST Someone has composed the following list of "Cards You'll Never See at Hallmark": "Looking back over the years that we've been together, I can't help but wonder.... What was I thinking?!" "I've always wanted to have someone to hold, someone to love.... After having ...read more

Scripture: James 1:19-25, Philippians 1:3-30, Matthew 25:31-46

Tags: Joy, Friendship General

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Hold That Thought!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jan 23, 2020

One church where I served as pastor has a ping-pong table in the fellowship hall, and sometimes a younger member or two asked me to join them in a game. Now, I was old enough to be their grandfather but that doesn’t stop them from asking! I did appreciate the fact that these youngsters, aged around ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:8

Tags: Children, Thoughts, Fun And Games

Denomination: Baptist

Keep Your Eyes On The Prize  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 22, 2008

Keep Your Eyes on the Prize The year Pete Rose was about to break Ty Cobb's all-time hits record in spring training, he was being interviewed. One reporter blurted out, "Pete, you only need 78 hits to break the record. How many at-bats do you think you'll need to get the 78 hits?" Without ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Tags: Character

[131]. A Message From A Poem – Hurting People Hurt

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 12, 2025

[131]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – HURTING PEOPLE HURT When I was in England on ministry I went to a conference of church leaders and one of the speakers presented a very good talk on outreach for the unchurched people. One of the things he said was, “Hurting people hurt,” and I have not forgotten ...read more

Scripture: Romans 14:15

Tags: Hurting, Christ Died, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Hurt, Brother, Healing, Walking In Love, Healed  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[173]. A Message From A Poem – Look Up Look Up

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Aug 22, 2025

[173]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – LOOK UP LOOK UP Two lines I wrote in the poem are:- “Your heart is where your mind is set. Your mind is what your heart has fixed.” This is not a circular argument and is allied with this verse – {{Colossians 3:2 “SET YOUR MIND on the things above, not on the ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:1, Colossians 3:2

Tags: The Mind, Set Your Mind, Christian Poems, Earthly, Look To Christ, Looking To Jesus, Heavenly Minded, Look Up, The Heart  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Lights Are On, But No One's Home---If Any Of You ...

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Mar 23, 2010

LIGHTS ARE ON, BUT NO ONE'S HOME---If any of you have ever owned an electric lawn mower, you know that electric lawn mowers tend to not be very powerful. Electric lawn mowers, as a whole, are underpowered garden tools. I have an electric lawn mower now and it isn’t very powerful, all I can say is ...read more

Tags: Wisdom, Fools For Christ

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Making The Best Of The ‘best'!" 1 Thessalonians ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on May 11, 2005

“Making The Best of The ‘Best’!” 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 Key verse(s) 15:“According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.” “I did my best, really!” With tear-streaked face ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

Tags: Peace, Forgiveness General

Denomination: Lutheran

[316]. Poem Message - To Be Absent From The Body And At Home With The Lord

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 19, 2026

[316]. A POEM MESSAGE - TO BE ABSENT FROM THE BODY AND AT HOME WITH THE LORD This poem means a lot to me. What of the future? What of the glorious hope? What of the Christian’s destiny? These questions all have one answer – TO BE ABSENT FROM THE BODY IS PRESENT WITH THE LORD! That is taken ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 64:4, 1 Corinthians 2:9, 2 Corinthians 12:4, Philippians 3:20-21, 2 Corinthians 5:6-8  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Death, Destiny, Home, Called, Citizenship In Heaven, Present With The Lord, Absent From The Body, At Home With The Lord, Christian Poems, Passing Through Death, Inexpressible Words  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When My Mother Used To Make Jam, I Would Watch ...  PRO

Contributed by Clark Tanner on Dec 30, 2000

When my mother used to make jam, I would watch her pour wax over the top of the preserves until it was at the brim of the jar. She would then carefully wipe some wax around the rim itself, and place the rubber lined lid on tight. The wax and the vacuum caused by the cooling preserves would seal ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:13

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers, Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Orthodox

Forever Faithful  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 30, 2001

FOREVER FAITHFUL Some of us can remember the Sunday morning terrorist bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, in which hundreds of Americans were killed or wounded as they slept. Many of us can still recall the terrible scenes as the dazed survivors worked to dig out their trapped brothers from ...read more