In Sermon Illustrations: "Personal Growth"

Thom Rainer Tells Us In His Book Giant ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 23, 2008

Thom Rainer tells us in his book Giant Awakenings that "71% of breakout churches report an increased emphasis on prayer over the past several years as compared to only 40% of churches which continued on the plateau." Rainer also tells us that "Earle Cairns notes with profound simplicity that ...read more

Tags: Prayer General

Prayer In Health

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Aug 31, 2008

Prayer in Health When you come to my office with a problem, often I'll offer to pray with you for God's healing and discernment. If you have a sprained hand and haven't grown in your spiritual life, you might think, "What a waste of time." A few years ago there was even an experiment in which ...read more

Tags: Gifts Healing

Denomination: Catholic

Stand Up And Be Counted

Contributed by Paul Wallace on Oct 28, 2008

Stand Up and Be Counted Some years ago Premier Khrushchev was speaking before the Supreme Soviet and was severely critical of the late Premier Stalin. While he was speaking someone from the audience sent up a note: "What were you doing when Stalin committed all these atrocities?" Khrushchev ...read more

Tags: Anxiety

Denomination: Wesleyan

A. W. Tozer, Christian Publications, 1964, P. 90 ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

A. W. Tozer, Christian Publications, 1964, p. 90 Worship is to feel in your heart and express in some appropriate manner a humbling but delightful sense of admiring awe and astonished wonder and overpowering love in the presence of that most ancient Mystery, that Majesty which philosophers call the ...read more

Tags: Worship General

Criminals Come From All Walks Of Life: Rich, ...

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jan 13, 2009

Criminals come from all walks of life: rich, poor, black, white, educated, and uneducated. Background makes little difference. However the common link between them all is a thinking pattern. For many years people thought that the problem was the criminal’s environment. In the book, The Criminal ...read more

Tags: Sin Bondage To

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Story Is Told Of An Aspiring Artist Who Was ...

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jan 26, 2009

The story is told of an aspiring artist who was commissioned to do a large sculpture for a famous museum. At last he had the opportunity to create the masterpiece he had long dreamed of. After laboring over the work for many years, he saw it grow not only in shape but in beauty. But when it was ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Other

Meliorism

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 16, 2009

MELIORISM Have you ever heard of Meliorism? Here is what one person said about it. "I am neither an optimist nor a pessimist. I am a Meliorist. Meliorism cancels out optimism as being too bright, too airy; and rejects pessimism as being too dull, too heavy. Take life as it is, says the meliorist, ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:2

Tags: Author, God Brings Purpose

Song Above The Noise

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 16, 2009

SONG ABOVE THE NOISE A man said: While walking along a busy street one day, I heard someone singing. His sweet voice was distinguishable even above the noise of the traffic. When I located him, I noticed that he had no legs and was pushing himself through the crowd in a wheelchair. Catching up ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 34:2

Tags: Joy

Most Frequent Question Asked Of Ann Landers ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 29, 2010

Most Frequent Question Asked of Ann Landers Answered by Billy Graham When Ann Landers was alive she received 12 million letters a year. 12 million! She was asked what’s the most frequent question she is asked. She said, “What’s wrong with me?” It’s not uncommon to find Billy Graham’s article on the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:9-18

Tags: Sin General

Loss Of Original Purpose

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

LOSS OF ORIGINAL PURPOSE In the town of Delburne, Alberta, there was an old water tower built in 1926. Standing empty, the building was bought by two men who wanted to turn it into a dining and cocktail lounge. Plans called for a bar to be built on the second floor. Something similar has already ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 30:1-2

Tags: Church Purpose Of

Internal ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

Internal Audit My wife Tina is an internal auditor for T. Marzetti. When she walks into a plant to do an audit she can tell a lot about that plant by what she sees. If she finds that the financials, employment records, inventory, and quality control aspects of the plant are good it is an indication ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 12:33-37

Tags: Tongue, Guarding Your Heart

Evangelism: Making Disciples

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 19, 2011

EVANGELISM: MAKING DISCIPLES If you walk out into the parking lot this evening and someone says to you, "How do I get to Atlanta?" You say, "Well, get in your car." Well, that’s good advice. That’s the start of it. But you also need to say, "Start your car and head south and a little bit east ...read more

Scripture: John 8:31-32

Tags: Evangelism How To

Who Is John Three-Sixteen?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 4, 2011

WHO IS JOHN THREE-SIXTEEN? A few years ago the principal of the English Mission College at Cairo, Egypt, received a letter from a Japanese Buddhist of the city whose children were attending his school. "Who is John three sixteen? My children are always talking about him?" The principal sent a ...read more

Scripture: John 8:12-30

Tags: Jesus Christ

The "Wrapping" Of Pentecost

Contributed by Davon Huss on Mar 5, 2012

THE "WRAPPING" OF PENTECOST We must put this in proper perspective. Those who see Pentecost's main significance as miraculous powers are missing the new thing that was being done, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is like someone who receives a beautifully wrapped birthday gift. After ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Flexible ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2012

A FLEXIBLE SERVANT All of his life, David Livingstone wanted to be a missionary to China. Even in his old age he longed to have the opportunity to go and minister there. But God sent him instead to Africa, where he worked and died opening up that large continent to missions work, much as William ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:9-13

Tags: Servanthood

Lucille Ball On What's Wrong With Families

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 29, 2012

LUCILLE BALL ON WHAT’S WRONG WITH FAMILIES Lucille Ball, shortly before her death, did a remarkable TV interview with Merv Griffin. He asked her a very serious and pointed question: "Lucille, you’ve lived a long time on this earth and you are a wise person. What’s happened to our country? What’s ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:21

Tags: Father's Day

He Will Quiet You With His Love!

Contributed by Bala Samson on May 24, 2013

He will quiet you with His love! Zephaniah 3:17”………..He will quiet you with His love…” When I was admitted for an operation, the next room woman delivered a baby with a hole in her heart, the family did something which was horrendous and incredible, they decided to abandon her. The little infant ...read more

Tags: God's Love

Denomination: Pentecostal

Conquering Ourselves  PRO

Contributed by Lalachan Abraham on Jul 15, 2013

Edmund Hilary the first man who conquered Mount Everest was asked by an interviewer about his passions for climbing mountains. He gave this reply: "It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves." Peter the Great of Russia is quoted as saying, "I have been able to conquer an empire, but I have ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 25:28

Tags: Self-Control, Self-Discipline

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Giving Testimony

Contributed by Tom Conant on Apr 3, 2009

A GIVING TESTIMONY I have experienced this both personally and in our church. As a church, when we began to support missions with faith promises – God began to pour blessings to our church. Last year we gave more to missions than ever before, and the church income was more than ever, nearly ...read more

Tags: Giving General

Denomination: Pentecostal

Forgiveness Works In The Aussie Open

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 25, 2009

FORGIVENESS WORKS IN THE AUSSIE OPEN Who here is a tennis fanatic? This time of the year is dreadful for sleep; The Australian Open interferes in our life. But the other night something interesting happened. Jelena Dokic publicly asked for forgiveness, said sorry for being a pain to the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 2:5-11

Tags: Forgiveness For Others