In Sermon Illustrations: "Personal Growth"

[333]. A Message From A Poem - What Do You Think Of Jesus Christ?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 16, 2026

[333]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - WHAT DO YOU THINK OF JESUS CHRIST? This poem is a challenge to the non-committed soul. It is a mix of explanation, preaching and challenge. What do you really think of Jesus Christ? Who is He? Where do you stand in relationship to this fact? {{Matthew ...read more

Scripture: John 3:36, John 5:40, Matthew 16:13-15

Tags: Decision, Preaching, Neglect, Challenge, The Gospel, The Gospel Message, Christian Poems, Unwilling, Accept Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Brad Pitt ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 1, 2010

Brad Pitt Interview Interview with the actor, Brad Pitt, in Parade magazine. Pitt grew up in Springfield, MO, the oldest of three children in a conservative, Southern Baptist family. His mother was a school counselor; his father ran a trucking company. "My dad made sure our needs were met," he ...read more

Scripture: John 17:17

Tags: Bible Truth, True Gospel

Gifted Does Not Equal "Successful"

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 12, 2009

"GIFTED" DOES NOT EQUAL "SUCCESSFUL" This week, I’ve begun reading a new book by one of my favorite authors, Malcolm Gladwell, titled "Outliers: The Story of Success." The premise of the book is simple: no successful person is a self-made man; everyone who gets to the top had a lot advantages, ...read more

Tags: Gifts General

Don't Break Ranks: Four Biblical Keys To Keeping Unity Alive

Contributed by Todd Catteau on May 13, 2026

I’m starting a new study this week from a dark period in the history of Old Testament Israel. After the reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon — a season in which Israel experienced a good deal of success and influence — the nation does something tragic: it divides. What follows is a troubled and ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:3, 1 Peter 3:8

Tags: Compassion, Humility, Unity, Sympathy

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Worship In Spirit And In Truth, By Leann Gabel ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Aug 3, 2001

[Worship in Spirit and in Truth, by Leann Gabel of Amarillo, TX] In Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman, it didn’t take long before their conversation turned to worship. I would guess that was as hot a topic then as it is today. The woman’s question was sincere, "I know there are two ways to ...read more

Scripture: Nehemiah 1:5

Tags: Church Practices, Bible Truth, Holy Spirit General, Woman At Well

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

One-Third Of Americans Reassess Priorities After ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 19, 2002

One-third of Americans Reassess Priorities After Terrorist Attacks (RNS) One-third of Americans say the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks were a "life-altering experience" that caused them to change their priorities, according to a new Gallup poll. Nearly half of conservative Christians -- 46 percent -- ...read more

Tags: Becoming A Christian, Basics Of Christianity, World Religions

Imagine A Group Of People Coming To Your Home And ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2002

Imagine a group of people coming to your home and interrupting your Twinkie-eating, TV-watching routine with an urgent message: “Good News! We’re from the United States Olympic Committee. We have been looking for someone to run the marathon in the next Olympics. We have statistics on every person ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:24, 1 Corinthians 9:24, 2 Timothy 4:7, Hebrews 12:1, James 1:1-4  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Race, Discipleship, Disciplines

Making History—communion Meditation  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 1, 2002

MAKING HISTORY--COMMUNION MEDITATION The author Circian writes: “Nathan Hale was a young man who had every prospect for a happy and fulfilling life. He was very well educated for his day—a Yale graduate in an era when very few went to college. Although there are many contemporary accounts ...read more

Tags: Cross Agony, Lordship Of Christ, Lord's Supper

He Was Raised In The Church Of Christ. Early In ...

Contributed by Sherm Nichols on Nov 17, 2006

He was raised in the Church of Christ. Early in his life, he developed faith, but at one point his parents split up. He ended up with his grandmother and abandoned what faith he may have had. He later said that accepting the theory of evolution enabled him to pursue his twisted urges. He ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Bruise Is Better Than A Bite!" 1 Samuel 1:1-8 ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jan 13, 2005

“A Bruise Is Better than A Bite!” 1 Samuel 1:1-8 Key verse(s): 8:“Elkanah here husband would say to her, ‘Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?’” “Constructive criticism is when I criticize you. Destructive criticism is ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 1:1-8, John 12:4-8, John 12:4-8

Tags: Emotions, Criticism

Denomination: Lutheran

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

The Importance Of Public Confession

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 5, 2011

THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC CONFESSION There's a parable about an ancient philosopher who came to a city to save its people from its sins. The inhabitants of the city, who at first listened to the philosopher, gradually turned away. One day a child asked the learned man why he went on - did he not ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 10:32-33

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

Thankful People Are Happy People  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 19, 2011

THANKFUL PEOPLE ARE HAPPY PEOPLE I read a news story once of a woman who was getting ready to jump off a 44 story building in New York City. Witnesses said that she did not look like the type of person who would do such a thing. She was very distinguished and well dressed. All the attempts ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 103:1-5

Tags: Family, Gratitude, Share

Grant And Custer  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Apr 21, 2011

GRANT AND CUSTER There is a story of two Civil War Generals: George A. Custer and Ulysses S. Grant. Both graduated from West Point -- Gen. Grant, being the oldest, graduated in the 1840's and Gen. Custer in 1861. Grant fought in several wars and was a field General in every sense of the word. ...read more

Tags: Humility, God's Humility

Denomination: *other

True Unity  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 26, 2011

TRUE UNITY Unity is not simply an intellectual exercise. We can believe the same things, recite the same creeds, belong to the same denomination, but that does not mean we have unity. In his book Soul Talk, Larry Crabb writes: "Which is worse? A church program to build community that doesn’t ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16, Ephesians 4:1-22, 1 Samuel 25:14-35

Tags: Unity

Communion Meditation: Compassion In A Deli

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 11, 2011

COMMUNION MEDITATION: COMPASSION IN A DELI Dr. Fred Craddic tells of the time he was asked to speak in Winnipeg, Canada. While he was there he stopped into a deli get something to eat. He said the place was packed but people moved over and made room for him. Many people in there where just in to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46

Tags: Compassion

John Stott, A Humble Man

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 7, 2011

JOHN STOTT, A HUMBLE MAN I like the way Thomas Carlyle put it some time ago. He said, "One example is worth a thousand arguments." (Thomas Carlyle, quoted in Men of Integrity, July/August 2000; www.Preaching Today.com) In difficult times, we don't need dictators and arguments. We need leaders ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:1-4

Tags: Humility

Humility: The Balloon Game  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Nov 26, 2012

HUMILITY: THE BALLOON GAME Robert Roberts writes about a fourth grade class in which the teacher introduced a game called "balloon stomp." A balloon was tied to every child's leg, and the object of the game was to pop everyone else's balloon while protecting one's own. The last person with an ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:5

Tags: Humility

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

In 1997, Reilly Rankin, Was An All-American ...

Contributed by Rob Culler on May 1, 2007

In 1997, Reilly Rankin, was an all-American golfer as a freshman at the University of Georgia. In her sophomore year, she was set back by an appendectomy, hernia repair and treatment for endometriosis. Having recovered from these procedures, her and a group of friends ventured out onto Lake ...read more

Denomination: Assembly Of God