In Sermon Illustrations: "Personal"

Every Believer Is Impacting The Spiritual Vigor ...

Contributed by Curtis Rowe on Aug 4, 2008

Every believer is impacting the spiritual vigor of those around him! Gordon McDonald gave the following list... • Igniter- The Holy Spirit is the Creator of authentic spiritual energy! Do you provoke others? “I’ll paddle!” • Sharer- “… that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith ...read more

Tags: Zeal

Denomination: Baptist

Greed Vs. Envy

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Sep 11, 2008

Greed vs. Envy Envy is the evil eye that looks on the success and happiness of another and resents his being so blessed. It is different from covetousness, which desires to have what another has. Envy simply resents the other person's having it. There's an old legend about a greedy man and an ...read more

Tags: Envy

Denomination: Pentecostal

For My Next Point, I Need A Volunteer. I Need A ...

Contributed by Robbie Parsons on Sep 14, 2008

For my next point, I need a volunteer. I need a young person who really likes bubble gum. (Get the volunteer and talk with him or her up front for a minute.) So you like chewing gum? What is your favorite kind? Really, that is nice. I’m sorry that I don’t have any of that king of bubble gum, ...read more

Denomination: United Methodist

Jesus Took Our Place At Calvary

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Sep 19, 2008

Jesus Took Our Place At Calvary A man named Goho rose to be chief of the tribe. He was a good man, and far wiser and advanced in understanding than his fellow tribesmen. The year he became chief, the tribe brought in 40 heads. He judiciously suggested that the tribe use one head each year as a ...read more

Tags: Atonement

Denomination: Baptist

We Were Just One

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Nov 24, 2008

WE WERE JUST ONE During World War II, Hitler commanded all religious groups to unite so that he could control them. Among the Brethren assemblies, half complied and half refused. Those who went along with the order had a much easier time. Those who did not, faced harsh persecution. In almost every ...read more

Tags: God's Love

Denomination: Wesleyan

Famous Firsts

Contributed by Bob Gillchrest on Dec 1, 2008

FAMOUS FIRSTS Let me share with you some of famous firsts that have happened throughout history. Virginia Dare 1587 --- 1st child born in the American colonies, on August 18th, on what is now Roanoke Island, North Carolina. André-Jacques Garnerin 1797 --- 1st parachute jump. Dropped from about ...read more

Tags: Goals

Denomination: Baptist

Long Ago, In A Kingdom Far, Far Away, A Rich King ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2008

Long ago, in a kingdom far, far away, a rich king hired a “fool” to entertain him and make him laugh when he was sad. He gave the fool a golden scepter and told him that when he met a greater fool than he, to pass the golden scepter to that person. Years passed and one day the king grew very ...read more

Tags: Money

A Light Of Hope  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 5, 2009

A Light of Hope There is a story about how the caverns north of Yellowstone National Park were discovered. As the story goes, one of the original explorers was walking along the top of that mountain and fell through a hole, and he dropped down several hundred feet into this cavern and was stuck in ...read more

Scripture: John 8:12, Isaiah 9:1-2, Matthew 4:14-16

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Real ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 5, 2009

REAL LISTENING The story is told of a grandmother, a mother and a little boy--three generations--who went into a restaurant and sat down to order. The waitress took the grandmother’s order, the mother’s order, then turned to the little boy and said, "What would you like?" The mother immediately ...read more

Tags: Leadership Listening

Forgiveness Quotations

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 13, 2009

FORGIVENESS QUOTATIONS The late great English religious writer and philanthropist, Hannah More (1745 - 1833) once said: "Forgiveness is the economy of the heart...forgiveness saves the expense of anger, the cost of hatred, the waste of spirits." The late great American Protestant theologian, ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General

Six-Word Memoirs  PRO

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Jan 19, 2009

Six-Word Memoirs One of the surprising best-selling books of 2008 is "Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure." Notice that the main title is only six words: "Not Quite What I Was Planning." People were asked to succinctly sum up their life in six ...read more

Tags: Time

Denomination: Baptist

Let The Dead Bury Their Dead

Contributed by John Tung on Feb 12, 2009

LET THE DEAD BURY THEIR DEAD To one person who wanted to bury his father before following Jesus, Jesus said, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." (Lk. 9:60) Doesn’t that sound harsh? Someone’s father just died, and the man can’t even go back to bury his ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

People Will Ask You

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Mar 4, 2009

PEOPLE WILL ASK YOU If you commit yourself to taking advantage of opportunities that come your way, you will find that sharing your faith is going to happen naturally. For one thing, People WILL ask you about your connection to God. We had two examples of this just in the last few weeks from ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A. Wang Ming Dao Served Was The Preacher Of ...

Contributed by Mitchell Skelton on Mar 22, 2009

A. Wang Ming Dao served was the preacher of Peking’s largest church. During Communistic persecution, he was thrown into prison because of his testimony and ministry. At the hands of his perpetrators, he was tortured for his faith. Fearing even greater suffering, Dao recanted his belief in Christ ...read more

Tags: Persecution

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

From Wm. Barclay's Commentary: One Of The Great ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Apr 8, 2009

From Wm. Barclay’s commentary: One of the great stories of the Christian Church is that of Telemachus. He was a hermit of the desert, but the call of God told him he must go to Rome. Rome was nominally Christian, but still the gladiatorial games went on. Men fought with other and crowds roared with ...read more

Tags: Reformation

Denomination: Pentecostal

To Win Them, You Must Weep For Them  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 27, 2009

TO WIN THEM, YOU MUST WEEP FOR THEM A woman went to her pastor and said, "I’ve been a Christian for 20 years. I’ve read books on how to win souls. I’ve memorized scripture. I’ve taken courses on how to win the lost. And yet I haven’t won one person to the Lord. Why?" The pastor’s answer ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:41-44

Tags: Evangelism How To

Get On With It, You Old Goat

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 28, 2009

"GET ON WITH IT, YOU OLD GOAT." I heard the story about a college choir which was all set to present a concert in a large church which was to be carried live by a local radio station. When everything appeared to be ready, the announcer made his final introduction and waited for the choir director ...read more

Scripture: James 1:22-24

Tags: Action

When I Get Straightened Out

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on May 4, 2009

WHEN I GET STRAIGHTENED OUT When a new family moved into the community, the pastor went to invite them to his church. The husband said, "We are just getting moved in, Parson, but I will come when I get straightened out." After a few weeks, the Rev. went again with the same invitation. The ...read more

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

Denomination: Pentecostal

Verse 14 (Where The Psalmist Calls God Awesome ...

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Jun 4, 2009

Verse 14 (where the psalmist calls God awesome and says he needs to fall down to the ground in adoration of God) is often misunderstood, though. There is a scene in a very cynical, satirical movie that applies to the world’s misunderstanding of praise. It is a scene from a Python film called "The ...read more

Tags: Prayer, Prayer Adoration

Denomination: *other

I Was A Senior In High School When One Of My ...

Contributed by Ovidiu Radulescu on Jun 18, 2009

I was a senior in high school when one of my neighbors, George, committed suicide. He was 19 the only son his mother, a poor widow, Mrs. Maria. He hung himself because some friends made fun of him… Mrs. Maria mourned over the terrible loss of her only son was not her only pain. She felt the ...read more

Tags: Misconceptions, Suicide

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist