In Sermon Illustrations: "Positive Thinking"

Success Is To Be Measured Not So Much By The ...

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Dec 12, 2010

"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles that one has overcome while trying to succeed." -- Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), Educator, as quoted in Bits & Pieces, Vol. T/No. 17, p. 5 "Many men owe the grandeur of their lives to ...read more

Tags: Hardship Of Life

Denomination: *other

In Our Own Day The Dramatic Turnaround In The ...

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Sep 8, 2008

In our own day the dramatic turnaround in the life of such a person as Charles Colson can only be explained by a divine intervention from above. While many were at first wary of Colson’s “born-again” experience, no objective observer, not even his detractors, can gainsay the sincerity of his ...read more

Tags: Paul

Denomination: Other

Without One Plea  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

WITHOUT ONE PLEA Charlotte Elliott was a sickly English woman who had developed a long history of refusing to do things she was asked to do because of her illness. Her brother, who was a pastor, had been particularly persistent in trying to get her out of herself, trying to get her involved in ...read more

Scripture: John 8:3-11, John 4:1-26

Tags: Healing, Brokenness, Trials And Difficulties, Used

The Philosophy For Dog Obedience Training Has ...  PRO

Contributed by Peter Schmidt on Nov 20, 2003

The philosophy for dog obedience training has changed quite a bit in the last few decades. It used to be that many dog obedience schools operated by teaching the dog, “you better obey me, because I’m your master. And if you don’t obey me, bad things will happen.” And plenty of dogs were trained ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 5:7-9

Tags: Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Lutheran

Child-Speak

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2010

CHILD-SPEAK Someone had noticed that the word "father" appears in the dictionary just before the word "fatigued" and just after the word "fathead." So to all us fatigued, fathead fathers, Happy Father's Day! *** One time a little boy was asked to define Father's Day and he said, "It's just like ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 22:6

Tags: Father's Day

Till Death Do Us Part  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 16, 2002

TILL DEATH DO US PART In his address to the 1997 graduation class at East Stroudsburg University, U.S. Senator Rick Santorum told a story seemingly unrelated to the usual commencement speeches about success and happiness. This is the story: A Baptist preacher in South Carolina wanted nothing ...read more

We Need To Look At Storms And Painful Scenarios ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Oct 1, 2002

We need to look at storms and painful scenarios in a different light. Possibly God’s light? Wirt helps us to see through a difference lens in his book Jesus Man of Joy.Sherwood Wirt has this to say about the positive side of pain: Pain does have this positive value. It will bring to halt our ...read more

Tags: Hardship Of Life, God In The Hardships

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Mother — Job Description  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 2, 2005

MOTHER - Job Description POSITION TITLE : Mom, Mama, Mommy, Mother JOB DESCRIPTION : Candidates must be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 31:1-31

Tags: Parenting, Mother's Day

Pitchers Need Their Team

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2009

PITCHERS NEED THEIR TEAM Behold, a team went forth to play a game of baseball. Just as the umpire was saying, "Batter up," the catcher for the home team arrived and took his place behind the plate. The center fielder didn’t show up at all but sent his regrets. The third baseman likewise failed to ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:24-25

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

The Dreamer Was A Favorite Son

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 1, 2008

THE DREAMER WAS A FAVORITE SON (Vv. 3-7) The Bible tells us that Joseph was loved more than all his children because he was the son of his old age. When Joseph's brethren saw that he was loved more than they were, they hated him and could not speak peaceably unto him. The coat of many colors ...read more

Tags: Jealousy

The Dreamer Was A Favorite Son. (Vv. ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 12, 2008

The dreamer was a Favorite son. (Vv. 3-7) The Bible tells us that Joseph was loved more than all his children because he was the son of his old age. When Joseph’s brethren saw that he was loved more than they were, they hated him and could not speak peaceably unto him. The coat of many colors ...read more

Tags: Ot Characters

The Dreamer Was A Favorite Son. (Vv. ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

The dreamer was a Favorite son. (Vv. 3-7) The Bible tells us that Joseph was loved more than all his children because he was the son of his old age. When Joseph’s brethren saw that he was loved more than they were, they hated him and could not speak peaceably unto him. The coat of many colors ...read more

Tags: Ot Characters

We Pay On Friday

Contributed by Ron Freeman, Evangelist on May 24, 2020

I am often asked by those with whom I study: “How often is the often?” How often do believers in Christ take communion? The bible does not say: “every Sunday.” Where does it state: “every first day of the week?” I explain it this way. I share with them one of my job interviews, for a training ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:1-2

Tags: Communion, Contribution, First Day Of The Week

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Colt Mccoy Story

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

THE COLT MCCOY STORY College football experienced a masterpiece national championship game featuring the number one ranked Crimson Tide from Alabama against the undefeated ballers from the University of Texas. The Longhorns, led by their Heisman nominated quarterback Colt McCoy hoped to prove to ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-4

Tags: Father's Day

Peanuts: Bitter Sarcasm

Contributed by Daniel Birchfield on Nov 27, 2001

I once saw a Peanuts cartoon in which it showed Charlie Brown taking Snoopy his dinner which consisted of a bowl full of dog food. When Charlie Brown got there he found the dog in his usual position; asleep on top of the dog house. Charlie Brown set the bowl down and said, "Dinner is ...read more

Tags: Dealing With Conflicts, Christian Love

Denomination: Baptist

Unwed Mothers Birthed 1.5 Million Of The 4 ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 5, 2006

Unwed Mothers birthed 1.5 million of the 4 million total births in the U.S. last year. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 55% percent of births for those ages 20-24 were to unwed mothers; almost 28% for ages 25-29. Unwed couples seem to have a positive ...read more

Tags: Children

Success In Difficulty

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Apr 13, 2011

SUCCESS IN DIFFICULTY "Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles that one has overcome while trying to succeed." - Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), Educator, as quoted in Bits & Pieces, Vol. T/No. 17, p. 5 - "Many men owe the grandeur ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: *other

When I Was In Business School, I Had A Very Wise ...

Contributed by Anne Benefield on Mar 3, 2008

When I was in business school, I had a very wise and at the same time a very unsettling professor. One day he said, “You will hear the truth you are willing to hear.” What he meant was that as a manager, if you intimidated the people working with and for you, they would avoid telling you what you ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Your Subconscious

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Apr 27, 2012

YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS "Your subconscious actually sees, hears, smells, tastes, and senses everything going on around you. IT DOES NOT MISS ANYTHING. It doesn’t ever forget anything, either. But your conscious brain can’t handle all of these experiences at once, so your subconscious brain interprets ...read more

Tags: Thought

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Having A Brain Can Be A Problem

Contributed by James Snyder on Jul 6, 2024

I have been showing people a picture of my brain for almost a month now. I’ve been having a lot of fun doing it and teasing people by saying, “I have proof that I have a brain.” In the beginning, I just believed that having a brain would be a wonderful experience for me. Little did I know that ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:12

Tags: Brain, Problems

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance