In Sermon Illustrations: "Puffed Up"

Silence  PRO

Contributed by John Sears on Nov 30, 2011

SILENCE There is a game my parents used to play when we were on road long road trips in the car. The rules of the game went something like this. "The first one to talk loses." We called it the silence game. Have you ever played the game? I would bet that just about every parent has made up a game ...read more

Tags: Silence, God Speaks, Disciplines Silence

Denomination: Christian Church

Where Does God Fit In?

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Dec 1, 2011

WHERE DOES GOD FIT IN? One Christmas season a schoolteacher in England supervised the construction of a manger scene in a corner of her classroom. Her pupils were delighted to set up the model barn and cover the floor with real straw and then arrange the clay figures of Mary, Joseph, the ...read more

Tags: Christmas Advent

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

I Don't Want To Be A Saint...  PRO

Contributed by Scott Bayles on Dec 1, 2011

"I DON'T WANT TO BE A SAINT..." So the Bible clearly teaches that everyone who has been sanctified and set apart by God is a saint. I read a story earlier this week about a Wisconsin mom who was trying to teach her kids how God sees them. She told them that when they receive Jesus as Savior that ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:32

Tags: Sanctification

Denomination: Christian Church

Know Why You Worship As You Do  PRO

Contributed by Tim White on Dec 5, 2011

KNOW WHY YOU WORSHIP AS YOU DO Why would some people buy a cat and tie it to the bedpost to show their reverence to God? Many years ago, a very poor holy man lived in a remote part of China. Every day before his time of meditation, in order to show his devotion, he put a dish of butter up on the ...read more

Tags: Worship General

Denomination: Baptist

Are You Missing Jesus?

Contributed by William Akehurst on Dec 18, 2011

ARE YOU MISSING JESUS? During the manger scene of the kids' Christmas presentation, one of the important pieces was missing on the set.  As everyone was looking around, I noticed the bag in which this important part was hidden and went up in the stage area and retrieved it for the part.  The ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Access Of A Son

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Dec 25, 2011

THE ACCESS OF A SON Dale was one of my childhood friends. His dad ran the projectors in one of the local movie theatres. If I went to that theatre without Dale I paid full admission and had to sit on the main floor with everyone else. If I went with Dale, I got in free and got to sit up in the ...read more

Tags: Prayer General

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

I Know Where You Are, Just Tell Me What You Need  PRO

Contributed by H.b. Charles Jr. on Jan 16, 2012

I KNOW WHERE YOU ARE, JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU NEED DR. C.C. MCCUTCHIN of Oklahoma was on the highway, traveling from Tulsa to Oklahoma City, to visit a member who was in the hospital. But on the way, he got a flat tire. Thankfully, he made it to a "Call Box" on the side of the road. But he had never ...read more

Scripture: John 3:1-17

Tags: Communion, Communing, Prayer Answered

Denomination: Baptist

The Power Of Delayed Gratification

Contributed by Ken Pell on Feb 5, 2012

THE POWER OF DELAYED GRATIFICATION Years ago, psychologist Walter Mischel conducted an experiment on a group of four-year olds. Each child was offered a marshmallow, and was told that they could have it now, or if they could wait several minutes, they could have two. Some children grabbed the ...read more

Tags: Disciplines General

Denomination: Nazarene

There Is A Commercial For A Television Service ...

Contributed by Tim White on Apr 16, 2012

There is a commercial for a television service provider that states, if you don’t get good programs, you feel bad about yourself. When you feel bad about yourself you go to self-improvement seminars. When you go to self-improvement seminars, you feel like a winner. When you feel like a winner, you ...read more

Tags: Human Life

Denomination: Baptist

Sola Fide: Faith Alone

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 1, 2012

SOLA FIDE: FAITH ALONE Sola fide isn’t a license to sin; it’s the motivation to follow your Savior Now, there was a time in the history of the church, when this doctrine was all but lost. By the fifteenth century the church had become a massive institution of power, and the gospel was polluted. ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

Unaware Of The King's Presence  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 4, 2012

UNAWARE OF THE KING’S PRESENCE Steve Brown tells the frustrating story of some British social scientists. Following the end of British rule in India in the 1940s, a group of researchers wanted to study the impact of the end of British rule on the life of the nation. After six months, the British ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:1-16

Tags: Easter Palm Sunday

Home, Sweet Home

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 14, 2012

HOME, SWEET HOME There was a time during the American Civil War, when the rival armies were encamped on the opposite banks of the Potomac River, the Union's band played one of its patriotic tunes, and the Confederate musicians quickly struck up a melody dear to any Southerner's heart. Then one of ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:11-22

Tags: War

What Commitment?

Contributed by Tim Smith on Jul 1, 2012

WHAT COMMITMENT? When I was in my first year of ministry, I walked into our District preachers meeting at the same time as Bobbie Potter, who was pastor of Munholland UMC in Old Metairie. He asked if I preach last Sunday which I did. Then he asked, "What did you ask them to commit to?" I said I ...read more

Tags: Worship General

Denomination: Methodist

Time To A Pig

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 19, 2012

TIME TO A PIG There’s the story of a man walking past a farm and noticed a farmer feeding pigs in a most unusual manner. The farmer would lift a pig up to a nearby apple tree, and the pig would eat the apples off the tree directly. The farmer would move the pig from one apple to another until the ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-22

Tags: Decision, Time

Vanishing Waves

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 28, 2012

VANISHING WAVES A wise man once told me to pour a glass of water. He dipped his index finger into the cup, I watched as miniature waves hit the glass only to halt seconds later. The wise man told that regardless of how important the world will ever view me or my accomplishments, history will only ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:13-34

Tags: Parable Rich Fool

Jealous In A Restaurant  PRO

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Jan 10, 2013

JEALOUS IN A RESTAURANT There is an old story about an older couple having dinner in a restaurant. The wife sees another couple about their age sitting in a booth nearby. She sees the husband sitting close to his wife, with his arm around her. He is whispering things in her ear, and she is smiling ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:28

Tags: Contentment, Marriage General

Denomination: Baptist

Where Are The Happiest Kids?

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Feb 7, 2013

WHERE ARE THE HAPPIEST KIDS? Where do the happiest kids in the world live? A study released in 2012 titled "The New Definition of Childhood" produced by an agency headquartered in Chicago found that the happiest kids in the world live in Mexico--despite its many social ills and widespread ...read more

Tags: Happiness

Denomination: Baptist

True Worship

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Feb 19, 2013

"True worship is God-centered worship. People tend to get caught up in where they should worship, what music they should sing in worship, and how their worship looks to other people. Focusing on these things misses the point. Jesus tells us that true worshipers will worship God in spirit and in ...read more

Tags: Worship Purpose

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Who Am I?  PRO

Contributed by Lalachan Abraham on Feb 26, 2013

WHO AM I? The German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, used to love to take long walks of a summer evening, meditating and thinking. On one occasion he was seated in a park when a suspicious policeman noticed that he had been there for several hours. The policeman came up to him and said, "What are you ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 8:1-9

Tags: Apologetics General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Looking At The Door

Contributed by Kevin Humphrey on Mar 12, 2013

LOOKING AT THE DOOR A defendant was on trial for murder. There was strong evidence indicating guilt, but there was no corpse. The lawyer, knowing that his client would probably be convicted, resorted to a trick: "Within one minute, the person presumed dead in this case will walk into this ...read more

Tags: Doubt

Denomination: Independent/Bible