In Sermon Illustrations: "Pure Motives"

Eternal Life

Contributed by Davon Huss on Sep 1, 2020

The eternal life I am talking about is best described by Thomas Guthrie: "Eternal life is deliverance from eternal death, deliverance from the curse of breaking God’s law, and deliverance from the doom of a burning hell. Eternal life is eternal blessedness- the pardon from sin’s guilt, and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:12

Tags: Perfect, Eternal Life

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Refining Sap To Maple Syrup  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2011

REFINING SAP TO MAPLE SYRUP Dr. David Osborn at Denver Seminary says, "Too often we try to use God to change our circumstances, while He is using our circumstances to change us." (Compass, April 2003) You see, God is right now in the process of making us like Christ. Think of the process of ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-4, Psalm 13:1-6, Psalm 34:15-16

Tags: Sanctification

A Stone From The Old West

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 11, 2014

THE PRECIOUS STONE NO ONE SAW Back when the Old West was being settled, pioneers flocked across the country to California and Oregon. In one particular spot on the Eastern slopes of the Rockies there was a large, dirt covered rock protruding in the middle of the trail. Wagon wheels were broken on ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:33-46

Tags: Jesus Christ, Capstone, Rejecting Christ, Jesus Is Cornerstone

Gen Y Clout: 70 Million People Were Born Between ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 10, 2006

Gen Y Clout: 70 million people were born between ’76 and ’97. Nearly double the Baby Boomers and 3 times the size of Generation X. “It’s hard to overstate the import-ance of this market development,” says Reid Sullivan, Panasonic’s U.S. Portable Audio Product Group. This generation of kids is ...read more

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

Social Justice, Contrary To Conventional Wisdom, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 20, 2007

Social Justice, contrary to conventional wisdom, is more actively supported by evangelicals than mainline Protestants finds Calvin College research fellow Stephen Monsma. Of 500 welfare-to-work programs studied, 96 were Protestant programs, 61 sponsored by evangelical churches vs. 35 by mainlines. ...read more

Accepting The Marginal  PRO

Contributed by Andrew Hamilton on Oct 26, 2002

ACCEPTING THE MARGINAL In speaking to church leaders Dallas Willard says “The leading assumption in the American church today – and the Australian one I’ll add – is that you can be a Christian but not a disciple. That has placed a tremendous burden on a mass of Christians who are not disciples. ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ, Church General, Discipleship

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

One Of My Favorite Preachers Is Dave Stone From ...  PRO

Contributed by Aaron Burgess on Dec 27, 2002

One of my favorite preachers is Dave Stone from the Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. He’s the preacher in a church that has 17,000 people. Dave has written books and is a popular motivational speaker. He was chosen as an influential leader in his community. But Steve Carr, a ...read more

Tags: Humble, Humility, Compassion

Denomination: Independent/Bible

In A Team Game Called Cricket, The Position Of A ...

Contributed by Matthew Olanrewaju on Aug 8, 2007

In a team game called cricket, the position of a captain matters greatly which is the reason selectors or the cricket boards of teams always take their time in appointing captains for their teams. The captain is the leader of the team on and off the field of play. He is the link, the catalyst and ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

In Haiti, There's An Orphanage Being Run By A ...

Contributed by Sherm Nichols on Jan 2, 2008

In Haiti, there’s an orphanage being run by a man named Prospere. It’s an enormous task, taking care of 30 some kids. Why does he do it? Where does he find the motivation to keep on with such a difficult task? You see, Prospere was once an orphan too. He was one of the first orphans helped ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Wealth ...

Contributed by Aaron Mishoe on Apr 2, 2009

Wealth Building Is getting rich wrong? The Bible says the love of money, not money itself is evil. What is your motivation in building wealth? John Wesley said, “Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can.” Selfish reasons for wealth building will reveal pride and greed in our ...read more

Tags: Money

Denomination: Holiness

85% Of All Children That Exhibit Behavioral ...

Contributed by Joshua Parrish on Jun 19, 2008

* 85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes. * 90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes. * 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes. * 75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless ...read more

Tags: Father's Day

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

In His Book Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis Helps ...  PRO

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Apr 24, 2005

In his book Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis helps us gain balance when he says, “If anyone thinks that Christians regard unchastity (sexual sin) as the supreme vice, he is quite wrong. The sins of the flesh are bad, but they are the least bad of all sins. All the worst pleasures are purely ...read more

Tags: Call Of The Disciples

Denomination: Methodist

The Fellowship Of The Church  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Oct 18, 2000

THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE CHURCH Calvin, who saw that the Devil’s chief device was disunity and division and who preached that there should be friendly fellowship for all ministers of Christ, made a similar point in a letter to a trusted colleague: "Among Christians there ought to be so great a ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:3-6, James 3:1-12

Tags: Leadership General, Unity

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

R ...

Contributed by Larry Wilson on Jul 30, 2010

REVIVAL! A final note: I miss aspects of society in previous years. I miss the time when no one argued about what marriage was. I miss the time when lines were more clearly drawn. Sometimes, I wish I could just go back to the church of my childhood and hear my Old Pastor, Dr. Sightler, preach. ...read more

Tags: Revival

Denomination: Baptist

The Coffee Pot At Cana

Contributed by Susan Blader on Aug 18, 2007

The Coffee Pot at Cana Mae Fortson relays the story of her church coffee pot. Whoever drank the last cup would often fail to replenish the pot for the next person. The secretary wanted to motivate her staff to be more responsible, so she taped a neatly-typed plea to the pot. It read: “If ...read more

Denomination: Disciples Of Christ

Dr. Kevin Leman In His The New Birth Order Bo...

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jun 16, 2008

Dr. Kevin Leman in his The New Birth Order book shares a typical pattern of how children turn out based upon birth order; it is by no means without exception. Here is a typically scenario in a family of three children not too many years apart… Usually the first born is a bit of a perfectionist ...read more

Tags: Parenting

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Running For Life

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Nov 13, 2008

RUNNING FOR LIFE Recently I read a fable about a dog who loved to chase other animals. He bragged about his great running skill and said he could catch anything. Well, it wasn’t long until his boastful claims were put to the test by a certain rabbit. With ease the little creature outran his ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Denomination: Pentecostal

You Will Be Queen Someday

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 28, 2009

YOU WILL BE QUEEN SOMEDAY When Queen Victoria was a child, she didn’t know she was in line for the throne of England. Her instructors, trying to prepare her for the future, were frustrated because they couldn’t motivate her. She just didn’t take her studies seriously. Finally, her teachers decided ...read more

Tags: Encouragement

Psa 119:1 Blessed Are They Whose Ways Are ...

Contributed by Steven Cannon on Feb 13, 2007

Psa 119:1 Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD. Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways. You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. Oh, that my ways were ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

E. M. Bounds -- Our Religion Breaks Down ...

Contributed by Philip Harrelson on Feb 15, 2007

E. M. Bounds -- Our religion breaks down oftenest and most sadly in our conduct. Beautiful theories are marred by ugly lives. The most difficult as well as the most impressive point in piety is to live it. Our praying suffers as much as our religion from bad living. Preachers were charged in ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal