In Sermon Illustrations: "Real Friend"

Higher Ground

Contributed by John Putty on Apr 5, 2011

HIGHER GROUND The old hymn, “Higher Ground” is a spiritual declaration of one determined man Johnson Oatman, Jr. put to music! While some refuse to believe that our personal faith plays any real role in our spiritual growth and in experiencing Christian victory, in all my 20 years of preaching ...read more

Tags: Faith General

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Achieving Virtue

Contributed by Michael Walther on Jul 4, 2011

ACHIEVING VIRTUE The word "virtue" is taken from the Latin word virtus and actually means "strength" or "manliness." So you see that the real strength of this life is found by successfully winning the inner war of faith. It is because of weakness that we are ruled by passions and controlled by ...read more

Tags: Sanctification

Denomination: Lutheran

Picking And Choosing  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 28, 2012

PICKING AND CHOOSING An extremely nervous patient came to his dentist for root canal surgery. He was brought into the examining room and made comfortable in the reclining dental chair. The dentist then injected a numbing agent around the patient's tooth, and left the room for a few minutes while ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:17-30

Tags: Bible Truth

Eastern Religious Beliefs About Hell

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 28, 2012

EASTERN RELIGIOUS BELIEFS ABOUT HELL Buddhists believe in 7 "hot hells" which await the evildoers - each flanked by 4 torture chambers that include a fiery pit and a quagmire. Tibetan Buddhists also speak of eight cold hells and certain "Frontier" hells for those guilty of lesser sins. Hindus ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:1-9

Tags: Hell

Daddy Has All Of Me

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 28, 2014

DADDY HAS ALL OF ME! Alan Redpath had two daughters who loved to swarm him as soon as he came home at night. As he came in the door one evening, his little girls ran to be the first to hug Daddy. One grabbed his leg and hugged him with all of her might. He snatched the other daughter up in his ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:20-23

Tags: Worship, Commitment, Surrender, Consecration

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

My Favorite Palm Sunday Story!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 7, 2022

Palm Sunday is a very important, reverent occasion for every child of God to remember. However, sometimes children remind us of how genuine they are even in the most serious moments of worship. For example, It was Palm Sunday at church, but because of a sore throat, 5-year-old Annie stayed home ...read more

Tags: Palm Sunday, Funny Stories, Sermon Intros, Children, Humor  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Soul

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jan 11, 2023

John Ortberg describes it this way, “We each have an outer life and an inner one. My outer self is the public, visible me. My accomplishments, my work, and my reputation lie there. But inside is my soul that part of me that speaks in silence to others but yells at me. It's the inside stuff of ...read more

Scripture: John 10:10, Matthew 16:26, Matthew 22:37

Tags: Spiritual Growth, Soul Care, Inner Health

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Fooled By Our Emotions

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jun 17, 2023

One of the most difficult things, all Christians must surely admit, is to differentiate between a truly spiritual fervor and a carnal, animal zeal and enthusiasm. Natural animal spirits and temperament may very well make one fervent and zealous.... There is nothing of which a preacher needs to be ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:21, Jeremiah 17:9

Tags: Spirituality, Enthusiasm, Martin Lloyd Jones

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

What Is Peace? Is It War? No. Is It Strife? No. ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"What is peace? Is it war? No. Is it strife? No. Is it lovely, and gentle, and beautiful, and pleasant, and serene, and joyful? Oh yes Therefore, my ...read more

Tags: Peace

Divine Friendship Is The Very Acme Of Bliss; ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Divine friendship is the very acme of bliss; and there is no rank equal to that involved in this sublime prerogative. All human friendship is but a shadow of the divine. Abraham was ...read more

Tags: Compassion

Jesus Was Interested In People, Doing Good, ...

Contributed by Michael West on Apr 2, 2008

Jesus was interested in people, doing good, healing, serving, taking the anointing of God for the right purpose—not occasionally doing something good ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Blessed Are They Who Have The Gift Of Making ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Blessed are they who have the gift of making friends, for it is one of Gods best gifts. It involves many things, but above all, the power of going out of ones self, ...read more

Tags: Compassion

Take A Look At Those Two Open Hands Of Yours. ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Take a look at those two open hands of yours. They are tools with which to serve, make friends, and reach out for the best of life. Open hands ...read more

Tags: Human Body

The Saloon Is A Liar. It Promises Good Cheer And ...  PRO

Contributed by James H Boyd on Feb 10, 2003

"The saloon is a liar. It promises good cheer and sends sorrow. It promises prosperity and sends adversity. It promises happiness and sends misery.... It is God’s ...read more

Tags: Addiction

Denomination: Charismatic

We Force No Doors In Friendship, But Like The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"We force no doors in friendship, but like the Christ in Revelation, we stand reverently at the door without, to knock. And only if the door is opened from within, may ...read more

Tags: Compassion

There Was An Old Monastery That Had Fallen Upon ...

Contributed by Scott Jensen on Sep 10, 2008

There was an old monastery that had fallen upon hard times. It was once a great order, but as a result of waves of persecution in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and the rise of secularism in the nineteenth century, all its branch houses were lost and it had become decimated to the extent ...read more

Tags: Love For God

Denomination: Lutheran

Craig Von Buseck Tells Of Serving As An Assoc...

Contributed by Tim Smith on May 28, 2015

Craig von Buseck tells of serving as an associate pastor in Pennsylvania. After more than five years on staff, he began sensing that the Lord wanted him to leave this church to complete his ministry training. Relations were beginning to become strained between himself and the senior pastor. While ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:25

Tags: Holy Spirit, God's Guidance

Denomination: Methodist

The #1 Reason Readers Buy Books Is Because ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 6, 2006

The #1 reason readers buy books is because friends have recommended them, #2 is in-store displays, and #3 is the author’s name. ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

The First Time I Read An Interesting Book, It ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 11, 2007

"The first time I read an interesting book, it is to me just as if I had gained a new friend; when I read over a book I have perused ...read more

Tags: Books And Literature

The Flatterers Object Is To Please In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"The flatterers object is to please in everything he does; whereas the true friend always does what is right, and so often gives pleasure, often pain, not wishing the ...read more

Tags: Compassion