In Sermon Illustrations: "Relationships"

What The Flock Needs From Their Pastor

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 25, 2009

WHAT THE FLOCK NEEDS FROM THEIR PASTOR The breadth of my ministry is determined by the depth of my relationship with Jesus, "the most important thing that your people need from you is your personal holiness" --Dr. Bill Bennett, SEBTS Pastoral Ministry class "Take heed to yourselves, lest you ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:15-23

Tags: Holiness

A Church Made William ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 3, 2010

A Church Made William Wickham King Edward of England appointed William Wickham to build a church. William Wickham performed his duty and finished by writing in one of the windows, "This work made William Wickham." When the king saw this he confronted William for assuming the honor of building the ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:12-13

Tags: Gratitude

Gen. Macarthur: Understanding Einstein

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 29, 2010

GEN. MACARTHUR: UNDERSTANDING EINSTEIN When General Douglas MacArthur was at Army training college, he tells this story: "The first section was studying the time-space relationship later formulated by Einstein as his Theory of Relativity. The text was complex and, being unable to comprehend it, I ...read more

Tags: Obedience

Denomination: Brethren

More From Technology, Less From One Another

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Jul 18, 2012

MORE FROM TECHNOLOGY, LESS FROM ONE ANOTHER Sherry Turkle, a professor at M.I.T. and author of Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other, has spent the last 15 years studying how our "plugged-in lives" have changed who we are. She claims that all of our ...read more

Tags: Communication General

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Model Kylie Bisutti, 21, Has Decided To Leave ...

Contributed by Gene Gregory on Aug 27, 2012

Model Kylie Bisutti, 21, has decided to leave Victoria’s Secret because it clashes with her Christian beliefs. “I just became so convicted of honoring the Lord and my body and wanting to be a role model for other women out there who look up to me,” Bisutti said today on “Good Morning ...read more

Tags: Conscience

Denomination: Baptist

How We Stop God From Answering Our Prayers

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 24, 2022

Recently, the Lord moved me from Arkansas to Louisiana. I was so happy to leave Arkansas and be released from it – it had felt like an overgrown prison to me. As I drove south on the interstate, I was thanking and praising God for a new start in a new place when He impressed upon me that I could ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 3:13, James 3:6

Tags: Unanswered Prayers, Preventing God, Words Stout Against Him, Tongue, Power Of Words  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic

New Orleans (Bp)--An Explosive New Study Says ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 31, 2001

NEW ORLEANS (BP)--An explosive new study says some gay people can turn straight if they really want to. Robert L. Spitzer, a psychiatry professor at Columbia University who led the study, said he couldn’t estimate what percentage of highly motivated gay people can change their sexual orientation ...read more

Tags: The Word, Words

New Hope From Nothing  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 10, 2002

NEW HOPE FROM NOTHING In Jim Cymbala’s book, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, there is the story of a woman named Roberta Langella. A story she tells in her own words. At the age of 16 she left a broken home to move to New York City where she began living with a man twice her age. A man that got her into ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:5

Tags: Faith, God Brings Hope

I Have Always Held My Father In High Respect. I ...  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Smith on Dec 23, 2005

I have always held my Father in high respect. I always wanted to please him. But, when I was in 10th grade I lost interest in school. Grades had always been pretty easy and I thought I could just skate by. Besides, everybody knew, baseball and basketball was what was really important. Then I got ...read more

Tags: Cross

Denomination: Christian Church

Marshall And Manuel Noted The Following Thought ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Oct 17, 2007

Marshall and Manuel noted the following thought about these 2 covenant relationships and the necessity to commit to both: How critically important for us Christians is the business of commitment to one-another-as vital for the Body of Christ today as it was three-and-a-half centuries ago! There ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

It Was The 1925 World Series. The Washington ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2008

It was the 1925 World Series. The Washington Senators were playing the Pittsburgh Pirates. The game was close. Finally, Goose Gosling of the Washington Senators came to the plate. The ball was pitched. Strike 1! The catcher threw the ball back to the pitcher. Goose readied himself again. The ...read more

Is God Waiting For You?  PRO

Contributed by Paul Dietz on Sep 12, 2008

Is God Waiting for You? Koinonia is the Greek phrase which describes this spiritual intimacy that is born through having the true knowledge of who God is in a personal way. I must confess, I am the one who made the choice not to experience Koinonia for all those years in my spiritual way with the ...read more

Tags: Disciplines General

Denomination: *other

Deer Are Creatures Of Consistency. This Species ...

Contributed by Paul Dietz on Sep 20, 2008

Deer are creatures of consistency. This species of the animal kingdom pretty well knows its territory. It knows where it can always find a good meal of a few apples, acorns or grain. As for finding a source for water, this creature always seems to know of most of the local streams, ponds or lake. ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 42:1

Tags: Prayer Supplication

Denomination: *other

Cheap Grace

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Mar 15, 2010

CHEAP GRACE (defined and adapted from Dietrich Bonhoeffer) a). Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our Church. We are fighting today for costly grace. b). Cheap grace means grace as a doctrine, a principle, a system. It means forgiveness of sins proclaimed as a general truth, the love of God ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Lesson Of The Good Samaritan

Contributed by Darian Hybl on Aug 21, 2013

Recently I read an article that convicted me of my ‘blind spots’ where I have not wanted to ‘cross the road’ or enter deeper into relationship. Alex Early penned an article entitled, “A Pastor Walked into a Gay Bar And…” At first I avoided the article because I thought this article was more a ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:23-37

Tags: God As Judge, Real Friend, Parable Good Samaritan

Denomination: Lutheran

If You Were Going To A Sporting Event, Or Concert ...  PRO

Contributed by David Yarbrough on May 29, 2001

If you were going to a sporting event, or concert what we would be the best seats? If you were going to a basketball game it would be center court front row. If it were football it would be the 50-yard line, front row. If it were a concert it would be center stage, front row. But, if it were ...read more

Tags: Church Practices, Growth In Christ, Promises Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Forgive And Forget. Easier Said Than Done, Right? ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 13, 2001

Forgive and forget. Easier said than done, right? Well, now studies are showing forgiveness is not only good theology, but good medicine as sell. According to the latest medical and psychological research, forgiving is good for our souls-and our bodies. People who forgive: benefit from better ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:3-9

Tags: Fulfillment, Anger, Anxiety

Hottubs And Jesus  PRO

Contributed by Mike Wilkins on Feb 26, 2002

HOTTUBS AND JESUS “The other day ...as I sat there savoring hot tubness, cracking small jokes and adjusting to the feel of being bubbled over from all angles, it struck me that the hot tub is the perfect symbol of the modern route in religion. The hot tub experience is sensuous, relaxing, floppy, ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ, Kingdom Of God

Denomination: *other

A Man Was Driving Home From Work One Evening When ...  PRO

Contributed by Andrew Chan on Apr 23, 2002

A man was driving home from work one evening when he suddenly realized that it was his daughter’s birthday and he hadn’t yet bought her a gift. So, the man rushed off to the nearest toy store and asked the sales clerk, "How much is that Barbie in the window?" The sales clerk replied in a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:3-6

Tags: Marriage Commitment, Divorce

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Just Watched A Movie Called "The Day After ...

Contributed by Andrew Chan on Jun 18, 2004

Just watched a movie called “The Day After Tomorrow” and in that movie you see people evacuated from the US to Mexico because of natural disasters hitting the US. Mexico couldn’t handle the hordes of people fleeing the States crossing the Rio Grande, they closed the borders. Next you see folks ...read more

Tags: Lordship Of Christ

Denomination: Evangelical Free