In Sermon Illustrations: "released"

Lina Joy, 43, Lost The Court Battle To Change Her ...

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jun 25, 2007

Lina Joy, 43, lost the court battle to change her religion from Islam to Christianity on Wednesday when the Malaysian Federal Court ruled she should seek permission to officially change her religion from Islam to Christianity at Islamic Shariah courts. Joy had been engaged in a legal battle for six ...read more

Denomination: Other

If Some Of You Are Like Me, You've Been Waiting ...  PRO

Contributed by Karl Eckhoff on Nov 13, 2003

If some of you are like me, you’ve been waiting with a bit of anticipation for the final segment of J.R.R. Tolkiens, The Lord of the Rings, to be released to movie theatres some time in the near future. If you’ve been following the story on the screen or reading it from the pages of a book, you’ve ...read more

Tags: God's Love, Forgiveness In Jesus

Denomination: Lutheran

American Tourists Mistreated, Pastors Tortured & ...

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Sep 27, 2005

American Tourists Mistreated, Pastors Tortured & Church Ordered to Close · August 8, 2005 CHINA: House Church Pastors Tortured in Prison & Shanghai House Church Faces Forced Closure China Aid learned that more than 210 Chinese house church pastors and believers have been arrested in Hubei, Hebei ...read more

Tags: Hardship Of Life, Betrayal

Denomination: Independent/Bible

From The Australian Psychology Society  PRO

Contributed by Daniel Devilder on Dec 1, 2006

From the Australian Psychology Society What is anger? Anger is an emotion that can range from mild annoyance to intense rage. It is a feeling that is accompanied by biological changes in your body. When you get angry, your heart rate and blood pressure rise and stress hormones are released. This ...read more

Scripture: James 4:7-10, Ephesians 4:26

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

After The First World War, The Prince Of Wales ...  PRO

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Mar 21, 2007

After the First World War, the Prince of Wales was invited to visit a military hospital in which there were 36 injured soldiers. He willingly accepted. In the first ward he visited, he went from bed to bed thanking each soldier for his sacrifices for Great Britain and the Empire. As he left ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

History Will Prove That It Is When The Church Has ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 29, 2009

History will prove that it is when the church has endured great persecution that that is when the church has seen tremendous growth. It was true in the first century and it is true today. Listen to this story of a faithful disciple in China. Pastor Li De Xian (Shee-an) was arrested 13 times in six ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:12

Tags: Persecution

Only The Original Builder Can Restore It

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 30, 2010

ONLY THE ORIGINAL BUILDER CAN RESTORE IT In a remote Swiss village stands a beautiful church - Mountain Valley Cathedral. It has high pillars and magnificent stained glass windows, but what makes it special is the most beautiful pipe organ in the whole region. People would come from far off lands ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-5

Tags: Atonement

Church Asks Non-Participants To Leave

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 21, 2011

CHURCH ASKS NON-PARTICIPANTS TO LEAVE Just a few years ago, Larknews.com carried the following fictional piece of satire on its website. In the form of a news release, it reported: Julie and Bob Clark were stunned to receive a letter from their church in July asking them to "participate in the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:15-16

Tags: Church Growth

Giving The Poor A Reason To Live

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 9, 2011

GIVING THE POOR A REASON TO LIVE So let's humble ourselves before each other and experience His grace. It's the way to true glory and dignity even if we find ourselves down and out. That's what Abbe Pierre discovered when he founded the Emmaus Communities in 1949. The Emmaus Communities today ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 1:11-17, Galatians 5:13-15

Tags: Servanthood

Healing House: "I Thought You Were Dead."  PRO

Contributed by Tim Smith on Jan 6, 2013

HEALING HOUSE: "I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD." Healing House is in Kansas City, Ks. It's a home for drug addicts started by a woman named Bobbie Jo. Bobbie Jo had been walking the streets for many years but then someone cared enough to share the Gospel with her and she was born again. At the same time, ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Ephesians 2:1-10

Tags: Giving General

Denomination: Methodist

The Leadership Principles Of Jesus

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on May 11, 2020

The Leadership Principles of Jesus. • Jesus was willing to invest in people others would have dismissed. (Consider the disciples. They were not the “religious” elite, yet Jesus used them to start His church). • Jesus released responsibility and ownership in a ministry. (Jesus sent the disciples ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12, Luke 9:23

Tags: Discipleship, Leadership, Ministry Of Jesus, Business Management

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

After The First World War, The Prince Of Wales ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

After the First World War, the Prince of Wales was invited to visit a military hospital in which there were 36 injured soldiers. He willingly accepted. In the first ward he visited, he went from bed to bed thanking each soldier for his sacrifices for Great Britain and the Empire. As he left the ...read more

Tags: God's Omnipotence

Not Easy Being ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 8, 2008

NOT EASY BEING MOM A University of Minnesota study on Motherhood released this week said moms should get $131,000 a year for what they do! When you add together all the different jobs they do it becomes obvious how valuable mothers are in our lives. Some reports say mothers do 17 different jobs ...read more

Tags: Mothers

How You Finish

Contributed by Sylvester Fergusson on Feb 23, 2009

HOW YOU FINISH James was excited as he turned the two hundred mark heading towards home. Two and three-quarter laps had gone and he was still in the lead. His one and only goal was to win this race and he was full of confidence that he could do it. His thoughts race ahead to the podium, the ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

Denomination: Adventist

I Read Of A Man Who Had Committed A Crime For ...  PRO

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Aug 26, 2003

I read of a man who had committed a crime for which he was deeply ashamed. When he’d served his prison sentence and was about to be released he wondered if his family would reject him because of the scandal he’d caused and the shame brought on the family. He wrote his parents saying that he would ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32

Tags: God The Father, Promises Of God

Denomination: Baptist

Showing Forgiveness To Jim Bakker  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

SHOWING FORGIVENESS TO JIM BAKKER Former televangelist Jim Bakker speaks of events that occurred immediately after his release from prison: When I was transferred to my last prison, Franklin [Graham] said he wanted to help me out when I got out-with a job, a house to live in, and a car. It was my ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:8-11

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, God's Provision, God's Forgiveness

Nfl Quarterback Foolishly Refuses To Wear ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 9, 2009

NFL Quarterback Foolishly Refuses to Wear Motorcycle Helmet 6. We are not free to do something foolish just because it is legal. Just because something is permitted under the law doesn’t make it good or right. a. For instance in July of 2005, ESPN reporter, Andrea Kremer, interviewed the Pittsburgh ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:13-14

Tags: Christian Liberty

A Relationship With A Muslim

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 26, 2011

A RELATIONSHIP WITH A MUSLIM Bill Hybels was at a luncheon, sitting across from a black man, built like a football player, with a distinctively Muslim name. He told Pastor Hybels that he enjoyed reading one of his books. Bill Hybels looked a little puzzled so the Muslim explained to him how he ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20

Tags: Evangelism How To

The Risk Of Fishing For Souls  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 3, 2011

THE RISK OF FISHING FOR SOULS A little more than 10 years ago (2000), a movie called The Perfect Storm was released, which graphically portrayed the dangers of the fishing industry even in modern times. The movie is about the crew of the Andrea Gail, a fishing boat out of Gloucester, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 10:14-39

Tags: Evangelism Fear Of

The Example Of Bethany Hamilton

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 26, 2011

THE EXAMPLE OF BETHANY HAMILTON That word for "commit" is actually a banking term. It means to deposit something for safekeeping. Well, that's what we're to do with our lives when we go through times of suffering. Deposit your life in God's bank (so to speak) for safe-keeping. Trust Him to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:12-19

Tags: Trust