In Sermon Illustrations: "Sacrificial Love"

When God Tells You "No"

Contributed by Paul Wallace on Mar 25, 2010

WHEN GOD TELLS YOU "NO" Has God ever told me "No"? Yes, many times. Was it easy? Never! The hardest time was a long time ago. My first son, James Daniel, was born with severe heart defects. I knew that God could heal him and prayed daily for my son's healing. A year later, after open heart ...read more

Tags: Disappointment

Denomination: Wesleyan

Others Have Developed Dysfunctional Ways To View ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on May 14, 2010

Others have developed dysfunctional ways to view life in hope it would bring contentment, fulfillment and eternal life! a. Optimism: By looking through rose-colored glasses, we can convince ourselves that we live on Fantasy Island, existing under cloudless skies and surrounded by oceans of love, ...read more

Tags: Thought, Attitude General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Philip Yancey's Wife Shares The Suffering Of An ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 4, 2010

Philip Yancey’s Wife Shares the Suffering of an Elderly Man Philip Yancey- My wife worked with some of the poorest people in the city of Chicago, directing a program of a church that intentionally seeks out lonely and abandoned senior citizens no one else cares for. Many times I have seen her pour ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:15

Tags: Compassion

He Lay In A Bed Seat, Slightly Twisted And ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Aug 12, 2010

He lay in a bed seat, slightly twisted and looking at me with one eye half open. I was finishing a small Bible study devotional with a group of aged people on a passage from the book of Job in the Bible, telling them that God loves them and still has a purpose for their lives, to look UPWARD NOT ...read more

Tags: Lies

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Stages Of Loss

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Nov 20, 2010

THE STAGES OF LOSS Several years ago a profound and dramatic research project began in Chicago's Billings Hospital. It was a seminar on death, in which psychiatists, chaplains, nurses, and medical doctors studied the ultimate human crisis of facing death. Basic findings is that the very ill ...read more

Tags: Death

Denomination: *other

Christ In One

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Dec 12, 2010

CHRIST IN ONE What is a Christian? In the LETTER TO DIOGNETUS, which dates back to the second century A.D., an anonymous writer describes a strange people who are in the world but not of the world. "Christians are not differentiated from other people by country, language, or customs; you see, ...read more

Tags: Disciples

Denomination: *other

Sing A New Song

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on Mar 21, 2011

SING A NEW SONG Boom! Boom! The two-fold pounding of the avalanche cannon awoke me from my slumber. No, we didn't get snow last night, I mused. But sure enough, God dumped nine inches of fresh snow onto the mountains above. Now, I love winter; it's great skiing on fresh powder. However, I ...read more

Tags: Joy

Denomination: Lutheran

Alexander Maclaren On The Right Stimulus For ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2011

ALEXANDER MACLAREN ON THE RIGHT STIMULUS FOR ACTION It is perfectly legitimate, although it is by no means the highest motive, to appeal to feeling as a stimulus to action. We have a right to base our urging of Christian men and women to missionary work either at home or abroad, upon the ground of ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:11-21

Tags: Emotions

During World War Ii A Marine Was Serving In The ...

Contributed by Jonathan Campbell on Jun 23, 2011

During World War II a Marine was serving in the South Pacific. His platoon was under fire and they were trying to signal their comrades that they had taken a certain hill. Their sergeant issued an order for a man to take the American flag and raise it up on a pole to let other units know they had ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 17:9-15, Exodus 17:11

Tags: Prayer General

Cheap Purchase—high Price  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 4, 2011

CHEAP PURCHASE--HIGH PRICE In Decision magazine some time ago, Karen Morerod wrote about shopping in a store for a sweater. She was looking for one at minimal cost, so she went to the clearance rack. As she flipped through the sweaters, one caught her eye. It was the right color and the right ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:13-21

Tags: Blood Of Christ

Repentance In The White House  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 10, 2011

REPENTANCE IN THE WHITE HOUSE In 2001, Tim Goeglein started running the White House Office of Public Liaison, providing him almost daily access to then President George Bush for seven years. Then it all ended abruptly on February 29, 2008. A well-known blogger revealed the startling fact that 27 ...read more

Scripture: Romans 2:4

Tags: Compassion, Repentance

What Is Religious Syncretism?

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Oct 13, 2011

WHAT IS RELIGIOUS SYNCRETISM? Syncretism, as defined by the American Heritage Dictionary, is "the reconciliation or fusion of differing systems of belief." This is most evident in the areas of philosophy and religion, and usually results in a new teaching or belief system. Obviously, this cannot ...read more

Tags: False Teaching

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Holy Spirit: The Forgotten God

Contributed by Brad Henry on Oct 19, 2011

HOLY SPIRIT: THE FORGOTTEN GOD ALL the ruthless Ninevites from the commoner to the King of Assyria repented and God did not send destruction. But why did these ruthless people listen to Jonah who was just one man? I have been struggling with this very question and asked God to help me speak to you ...read more

Tags: Obedience

Spiritual "Glory Hole"

Contributed by Dennis Davidson on Dec 8, 2011

SPIRITUAL "GLORY HOLE" On a wall in our home hangs a picture of the GHOST-TOWN of Bodie, Nevada. While out west visiting family my wife stopped by and became intrigued with the place. It became an abandoned town after the gold rush gave out. In its hey-day, it was all anyone could have ...read more

Tags: Fulfillment

Denomination: Baptist

A Parable On Tithing  PRO

Contributed by Scott Bradford on Apr 25, 2012

A PARABLE ON TITHING Over the last two years I was scanning in old files so that I didn’t have three file drawers full of sermons and documents. I had some old files of my dad and in them I discovered some great old stories. One was a parable on tithing. I found it humorous, I can only hope that ...read more

Scripture: Acts 10:44-48

Tags: Tithes

Denomination: United Methodist

A King's Ransom

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 7, 2012

A KING'S RANSOM I Timothy 2:6 says Jesus "gave himself as a ransom." A ransom is a price paid to purchase someone's freedom. In 1193, the English King Richard I, also known as Richard the Lionheart, was returning from leading a Crusade to the Holy Land. As he returned through Europe, Leopold V ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:1-7

Tags: Salvation

Commitment Vs. Surrender  PRO

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Jun 30, 2012

COMMITMENT VS. SURRENDER In The Incredible Power of Kingdom Authority there is an account of a conversation between the late Adrian Rogers and Rev Josef Tson, the Romanian pastor, author, and president of the Romanian Missionary Society who survived years of persecution and exile under cruel ...read more

Tags: Lordship Of Christ

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Please Come Home.

Contributed by Ken Henson on Jul 5, 2012

"PLEASE COME HOME." There was a girl named Christina, who lived in a dusty village of Brazil. In her late teens she was upset with her parents because she thought she was restricted. She had this dream of going to Rio De Janeiro, but her mother knew that she will not be able to take care of ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:12-14

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: *other

Humorous Definitions  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 2, 2012

HUMOROUS DEFINITIONS Definitions matter. Do you know what these words mean? ABDICATE: To give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach. ADULT: A person who has stopped growing at both ends and is now growing in the middle. ANTIQUE: An item your grandparents bought, your parents got rid of, and ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:22

Tags: Words

Just Didn't Work Right  PRO

Contributed by Rick Boyne on Aug 13, 2012

JUST DIDN'T WORK RIGHT My parents bought my 16 year old daughter her first car, a 1970 VW Beetle. While it was cute and a collector car, it wouldn’t run right. Even though it had been a gift from her grandparents, it cost as much in repairs as a new car would have cost in payments. While it had ...read more

Tags: Dealing With Conflicts

Denomination: Baptist