In Sermon Illustrations: "Santihood Lives"

Dallas Willard, In His Book The Spirit Of The ...

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Mar 4, 2007

Dallas Willard, in his book The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives, writes, “Spirituality in human beings is not an extra or ‘superior’ mode of existence. It’s not a hidden stream of separate reality, a separate life running parallel to our bodily existence. It does ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

The Unknown Is An Adventure

Contributed by Dave Kinney on Mar 15, 2009

THE UNKNOWN IS AN ADVENTURE Stanley Jones writes, "Many live in dread of what is coming. Why should we? The unknown puts adventure into life; it gives us something to sharpen our souls on. The unexpected around the corner gives a sense of anticipation and surprise. If we saw all the good things ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 27:1

Tags: Future

Denomination: Baptist

Truth Needs To Be Sought, Found And Expressed ...

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jul 25, 2009

“Truth needs to be sought, found and expressed within the “economy” of charity, but charity in its turn needs to be understood, confirmed and practiced in the light of truth. In this way, not only do we do a service to charity enlightened by truth, but we also help give credibility to truth, ...read more

Tags: Bible Truth, Truth Absolute

Denomination: Catholic

What Makes A Good ...

Contributed by Timothy Gardner on Nov 7, 2009

"What makes a good church? If all the… …Lazy folks get up …sleepy folks wake up …Discouraged folks cheer up …Gossiping folks shut up …Dishonest folks fess up …Estranged folks make up …Depressed folks look up …Disgusted folks sweeten up …Lukewarm folks fire up …Sanctified folks show ...read more

Tags: People, Love, Commitment, Humor, Church General  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Salvation Army

What Was Mary Doing When She Had Her Angelic ...

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jan 9, 2010

What was Mary doing when she had her angelic epiphany, the one that changed the world forever? Was she deep in meditation, as the medieval paintings suggest? Maybe not. She surely wasn’t mowing the lawn, but I like to imagine her kneading bread, chanting a psalm and listening for the divine ...read more

Tags: Mary Jesus Mother

Denomination: Catholic

Christ Has Risen—you Better, Too!

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Jun 4, 2010

CHRIST HAS RISEN--YOU BETTER, TOO! I heard about a church organist who overslept one Easter morning. She said, "The service was scheduled for 6:30. At 6:31, the minister called to see if I was coming. Since I live near the church, I was at the organ by 6:45. Then, a year later on Easter morning ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

We Are Told In Scripture To Work Out Our ...

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Jun 2, 2010

We are told in scripture to work out our salvation. The interesting thing about this is that when we work we need a few tools and the better the quality of the tools the easier the job usually goes and the better the results. (Here I pulled a couple of nails out of a peice of wood with a jemmy bar ...read more

Tags: Tools

Denomination: Salvation Army

Make Them Thirsty

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 27, 2010

MAKE THEM THIRSTY The young salesman was disappointed about losing a big sale, and as he talked with his sales manager he lamented, "I guess it just proves you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink." The manager replied, "Son, take my advice: your job is not to make him drink. ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To

Denomination: Brethren

Who Would Serve God Without Heaven?

Contributed by Derrick Tuper on Jan 3, 2011

WHO WOULD SERVE GOD WITHOUT HEAVEN? Consider this statement from Paris Reidhead: "Lord Jesus, I’m going to obey you and love you and serve you and do what you want me to do as long as I live even if I go to hell at the end of the road because you are worthy to be loved, obeyed and served." Do we ...read more

Tags: Servanthood

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

On Self-Control

Contributed by Davon Huss on Mar 14, 2011

ON SELF-CONTROL Daniel Akst in a secular article called, "Whose in Charge Here?" wrote: "Life in modern Western cultures is like living at a giant all-you-can-eat buffet offering more calories, credit, sex, intoxicants, and just about anything else one could take to excess than our forebears ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 25:28

Tags: Self

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Freedom "For"  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Nov 28, 2011

FREEDOM "FOR" From Robert Youngs: I have on my table a violin string... it is free. I twist one end of it and it responds. It is free. But it is not free to do what a violin string is supposed to do--produce music. So I take it, fix it in my violin and tighten it until it is taut. Only then ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:13

Tags: Finding Fulfillment

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Paint Covered Its Beauty

Contributed by Tim Hinrichs on Jan 24, 2012

THE PAINT COVERED ITS BEAUTY A few years ago when I lived in Poland we were at a local museum which had a beautiful sculpture of Mary holding Jesus. For years it stood on a street corner before the city decided to clean it up and restore it. Up to that point no one thought it was anything special ...read more

Tags: Beauty

Denomination: Lutheran

Spiritual Arrhythmia  PRO

Contributed by Antonio Silveira on Feb 25, 2012

SPIRITUAL ARRHYTHMIA The primary function of the heart is to supply blood and nutrients to the body. The regular beating, or contraction, of the heart moves the blood throughout the body. Each heartbeat is controlled by electrical impulses traveling through the heart. In the normal heart these ...read more

Scripture: 3 John 1:2

Tags: Heart, Spanking Kids

Denomination: Baptist

Not Ready

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Apr 9, 2012

NOT READY After a presentation on the Evidences of God in Science four physics professors came up to Hugh Ross afterwards. Hugh asked if any of them could deny any of what had been presented. They said they could not. He then asked, "Why are you not ready to accept the conclusions?" One said ...read more

Tags: Atheism

Unhappy Church Member

Contributed by Kerry O'neill on Jan 27, 2019

A christian man was stranded on a deserted island for many years. He was finally discovered and a rescue crew arrived. They were impressed with all the things he built by himself, most prominently 3 buildings. They asked him about the first building and he answered, “That is where I live.” Then ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:45

Tags: Negativity, Church Hopping

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Because He Came

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Oct 15, 2019

Here are six blessings Paul mentions in Galatians 4:4-7 that flow to us because Christ came. We are redeemed (Gal 4:5a). We are adopted into God’s family (Gal 4:5b). The Holy Spirit now lives within us (Gal 4:6a). We call God Father (Gal ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 4:4-7

Tags: Galatians, The Birth Of Christ, The Virgin Birth, Why Christ Came

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Dallas Willard, In His Book The Spirit Of The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Dallas Willard, in his book The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives, writes, “Spirituality in human beings is not an extra or ‘superior’ mode of existence. It’s not a hidden stream of separate reality, a separate life running parallel to our bodily existence. It does not ...read more

Tags: Heaven

During The Us Civil War Abraham Lincoln Met With ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

During the US civil war Abraham Lincoln met with a group of ministers for a prayer breakfast. Lincoln was a man of deep, if at times unorthodox, faith. At one point one of the ministers said, "Mr. President, let us pray that God is on our side". Lincoln’s response showed far greater insight, "No, ...read more

Tags: Faith, Knowing God's Will

The Process Of Sanctification Can Be Compared To ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

The process of sanctification can be compared to an iceberg, which is almost 90% under water. As the sun shines on the iceberg, the exposed part melts, moving the lower part upward. In the same way, we are usually aware of only a small part of our sinfulness and need, which is all we can deal with ...read more

Tags: Faith

In The Days Of The Roman Emperor Nero, There ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

In the days of the Roman Emperor Nero, there lived and served him a band of soldiers known as the "Emperor’s Wrestlers." Fine, stalwart men they were, picked from the best and the bravest of the land, recruited from the great athletes of the Roman amphitheater. In the great amphitheater they ...read more

Tags: God's Omnipotence