In Sermon Illustrations: "Self Importance"

You Know It's A Bad Church Business Meeting ...

Contributed by John Shearhart on Feb 16, 2007

You Know It’s A Bad Church Business Meeting When... …People arrive at the meeting, clutching copies of books about "spiritual abuse." …You’re asked to try on a pair of bloody gloves. …A loyal supporter presses a can of Mace into your hands. …The church constitution suddenly becomes revered as ...read more

Tags: Church General

There Is A Legend That Is Worth Telling Because ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

There is a legend that is worth telling because it contains an important truth: The devil held a passing out parade at the spiritual academy. During the day he questioned 3 of his evil spirits. To the first he said, "When you get out into the world what you are going to say to the people?" "Oh," ...read more

Tags: Doing God's Will

Quote: The Historian Thomas Arnold Of Oxford Has ...

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Mar 22, 2008

Quote: The historian Thomas Arnold of Oxford has written: “The evidence for our Lord’s life and death and resurrection may be and often has been shown to be satisfactory. It is good according to the common rules for distinguishing good evidence from bad. Thousands and tens of thousands of persons ...read more

Denomination: Other

The Senior Pastor Was Doing The Children's Sermon ...  PRO

Contributed by Pete Pawelek on May 28, 2008

The senior pastor was doing the children’s sermon one day at his church. He had decided to talk to the kids about how to write a good sermon, in hopes of inspiring some to grow up and go into the ministry. So he asked the children, "What makes a good sermon?" Of course all the little kids raised ...read more

Tags: Children

Denomination: *other

Nothing Too ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 22, 2008

Nothing Too Big Working in tandem is important and often means we receive far greater benefits than when we try to do things on our own. I came across a story of a horse-pulling contest. Where owners of horses entered a competition to see which horse could pull the most. The winning horse pulled ...read more

Tags: Strength

Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727), That Great English ...

Contributed by Dennis Davidson on Oct 23, 2008

Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727), that great English scientist, discovered three important "laws of motion." The third one states that "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." This principle was used in space exploration. We learned to use powerful thrust rockets burning fuel to ...read more

Tags: Law

Denomination: Baptist

Worldly Distraction  PRO

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Nov 13, 2008

WORLDLY DISTRACTION A man bought a new hunting dog. Eager to see how he would perform, he took him out to track a bear. No sooner had they gotten into the woods than the dog picked up the trail. Suddenly he stopped, sniffed the ground, and headed in a new direction. He had caught the scent of a ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Denomination: Pentecostal

Bible By The Numbers

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Feb 9, 2009

BIBLE BY THE NUMBERS The number 40 is an important spiritual symbol in the Bible. Noah’s flood -- 40 days and nights Moses on the mountain -- 40 days and nights Elijah in the wilderness headed for Sinai/Horeb to hear the still, small voice -- 40 days Jesus tempted in the wilderness for 40 days ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

Denomination: *other

Alec ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 9, 2009

ALEC SHEAR Alec Shear has spent the last twenty-five years of his life collecting stuff. He has 6 stars and stripes lunch boxes, 400 transistor radios that look like name brand products, 10,000 match books, and countless other items of vintage Americana. When his wife divorced him over his ...read more

Tags: Materialism

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

Limits. Write That Down. Who Do We Need To ...

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Oct 26, 2009

LIMITS. Write that down. Who do we need to accurately assess ourselves? Someone else. Regular assessment is important because our limits regular vacillate. They change according to what is on our plate and our overall well-being. They depend on the season. There are times in our lives in which we ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

Denomination: Church Of God

A Couple Of Months Ago, My Daughter, Who Has Four ...

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jan 9, 2010

A couple of months ago, my daughter, who has four children, two of whom are in Catholic school, asked me “Dad, why are my children in Catholic school?” I know it’s a struggle, even with a doctor’s income. She faces an incredible tuition when two are in Catholic high schools and two in grade ...read more

Tags: School

Denomination: Catholic

Through His Blood

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 29, 2010

THROUGH HIS BLOOD In 1927, in West Africa, a blood specimen was taken from a native man named Asibi, who was sick with yellow fever. A vaccine was made from the original strain of virus obtained from this man. In fact, all the vaccine manufactured since 1927 by the Rockefeller Foundation and ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus

Denomination: Brethren

How To Testify

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 18, 2011

HOW TO TESTIFY In the court of law before a person testifies they place their hand into the air and swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me God. And it is assumed that fallen man by saying that oath will tell the truth when they stand before the judge. But day in and day ...read more

Scripture: John 18:33-38

Tags: World, Truth, Kingdom

Colors Of Storms

Contributed by Ronnie Miller on Jul 27, 2011

COLORS OF STORMS As I was watching the weather warnings run across the TV screen, I began to think about how we go through life's storms without any warnings. Each one of the storms we go through are painted a different color of severity, Green, Yellow, Orange and Red. It could be that a Green ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:12, Psalm 34:17-19

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Baptist

How To Be A Servant  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2011

HOW TO BE A SERVANT You need to answer a very important question this morning. Are you more interested in being served or being a servant? A first grade teacher asked her students, "What do you do to help at home?" One little girl said, "I dry the dishes." One of the boys said, "I sweep the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:20-28

Tags: Servanthood

How The Mighty Fall

Contributed by Tim Smith on May 12, 2013

HOW THE MIGHTY FALL Jim Collins has written a book called "How the Mighty Fall" about businesses who at one time were strong and effective and yet went from hero to zero during the last decade. Motorola was number one in cell phones in the world in 2004 and today they are on the edge of ...read more

Tags: Pride, Attitude General, Temptation General

Denomination: Methodist

Godly Counsel

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jul 7, 2016

GODLY COUNSEL Proverbs 11:14 is a timely verse for the United States of America. It declares, “A nation falls through a lack of guidance, but victory comes through the counsel of many.” God has placed godly men and women around you in the Body of Christ. Use their wisdom, experience and ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 11:1-14

Tags: Wisdom, God's Will, Hearing God, Counselors

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Mucker Kind Of Love!" 1 Peter 1:22-25 Key ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Apr 5, 2005

“A Mucker Kind of Love!” 1 Peter 1:22-25 Key verse(s) 22:“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.” Where self is involved, there is no afterthought. Either we focus on us or we focus on ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 2:1-15, Luke 23:40-42, 1 Peter 1:22-25

Tags: Mystery, Please, King, Liberty, Lord, Freedom, I'm Sorry, Heart, Change, Ancient Paths, Attention, Christian Love, Church, Christ Love, Christmas, Compassion, Commitment, Foot, Feet, Emmanuel, Savior, Stand, Thanks  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Lutheran

More Than Anyone Else Christian Parents Can Have ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

More than anyone else Christian parents can have the most influence on their children, because when Christ died upon the Cross the veil was ripped open so they could enter into the presence of God who sits on the Throne of Grace. The call to pray is from God’s Word and we are given a sure promise, ...read more

Scripture: John 20:11-18

Tags: Faith