In Sermon Illustrations: "Self Sufficient"

Pressure Washing

Contributed by Jack Kale on Apr 6, 2016

Pressure Washing The wooden fence around our yard was black from mildew in parts, but it was mostly sun bleached gray. The grime was heaviest around the sprinkler heads where Florida humidity turns the porous wood into a mildew factory. I had grown accustomed to the funk and had gotten so ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 51:10

Tags: Pressure Washing, Spring Cleaning, Self Examination, Cleansed

Denomination: *other

Seven Wonders Of Grace

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 6, 2022

SEVEN WONDERS OF GRACE. Text - Galatians 2:20.  There are seven spiritual wonders in this marvelous text: 1. That the Son of God should love a persecutor like Saul. "Who loved me." 2. That the Son of God should be crucified. "Crucified with Christ." 3. That Christ ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20

Tags: Faith, Grace, Discipleship, Christian Life, Death To Self  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Augustine's 3 Stages Of Dealing With Sin

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 22, 2024

Augustine's three stages of dealing with sin in the life of a believer: STAGE ONE -- "Lord make me good, but not yet!" STAGE TWO - "Lord, make me good, but not ...read more

Tags: Understanding, Maturity, Self, Sanctification, Sin, Growth, Discipleship  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Church Is Not Selfish - President Kennedy Quote

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Dec 9, 2025

Our society ... the world in which we live ... is a self-first ... a self-oriented society. The big question ... often asks by those in the world is ... "What's in it for me?" or "How will I benefit from this?" However, ... we as followers of the Christ ... are a new ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:4, James 3:8-10, John 13:15, Philippians 2:1-11

Tags: Body, Self, Selfish, Individual, Benefit, Caring, Spirit  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

Don't Ever Tell John "Tex" Teixeria That Prayer ...  PRO

Contributed by Dana Visneskie on Feb 13, 2004

Don’t ever tell John “Tex” Teixeria that prayer doesn’t work. Tex spent his life as a fisherman in the channels of the Hawaiian Islands. On a deceptively calm night in 1967, Tex guided his 40-foot fishing boat toward the beach of an otherwise inaccessible canyon on the north side of Molokai. He had ...read more

Tags: Prayer Adoration

Denomination: Pentecostal

I Want To Begin With The Most Famous Logical ...

Contributed by Ronnie Knight on May 9, 2008

I want to begin with the most famous logical argument ever posited for the existence of God taken from St. Thomas Aquinas Suma Theologiae. So, we begin with “The Five Ways of St. Thomas Aquinas”. First, we have the argument from motion. This argument speaks to the issue of creation. Most ...read more

Tags: Apologetics God

Denomination: Baptist

Being Crucified With Christ

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Aug 11, 2016

As I was typing up the many pages of notes I would use for my weekly podcast sermon, I needed to replace some letters in a name in part of my document with "M-E," so it would read correctly as I recorded. I was trying to use the ’Find & Replace’ command, but it looked a little ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20

Tags: Sin, Flesh, Self, Crucified With Christ, Crucify Flesh, Crucified  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic

We Died Before We Came Here

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 6, 2022

When James Calvert went as a missionary to the cannibals of the Fiji Islands, the captain of the ship sought to turn him back, crying out “You will lose your life and the lives of those with you if you go among such savages” Calvert only replied, “We died before we came here.” In ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:1-11

Tags: Discipleship, Missions, Christian Life, Dying To Self, Crucified With Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Add To Your Faith

Contributed by John Bright on Jan 9, 2026

“We must not be content, Peter suggests, with a B- in “goodness” or “knowledge” or “self-control” or “godliness” or “brotherly kindness” or “love.” We should not be content until we have an A+ in each one.” (Moo, p. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:5-7

Tags: Love, Godliness, Knowledge, Goodness, Self Control, Brotherly Kindness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist

Walter Cronkite Or God?" Joshua 1:1-9 Key ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Feb 21, 2005

“Walter Cronkite or God?” Joshua 1:1-9 Key verse(s): 5:“No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Why is the world such a fearful place? It seems these days people are afraid of more ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 1:1-9

Tags: Promises Of God, God's Omniscience

Denomination: Lutheran

Identifying With Christ

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Oct 15, 2019

During the Civil War a man by the name of George Wyatt was drawn by lot to go to the front. He had a wife and six children. A young man named Richard Pratt offered to go in his stead. He was accepted and joined the ranks, bearing the name and number of George Wyatt. Before long Pratt was killed in ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:1-13

Tags: Christ Our Substitute, Identifying With Christ, The Exchanged Life, Crucifixion To Self

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

You Are Your Own Worst Enemy.

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jun 26, 2023

"Cain slew Abel, but Cain’s worst enemy was himself". - R E Neighbour “There is an old Icelandic legend that contains its own lesson. There was a man who was constantly pursued by a terrible spirit which took the form of a dwarf. His grain ricks were fired, his barns unroofed, his ...read more

Tags: Offerings, Enemies, Murder, Self, Hate, Cain, Abel, Blood Of Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Karole Shirley Demonstrates Compassion Of Christ ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 2, 2009

Karole Shirley Demonstrates Compassion of Christ for Welfare Recipients Who Want to Work Almighty God - Our Creator - is an expert at taking ordinary people and making them extraordinary individuals - all one has to do is accept His free Plan of Salvation - it’s just that simple! It is really nice ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

Tags: Workplace Unemployment, Unemployment

[331]. A Message From A Poem - We Need The Lord Always

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 8, 2026

[331]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - WE NEED THE LORD ALWAYS In the past, maybe 150 years ago, divers who dived for pearls in clams, would have a tube for air going from a boat on the surface and it was operated by a pump. I think the tube might have been made from rubber. There was no such thing ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:22-23, Hebrews 4:16, James 4:8

Tags: Walk, Faithfulness, Needy, Need, Draw Near To God, Walk With The Lord, Christian Poems, Closer Than A Brother, Pearl Divers  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Kurt Cobain Died About 8 Years Ago. I Remember ...  PRO

Contributed by Scott Weber on Mar 23, 2001

Kurt Cobain died about 8 years ago. I remember the day I picked up the newspaper and read about it. He was the founder and lead singer of the rock group "Nirvana." His death was a suicide. He took a shotgun, pointed it to his head, and killed himself. The newspaper was filled with the words of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:7-11

Tags: Hope, God Brings Purpose, God Brings Hope, Meaning, Self-Control  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Recently, I Saw A Letter Written By A Relatively ...  PRO

Contributed by Steven Chapman on May 2, 2001

Recently, I saw a letter written by a relatively new Christian to the person whose life had influenced hers so greatly. She actually lists about a dozen qualities she found contagious in the life of this older Christian. Listen to some of what she wrote: You know when we met; I began to discover a ...read more

Tags: Sharing Your Faith, Self Esteem, Sharing My Testimony, Great Commission

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Make This Muddled World A Better Place

Contributed by David Simpson on Feb 5, 2018

Make This Muddled World A Better Place January 24, 2018 Lanier Christian Church David Simpson The Academy Award Nominations came out yesterday. Of the movies nominated, one of them is about famous British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, entitled: Darkest Hour. Churchill left us with many ...read more

Tags: Bless Others, Give Of Self, Be A Blessing To Oth, Service, Compassion, Winston Churchill  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian Church

The Idolatry Of Cell Phones

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 26, 2023

t’s no surprise that 45% of Americans say that their phone is the most valuable possession. What is surprising is how far our obsessions with cell phones go: Over one-third of Americans (36%) say they’d give up their pets to keep their cell phone. 53% say that in a house fire or other disaster, ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23, Galatians 6:1-2

Tags: Cell Phones, Lust, Faithfulness, Idolatry, Time, Fruit Of The Spirit, Self Control  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Victorious As We Follow God's Redemption Plan.

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Jan 20, 2025

I may have mentioned this previously to some of you that as a teen I was not able to even read a passage from a book in class, I could read, but to read out loud was something else, I was very insecure having been told at a young age, around 9 or 10 that I was hopeless and would never amount to ...read more

Scripture: John 14:15-17, John 3:1

Tags: Victorious Living, The Spirit Of Truth, Self Estime, Advocate, God's Love, Struggling  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Salvation Army

It’s Not A Mess Unless I Do It

Contributed by James Snyder on May 2, 2023

When it comes to words, everybody has their own definition. Someone says one word and another person thinks it's altogether something else. For example, when someone says vegetable, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage thinks broccoli. On the other side of the dinner table, I think carrot ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 119:11

Tags: Words, Mess, Organize

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance