In Sermon Illustrations: "Sermon Introduction" showing 861-880 of 25,175

Wisdom, Skill, And ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 2, 2009

Wisdom, Skill, and Virtue Someone once said: Wisdom is knowing what to do next, skill is knowing how to do it, and virtue is doing it. (Everywoman’s Family Circle as found in Tan, Paul Lee: Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations : A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-16

Tags: Wisdom

Gratitude And Sacrifice

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 30, 2009

GRATITUDE AND SACRIFICE Since the Son of God has died for me, then the least I can do is live for Him. "If Jesus Christ be God and died for me," said the great British athlete C. T. Studd, "then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for him." (Source: Norman Grubb, C. T. ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2

Tags: Disciplines General

C.s. Lewis On A Right Understanding Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 31, 2010

C.S. Lewis on a Right Understanding of Self C. S. Lewis put it this way: When a man is getting better, he understands more and more clearly the evil that is still left in him. When a man is getting worse, he understands his own badness less and less. (Leadership, Vol. ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:3

Tags: Humility

Zig Ziglar Said, "A Study Of Three Hundred ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 1, 2011

Zig Ziglar said, "A study of three hundred world-class leaders, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Sir Winston Churchill, Helen Keller, Mother Teresa, Dr. Albert Schweitzer, and Martin Luther King, Jr., revealed that 25 percent of them had serious physical disabilities and an additional 50 percent ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 2:8-11

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Richard Foster: To Pray Is To Change

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 19, 2011

RICHARD FOSTER: TO PRAY IS TO CHANGE Richard Foster, in his book Celebration of Discipline, says, "To pray is to change. Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us. If we are unwilling to change, we will abandon prayer as a noticeable characteristic of our lives. The closer we come to ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:9-14

Tags: Growth In Christ

Land Of The Dying

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 5, 2011

LAND OF THE DYING When John Owen, the great Puritan, lay on his deathbed his secretary wrote (in his name) to a friend, "I am still in the land of the living." "Stop," said Owen. "Change that and say, 'I am yet in the land of the dying, but I hope soon to be in the land of the living.'" ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:1-10

Tags: Funerals Christian

Risk Your Life To Save It

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 20, 2011

RISK YOUR LIFE TO SAVE IT Tyrtaeus, an old Greek poet who lived before the time of Christ, wrote, "The man who risks his life in battle has the best chance in saving it; the one who flees to save it is most likely to lose it." (Walter Bauer, A Greek-English ...read more

Scripture: John 12:23-26

Tags: Easter Palm Sunday

The Pond Of The Soul

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 15, 2012

THE POND OF THE SOUL Thomas Fuller (English preacher of 1600’s) wrote: "Almost 20 years ago I heard a profane jest and still I remember it. How many pious passages of a far later date have I utterly forgotten? It seems my soul is like a filthy pond where fish die soon ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:22-24

Tags: Holiness

Marriage: Preparation Is Key  PRO

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jan 12, 2013

MARRIAGE: PREPARATION IS KEY "Promises are no substitute for preparation in marriage. Just because you say 'I Do' does not make you able. Just because you say 'I Do' does not make you capable. It only makes you accountable. And when you are accountable for something you are not capable of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:1-7, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Tags: Love, Marriage, Wedding, Promise, Marriage Struggle  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Christians Aren't Any Different

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 5, 2016

CHRISTIANS AREN’T ANY DIFFERENT “We find there is very little difference in ethical behavior between churchgoers and those who are not active religiously. The levels of lying, cheating, and stealing are similar in both groups. Eight out of ten Americans consider themselves Christians, Gallup ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:15-16

Tags: Morality, Ten Commandments, Church In America

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Which Side I'm On

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Mar 5, 2005

WHICH SIDE I’M ON Every Sunday morning without fail an elderly man could be seen walking to church. Everyone in the block knew he was deaf, unable to hear a word of the congregational hymns, the choir music, or the sermon. A cynical neighbour wrote him a note, "Why do you spend your Sundays in ...read more

Tags: Faith, Endurance

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Famous Preacher John Killinger & His Wife ...

Contributed by Tim Richards on Sep 3, 2005

The famous preacher John Killinger & his wife attended a small country funeral where the pastor got up & for most of the 15 minute sermon talked about the horrors of hell & how tragic it was that the deceased was probably burning there at that very moment. When they left John complained & his wife ...read more

Tags: Hell

Denomination: Baptist

There Was An Item Printed In Newsweek ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael De Rosa on Sep 22, 2006

ILLUS: There was an item printed in Newsweek magazine a few years ago. It was a letter from the Greenville County, South Carolina, Department of Social Services. The letter was written to a dead person. It said: "To whom it may concern: Your food stamps will be stopped effective immediately, ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Denomination: Free Methodist

Billy Graham Stated, "One Of The Greatest Sins ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jan 25, 2007

Billy Graham stated, “One of the greatest sins in America today is the fact that we are robbing God of that which rightfully belongs to Him. When we don’t tithe, we shirk a just debt. Actually we are not giving when we give God one-tenth, for it belongs to Him already (Lev. 27:30). This is a debt ...read more

Tags: Offering, Giving

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Used The Famous Gene Kelly Scene From Singing ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 24, 2001

I used the famous Gene Kelly scene from Singing in the Rain as an illustration of Romans 5:17. The Sermon title was Singing in the Reign. Kelly’s dance was full of the child-like love we can feel and experience in knowing that God has freely given us His abundance of grace and the free gift of ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-8, Romans 5:17, Psalm 51:1-21, Galatians 2:15-21, Psalm 51:1-10  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Faith Vs. Works, Grace

#8230; Claire Schenot Burkat, "Five ...  PRO

Contributed by Troy Borst on Aug 29, 2001

ILLUSTRATION… Claire Schenot Burkat, "Five Myths of the Perfect Pastor" His sermons were over their heads. His opinionated views alienated his colleagues. Coworkers found him boastful, even arrogant. A physical disability drove him to over-function in ministry. The first two congregations he ...read more

Tags: Heart-Soul, Leadership General, Surrender, Paul, Apostles General  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

When Benjamin Franklin Was 27 Years Old, He ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

When Benjamin Franklin was 27 years old, he decided he would take control of his life. He selected 12 virtues he wanted to acquire, and kept a daily chart of his progress in the development of each one. Whenever he missed the mark, he put a black dot beside that virtue. His goal was to ultimately ...read more

Tags: Character

Worship Cannot Be Confined To A Particular Place  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 1, 2002

Worship cannot be Confined to a Particular Place In the Muslim religion there are three cities which are considered sacred: Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. The Muslims believe that to worship in the city of Jerusalem is as good as performing 1000 acts of worship anywhere else in the world. Mecca and ...read more

Tags: Church Practices, God The Father

Toys Never Satisfy  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Mar 8, 2002

Men are merely taller children. Honor, wealth, and splendor are the toys for which grown children pine; but which, however accumulated, leave them still disappointed and unhappy. God never designed that intelligent beings should be satisfied with these enjoyments. By His wisdom and goodness they ...read more

Tags: God's Provision, Fulfillment

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Why They Serve Coffee  PRO

Contributed by Jim Kane on Mar 10, 2002

WHY THEY SERVE COFFEE Some of the most humorous and enlightening moments in our lives center around eating and drinking. Take for instance the interaction between a pastor and young boy in a certain congregation. It seems this particular congregation loved good fellowship and always served ...read more

Scripture: Mark 14:37

Tags: Preaching, Church, Church Practices

Denomination: Church Of God