In Sermon Illustrations: "Serving"

Cracking Down More?

Contributed by Davon Huss on Apr 6, 2010

CRACKING DOWN MORE? Louisiana does not have a good track record when it comes to corruption. Based on numbers from a Justice Department report in 2009, Louisiana is the most corrupt state, with 7.67 convictions per 100,000 residents over nine years. U.S. Rep. William Jefferson was busted in a ...read more

Tags: Immorality

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Prepared To ...

Contributed by Larry Wilson on Aug 6, 2010

Prepared to serve. Joshua died at 110 years old in 1380 B.C. He assumed leadership around 1406 B.C. Therefore, he was around 85 years old when he took command from Moses!Before Joshua ever took the reigns, he had been a servant, a soldier and a spy. Some feel that you can make a man by giving him ...read more

Tags: Leadership General

Denomination: Baptist

What Can I Fear?

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 29, 2010

WHAT CAN I FEAR? In A.D. 373 John Chrysostom became a hermit. He went alone into the mountains near Antioch, seeking to know God better. Although his time of isolation was cut short by illness, he discovered that with God at his side, he could attend alone against anyone or anything. That ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Brethren

The Destiny Of Materialism

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 26, 2011

THE DESTINY OF MATERIALISM The lure of wealth, or what we might call the magnetism of materialism. “Finns [people from Finland] who can’t get enough of winter swarmed to the northern town of Kemi for the opening of a sprawling ice castle that features a theatre, a playground, an art gallery, and ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:15-17

Tags: Materialism

Frenemies

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 7, 2011

FRENEMIES A frenemy is a friend/enemy. You like a frenemy and you hate a frenemy. You work with a frenemy when it is convenient and self-serving, but when it is not, the frenemy becomes a nemesis. The Urban Dictionary states a frenemy is "an enemy disguised as a friend." and twists the old adage ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 37:1-4

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Christmas Quotations

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jan 5, 2012

CHRISTMAS QUOTATIONS "Christmas is the harvest time of love. Souls are drawn to other souls. All that we have read and thought and hoped comes to fruition at this happy time. Our spirits are astir. We feel within us a strong desire to serve. A strange, subtle force, a new kindness animates man and ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Meekness Is Not Weakness

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 15, 2020

The Greek word for meek in Matthew 5:5 is praus. This word was was also used to describe an animal which has been domesticated, which has been trained to obey the word of a command, which has learned to answer to the reins. It is the word for an animal which has learned to accept control, such as ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12

Tags: Meekness, Beatitudes, Gentleness, Fruit Of The Spirit, Sermon On The Mount, Blessed Are The Meek, Matthew 5  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Cast Your Bread

Contributed by Rev. Dr. Andrew B Natarajan on Feb 1, 2021

True Story: There was a boy who lost his parents when he was about thirteen years old. He has left an Orphan without hope of continuing his education. He was brought to a care home run by a Pastor. He was given food and education. The Pastor who believed in investing in young boys and girls, ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 11:1-2

Tags: Care For Poor, Give Gospel

Denomination: Methodist

We Are Not Saved By Being A Good Samaritan.

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 2, 2022

"Recall that the Jewish lawyer asked Jesus, "What shall I DO?. So, here Jesus tosses the "DO" back to him! Don't misunderstand -- Jesus is not teaching a works based way to inherit eternal life, but He is saying in essence if you do this perfectly, without ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5

Tags: Legalism, Pharisees, Good Samaritan, Works, Grace, Law, Salvation  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

You Better Get Your Bags Packed!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 2, 2022

One day a very wealthy, powerful king died. His servants spread the unbelievable news all over the palace. He had died in his bed of natural causes. "Where has he gone?", asked one of the king's wisest counselors "Why, to Heaven of course!", answered all the ...read more

Tags: Evangelism, Heaven, Salvation, Gospel, Excuses, Prepare, Procrastination, Fools  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Childlike Forgiveness

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2022

A few months ago, I was in El Paso holding an evangelistic meeting, and the young people were serving dinner to the mothers being that it was Mother’s Day. I was seating in a chair watching what was going on, and right in front, a four-year-old girl pushed a two-year-old boy, who fell on the floor ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:12

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness

Wife Taken For Granted Too Long, Citation: ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Nov 7, 2001

[Wife Taken for Granted Too Long, Citation: Robert Leslie Holmes, God’s Man (Kregel, 1998)] A man accompanied his friend home for dinner and was impressed by the way he entered his house, asked his wife how her day went, and told her she looked pretty. Then, after they embraced, she served dinner. ...read more

Tags: Marriage Obligations, Romantic Love

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In The Eleventh Century, King Henry Iii Of ...  PRO

Contributed by James Dunn on Feb 1, 2002

In the eleventh century, King Henry III of Bavaria grew tired of court life and the pressures of being a monarch. He made application to Prior Richard at a local monastery, asking to be accepted as a contemplative and spend the rest of his life in the monastery. "Your Majesty," said Prior Richard, ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:24

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Baptist

Self-Righteous Service Comes Through Human ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Oct 18, 2000

Self-righteous service comes through human effort. True service comes from a relationship with the divine Other deep inside. Self-righteous service is impressed with the "big deal." True service finds it almost impossible to distinguish the small from the large service. Self-righteous service ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

True Service  PRO

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Jan 8, 2003

TRUE SERVICE Self-righteous service comes through human effort. True service comes from a relationship with the divine Other deep inside. Self-righteous service is impressed with the “big deal.” True service finds it almost impossible to distinguish the small from the large ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:13-14, John 13:1-15

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Discipleship, Servanthood

Denomination: Baptist

When We Have A Relationship With Jesus, He ...

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Jan 22, 2003

When we have a relationship with Jesus, He empowers us to serve Him in His name. It has been said that William Wilberforce (1759-1833) would not seem like much of a man of stature for those who knew him. He was under medical care for 20 years. for that reason, he had to take medicine to keep his ...read more

Tags: Endurance, Faith

Denomination: United Methodist

Ghandhi—worship Without Sacrifice  PRO

Contributed by Rick Stacy on Feb 2, 2003

Ghandhi--Worship without Sacrifice In a conference with the British Government, Ghandhi said that human beings must take great care not to be molded by external forces that can destroy their lives, their families, their community, and their nation. He called these forces “The 7 social ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1

Tags: Fulfillment, Church Practices, Worship Definition

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Famous King, Depressed By Circumstances In His ...  PRO

Contributed by Guy Glass on Apr 25, 2003

A famous king, depressed by circumstances in his realm and feeling rejected by many of his subjects, called for his three daughters to comfort and reassure him. After they had talked awhile, he asked how much they loved him. Two of them answered that they cared for him more than all the gold and ...read more

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: Baptist

He Knows Your Need

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 28, 2003

HE KNOWS YOUR NEED There was a popular religious movement around the time of the founding of our country called Deism. Deism was opposed to Christianity’s personal idea of God. They believed that God created the world, but that he wound it up like a clock and then left it to attend to other ...read more

Tags: Miracles Of Jesus, God's Provision

I've Been Reading About How Japan Celebrates ...  PRO

Contributed by Robert Leroe on Dec 26, 2003

I’ve been reading about how Japan celebrates Christmas, which has become a major event over there. They put up decorations, exchange presents, send cards, sing yuletide songs, decorate trees, serve special seasonal treats (especially strawberry-decorated cakes), and make a big fuss over St Nick, ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Congregational