In Sermon Illustrations: "Small Beginning"

Recently There Was An Article In The September 19 ...  PRO

Contributed by Roger Nix on Jan 11, 2003

Recently there was an article in the September 19 edition of the Washington Times entitled Aboard Flight 564. It reads: As it was at most US Airports, last Saturday was the first near normal day at Denver International since the terrorist attacks. On United Flight 564, the door had just been ...read more

Tags: Church Small Groups, Family, Friendship New Friends

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Man Was Going To Halloween Party One Night ...  PRO

Contributed by Matthew Sickling on Apr 3, 2007

A man was going to Halloween party one night dressed in a devil’s costume. On the way to the party it started to rain and storm, so he decided to take shelter in the nearest building. Which just happened to be a church where a revival meeting was taking place. As soon as he walked through the door ...read more

Tags: Church Small Groups, Problem, Miserable, Storm, Troubles  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

The Devil's Beatitudes  PRO

Contributed by Matthew Sickling on Apr 3, 2007

THE DEVIL'S BEATITUDES 1. Blessed are those who are too tired, too busy, too distracted to spend even an hour once a week with their fellow Christians – they are my best workers. 2. Blessed are those Christians who wait to be asked and expect to be thanked -- I can use them. 3. Blessed are the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12, John 16:33, 1 John 4:4

Tags: Satan, Church Small Groups, Discouragement, Devil, Beatitudes  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

The Goal Of Spiritual Gifts

Contributed by John Bright on Sep 24, 2025

Spiritual Gifts were documented in Class Meetings within the Wesleyan tradition. It was there that members shared their lives – the successes and the struggles. They would search the Scriptures for answers, and they would pray for each other. Those prayers included listening for a Word from the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:10-11, 1 Corinthians 12:28

Tags: Small Groups, Class Meeting, Love, Spiritual Gifts

Denomination: Methodist

Jackie Robinson Was The First African American To ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Dec 29, 2000

JACKIE ROBINSON was the first African American to play baseball in the major leagues. Breaking baseball’s color barrier, he faced hostile crowds in every stadium. While playing one day in his home stadium of Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, he committed an error. The fans began to jeer him. He stood ...read more

Scripture: Mark 2:1-5

Tags: Friendship General, Love, Christian Love, Church Small Groups

Denomination: Wesleyan

I Read Recently About A Woman Who Was Driving ...  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Peck on Feb 1, 2001

I read recently about a woman who was driving from Alberta, Canada to the Yukon. She didn’t know that you never travel that way alone, especially in a rundown Honda, Civic. So she set off on a road usually reserved for four wheel drive trucks. Eventually she found herself in a truck stop. Two ...read more

Tags: Church Small Groups, God's Provision, Friendship New Friends

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Snowflakes Are One Of Nature’s Most ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Hensley on Jun 7, 2001

Snowflakes are one of nature’s most fragile things, but just look at what they can do when ...read more

Tags: Church Small Groups, Church Body Of Christ, Friendship General

Denomination: Baptist

Warmth Rather Than Light, Citation: Jack R. Van ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Aug 17, 2001

[Warmth Rather than Light, Citation: Jack R. Van Ens, Leadership, Vol. 8, no. 3.] People join churches more because they want warmth than light. We like to think it’s our stunning proclamation of the truth that keeps them in the pews. Sermons may get them into church the ...read more

Tags: Friendship General, Church Body Of Christ, Church Small Groups

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Linked At The Roots, Citation: Blair F. ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Aug 17, 2001

[Linked at the Roots, Citation: Blair F. Rorabaugh, Uniontown, Ohio. Leadership, Vol. 12, no. 2] The article "What Good Is a Tree?" in Reader’s Digest explained that when the roots of trees touch, there is a substance present that reduces competition. In fact, this unknown fungus helps link roots ...read more

Tags: Church Small Groups, Church Body Of Christ, Friendship General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Help Of The Body, Citation: Watchman Nee, ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Sep 21, 2001

[The Help of the Body, Citation: Watchman Nee, Leadership, Vol. 9, no. 3.] Alone I cannot serve the Lord effectively, and he will spare no pains to teach me this. He will bring things to an end, allowing doors to close and leaving me ineffectively knocking my ...read more

Tags: Church Small Groups, Church Body Of Christ, Friendship General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Remember Hearing A Story About A Man Who Had ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Sep 30, 2001

I remember hearing a story about a man who had missed church for a number of weeks. The preacher had often called him and asked where he was, but the man kept putting the preacher off. Finally, one day, the preacher stopped by for a visit on a cold winter day. The man was sitting in front of his ...read more

Tags: Church Small Groups, Church Body Of Christ, Growth In Christ

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Louis Mcburney, In An Article For Leadership ...  PRO

Contributed by Jim Luthy on Oct 12, 2001

Louis McBurney, in an article for Leadership Journal, said there are four reasons people reject accountability. 1) I fear rejection, 2) I feel embarrassed, 3) I resent control by ...read more

Tags: Church Small Groups, Friendship New Friends, Leadership General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Divine Advocacy  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

Discipleship occurs only in community. Very few people are expert in anything all by themselves. They need a supporting community. Do you know a good musician who was not trained, nurtured and sustained by the music community? Show me an athlete who achieves excellence all alone, apart from the ...read more

Tags: Kingdom Of God, Church Body Of Christ, Church Small Groups

We Must Hang Together, Gentlemen...else, We Shall ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2002

We must hang together, gentlemen...else, we shall most assuredly hang ...read more

Tags: Christian Love, Church Small Groups, Friendship New Friends

The Cheering Crowd  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 25, 2002

THE CHEERING CROWD Picabo Street first joined the U.S. Ski Team when she was only 17. She went on to become the only American skier to ever win the World Cup downhill championship. In 1996 she tore a crucial ligament in her left knee. The 30 year-old Street went through extensive ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:29, Hebrews 12:1

Tags: God The Father, Church Body Of Christ, Church Small Groups

Larry Crabb Writes, "A Central Task Of Community ...  PRO

Contributed by Matthew Rogers on Feb 21, 2002

Larry Crabb writes, “A central task of community is to create a place that is safe enough for the walls to be torn down, safe enough for each of us to reveal our ...read more

Tags: Friendship General, Church Small Groups, Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Staying Warm Together  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 28, 2003

STAYING WARM TOGETHER In what the news called "The Miracle at Quecreek," nine miners trapped for three days 240 feet underground in a water-filled mine shaft "decided early on they were either going to live or die as a group." The 55 degree (Fahrenheit) water threatened to kill them slowly by ...read more

Scripture: Acts 5:24

Tags: Church Small Groups, Church Body Of Christ, Christian Love

The Process Is The Point  PRO

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Mar 9, 2012

THE PROCESS IS THE POINT Steven Furtick (Founder of Elevation Church) in SUN STAND STILL, p. 195-96: It's human nature to want to skip straight from the promise to the payoff. Who doesn't want to get right to the good stuff? But the process is invaluable. The process is a time of ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Welcome And Do-Si-Do, Citation: Cartoonist Sandy ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Aug 17, 2001

[Welcome and Do-Si-Do, Citation: Cartoonist Sandy Silverthorne in Leadership, Vol. 11, no. 4]. "And now here’s the point in our service where I’d like you all to rise, turn to the person on your right, shake hands, turn ...read more

Tags: Church Small Groups, Church Body Of Christ, Friendship New Friends

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Many Christians Have Been Infected With The Most ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Sep 21, 2001

Many Christians have been infected with the most virulent virus of modern American life, what sociologist Robert Bellah calls "radical individualism." They concentrate on personal obedience to Christ as if all that matters is "Jesus and me," but in doing so, miss the point altogether. For ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20

Tags: Church Body Of Christ, Church Small Groups, Church Purpose Of, Renewal

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational