In Sermon Illustrations: "Spirit Controlled Life"

The Importance Of Gratitude

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 13, 2011

THE IMPORTANCE OF GRATITUDE A few years ago Dr. Nick Stinnett of the University of Nebraska conducted a group of studies called the "Family Strengths Research Project." Stinnett and his researchers identified six qualities that make for strong families. The first quality and one of the most ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 8:10

Tags: Gratitude

Loneliness And Belonging

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 16, 2011

LONELINESS AND BELONGING Chip Ingram notes: "In his landmark book Bowling Alone, Robert Putman makes the case that loneliness is America’s new epidemic. People are searching for a place to belong. In the 1970s, it wasn’t uncommon for someone to leave a job that paid well and go off into the woods ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:3-8

Tags: Suffering Loneliness

It Was Enough

Contributed by Brad Henry on Sep 8, 2011

IT WAS ENOUGH This past Sunday morning I had an encounter with God. I had a bad headache (from God to keep me home) so I did not go with Julie and the boys to church. I got my bible out and then started praying. I felt the Lord flood my soul and then I felt like laying prostrate on the floor and ...read more

Tags: Prayer Answered

Understanding The Spiritual Gifts By Dr. Dale A. ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Oct 13, 2011

Understanding The Spiritual Gifts By Dr. Dale A. Robbins 1. The ministry of Spiritual Gifts originates in the New Testament, commissioned by our Lord Jesus Christ. After He established His church on the earth and ascended to Heaven, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to equip His church with power and ...read more

Tags: Gifts General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Next Billy Graham

Contributed by Tim Hinrichs on Feb 7, 2012

THE NEXT BILLY GRAHAM Baptist author and leader Russell Moore said recently: "The next Jonathan Edwards might be the man driving in front of you with the Darwin Fish bumper decal. The next Charles Wesley might be a ... profanity-spewing hip-hop artist right now. The next Billy Graham might be ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Denomination: Lutheran

Prayer Journal Entry Of George Washington  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 13, 2012

PRAYER JOURNAL ENTRY OF GEORGE WASHINGTON When George Washington was about 20 years old he wrote this in his prayer journal: "O most Glorious God, in Jesus Christ my merciful and loving father, I acknowledge and confess my guilt, in the weak and imperfect performance of the duties of this day. I ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:8-10

Tags: Prayer Confession

Aristides On Christians

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 23, 2012

ARISTIDES ON CHRISTIANS Writing in about 125 AD, a Christian philosopher by the name of Aristides looked at Christianity and said this: "They walk in all humility and kindness, and falsehood is not found among them, and they love one another. They despise not the widow, and grieve not the ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:11-20

Tags: Christian Witness

A Story For Peace-Lovers  PRO

Contributed by Lalachan Abraham on Jan 21, 2013

A STORY FOR PEACE-LOVERS (Narrated by Dorothy S. Mclaren) One morning a little girl, dressed in spotless white, with a lovely bouquet of flowers in her hands, passed by a boy who was playing in the dusty street. The sight of this pretty girl stirred the spirit of mischief in the boy’s heart and ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:18

Tags: Peace

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Traditions

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Jan 5, 2009

TRADITIONS We all have various Christmas traditions. Few of us probably have a tradition quite like the Robynson family’s. In his book Crazy Love, Francis Chan shares their story (their effort to keep Christmas and to exude the true Christmas spirit): This family of five, with three kids under ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Salvation Army

Opening Illustration: Show The Wine Skin – ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jan 7, 2009

Opening Illustration: Show the wine skin – explain the meaning of Jesus teaching here to the church. The teaching is simple – you cannot put new wine in to old wineskins because the old worn out skins will burst and the new wine will be lost. Instead there needs to be new wine and a new skin to ...read more

Tags: New Year's Day

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Achilles' Heel

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 15, 2024

The ancient Greeks told a story of a warrior named Achilles. His mother had been warned that he would die of a wound, so she dipped him as an infant in the river Styx. That was supposed to make him invincible. THERE WAS ONE PROBLEM -- she held him by one heel which the protective waters did not ...read more

Scripture: James 1:9-15

Tags: Evil, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Temptation, Trials, Lust  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[211]. A Message From A Poem – Panoramic View From The Pinnacle (Part 1)

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 24, 2025

[211]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – PANORAMIC VIEW FROM THE PINNACLE (PART 1) NOTE: When I went to post this it could not be sent because it said the whole thing was too long. Therefore I had to split it into two Parts.. This is Part 1 and Part 2 will follow after this. This is a longer poem. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 16:9, Hebrews 4:13

Tags: Reprobates, Christian Poems, Pinnacle Of A Rock, Tech Companies, Faith Way, World System, Wickedness, Delusion, Reprobate, Humanism, Allegory, Images  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Focusing On Ourselves Will Never Reveal Our ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on May 22, 2007

“Focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life’s purpose” (Rick Warren, ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Financial Wow Miracle

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jun 10, 2009

FINANCIAL WOW MIRACLE Lake City Church - Madison -- God does a financial wow miracle. They were four days away from having to make their quarterly payment of $140,000 for their mortgage. Pastor John Ruck meets with all the finance wizards - bankers, Cpa's, business men. They asked him "How are you ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Character: Prototype Plus Pneumatic Force  PRO

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Aug 14, 2009

CHARACTER: PROTOTYPE PLUS PNEUMATIC FORCE Jesus is the very imprint or prototype of God’s essential reality. The word used in the Greek here is pronounced "kah-rahk-TEER" (sometimes "kah-rahk-TAYR") and it is the word from which we get "character." In the original Greek usage, it meant an imprint ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:1-6

Tags: Jesus Christ, Potter, Fix, Who Is Jesus

Denomination: *other

Shoes Pave The Way To The Kingdom

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 21, 2010

SHOES PAVE THE WAY TO THE KINGDOM Because Vance is an African American living in a predominately Hispanic neighborhood, he stands out. But what really sets Vance apart is that he is a servant-hearted father who cares not only for his own kids, but also for the many other kids who play in the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20

Tags: Evangelism How To

Charles Finney, Abel Clary. Second Great ...

Contributed by John Putty on Mar 19, 2011

Charles Finney, Abel Clary. Second Great Awakening. It had been said about Rev. Charles Finney that his sermons were chain lightning, flashing conviction into the hearts of the stoutest skeptics. Simple as a child in his utterances, he sometimes startled his hearers by his unique prayers." He ...read more

Tags: Prayer General

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Waiting 20 Years For The End Of The Story

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 28, 2011

WAITING 20 YEARS FOR THE END OF THE STORY In her book The God Who Hung on the Cross, journalist Ellen Vaughn retells a gripping story of how the Gospel came to a small village in Cambodia. In September 1999, Pastor Tuy Seng (not his real name) traveled to Kampong Thom Province in northern ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:46-48

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

Stable Stabilizing

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Stable Stabilizing Luke 2:12 says, "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord... You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Just as Christ was humble enough to be born in a stinky stable and all stables have a bad smell, no matter how ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:12

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Undefiled Ears  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

"Undefiled Ears" The church that prolongs the proclaiming of the gospel of Jesus Christ has Christians who long to have undefiled ears. Isaiah 50:4-5 says, "The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He awakens me morning by morning, wakens my ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 50:4-5, Isaiah 50:4-10

Tags: Holiness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational