In Sermon Illustrations: "Spirit Filled Life"

What Is Hell?

Contributed by Ruben Castro on Dec 16, 2008

What is Hell? En una encuesta realizada por la organización Barna, las per¬sonas dieron a conocer sus ideas con respecto a lo que ellos creen debe ser el infierno. • El 39% por ciento cree que el infierno es un estado de separación eterna de la presencia de Dios. • El 32% por ciento dice que es ...read more

Tags: Hell

Denomination: Baptist

In 1989, A Terrible Earthquake Almost Flattened ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

In 1989, a terrible earthquake almost flattened Armenia. It killed over 30,000 people in less than four minutes. One father rushed to his son's school and found the building flat as a pancake. Standing there in tears, he remembered a promise he had made to his son, "No matter what, I'll always be ...read more

Tags: God Brings Hope

Hope In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 26, 2009

HOPE IN PERSECUTION Hope is a strange thing. It will give you confidence in the bleakest of times. But hope is not any good unless you have your hope in someone that will not let you down. There are a lot of things that we hope for, and a lot of things that we wish for. The hope I am talking about ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:1-37

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Would Your Child Write ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 26, 2009

WOULD YOUR CHILD WRITE THIS? Bub Roussel was only 17 on Sunday morning in 1941, when Pearl Harbor was bombed. A few weeks later, he was drafted and ended up in the Army Air Corps, assigned as a radio operator on a B-29 bomber. The youngest in his crew, Bub and many like him had to grow up fast ...read more

Tags: Parenting

God's Will Is God's Word

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 13, 2009

GOD’S WILL IS GOD’S WORD Jimmy is a professional fisherman. He makes his living fishing on the BASS (Bass Angler Sportsman Society) circuit. He is also a devout Christian and belongs to the FBC Keys, Oklahoma. This year, BASS made a ruling that to be eligible for the fisherman of the year award ...read more

Tags: God's Sovereign Will

Pain And Regret: A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 16, 2009

PAIN AND REGRET: A GIFT? In 1999, Dr Paul Brand and Philip Yancey co-wrote a book called Pain: the Gift Nobody Wants. Dr Brand was born in India to missionary parents, and has spent most of his life caring for people with leprosy. One of Dr Brand’s greatest discoveries was that people with leprosy ...read more

Scripture: Acts 3:19

Tags: Repentance

The Stewardship Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2009

THE STEWARDSHIP OF TIME John Taylor recently invented a clock called the chronophage. Literally it means "time eater." It was donated to Corpus Christi College at Cambridge. It combines the Greek word for time, "chronos," and the word "phageo," meaning "to eat". A monster-looking grasshopper with ...read more

Tags: Time

Lottery Bliss ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 7, 2009

LOTTERY BLISS UNREALISTIC Every year Americans spend over $50 billion trying to produce an advantage for themselves by winning the lottery. But only a small fraction of those who participate beat the astronomical odds and win the big jackpots. And even those who win find that any joy that they ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:3-10

Tags: Money

The Greatest Generation

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 9, 2009

THE GREATEST GENERATION Franklin Delano Roosevelt: "This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny." The year was 1940, and it would be called the fulcrum of America in the 20th century. The nation was balanced precariously between the darkness of the Great Depression on one side and ...read more

Tags: America

Susan Boyle: Beauty On The Inside  PRO

Contributed by Marianne Unger on May 22, 2009

SUSAN BOYLE: BEAUTY ON THE INSIDE When Susan Boyle stepped out on the stage of "Britain’s Got Talent," people laughed at her...like the scoffers in this Psalm. They made fun of her because her outward appearance wasn’t the glitz and glamour they’d come to expect. Members of the audience could be ...read more

Scripture: Acts 3:1-16

Tags: Assurance Of Salvation

Denomination: *other

Sifting

Contributed by Rick Crandall on May 31, 2009

*In vs. 31 Jesus told Peter, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.” *Satan is certainly still at work in the world today. Satan wanted to sift Peter, and Christian, you can be sure that he wants to sift us. *In Bible days grain was sifted a couple of ...read more

Tags: Temptation, Temptation General

Denomination: Baptist

The Cross: Solution To Alignment Problems  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 18, 2009

THE CROSS: SOLUTION TO ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS I remember when my first car, a beautiful 92 Chevy Cavalier, developed and alignment problem. I would be driving down the freeway, and it pulled to the right pretty hard. In fact, you really had to work against the car to make it get in the left lane. On ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:25-26

Tags: Cross

Integrity: Be Thankful You Can Do Right

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 19, 2009

INTEGRITY: BE THANKFUL YOU CAN DO RIGHT In December 1994 syndicated columnist Bob Greene told the inspiring story of Rob Mouw. Rob played on the soccer team in his senior year at Wheaton Christian High School. In the final seconds of a big game against favored Waubonsie Valley, with his team ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:24-27

Tags: Character

Terah And The Gods

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Oct 26, 2009

TERAH AND THE GODS There is a Jewish midrash (not Scripture) that tells a funny story about Terah being a merchant who sold idols but had a son named Abram who wasn’t convinced about the validity of the gods because the real God had been speaking to him. Since it isn’t actually Scripture, I’m ...read more

Tags: Idolatry

Denomination: *other

J. Wilbur Chapman Meets General Booth Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 28, 2009

J. Wilbur Chapman Meets General Booth of Salvation Army A willingness to obey is the first step toward spiritual understanding John 7:17 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. When J. Wilbur Chapman was in London, he had an opportunity to meet General ...read more

Scripture: John 7:16-17

Tags: Obedience

1950's Game,

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 5, 2009

1950’s Game, "Going To Jerusalem," Misrepresented the Christian Life Mark 8:33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter – same word. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” (NIV) Peter’s attitude was not only ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:34-38

Tags: Discipleship, Playing Games

The Real Christmas ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Dec 26, 2009

The REAL CHRISTMAS ICON in some ways should have been JOHN THE BAPTIST Instead of a RED SUIT we would have people in CAMEL’S HAIR and LEATHER BELTS walking around the shopping centres shouting “PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD”, and giving out SAMPLES OF WILD LOCUSTS AND HONEY for people to try. ...read more

Tags: New Year's Day

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Saint Patrick  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Mar 15, 2010

SAINT PATRICK Historical Background of Patrick: Patrick lived in the fifth century, a time of rapid change and transition. In many ways we might say that those times of turbulence and uncertainty were not unlike our own. The Roman Empire was beginning to break up, and Europe was about to enter ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 13:1-16, John 3:16-20

Tags: Forgiveness General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Others

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 3, 2010

Contrasting Poems on Servanthood Matthew 20:28 "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." If He came to serve, what must we do? ILL.- “I gave a little party this afternoon at three— ’Twas very small Three guests in all Just I, Myself, and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:28

Tags: Servanthood

Are Christians Hypocritical?

Contributed by T. Scott Womble on Jul 27, 2010

ARE CHRISTIANS HYPOCRITICAL? A few years ago, Barna Research conducted a 3 year study about the church which was published in the book Unchristian. The results weren't shocking. In fact, we intuitively already knew the results. Barna leveled three stinging blows against Christians. They said ...read more

Tags: Hypocrisy

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ