In Sermon Illustrations: "Spirit Of Fear"

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

By The Way, I Got A Prayer Handkerchief In The ...

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Feb 17, 2009

By the way, I got a prayer handkerchief in the mail about two-three weeks ago. It was a fundraising approach by an interdenominational group and it cited Acts 19 as its affirmation. They missed the point! Even as the people snuggling together under Peter’s shadow missed the point. The power—the ...read more

Tags: Miracles General

Denomination: *other

Prayer And Spiritual ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2009

PRAYER AND SPIRITUAL WARFARE "Life is war. That’s not all it is. But it is always that. Our weakness in prayer is owing largely to our neglect of this truth. Prayer is primarily a wartime walkie-talkie for the mission of the church as it advances against the powers of darkness and unbelief. It is ...read more

Tags: Spiritual Warfare, War

Crossing The River

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Apr 21, 2009

CROSSING THE RIVER Max Lucado in SIX HOURS ONE FRIDAY tells this story: A missionary in Brazil discovered a tribe of Indians in a remote part of the jungle. They lived near a large river. The tribe was in need of medical attention. A contagious disease was spreading across the village. People ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Unknown Inheritances  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2009

UNKNOWN INHERITANCES A Michigan factory worker, earning less than ten thousand dollars a year, was an unknowing heir to a half-million dollars. When located by an investigator some years after his benefactor’s death, the worker explained that he had neither returned home nor kept in touch with his ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:16-17

Tags: God The Father

It's Up To ...

Contributed by Tony Abram on Sep 4, 2009

It’s Up to You…………… One song can spark a moment, One flower can wake the dream. One tree can start a forest, One bird can herald spring, One smile begins a friendship, One handclasp lifts a soul. One star can guide a ship at sea, One word can frame the goal. One vote can change a nation, One ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:31-37

Tags: Christian Values

Baptism Is A Sign Of Submission To The Lordship ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 26, 2009

Baptism Is A Sign of Submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ When the early Christians declared their faith in baptism, they would shout out, “Jesus is Lord!” Baptism has always been a sign of submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. William Barker tells of a machinist at Ford Motor Company ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:41-42

Tags: Baptism

Ignorance Of One's ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 27, 2010

Ignorance of One’s Inheritance A Michigan factory worker, earning less than ten thousand dollars a year, was an unknowing heir to a half-million dollars. When located by an investigator some years after his benefactor’s death, the worker explained that he had neither returned home nor kept in touch ...read more

Scripture: John 6:1-13

Tags: Inheritance, Ignorance

Church Conflict

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 16, 2011

CHURCH CONFLICT In Winchester, Ohio there’s a church called the Bethlehem Church of Christ. It’s been in existence for over 150 years, and over the years different events have been recorded in their “history” book. One of their recent ministers was reading back over the different entries in this ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 16:1-41

Tags: Divisions

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

The Eeyore Syndrome  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 22, 2011

THE EEYORE SYNDROME In the past I have spoken of what I call, "The Eeyore Syndrome"--these are Christians who walk around acting like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. They choose to look at the gloomy side of life. Their eyes are cast down, their countenance is cheerless, and they have no enthusiasm ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:13-26

Tags: Disappointment

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

No Room In The Inn

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Dec 20, 2020

People have no room for Christ because they are full of themselves, full of their own will, full of their own cares, and full of their own sinfulness. They feel they have no time or no need for the Lord. People may deny Christ and scorn Him. Yet, every time they write the date of the year, they are ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-12

Tags: Messiah, Christmas, Birth Of Christ, Mary And Joseph

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational