In Sermon Illustrations: "Spiritual Disciplines"

Spiritual Carcinogens

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jun 20, 2011

SPIRITUAL CARCINOGENS When the Challenger went down nearly 20 years ago, the whole country went around draped in a dark cloud of mourning. Soon the shock gave way to outrage and scandal when it was discovered that cost-cutting and carelessness components that didn’t quite meet the required ...read more

Tags: Heresy

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Spiritual Consumerism

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 15, 2011

SPIRITUAL CONSUMERISM In February 27 2009 article from the website “Slate” titled, “Why American churchgoers like to shop around” also caught my attention. That article cited statistics from a Barna Group survey that revealed that one in seven adults changes churches each year, and another one in ...read more

Scripture: John 4:19-24

Tags: Church Practices

Spiritual Acne

Contributed by Antonio Silveira on Feb 29, 2012

SPIRITUAL ACNE Have you seen ads for Clearsil, Proactiv, or other acne treatments? They usually exaggerate things and show the face before and aft the application of the "miraculous" product that makes you look good and perfect. They also make sure you get hooked to the remedy so they can bank on ...read more

Scripture: James 1:22-27

Tags: Sanctification

Denomination: Baptist

Spiritual Redwoods

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 18, 2012

SPIRITUAL REDWOODS Can you imagine a redwood tree saying, "I’d just rather remain a little bush"? That would seem insane, right? I want to put up on the screen some pictures of redwood trees. They are truly magnificent. My oldest daughter and her husband were married at the foot of redwood that ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:3-14

Tags: Growth In Christ

Spiritual Gambling

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on May 30, 2013

SPIRITUAL GAMBLING The problem of compulsive gambling may seem foreign to most of us. Yet experts believe that millions of Americans are psychologically addicted to gambling. It gives them the excitement of hope and risk, but it usually ends in defeat. It is indeed a temporary pleasure. For those ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Spiritual Breakthrough.

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Feb 14, 2014

During the week I have been looking at a book by John Larsson where he called Spiritual breakthrough where he talks about Samuel Logan Brengle. In his recalling Brengle, Larsson talks of how at the age of twenty-five, Brengle was at a seminary training to be a minister but he was troubled. He ...read more

Scripture: John 2:1-11

Tags: Holy Spirit, Sanctification, Spiritual Encounter

Denomination: Salvation Army

Spiritual Maturity

Contributed by Barry O Johnson on Feb 5, 2024

1 Timothy 3:6 - "Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil." Recently, a father sat down with his four-year-old son and asked him if he would like the $10 in his right hand or the two Oreo cookies in his left hand. His son immediately chose ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:6

Tags: Talent, Maturity, Novice

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Spiritual Zombies

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 2, 2025

Ephesians 2:1-3 “2 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-5

Tags: Born Again, Zombies, Spiritually Dead

Denomination: Methodist

Spiritual Dryness

Contributed by Samuel M on Feb 18, 2025

When we pray prayers that are not in God's will, we by ourselves enter into seasons of spiritual dryness. We may receive answers to our prayer requests, yet we may become spiritually dry. If you are experiencing a season of spiritual dryness, do check and correct your prayers. Prayers ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 17:20

Tags: Hope, Faith

Spiritual Warfare

Contributed by John Bright on Oct 3, 2025

We need to be engaged in Spiritual Warfare. First, we need to acknowledge that there is both a physical realm (fallen) and a spiritual realm (good & bad). This is clear in Ephesians 6, where Paul is describing our battle gear: Ephesians 6:11-12 “11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:11-12

Tags: Spiritual Warfare, Angels, Demons, Physical Realm, Spiritual Realm  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist

In The Fifties The Major Discipline Problems In ...  PRO

Contributed by Harold White on Jan 5, 2001

In the fifties the major discipline problems in our public schools were cigarette smoking,skipping class, running in the halls, spit balls, chewing gum, and whispering in class. Today - the major problems are deadly weapons - kids carrying guns, knifes, and even assault weapons. This is followed by ...read more

Tags: Apologetics General, Holiness, Sin Exposed

Denomination: Baptist

Richard Foster In Celebration Of Discipline - ...

Contributed by Chip Monck on Mar 1, 2005

Richard Foster in Celebration of Discipline - “Celebration is at the heart of the way of Christ. He entered the world on a high note of jubilation: ‘I bring you good news of a great joy,’ cried the angel, ‘which shall come to all the people.’ He left the world bequeathing his joy to the ...read more

Tags: Church Practices

Denomination: Wesleyan

To Discipline A Child Is Not To Punish Him For ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 11, 2007

"To discipline a child is not to punish him for stepping out of line, but to teach that child the way he ought to go. Discipline therefore includes ...read more

Tags: Children

Knowledge And Discipline Win The Game

Contributed by Paul Carlson on Feb 17, 2009

KNOWLEDGE AND DISCIPLINE WIN THE GAME Did you watch the Illinois vs. Arizona basketball game of the 2005 NCAA tournament in March 2005? Illinois was losing by fifteen points with only 2:50 seconds left. The coach had a meeting with the players to pump them up to continue to contend for the ...read more

Tags: Disciplines General

Denomination: Baptist

The Secret Of Discipline Is Motivation. When A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"The secret of discipline is motivation. When a man is sufficiently motivated, ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

Discipline Is Inevitable; If It Does Not Come ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Discipline is inevitable; if it does not come from within a man, it will ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines

To Live A Disciplined Life, And To Accept The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"To live a disciplined life, and to accept the result of that discipline as the will of ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines

The Great End Of Education Is To Discipline ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"The great end of education is to discipline rather than to furnish the mind; to train it to the use of its own powers, rather ...read more

Tags: Culture

Self-Respect Is The Fruit Of Discipline; The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

Self-respect is the fruit of discipline; the sense of dignity grows with the ...read more

Tags: Self

Old-School Church Discipline

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

OLD-SCHOOL CHURCH DISCIPLINE The Amish practice shunning – ignoring, turning away from, avoiding. When a person is disciplined by the community, relationships are severed between parents and children, or brother and sister, or even husbands and wives. Because the Amish are so isolated from those ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:15-17

Tags: Church Discipline