In Sermon Illustrations: "Spiritual Encounter"

Tarzan Story: Failure To Recognize

Contributed by Suresh Manoharan on Sep 3, 2012

TARZAN STORY: FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE Johnny Weissmuller, the champion Olympic swimmer who donned the role of Tarzan the Ape Man in the silver screen with as much aplomb in 1930s and 40s as he dominated the Olympic swimming lanes in 1920s, had "a close encounter of a different kind" with the ...read more

Tags: Second Coming

Denomination: *other

The Person God Blesses

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 1, 2008

What do we notice about the person God blesses? The person God blesses has had a conversion to God’s ways. Where do I get this concept? I get it from Abram’s name change. When we first meet him he is known as "Abram." After an encounter with God (Gen. 17:5) he is known as "Abraham." In the Bible a ...read more

Tags: Blessing

Stay Away From The Bait

Contributed by Timothy Darling on May 1, 2008

STAY AWAY FROM THE BAIT Imagine a fish. This fish really likes minnows. So Mr. Fish swims around the edges of the pond where minnows live in the shallows. He has had several close calls at the north end when he thought he saw a minnow, but narrowly escaped when he felt a hook as he bit down and he ...read more

Tags: Sin Deceptive

Denomination: Mennonite

Will He Find Any Faith?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

WILL HE FIND ANY FAITH? Sherwood Eddy interviewed 25 young Communists in Moscow one day and asked each one how many hours he gave to the party each day. Not one of them gave less than three hours daily telling others about the virtues of communism. Some of them gave as much as nine hours each day ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Powerful

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Nov 19, 2007

Powerful.” Richard Selzer, MD, writes in his book Mortal Lessons, I stand by the bed where a young woman lies, her face postoperative, her mouth twisted in palsy, clownish. A tiny twig of the facial nerve, the one to the muscles of her mouth, has been severed. She till be thus from now on. The ...read more

Denomination: Church Of God

There’s A Story I Heard Once, About An Man ...  PRO

Contributed by Clark Frailey on Dec 19, 2000

There’s a story I heard once, about an man who was trying to cut costs, so he began to gradually substitute sawdust in the oats of his mule. Everything was fine for a period, and the animal was satisfied with sawdust. Then he died. We see the same in spiritual life. We exchange truth ...read more

Tags: Bible Truth, Apologetics The Bible

Denomination: Baptist

Hudson Taylor, Missionary To Inland China, Wrote ...  PRO

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Aug 9, 2001

Hudson Taylor, missionary to inland China, wrote this while under intense pressure and difficulty: "It does not matter how great the pressure is. What really matters is where the pressure lies - whether it comes between you and God, or whether it presses you nearer His heart." Dr ...read more

Tags: God's Provision, Endurance, God In The Hardships

Denomination: Independent/Bible

When God Builds A Church  PRO

Contributed by Dru Ashwell on Dec 19, 2001

“Growing Christians are more evangelistic than evangelistic sermons. Inspire the members of your church—get them on fire for Jesus and excited about growing spiritually—and then they can’t help but tell their friends about it. The best evangelism is that which comes as a natural outpouring ...read more

Tags: Sharing My Testimony, Growth In Christ, Great Commission

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Fastest Growing Churches In America Since ‘80 ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 6, 2006

The fastest growing churches in America since ‘80 have been the mega-churches. According to Leadership Network’s NetFax there are about 20,000 of them, while traditional denominations are steadily shrinking. Why? Experts credit it to the pastoral mega-churches asking “What is value?” to a ...read more

Tags: Church General

Lifeway Of The Sbc. They Found Something Alarming ...

Contributed by Clay Hallmark on Nov 20, 2006

LifeWay of the SBC. They found something alarming to me. Here is what they learned: - 80% of all people who join a church and become active participants in a small group are still active and growing spiritually in that church 12 months later. Of people who join a church and do not become active ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

When Examining A Precious Stone, Gemologists ...

Contributed by Darrin Hunt on Feb 19, 2007

When examining a precious stone, gemologists often look at it in the sunlight. When I was selling Rainbow cleaners, I would shine a bright light in the room to reveal dirt floating in the air. So how do our spiritual lives stand up to the sunlight? Are they ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

The Problem Is That The Church That Fails To ...  PRO

Contributed by Cary Paulk on Mar 14, 2002

The problem is that the church that fails to change fails to impact the culture of change. It becomes a dinosaur, a memorial to a world that no longer exists. So, on the one hand, while it protects those within its walls from overwhelming stress, on the other hand, it becomes biblically and ...read more

Tags: Great Commission, Church Purpose Of, What Is Evangelism?

Denomination: Baptist

A Center Of Love

Contributed by C Jordan on Sep 30, 2007

QUOTE: “When love, acceptance and forgiveness prevail, the church becomes what Jesus was in the world: a center of love, designed for the healing of broken people, and a force for God… One of the greatest services a church can offer a community is to provide a place for people to be brought to ...read more

Tags: Compassion, Forgiveness General

Denomination: *other

Yet It Is So Difficult To Convince Others To ...

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Mar 30, 2009

Yet it is so difficult to convince others to take that course, even when they see it. The problem is that only God can give the appetite for the Scriptures that brings such great spiritual nutrition. The natural man is like a dying cancer patient to whom food has become detestable. The ...read more

Tags: Zeal

Denomination: Independent/Bible

A.w. Tozer

Contributed by Richard Francis on May 26, 2009

A.W.Tozer also said “Today we need prophetic preachers; not preachers of prophecy merely, but preachers with a gift of prophecy. The word of wisdom is missing. We need the gift of discernment again in our pulpits. It is not ability to predict that we need, but the anointed eye, the power of ...read more

Tags: Preaching

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Steps Of Bible Study

Contributed by Jim Kane on Feb 27, 2010

STEPS OF BIBLE STUDY Bible study starts with Observation: What does it say? Then we move on to step 2 with Interpretation: What does it mean? Then we move on to step 3 with Correlation: How does it fit with the Bible as a whole? Finally, we end with Application: How do I use it in my life? ...read more

Tags: Bible Study

Denomination: Church Of God

What Team Are You On?

Contributed by James R. Debusk on Mar 25, 2011

WHAT TEAM ARE YOU ON? At this time of the year, young men are signing letters of intent to play football to the various colleges that have recruited them. These young athletes are making a choice of where they will play football. In life we have a spiritual decision on which team we will be a ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Baptist

There Are Three Classes Of People In ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael West on Oct 2, 2008

There are three classes of people in congregations today, unblessed, uncommitted and the committed. Unblessed do not believe sufficiently in God's wisdom to run their lives completely; they know it means surrender and commitment. The uncommitted aren't rebels, but they are the ones who are ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Army Has A System For Defense Called ...

Contributed by Charles Wallis on Dec 8, 2008

The Army has a system for defense called challenge and password. When a soldier is on guard and someone approaches, he will say "Halt, who goes there?" The person will identify themselves, then the guard will state a challenge code word. If the other person does not know the password, he cannot ...read more

Tags: Worldliness

Denomination: Pentecostal

Proud People Vs Broken People

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 20, 2022

Proud people focus on the failures of others. Broken people are overwhelmed with a sense of their own spiritual need. Proud people have a critical, fault-finding spirit; they look at everyone else’s faults with a microscope but their own with a telescope. Broken people are compassionate; they can ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:23, Galatians 2:20

Tags: Brokenness, Humility, Revival, Repentance, Pride  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational