In Sermon Illustrations: "Spiritual Encounter"

If The Apostle Paul Were Asked What He Would Do ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Jan 1, 2002

If the apostle Paul were asked what he would do with all of the present problems of fear, unemployment, and hardship in America today he would no doubt say, "You are more than conquerors through Him who loves us. Do not be overcome (by over-reacting, over-emphasizing, over-spiritualizing, ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Hardship Of Life

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Christian Sees Through Kinder Eyes-Like ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

The Christian sees through kinder eyes-like Jesus. He gives from a bigger heart-like God. He speaks with a purer tongue-like Christ. He serves with more willing hands-like Jesus. He walks with a greater faith-like his Lord. He thinks with a spiritual mind-like Christ. He sees the needs of ...read more

Tags: Grace

Dallas Willard, In His Book The Spirit Of The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Dallas Willard, in his book The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives, writes, “Spirituality in human beings is not an extra or ‘superior’ mode of existence. It’s not a hidden stream of separate reality, a separate life running parallel to our bodily existence. It does not ...read more

Tags: Heaven

Max Lucado Writes In God Came Near "One New ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Max Lucado writes in God Came Near “One New Year’s Day, in the Tournament of Roses parade, a beautiful float suddenly sputtered and quit. It was out of gas. The whole parade was held up until someone could get a can of gas. The amusing thing was this float represented the Standard Oil Company. With ...read more

Tags: Cross Agony

Dietrich Bonheoffer Who Wrote , "It Is Infinitely ...

Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on Nov 23, 2007

Dietrich Bonheoffer who wrote , “It is infinitely easier to suffer in obedience to a human command than to accept suffering as free, responsible men. It is infinitely easier to suffer with others than to suffer alone. It is infinitely easier to suffer as public heroes than to suffer apart and in ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Circumcise Your Sin

Contributed by Stephen Smarowsky on Jul 22, 2008

CIRCUMCISE YOUR SIN Thousands of years ago, before Christ was even born, devout Jewish parents would practice rituals or customs when having a child. The first of the customs was that the child be circumcised; the cutting of the skin. This symbolized that you were a part of the family of ...read more

Tags: Dead To Sin

Denomination: Baptist

If The Blind Put Their Hand In God's  PRO

Contributed by Bill Butsko on Jun 11, 2009

If the Blind Put Their Hand in God’s Helen Keller, shortly before her sixtieth birthday, expressed pity for the real unseeing, for those who have eyes yet do not see. Her long years of physical blindness have given her a spiritual insight which enables her to enjoy life in all its fullness. She ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:22-26, Mark 8:27-29

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Christian Church

Blessed Are Those Who Hunger  PRO

Contributed by Dr. Madana Kumar, Phd on Jan 30, 2010

Blessed Are Those Who Hunger A family had the habit of treating their children for ice cream after the church service. One Sunday the father decided to break the habit. The children were not happy about it. They started whining. The father decided use spirituality to deal with the situation. He ...read more

Tags: Comfort

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

During The 1980’s, More Than 17,000 ...

Contributed by Rj Davis on Jul 6, 2010

During the 1980’s, more than 17,000 members of a major evangelical denomination were surveyed about their prayer habits while attending seminars on prayer for spiritual awakening. Because they attended this kind of seminar, we can assume these people are above average in their interest in prayer. ...read more

Tags: Prayer General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Defensive Striving

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Oct 27, 2010

DEFENSIVE STRIVING There's a term in driver's education - Defensive Driving. Driving to save lives, time, and money, in spite of the conditions around you and the actions of others. Its aim is to reduce the risk of driving by anticipating dangerous situations, despite adverse conditions or the ...read more

Tags: Sin General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Running While Weighed Down

Contributed by Davon Huss on Sep 5, 2011

RUNNING WHILE WEIGHED DOWN David Posman was arrested in Providence, Rhode Island, after allegedly knocking out an armored car driver and stealing the closest 4 bags of money. It turned out they contained $800 in pennies, weighing 30 pounds each, and slowed him to a stagger during his getaway so ...read more

Tags: Sin Bondage To

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Fig Tree Jesus Cursed

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 11, 2025

An acted-out parable: most of Israel was like a fig tree out of SEASON. “The early figs, appearing in March or April and ripening in June, are called ‘bikkurah.’ …The early fig was considered a great delicacy by the Hebrews. The late or green figs, which sometimes ripen after the fall of the leaf, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 11:12-25, Matthew 21:18-22

Tags: Curse, Fig Tree

Denomination: Independent/Bible

How Have You Been Feeling Lately? Does It Seem ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Otterstatter on Feb 4, 2002

How have you been feeling lately? Does it seem like you have a decreased amount of energy? Do you feel fatigued? Have you been craving sugar and eating more than usual? In the last two months have you had difficulty getting out of bed in the morning? Are you sleeping more than usual, been less ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Lutheran

God's Hmo's

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 6, 2008

GOD'S HMO'S In Christian Counseling Today Magazine I discovered another article talking about "Spirituality Theology and Health." It highlighted the center for the study of Religion/Spirituality and Health at Duke University. After twenty years of study and 25 research studies they discovered the ...read more

Tags: Gifts Healing

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Eyes And Toes

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Aug 11, 2009

EYES AND TOES There is a terrific story I once heard in a taped message from a marvelous Baptist pastor named Ron Dunn. Dunn's parable suggested that once upon a time there was a body where the eyes convinced all of the other parts of the body that the gift of SIGHT was the only important gift. ...read more

Denomination: *other

Handicapped But Complete

Contributed by Richard Goble on Nov 26, 2007

Handicapped But Complete About two years ago my wife Kay was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease, mainly characterized by inflammation of the lining of the joints. It can lead to long-term joint damage, resulting in chronic pain, loss of function and ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Books Influence Pastors: A New Barna Survey Finds ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2006

Books Influence Pastors: A new Barna survey finds Rick Warren’s The Purpose-Driven Life and The Purpose-Driven Church (Zondervan) are the most helpful books protestant pastors have read in the last 3 years. Other popular titles were What’s So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey (Zondervan); Fresh ...read more

Tags: Evangelism, Church General

Your Heart Will Have Beat An Average Of 122,400 ...  PRO

Contributed by D. Greg Ebie on Mar 28, 2004

Your heart will have beat an average of 122,400 times every day. None of us want our heart to ask for a vacation or take a day off; we don’t even want to give it a short “coffee break” to skip a few beats. Doctors understand the heart is critically important to our physical well-being; it is so ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Assembly Of God

David Depra In His Article The Silence Of God ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 24, 2004

David DePra in his article the Silence of God wrote this about the times when God is silent. “If you have walked with God for any length of time, you will experience times when no matter how hard you pray, God is silent. He just doesn’t answer. And there is no indication that He ever will. Why ...read more

Tags: Peace

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Strangle-Hold Of Wealth  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 12, 2004

THE STRANGLE-HOLD OF WEALTH There was an article in the Wednesday, June 26, 2002 issue of the Colorado Springs Gazette by Michelle Singletary titled “How Much is Enough in the Pursuit of Money?” She began by writing about Karen Hughes, counselor to President Bush, who decided to leave the White ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23

Tags: Parable Sower And Seed