In Sermon Illustrations: "Spiritual Gifts"

Do You Want To Play Beethoven's Piano?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 5, 2023

J Vernon McGee offers the following illustration of humility of mind and adds a practical application. The story is told of a group of people who went in to see Beethoven’s home in Germany. After the tour guide had showed them Beethoven’s piano and had finished his lecture, he asked if any of them ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-11, Philippians 2:1-11

Tags: Lowliness Of Mind, Service, Honor, Humility, Spiritual Gifts, Position, Servants  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Life Is A Gift, Not A Right  PRO

Contributed by Linda Hewett on May 14, 2001

LIFE IS A GIFT, NOT A RIGHT Lord, help me remember that it is only by your power and will that I am even alive; and I can do nothing without you. You breathed your breath of life in me and allowed this speck of ’dust in the wind’ to exist. You are the moving of ...read more

Tags: Joy, Creation

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Glitzy Grammy Gifts  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 25, 2002

GLITZY GRAMMY GIFTS The New York Post reports that producers of the 2002 Grammy ceremony showered each of the show’s stars with a personalized gift basket said to be worth $16,000 each. Britney Spears got a pair of $1,900 diamond earrings, a Blackberry pager, an iPod MP3 player, a free two-night ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:8-14

Tags: God's Provision, Second Coming

Gifts From God  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 15, 2002

GIFTS FROM GOD The first barrier to meekness arises whenever we claim as our own what is really a gift of God. To live in meekness, we must try to remember that all we are, have, and can do is a gift. It is an act of arrogance to place ourselves at the center of being and doing. Only God ...read more

Tags: Temptation Pride, God's Omnipotence, Humility

Mother's Day Gifts  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 25, 2002

MOTHER'S DAY GIFTS What NOT to Buy Your Wife: Although the only person a man usually shops for is his wife, the whole experience is a stressful one. Many a man has felt extreme frigid temperatures for a long period based on a poor present decision. As a veteran of these wars, I’m still not sure ...read more

Tags: Parenting, Mother's Day, Membership

It Is The Will, And Not The Gift That Makes The ...

Contributed by David Insell on Jul 27, 2003

It is the will, and not the gift that makes ...read more

Tags: Giving General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Little Gift Is On The Way  PRO

Contributed by Ray Swift on Dec 2, 2009

A LITTLE GIFT IS ON THE WAY A lady waited until the last minute to send her Christmas cards. She rushed into a store and bought a package of 50 cards without really looking at them. She rushed home, signed and addressed 49 of them without really looking at them. On Christmas Day when things had ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Baptist

The Use Of God's Gifts

Contributed by Sean Harder on Dec 9, 2009

THE USE OF GOD'S GIFTS How much did Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys spend on the New Texas Stadium? 1.15 billion dollars. They joke that there is a hole in the top of the stadium so that God can watch his favorite team play. I’m not so sure Mr. Jones doesn’t believe that. We look at ...read more

Tags: Gifts Giving

No Greater Gift To The Church

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 31, 2010

NO GREATER GIFT TO THE CHURCH Andrew Murray once said, "God has no more precious gift to a church or an age than a man who lives as an embodiment of His will, and inspires those around him with the faith of what grace can do (Andrew Murray, Leadership, Vol. 7, no. 4). Dear friends, by God's ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:10

Tags: Character

A Gift Beyond Description  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 15, 2010

A GIFT BEYOND DESCRIPTION A few years ago, on "Good Morning, America," Joan Lunden featured some extraordinary gifts that a person might want to include on their Christmas gift list. One of them was a Jaguar automobile, the Jaguar 220. To purchase one, you first go to your Jaguar dealer and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:8-21

Tags: Christmas, Joseph, God The Father

Gift For The Children's Home

Contributed by Davon Huss on Aug 16, 2010

GIFT FOR THE CHILDREN'S HOME A tired stay-at-home mom opened the front door of her home to find the preacher from the church, who said, "I’m collecting donations for the new children’s home we’re building. Just asking you to give what you ...read more

Tags: Parenting

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The More Precious Gift

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 2, 2011

THE MORE PRECIOUS GIFT It is not easy always for people to understand the significance of a gift, or the sacrifices that went behind it. Two students shared a room in college. After returning from the Christmas' winter break, Andrew asked his roommate what presents he has received for ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Tags: Christmas

Select The Greatest Gift

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Dec 11, 2011

SELECT THE GREATEST GIFT Even people of this world know the value of a thoughtful gift. When Pastor John Bisagno was working as chaplain to the Houston Oilers, the players gave him an autographed football which every player had signed inscribed with a Scripture from the Bible. Whenever he looks ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Receiving A Wonderful Gift

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Dec 16, 2011

RECEIVING A WONDERFUL GIFT The only son of a very wealthy man had his 21st birthday on Christmas Day. His mother gave him some gold cufflinks and engraved gold pens. His uncle and aunt bought him a set of TaylorMade R9 golf clubs that combined Flight Control Technology and Moveable Weight ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Anglican

The Fourth Gift Of The Magi  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jan 3, 2013

THE FOURTH GIFT OF THE MAGI David Dewitt states, "Though there are still many questions about the Magi that may be left unanswered, we can determine that they brought a fourth gift that is often forgotten by many. After they laid their treasures down before Mary and Joseph, they worshipped Jesus. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12

Tags: Christmas Eve

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Grace Is A Free Gift

Contributed by Daniel King, D. Min. on Aug 2, 2018

Main Idea: If you pay for a free gift, it is no longer free. Verse: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV). Illustration: Once there was a husband who gave a beautiful ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: Faith, Grace, Salvation

Denomination: Charismatic

Grace The Free Gift

Contributed by Pastor Norman Bailey, Overseer on Aug 11, 2018

If you went to work everyday and did the job that was required of you, you could demand a paycheck. You can go to your supervisor, and payroll to find out what is going on because you earned the pay that you worked so hard for. We can never work so hard to demand that God save us from sin. It was ...read more

Tags: Grace Gift, Love Life

Denomination: Pentecostal

Gift From The Father  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 31, 2008

GIFT FROM THE FATHER Corrie Ten Boom tells of a time in the German death camp Ravensbruk during WWII. She had smuggled her Bible and a small bottle of liquid vitamins into her barracks. Her sister Betsy was sick and growing sicker, but she demanded that Corrie first give a dose of vitamins to all ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 17:7-24

Tags: God's Provision

Selecting A Christmas Gift

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Selecting a Christmas Gift It is that time of the year when people really start to get serious about selecting Christmas gifts. When purchasing Christmas gifts one must first remember what is being celebrated. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Gift Nobody Wants

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 22, 2008

The Gift Nobody Wants 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

Tags: Guilt