In Sermon Illustrations: "Spiritual Life"

Three Stages Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 13, 2009

THREE STAGES OF LIFE John Claypool, at one time pastor of the Crescent Hill Baptist Church, had a little daughter who suffered with leukemia. When she went into remission, everybody thought that maybe God had healed her. But on an Easter Sunday morning, she went into a terrible relapse. In his ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 40:31

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

A Change Of Words, A Change Of Focus  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

A CHANGE OF WORDS, A CHANGE OF FOCUS Here is a story that I believe show how our journey is made better simply by a change in words. A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign, which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tags: Gratitude

God's Grace Sets You Free To Be Yourself And Not ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

God’s grace sets you free to be yourself and not compromise to please people. God’s grace also sets you free from legalism. One of the black marks on so called Christians is legalism. Legalism is having a critical and judgmental attitude toward others. It is having spiritual pride and a superior ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

When I Was Growing Up In West Texas Cicada ...  PRO

Contributed by Richard Tow on Oct 14, 2003

When I was growing up in West Texas cicada (pronounced si-ka'-da) “locusts” like the one pictured on the screen filled the giant elm trees at times. During the heat of the summer the shrill buzzing sound of their mating call filled the air. To this day anytime I get in dry, hot weather I remember ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 6:1-7

Tags: Growth In Christ, Assurance Of Salvation

Denomination: Charismatic

Our Witnessing Hour Had Concluded And I Was ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 16, 2005

Our witnessing hour had concluded and I was passing through the Rec-room, on my way back to my Barricks, and then I noticed him. It wasen’t hard to take notice, for his beer smeared cloth’s permiated the room. As I was about to pass him by, the Holy Spirit gave me a nudge--stop and speak to him. I ...read more

Tags: Evangelism Urgency, Sharing My Testimony

Instruments Of Grace In His Service  PRO

Contributed by John White on Aug 15, 2005

InstrumentsOf Grace In His Service The grace of God can  turn problems to patience, vexation to victory and tragedy to triumph.   The same pressure that can cause a destructive explosion can be harnessed to drive the wheels of progress.   Pressure usually produces and the production can be good or ...read more

Tags: Peace, Character

Denomination: Baptist

Stephen Baldwin Recounts In (Chapter 3 Of) His ...

Contributed by Daniel Devilder on Oct 19, 2006

Stephen Baldwin recounts in (chapter 3 of) his book “the Unusual Suspect” how God’s love was active in his life, even when Stephen was ignorant of and at odds with God: • as a fourth Grader, singing the 23rd Psalm as David the shepherd boy in an opera that made women weep—and provided a rare ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

There's A Story I Read That Apparently Originated ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 26, 2007

There’s a story I read that apparently originated in Psychology Today. As the story goes, a number of years ago the prince of Grenada, an heir to the Spanish crown, was sentences to life in solitary confinement in Madrid’s ancient prison. The dreadful, dirty, and dreary nature of the place earned ...read more

Silence: Taking Your Soul With You  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 25, 2009

SILENCE: TAKING YOUR SOUL WITH YOU Author Kathleen Norris used to play a game with elementary-school children in which she would make a deal with them. "First you get to make noise," she would bargain, "and then you’ll make silence." The time of noise was always predictably chaotic -- shouting, ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 46:10

Tags: Maturity, Disciplines Silence

Board Game, Sorry, Reveals Insincerity, Hypocrisy ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 5, 2009

Board Game, Sorry, Reveals Insincerity, Hypocrisy and Lack of Repentance Have you ever played the BOARD GAME SORRY? You move your TOKENS around the BOARD & if you happen to land on the SAME SPOT of ANOTHER PLAYER then you say the word SORRY & you send them BACK to the very BEGINNING POINT. How many ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 7:5-11

Tags: Repentance

Stain Removal: Homeboy Industries

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Sep 9, 2011

STAIN REMOVAL: HOMEBOY INDUSTRIES Father Greg Boyle is in the business of erasing the past. A Jesuit priest, he is the founder and director of Homeboy Industries in East Los Angeles. Father Boyle put together a team of physicians trained in the laser technology of tattoo removal. The team is ...read more

Tags: Blood Of Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Making A Dent In The Universe  PRO

Contributed by Thomas Cash on Oct 6, 2011

MAKING A DENT IN THE UNIVERSE When Apple founder Steve Jobs died, there were many posts on various websites about his spirituality (Jobs was Buddhist). One cartoon depicted him at the Pearly Gates while Saint Peter fumbles through the Book of Life. Steve, holding an I-Something, says, "I have an ...read more

Scripture: John 14:6

Tags: Witness, Death, Eternity, Commitment, Heaven, Impact, Steve Jobs, Christian Values, Christian Witness, Commitment To Christ, Truth Absolute, Technology, Vision, Salvation, Truth, Value, Passion  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

God And The Rabbit

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

GOD AND THE RABBIT When I was a 4th grader, I went on a spiritual retreat. We had worship one night and the counselor sent us to go find a private spot where we could pray individually. I went by a large tree away from everyone else. As I began to pray and pour my heart out to God, I heard a ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit General

Denomination: Methodist

Our Weakness

Contributed by Jerry Cosper on Apr 13, 2021

When I was in my early 20s and a student at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, I was, believe it or not, in pretty good shape. I jogged regularly. I was a karate student. I went to the gym 4-5 times a week. I truly was in good shape. Now that I’m older, I’m realizing that I’m not what I used to ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 40:29-31

Tags: Weakness, God's Strength, God Sustains

Denomination: Baptist

There Was A Sad Thing I Saw When I Was In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

There was a sad thing I saw when I was in Culion, Palawan. Yes, the multi-drug therapy or MDT cures people of leprosy. In fact a foundation made sure that people in Culion received the MDT. So, everyday they make the patients line up and gave it to them. But I noticed that after the patients placed ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

There's A Story About A Rich Man Who Loved ...

Contributed by Don Hawks on Jul 10, 2007

There’s a story about a rich man who loved horses. So he bought about a dozen beautiful, powerful horses. He hired a man to coach and train the horses. The guy happened to be inept and wasn’t very passionate about training horses. After a couple of weeks the horses were getting dull and lazy and ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

An Impressive Record

Contributed by Elijah Stepp on May 11, 2008

AN IMPRESSIVE RECORD An anonymous author made this striking observation: Socrates taught for forty years, Plato for fifty, Aristotle for forty, and Jesus for only three. Yet the influence of Christ's three-year ministry infinitely transcends the impact left by the combined 130 years of teaching ...read more

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Independent/Bible

In John 6:40 Jesus Says, "For My Father's Will Is ...

Contributed by Mike Cleveland on Aug 17, 2008

In John 6:40 Jesus says, “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” But wait a minute, there is something within every person that prevents us from looking to Jesus. It is the belief that we’re ...read more

Tags: Sin Deceptive

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Joseph Was Despised Because Of His Birth. (Cf. V. ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 12, 2008

Joseph was despised because of his Birth. (cf. V. 3) He was born a favored son when he was born to Rachel. It also was not Joseph’s fault that he was being despised because of who he was born to, and also when he was born. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: We are only born once, physically and all have the ...read more

Tags: Ot Characters

Sarah Michelle Gellar, Star Of The Tv Show ...

Contributed by Mary Lewis on Aug 3, 2003

Sarah Michelle Gellar, star of the TV show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," said this "I consider myself a spiritual person. I believe in an idea of God, although it’s my own personal ideal. I find most religions interesting, and I’ve been to every kind of denomination: ...read more

Tags: World Religions

Denomination: Baptist