In Sermon Illustrations: "Spiritual Success"

A Spiritual Rhythm

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Nov 16, 2009

A SPIRITUAL RHYTHM Developing a rhythm in your spiritual life means organizing your life around times of stopping to remember God. What is important is not the length of time but that you regularly stop to refocus on God. It could be five minutes or forty minutes. It could be your break time. ...read more

Tags: Disciplines General

Denomination: Church Of God

The Spirituality Of Fire

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on May 25, 2010

THE SPIRITUALITY OF FIRE The pagans thought of a cycle of destruction by fire and renewal, destruction by fire and renewal. The monotheistic Zoroastrians thought of fire strictly as a purification. But the Jews and early Christians associated fire with the destruction of the ...read more

Tags: God's Judgment

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Spiritual Atheist?

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Jul 27, 2010

SPIRITUAL ATHEIST? Let’s think about this. Good equals Godly? Good equals spiritual? How exactly does being good and being spiritual parallel? I give a man on the street a warm meal and a place to stay. That’s a good thing. How is giving a man a warm meal and a place to stay a spiritual ...read more

Tags: Atheism

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Spirituality And Justice

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Feb 16, 2011

SPIRITUALITY AND JUSTICE Quoting Major Campbell Roberts when he spoke at the launch of this TSMP goal, "Two hungers are emerging, a hunger for - Spirituality and a hunger for – Justice. If we can live out and help another find a relationship with Jesus that energises them to live and act justly ...read more

Tags: Justice

Denomination: Salvation Army

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 Arrhythmia  PRO

Contributed by Antonio Silveira on Feb 25, 2012

SPIRITUAL ARRHYTHMIA The primary function of the heart is to supply blood and nutrients to the body. The regular beating, or contraction, of the heart moves the blood throughout the body. Each heartbeat is controlled by electrical impulses traveling through the heart. In the normal heart these ...read more

Scripture: 3 John 1:2

Tags: Heart, Spanking Kids

Denomination: Baptist

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: Faith, Hope

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

Seek Spiritual Advice From Spiritually Mature Christians

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Aug 7, 2023

Seek Spiritual Advice from Spiritually mature Christians. Albert Einstein ... had difficulty speaking until he was four years old ... and did not read ... until he was seven. Beethovens music teacher said: .... As a composer, ... he is hopeless. When Thomas Edison was a young boy, ... his ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33, Mark 6:45-52

Tags: Spiritual, Advice

Denomination: Anglican

The Success Paradox  PRO

Contributed by David Rumley on Nov 8, 2006

The Success Paradox In one national study Barna discovered that people’s views of success had little to do with their faith and spiritual wholeness. People focused on personal accomplishments, family solidarity and emotional fulfillment. Barna notes that only 7% identified spiritual wholeness and ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Problem With Success

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Apr 11, 2018

Henry Blackaby: “Moderate success in ministry is a spiritual hazard. It can make us content to live ...read more

Tags: Pastors, Pastoring, Preachers, Church, Success  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

The Goal Of Spiritual Gifts

Contributed by John Bright on Sep 24, 2025

Spiritual Gifts were documented in Class Meetings within the Wesleyan tradition. It was there that members shared their lives – the successes and the struggles. They would search the Scriptures for answers, and they would pray for each other. Those prayers included listening for a Word from the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:10-11, 1 Corinthians 12:28

Tags: Small Groups, Class Meeting, Love, Spiritual Gifts

Denomination: Methodist

Success Is An Idol When Success Becomes An ...

Contributed by William Hooper on Jul 12, 2007

Success is an idol when success becomes an obsession. You may get to the top of the ladder of success, only to discover you’re on the wrong ladder. Success is an idol that can consume you. Many business people are driven. They become workaholics. Doctors in Japan have found a significant ...read more

Denomination: Baptist