In Sermon Illustrations: "Spiritual Warfare"

The Impacts Of Trust And Distrust

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 10, 2012

THE IMPACTS OF TRUST AND DISTRUST One of the serious problems of human nature is our natural tendency to be distrusting and suspicious. Barbara Misztal, in her book, Trust in Modern Societies: The Search for the Bases of Social Order, mentions three things that trust does in the life of a person. ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 9:7-10

Tags: Trust

Abraham Lincoln: Merit Your Freedom  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 8, 2013

ABRAHAM LINCOLN: MERIT YOUR FREEDOM In the last days of the Civil War, the Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia, fell to the Union army. Abraham Lincoln insisted on visiting the city. Even though no one knew he was coming, slaves recognized him immediately and thronged around him. He had ...read more

Scripture: John 21:3-14, Romans 6:1-23, Galatians 5:13-15

Tags: Christian Liberty

A Surprise Visit From Abraham Lincoln

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 9, 2013

A SURPRISE VISIT FROM ABRAHAM LINCOLN In the last days of the Civil War, the Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia, fell to the Union army. Abraham Lincoln insisted on visiting the city. Even though no one knew he was coming, slaves recognized him immediately and thronged around him. He had ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:13-14

Tags: Freedom, Christian Liberty

Busyness  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 3, 2013

BUSYNESS Busyness is no sign of spirituality or any kind of a full life. In fact, it’s more likely the sign of an empty life. Tim Kreider, in an article he wrote for The New York Times called The Busy Trap put it this way: “If you live in America in the 21st century, you’ve probably had to listen ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30

Tags: Complaining

When I Was A Kid  PRO

Contributed by Paul Steen on Jul 12, 2014

When I was a kid, we rode our bikes down the sidewalks and in the streets. We played baseball and football in the street. Summers were especially great because we could play ball until you couldn’t see. We rode in cars with no seat belts or car seats. Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:17

Tags: Protect, Helmet Of Salvation

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Rain Man Doesn't Understand Inheritance

Contributed by David Ward on Feb 25, 2016

"Rain Man" was the top moneymaking film of 1988, and also won the Oscar for Best Picture. It tells the story of an abrasive and selfish wheeler-dealer named Charlie (Tom Cruise), who discovers that his estranged father has died and bequeathed all of his multimillion-dollar estate to his other son, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:19-34

Tags: Eternal Inheritance, Treasures In Heaven, Priorities, Wealth And Riches

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

No Tents In Heaven!

Contributed by Dr. David Hallum on Jun 24, 2016

I am not a camper. I spent one miserable weekend as a kid in an old, smelly canvas tent. It was designed to sleep 10, but 2 adults and 2 kids kicked, punched and threw sand all over one another all night. And that was while we were asleep. As I said, it was a miserable weekend. When I became ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 9:1-7

Tags: Camp, Tabernacle

Denomination: Baptist

When A Moralistic Mission Misfires!!!

Contributed by Suresh Manoharan on May 22, 2017

Heard of anecdotes when something done with an apparently good intention but in a wrong way went haywire? Here’s one for starters... Who can forget a school time story told often to emphasize the importance of proper usage of punctuation marks? It is said that on account of a last-minute ...read more

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 13:1-14

Tags: Mistakes, Miscalculation

Denomination: *other

Don't Come Home?

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Feb 26, 2021

We have hope. We walk in blessed assurance that Jesus died for us. The 7 years coming on this world will be THE GREAT TRIBULATION. Current, prayed up and ready Christians have nothing to fear. God is in control. We have hope. As the world goes into a paradigm or pattern change the dead in Christ ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:21-22

Tags: Second Coming, Be Ready

Denomination: Assembly Of God

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

Ten Rules For Improving The Church

Contributed by David Parks on Jun 3, 2022

TEN RULES FOR IMPROVING THE CHURCH 1. Tell yourself over and over that since you are not perfect you would not fit into a perfect congregation, if one existed. 2. Instead of picking out the worldly members to point to, pick out the sincere, dedicated, spiritual members and thank God for them. You ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:1-2, 1 Peter 4:8, Matthew 7:1-5

Tags: Church, Encouragement, Judgementalism

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Power To Be The Light

Contributed by Joshua Blackmon on Jun 3, 2024

Smartphones are amazing pieces of technology. Everything my generation went to RadioShack to purchase is now all together in the palm of our hand, including our flashlights. My grandfather loved flashlights. It was okay to get him a new one each year for Christmas or his birthday. He would take a ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:8, John 15:5

Tags: Light, Holy Spirit, Power

Denomination: Pentecostal

Seeing The Light, Reflecting The Light.

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Jan 24, 2025

Did anyone else see the comet during the week, Comet Atlas 3G? Janaki and I went out to Titahi Bay to see it, thankfully we had another dad and daughter park near us who could point it out, otherwise we might not have seen it. The power of their witness was in instructing us where to look. ...read more

Scripture: John 8:12, Matthew 5:14-16

Tags: Witness, Testimony, Salt, Salt And Light, The Light Of God, The Light Of The World, Reflecting Jesus  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Salvation Army

Is He Welcome

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Feb 21, 2025

John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. Sadly, there are many buildings with church on the sign that Jesus is knocking on the door to get in. Some He has never been in and others He had been in but they turned Him by denying the Scriptures. Many people in those buildings ...read more

Scripture: John 1:11

Tags: Service, Wash, Salvation, Confession, Presence, Apostasy  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Growing Up Is So Common And Predictable It's ...

Contributed by Gene Gregory on Jul 24, 2007

Growing up is so common and predictable it’s taken for granted. Until May 1975, when our first child was born, my wife, Mary, and I thought we could just stand back and watch it happen. We had been eagerly planning and anticipating the miracle as only first-time parents can. We had prepared the ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Thy Great ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Thy Great Salvation Regeneration “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured ...read more

Scripture: Titus 3:5-6

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Cups Of The Lord

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Cups of the Lord The Cup of Blessings Psalms 16:5 says, "The Lord is my portion of my inheritance and my cup..." (NAS) What a wonderful blessing, to know that the Lord Himself is our inheritance. Dr. Dewight Jones tells us that there are some 32 cups mentioned in the Word of God. We have ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 16:5

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

So,... You Say You ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

SO,... YOU SAY YOU BELIEVE? A. W. Tozer wrote, “Fortunately only a few things are matters of life and death, such as a compass for a sea voyage or a guide for a journey across the desert. To ignore these things is not to gamble or take a chance; it is to commit suicide. Here it is either be ...read more

Scripture: Acts 11:21

Tags: Trust

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[059]. A Message From A Poem – Distressful Times Will Come Upon Us

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 13, 2025

[059]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – DISTRESSFUL TIMES WILL COME UPON US Are you battling in life because of some problem that won’t go away? Are you weighed down by a stressful matter and can’t shake it? Does your life feel like it is starting to come apart? Do you feel the storms are thundering ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:20, 1 Peter 5:7, Matthew 11:28-30

Tags: Anxiety, Anxious, Distress, Cast, Heavy Laden, I Am With You Always, Stressful, Stressful Living  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Approaching Storm  PRO

Contributed by Steve Hanchett on Jan 15, 2001

APPROACHING STORM "Isaac’s Storm" is a very interesting book about the hurricane that wiped out Galveston in 1900. One of the main plot lines of the book is about how everyone was convinced that a hurricane could never strike Galveston, even as one approached. The author vividly describes how ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:40-45, John 15:1-3

Tags: Healing, Leper, Miracles, Jesus Teachings, Faith, Rescue, Second Coming  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist