In Sermon Illustrations: "The Church In Heaven"

Is There Anyone Up There?

Contributed by Darrin Fish on May 15, 2013

IS THERE ANYONE UP THERE? There once was a tourist who came too close to the edge of the Grand Canyon, lost his footing and plunged over the side, clawing and scratching to save himself. After he disappeared out of sight; and, just before he fell into open space, he stumbled upon a scrubby bush ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 4:1-13

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Christian Church

Unchristian

Contributed by Davon Huss on May 21, 2014

In unChristian, David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, discusses some disheartening research concerning the failure of Christians in our day to remain distinct: "In virtually every study we conduct, representing thousands of interviews every year, born again Christians (talking about people ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 3:18

Tags: Transform, Holiness, Distinctiveness, Moral Living

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Love  PRO

Contributed by Roger Whipp on Dec 31, 2014

Love is one of the most powerful emotions we have. The actress Joan Crawford once said “Love is a fire but whether it warms your heart or burns your house down, you can never tell!” Love can motivate, give pleasure, hurt even destroy. It can make us do bold, even stupid things. During the 17th ...read more

Scripture: John 14:15-31, Romans 5:8

Tags: Love, Holy Spirit, Love And Obedience

Denomination: *other

Being Crucified With Christ

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Aug 11, 2016

As I was typing up the many pages of notes I would use for my weekly podcast sermon, I needed to replace some letters in a name in part of my document with "M-E," so it would read correctly as I recorded. I was trying to use the ’Find & Replace’ command, but it looked a little ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20

Tags: Sin, Flesh, Self, Crucified With Christ, Crucify Flesh, Crucified  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic

Lovers Of The Cross

Contributed by Rev. Dan Hesko on Jul 1, 2017

Thomas a kempis wrote in the Imitation of Christ Jesus has many who love His Kingdom in Heaven, but few who bear His Cross (Luke 14:27). He has many who desire comfort, but few who desire suffering. He finds many to share His feast, but few His fasting. All desire to rejoice with Him, but few are ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:27

Tags: The Cross, Pure Love, Bearing The Cross

Denomination: Catholic

President Leslie Lynch King????

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 12, 2019

Leslie Lynch King, Jr. was born on Monday, July 14, 1913 in Omaha, Nebraska. His parents separated sixteen days after his birth and were divorced the following December. His father was abusive and had a drinking problem. His mother took her baby and moved back to her parents’ home in Grand Rapids, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Tags: Salvation, New Life, Adoption Into God's Family

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How Hard Do You Prepare For Sermons?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 4, 2021

Howard Hendricks shares this insight about the value of preparing and study for sermons... " When I was a college student—I worked in the college dining hall, and on my way to work at 5:30 am. every morning I walked past the home of one of my professors. Through a window I could see the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-3, 2 Timothy 2:15

Tags: Sermons, Shepherding, Feeding The Flock, Sermon Preparation, Studying The Word  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Slow And Steady

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 26, 2022

The power of the Holy Spirit is not just for salvation, but for sanctification, a process that is slow and gradual. The difference might look like this: You can take ten gallons of gasoline and release a tremendous amount of power and energy by just dropping a lighted match into it. It makes a ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:7-8

Tags: Holy Spirit, Energy, Fuel

An Illustration About Ephesians 2:9

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jun 30, 2022

The author of this illustration is G. M. Landis. I have no idea who this person is or was. I had bought a Bible at a thrift store and the piece of paper with this illustration was inside the front cover (this was a hardcover Bible). The illustration itself appears to have been written for a daily ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:9

Tags: Grace, Salvation, Works, G M Landis

Denomination: Baptist

God's View Of People

Contributed by Paul Clemente on Nov 16, 2022

Genesis 8:15-22 Devotional After the flood had dried up, God instructed Noah (v15) and Noah obeyed (v16). Isn’t it interesting that we note birds from the ark but not fish…. Noah, did you keep fish in the ark??? – either he kept fish in the ark or God kept fish in the clouds or God recreated ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 8:15-22

Tags: People, Love, Worship, Sin, God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Moving Story Of A Godly Father

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Mar 13, 2023

Hear our Lords Words: BIBLE Be merciful ... even as your Father (in Heaven) is merciful. END (Luke 6:36) Some time ago ... I heard a touching story .... about a humble, ... consecrated pastor ... whose young son had become.... Extremely ill. After the boy had undergone an exhaustive series of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:36, Proverbs 1:8, Matthew 6:1-18

Tags: Father, Father's Day, Salvation, Godly

Denomination: Anglican

I'm Not A Christian, So...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Dec 28, 2009

"I'M NOT A CHRISTIAN, SO..." You need to know what is going on in the head of a non-saved or pre-saved person. * "I'm not a Christian, so ... I really don't understand this religious stuff. I did try and read bits of the Bible when I was at school, but found it hard to understand. I never went ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Failing To Give Him The Key

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Feb 6, 2010

Failing to Give Him the Key The early years of the 19th century were troubled times in the German confederation. Rumors of revolution and rioting had the federated government in panic. Klemens von Metternich, the chief statesman of the confederation, ordered thousands of young men drafted into the ...read more

Tags: Becoming A Christian

Denomination: Baptist

Goodness That Lasts  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Dec 20, 2001

GOODNESS THAT LASTS A little girl said she liked Santa Claus better than Jesus because "you have to be good for Santa only at Christmas but for Jesus you have to be good all the time." Much of the Christmas observance at church is not far removed from that attitude. ...read more

Tags: Discipleship, Christmas, Birth Of Jesus

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Survey Was Made Of 4000 Laymen In 114 ...

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Jan 6, 2004

A survey was made of 4000 laymen in 114 evangelical churches across the U.S. They were asked, "Do you feel the preaching on Sunday relates to what’s going on in your life?" Over 83% saw virtually no connection between what they heard on Sunday morning and what they ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Little Children Are Usually Painfully Honest. ...

Contributed by Kelly Martin on Jun 16, 2004

Little children are usually painfully honest. One little girl in my church came up to me one Sunday. I picked her up and gave her a hug. She said, "I love you Brother Martin." I replied, "I ...read more

Tags: Children

Denomination: Pentecostal

Dr. Harold Freeman, Former Professor Of ...

Contributed by Ed Wood on Jul 6, 2004

Dr. Harold Freeman, former professor of preaching at SWBTS, tells of a black man who came to Sunday School on a bus and expressed an interest in becoming a Christian. He lived a mile from the church, yet had never heard the name of Jesus. This was in ...read more

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

Denomination: Baptist

Matthew Henry, Comparing The Lawyer To Those Who ...

Contributed by Ray Mckendry on Jul 23, 2004

Matthew Henry, comparing the lawyer to those who come to church out of curiosity, merely to see what is being said but not to take it to heart themselves and make it part of their lives, he says: “It is not enough to speak of the things of God, and to enquire ...read more

Tags: Basics Of Christianity

Denomination: Baptist

The Temptation Of Pride Affects All Kinds Of ...

Contributed by Wes Richard on Sep 16, 2004

The temptation of pride affects all kinds of people. I read of a preacher, Reverend Obadiah Franklin, pastor at Zion United Brethren Church, who prepared a sermon on "humility," and then filed it away. According to the story, he wanted to save it for a special ...read more

Tags: Humility

Denomination: Brethren

K. William Barclay- More Than Half Of The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 10, 2004

K. William Barclay- More than half of the trouble that arises in church concerns rights, places, privileges and prestige. Someone has not been given his or her place, someone hasn’t been thanked, someone has been neglected, someone has been ...read more

Tags: Unity