In Sermon Illustrations: "The Signs Of The Times"

The Mark Of Jesus  PRO

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Feb 17, 2012

THE MARK OF JESUS When I was pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Levelland, there was a man in our church, the owner of a local business and a highly intentional Christian. The apostle Paul once said of himself that he bore "on [his] body the marks of Jesus" (Gal. 6:17). Well, this man bore ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:25-33

Tags: Sanctification

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Augustine And The Four States Of Man  PRO

Contributed by Terry Barnhill on Mar 5, 2012

AUGUSTINE AND THE FOUR STATES OF MAN In the 5th century AD, St. Augustine wrote about the "4 States of Man": * The first state of man (the haec sunt prima) is "living according to the flesh -- with reason making no resistance." This can be seen in so many ancient cultures and religions (and ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-15

Tags: Allegory

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Keeper Of The Springs By Peter Marshall  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 8, 2012

THE KEEPER OF THE SPRINGS by Peter Marshall Once upon a time, a certain town grew up at the foot of a mountain range. It was sheltered in the lee of the protecting heights, so that the wind that shuddered at the doors and flung handfuls of sleet against the window panes was a wind whose fury was ...read more

Scripture: John 4:4-42

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Hybels' Evangelism Formula For Maximum Impact  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 21, 2012

HYBELS' EVANGELISM FORMULA FOR MAXIMUM IMPACT We call this relational evangelism, and I have spoken of this many times before. It is showing people that we care, it is about building relationships with people who may not know Jesus and in that relationship, bringing them to a place where they can ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:27-32

Tags: Evangelism How To

Using The Resources You Have  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 18, 2012

USING THE RESOURCES YOU HAVE At 12:55 pm the mayday call crackled through the speakers at the Flight Service Station on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. The desperate pilot of a Piper A22, a small single-engine plane, was reporting that he had run out of fuel and was preparing to ditch the aircraft in ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30, Ruth 1:1-5

Tags: Grace, Stewardship, Investment, Value, Give Back  (view more)  (view less)

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

Adversity

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 27, 2014

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” - Mary Anne Radmacher Sometimes life deals us a situation so adverse, a loss so great, we feel unable to meet the challenge of facing day after day in our pain and loss. ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:3-5

Tags: Adversity, Courage, Perserverance, Trials

Denomination: Charismatic

Atitudes

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Jan 6, 2016

YOU CHOOSE? YOUR CHOICES WILL CONTROL THE OUT GOING AND IN COMING 120 years ago there was a family moving from Georgetown to Johnstown. A new opportunity farming was before them. So they loaded up their covered wagon, hitched up the horses, said farewell and away they went. The journey from ...read more

Scripture: Job 2:9-10

Tags: Attitude, Choices

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Hand Motions For The 10 Commandments  PRO

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 10, 2016

HAND MOTIONS FOR THE 10 COMMANDMENTS Here are some easy to learn hand motions I have learned as I started my new teaching series on the Ten Commandments ("The Big Ten"). I believe it will help you and your church family remember the Ten Commandments from Exodus 20: COMMANDMENT #1 You shall have ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 20:1-17

Tags: Exodus, Ten Commandments, Memorizing The Word

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In His Book, "Leadership Pain: God’s Classroo...

Contributed by Tim Smith on Sep 25, 2016

In his book, “Leadership Pain: God’s Classroom for Growth,” Sam Chand writes, “Pain isn’t the enemy. The inability or unwillingness to face pain is a far greater danger.” He then tells the story of Dr. Paul Brand who was treating a four year old named Tanya at the national leprosy hospital in ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:25-32

Tags: Pain, Thankful For Pain

Denomination: Methodist

Taking Out The Trash

Contributed by Paul Steen on Dec 12, 2016

When my wife and I got married, we were able to move into a small little house. It was just right for us two kids. We soon realized, however, that we needed to have a discussion about the division of duties. I was the bigger of the two of us and we decided that I would be responsible for taking ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 13:11-13

Tags: Jesus, Suffering, Rejection, Shame, Trash, Mocked, Outside The Camp, Jesus Suffered  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Servant

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Mar 27, 2018

Nantucket, Massachusetts is located next to important shipping lanes running along the East Coast. Toward the end of the 1800s, sailing ships were in their heyday. Nantucket Island saw hundreds of vessels passing by each day—all navigating without the advantages of modern technology. Treacherous ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:1-27

Tags: Evangelism, Servant Attitude

Denomination: Baptist

A Lesson From A Damaged Lock

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Nov 20, 2019

Moving from one place to another is always a challenge, no matter how many times you’ve gone through this “process”! My wife and I recently made a move and learned a strange, but interesting lesson—one that was valuable for us, too. As sometimes happens, there is too much stuff and not enough ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:19-20

Tags: Possessions, Worldly Goods, Theft

Denomination: Baptist

A Drop Or Two Of Bluing?

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Dec 25, 2019

How many of you remember bluing solution? Way back in the early to mid ‘60’s, Mom and Grandma would never finish a load of wash (laundry, if you prefer!) without adding some bluing when they did the whites. Now, I never understood why they did this but one of the two explained it kind of like this: ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 1:18, Isaiah 64:6, Psalm 51:7, 1 John 1:7

Tags: Forgiveness, Cleansing From Sin

Denomination: Baptist

A Lesson From A Pair Of Mildewed Shoes

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Mar 22, 2020

A number of years ago I received a three-year assignment to Okinawa, Japan, as part of my Air Force experience. Hardly anybody I knew had much knowledge of that part of the world, so we really had no idea what to expect. We were in for a number of surprises! We lived in a motel, basically, for a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:33-34

Tags: Shoes, Life's Problems

Denomination: Baptist

Any Believer Can Be A "Man Of God”

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jul 7, 2020

Any believer can be a “man of God” Text: 2 Tim 3:17 That the man of God (any believer in Jesus!) may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. Thoughts: Only a few people were ever called a “man of God” in the Bible. Some were never known; at least four were never named, and one, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

Tags: Paul, Man Of God, Timothy

Denomination: Baptist

What Will Follow You When You're Gone?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 17, 2020

You make a choice of which will one you leave behind to others - Blessings or Curses. Jonathan Edwards, was a Puritan Preacher in the 1700s. He was one of the most respected preachers in his day. He attended Yale at the age of thirteen and later went on to become the president of Princeton ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1-6

Tags: Blessings, Curses, Generational Sins

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Growing Through Pain

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Oct 2, 2020

Paul Tournier, the famous Swiss physician and counselor, reported his surprise in his book Creative Suffering upon reading an article entitled “Orphans Lead the World.” The article appeared in a respected medical journal and surveyed the lives of 300 leaders who had an impact on world history. ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:14-27

Tags: Holy Spirit, Suffering

Denomination: Baptist

Reprove An Erring Brother, Do Not Reproach Him

Contributed by James Dina on Oct 7, 2020

REPROVE AN ERRING BROTHER, DO NOT REPROACH HIM Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you, reprove a wise man and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser, teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning." (Proverbs 9:8-9) We should have respect ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 9:8

Tags: Correct In Love, Reprove

Denomination: Pentecostal

Unsung Heroes: He Helped David With The Sheep

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Nov 14, 2020

Text, 1 Samuel 17:20-21, KJV: 20And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle. 21For Israel and the Philistines had put the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:20-21

Tags: David, Sheep, Shepherding

Denomination: Baptist