In Sermon Illustrations: "Trials Mature Us"

The Ability To Think Straight, Some Knowledge ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"The ability to think straight, some knowledge of the past, some vision of the future, some skill to do useful service, some urge to fit that service into the well-being of the community these are the most vital things education must try to produce. If we can achieve them in the citizens of our ...read more

Tags: Culture

Children Born Out Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 30, 2008

CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK 40% of all babies born in the U.S. in 2006 (most recent data) were born out of wedlock, double the rate of 1980. More than 80% of babies born to teen moms in the U.S. in ’06 were born outside of marriage. 60% of babies born to ...read more

Tags: Sexuality

The Frantic Side Of Christmas

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Oct 29, 2008

THE FRANTIC SIDE OF CHRISTMAS Christmas Eve was a hectic day. Father was worried with bundles and burdens. Mother's nerves reached the breaking point more than once. The little girl seemed to be in the way wherever she went. Finally, she was hustled up to bed. As she knelt to pray, the ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Pentecostal

New Earth

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jun 1, 2009

Randy Alcorn: How many of us are truly looking forward to the New Earth? Consciously? Daily? In our idle moments, when our mind gravitates to whatever excites and interests us the most, what do we think about? A new car? A movie? A business opportunity? A chance to get rich? An attractive ...read more

Tags: Heaven

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Attitude Pattern: Jonah

Contributed by Timothy Gardner on Nov 7, 2009

ATTITUDE PATTERN: JONAH The pattern of attitude toward God: We bailed when God says go. A storm brews. Our shipmates are scared. We admit it’s our fault. We are thrown from the boat. We sink. Something big swallows us. We repent. We pray ...read more

Tags: Jonah

Denomination: Salvation Army

Have You Ever Gone Outside And Worked In Your ...

Contributed by Steve Gulbronson on May 20, 2010

Have you ever gone outside and worked in your yard all day? You come inside,look in the mirror, and see how filthy you are. You can’t wait to get in the shower and wash yourself off with soap and water. God’s Word is a mirror, revealing to us just how dirty we are. ...read more

Tags: Cleansing, Blood Of Christ

Denomination: Bible Church

My Favorite Christmas Card Greeting

Contributed by David Simpson on Dec 16, 2012

My favorite Christmas card greeting is one I received many years ago. It describes the birth of Jesus in a nutshell. The printed greeting read: "He became what we are so we could become what he is." God has come through Jesus to dwell among us. He gave up the wonders of ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Christian Church

In Donald Miller's Book "Blue Like Jazz," He Has ...  PRO

Contributed by Mike Wilkins on Aug 4, 2005

In Donald Miller’s book “Blue Like Jazz,” he has a chapter called “Love: How to Really Love Other People” He was at a lecture by Greg Spencer that talked about the metaphors that we use around (amongst other things) relationships. We talk about how we value people, invest in people, how we say ...read more

Tags: Compassion, Unconditional Love

Denomination: *other

How To Get Kicked Out Of Church On Christmas Eve  PRO

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Dec 15, 2008

HOW TO GET KICKED OUT OF CHURCH ON CHRISTMAS EVE Christmas Eve 1990. I came this close to being physically thrown out of church. We were new to town and we heard that a certain church in town had a fantastic Christmas Eve service. So, we went with some friends, about ten of us total, to this ...read more

Tags: Christmas, Advent, Christmas Eve, Hymn, Hymnal, Hard To Believe, Way, Choir, New Jersey, Shut Up, Kicked Out, Go Away, Eject, Sing, Quiet, Song, Silent Night, Usher, Funny  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

For It Is Feeling And Force Of Imagination That ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

For it is feeling and force of imagination that ...read more

There Is A Great Deal Of Unmapped Country Within ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

There is a great deal of unmapped ...read more

Tags: Possibilities

Words Are Seductive And Dangerous Material To Be ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

Words are seductive and dangerous material to be ...read more

Tags: Words

God's Forgiveness Is Not For Decoration, It Is ...

Contributed by John Petty on Jan 18, 2008

"God's forgiveness is not for decoration, it is for ...read more

Denomination: Church Of God

The Great Violinist, Niccolo Paganini Willed His ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Hensley on May 31, 2001

The great violinist, Niccolo Paganini willed his marvelous violin to city of Genoa on condition that it must never be played. The wood of such an instrument, while used and handled, wears only slightly, but set aside, it begins to decay. Paganini’s lovely violin has today become worm-eaten ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:13

Tags: Love Of The Disciples, Servanthood, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Baptist

C.s. Lewis Observed, "You Can Shut Him Up For A ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Hensley on Aug 30, 2001

C.S. Lewis observed, "You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left ...read more

Tags: Jesus Teachings, Apologetics Jesus, Trinity

Denomination: Baptist

The Wrong Virgin  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Nov 21, 2001

[The Wrong Virgin] A minister had run out of time to prepare for a sudden funeral. Using the latest technology, he went to his computer and found the funeral service he had used last, and doing a global "search and replace," had the computer put in the name of the newly deceased, "Edna," as a ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

James Packer: Sixfold Activity: Praising God ...  PRO

Contributed by Steven Simala Grant on Feb 11, 2003

James Packer: sixfold activity: praising God for all that he is and all his achievements; thanking him for his gifts and his goodness to us; asking him to meet our own and others’ needs; offering him our gifts, our service, and ourselves; learning of him from his word, read and preached, and ...read more

Scripture: John 4:23

Tags: Worship Definition

Denomination: Baptist

A Mother Was Trying To Explaining, To Her Little ...

Contributed by David Hill on Jul 8, 2004

A mother was trying to explaining, to her little girl, the death of her father. The mother said: "God has sent for your father and will send for us, but I do not know just when." Finally, the little girl said: "If we do not know just when God is going to send for ...read more

Tags: Hell

Denomination: Baptist

T.w. Hunt Said In His Book "The Doctrine Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Simms on Jul 11, 2004

T.W. Hunt said in his book “The Doctrine of Prayer” “Selfishness brings into our experience a danger so great that God knows He cannot coddle us with answers hostile to the very thing He is working to achieve in us. I would not give a murderer a knife to pamper one of his whims. God will not ...read more

Tags: Prayer Adoration

Denomination: Baptist

Mega Churches: How Big? More Than 1.7 Million ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 6, 2006

Mega Churches: How Big? More than 1.7 million Protestants in the U.S. now attend mega-churches (churches that have a weekly attendance of 2,000 plus). That’s out of a pool of 105 to 111 million people who attend Christian churches weekly. Since 1970, the ...read more

Tags: Church General