In Sermon Illustrations: "United States Of America"

What If I Owned A Greenhouse That Had Been Given ...  PRO

Contributed by Darren Ethier on May 9, 2002

What if I owned a greenhouse that had been given to me by my father? He used state of the art equipment to create the ideal structure for growth. The atmosphere is perfect. The lighting exact. The temperature is suited for flowers, fruit, or anything I want, and what I want is flowers and fruit. I ...read more

Tags: Character, Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Pentecostal

Where Christ Would Be  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 9, 2002

WHERE CHRIST WOULD BE At the state university I attended, I knew a history professor who was a Christian. He would go down to a local nursing home and visit with the elderly men and women there on a weekly basis. Though some were lovingly visited every day by their families – having been sent ...read more

There Was A Very Poor Man Down In West Texas In ...  PRO

Contributed by Ed Wood on Jun 7, 2002

There was a very poor man down in West Texas in the 1930s who barely made a living on a very poor sheep farm around Odessa and Midland. His name was E. L. Yates and he was so poor that he was contemplating bankruptcy and allowing the bank to repossess his farm. He was constantly worrying about how ...read more

Scripture: Mark 16:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

Honoring Our Fathers  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 9, 2002

HONORING OUR FATHERS I believe there is something in us--a law written on our hearts--that says, "Honor your father and mother." That’s how it’s stated in the Bible, but you’ll find it in all of the world’s religions. The ancient Chinese Analects advise, "surely proper behaviour to parent and ...read more

Tags: Children, Commandments Parents, Father's Day

Criticism Is Always Difficult To Accept, But If ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Jun 2, 2002

Criticism is always difficult to accept, but if we receive it with humility and a desire to improve our character it can be very helpful. Only a fool does not profit when he is rebuked for his mistakes. Several years ago I read a helpful article on this subject. It stated that when we are ...read more

Scripture: Luke 23:34

Tags: Humility, Christian Disciplines, Forgiveness General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How To Turn A Disagreement Into A Feud

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Jun 12, 2001

How to turn a disagreement into a feud: 1. Be sure to develop and maintain a healthy fear of conflict, letting your own feelings build up so you are in an explosive frame of mind. 2. If you must state your concerns, be as vague and general as possible. Then the other person cannot do anything ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Anger, Dealing With Conflicts

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God's Word Directs Us In Malachi That In Order To ...

Contributed by Captain David Kauffman on Nov 4, 2006

God’s Word directs us in Malachi that in order to “stop” the cycle of withholding we must “release” those things we hold of value. To borrow a phrase form a 1980’s fire awareness TV commercial I say we must STOP, DROP, and ROLL! If we can liken our “hurts” to a fire: It consumes absolutely – ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Did You Know That The Idea For Mother's Day Was ...  PRO

Contributed by Tony Abram on Mar 23, 2007

Did you know that the idea for Mother’s Day was born in a small Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia? It was 1876 and the nation still mourned the Civil War dead. While teaching a Memorial Day lesson, Mrs. Anna Reeves Jarvis thought of mothers who had lost their sons. She prayed that one ...read more

Christian Missionaries First Went To Africa 200 ...

Contributed by W F on Mar 24, 2007

Christian missionaries first went to Africa 200 years ago. One of the groups they sought to "convert" there were these bushmen of the Kalahari desert. However, this article pointed out that the bushmen of the Denui village in particular, consistently refused to become Christians. Instead they have ...read more

Denomination: *other

We Live In A Society That Has This Upside Down. ...

Contributed by Dale Harlow on Dec 17, 2007

We live in a society that has this upside down. A guy gets arrested for dog fighting. He is in big trouble. It is not only federal trouble, but the state is going to try him for animal cruelty too. Now I want you to know that I am not opposed to that. I joke about not liking dogs, but I am ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

But, In 1787, A Group Of Well-Known And Powerful ...

Contributed by Todd Pugh on Jan 14, 2008

But, in 1787, a group of well-known and powerful Philadelphians (called the Philadelphia Society) convened in the home of Benjamin Franklin. Dr. Benjamin Rush spoke on the Society’s goal, to see the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania set the international standard in prison design. He proposed a radical ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

I Close With A Story From Becky Tirabassi Whose ...

Contributed by Jim Kane on Feb 18, 2008

I close with a story from Becky Tirabassi whose wrote the article posted at Christianity Today.com I spoke of earlier that illustrates one young man’s desire to be free in Christ. While speaking at Oregon State, ‘in front of 1,000 students,’ she wrote, ‘near the end of my message, a young man ...read more

Denomination: Church Of God

In One Of My Sources, I Read This About The ‘wise ...

Contributed by Jim Kane on Sep 27, 2008

In one of my sources, I read this about the ‘wise men’ and some of it was news to me! "Not much is known about these astrologers (traditionally called wise men). We don't know where they came from or how many there were. Tradition says they were men of high position from Parthia, near the site of ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Church Of God

N India This Week (Early Oct., 2008), Here Is The ...

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Oct 15, 2008

n India this week (early Oct., 2008), here is the latest: "Christians feel unsafe even under government protection, and are leaving the refugee camps to escape to other areas of India. In Kandhamal, the destruction has continued for more than a month. Bhubaneshwar (AsiaNews) - About 12,000 people ...read more

Tags: Persecution

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Don't Have To Spank Me

Contributed by Rev. Ryan Peters on Nov 3, 2008

DON'T HAVE TO SPANK ME During the normal works of the day, Jenny the local Pastor’s wife is watching her three little boys while her husband is at the church. When all of a sudden she hears a large crash in the living room, and when she runs in to see what it was there was little 4-year-old Brian ...read more

Tags: Children

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Simple Story

Contributed by Christopher Kennedy on Jan 22, 2009

THE SIMPLE STORY Last week, I met in the worship center with the four-year-olds from the school and we talked about what pastors do. After I was done showing them my robe and stoles and my private Communion kit and talking about the different places a pastor stands in church to talk about Jesus, I ...read more

Tags: Cross

Denomination: Lutheran

The Word And The Spirit Working Together

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Dec 8, 2010

THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT WORKING TOGETHER Why does Satan hate Jesus? Why does He not even want to hear His name? Why does that which is evil hate that which is good? Maybe it has something to do with graveyards? Yes, you heard me right graveyards. Jesus loves to go into graveyards and raise the ...read more

Tags: Jesus' Ministry

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Pennies From Heaven  PRO

Contributed by Michael Walther on Jul 11, 2011

PENNIES FROM HEAVEN Many of the farms in the state of Nebraska are right on the edge of the fertile plains that receive enough rainfall to produce abundant crops. Some years the yields can be a little lower simply because they are not blessed with as much rain as other farmers. Being so dependent ...read more

Tags: Bible Truth

Denomination: Lutheran

Firm Foundation  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 5, 2011

FIRM FOUNDATION Ravi Zacharias told about doing a lectureship several years ago at the Ohio State University. As he was being driven to the lecture, they passed what was then the "new" Wexner Art Center. The driver commented, "This is a new art building for the university. It is a fascinating ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:24-27

Tags: Foundation

Bad News, Then Good News  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 15, 2011

BAD NEWS, THEN GOOD NEWS Nearly 20 years ago at the height of Operation Desert Storm, Ruth Dillow received a very sad message from the Pentagon. The message stated that her son, Clayton had stepped on a landmine in Kuwait and was killed. Ruth later wrote these words, "I can't begin to describe my ...read more

Scripture: John 20:1-20, Matthew 28:8

Tags: Emmaus Road, Post Easter, Easter Resurrection