In Sermon Illustrations: "Used For Good"

Dennis Said, "I Don't Think I've Ever ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Dec 22, 2000

ILL. Dennis said, "I don’t think I’ve ever experienced greater culture shock than what I experienced at the very first Thai village we visited. This was a village which the missionaries had not yet reached with the good news of Jesus. The people were still living with all their superstitions & ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:20-26

Tags: God Brings Hope

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Most Toys? (09.08.05--The Temporal ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Sep 6, 2005

The Most Toys? (09.08.05--The Temporal Things!--Matthew 16:26) The world teaches this--You can never have too much of a good thing! We must always have enough or we are being somehow cheated of that which we truly deserve. If one were to ever wonder why we live in such a greedy world, this tenet, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:26

Tags: Finding Fulfillment

Denomination: Lutheran

Hold That Thought!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jan 23, 2020

One church where I served as pastor has a ping-pong table in the fellowship hall, and sometimes a younger member or two asked me to join them in a game. Now, I was old enough to be their grandfather but that doesn’t stop them from asking! I did appreciate the fact that these youngsters, aged around ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:8

Tags: Children, Thoughts, Fun And Games

Denomination: Baptist

In His Book, "Mere Christianity," C.s. Lewis ...  PRO

Contributed by John Hamby on Jun 25, 2002

In his book, “Mere Christianity,” C.S. Lewis declares, “God is going to invade this earth in force. But what is the good of saying you are on his side then, when you see the whole universe melting away like a dream, and something else - something it never entered your head to conceive - comes ...read more

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

Denomination: Baptist

Rules To Help Women Understand Men:  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jun 20, 2005

Rules to Help Women Understand Men: 1. Learn to work the toilet seat. If it’s up- don’t come tell us about it. Put it down. 2. Don’t make us guess. 3. If you ask a question you don’t want an answer to- expect an answer you don’t want to hear. 4. Sometimes we’re not thinking about you. 5. We’re ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:2

Tags: Men And Women, Women

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Do Not Conform Any Longer To The Pattern Of This ...

Contributed by Doane Brubaker on Aug 28, 2007

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Rom 12:2, NIV) The word we translate “conform” is schema. We get from it words like ...read more

Denomination: Mennonite

A Safe Place

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Mar 3, 2012

A SAFE PLACE Some years ago, I used to see Project Safe Place signs. Perhaps you have seen them too. They were most often displayed on houses along residential streets, or on fire stations, or even on public library buildings. They are diamond-shaped with a yellow background and a black logo, ...read more

Tags: Security

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

My First Staff Position In A Church Was As The ...  PRO

Contributed by Chris Surber on Jun 21, 2008

My first staff position in a church was as the Associate Pastor of The Kirk Community Church in Dunedin, Florida. I normally arrived at church early but on this particular morning my wife and I had arrived just a few minutes before the worship service was to begin. As my wife Christina unbuckled ...read more

Tags: Church Purpose Of

Denomination: Christian Church

Friends And Acquaintances?

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jan 26, 2020

Junior high/middle school basketball is always fun to play, and more fun to watch. These youngsters have acquired some skill—more or less—and it’s still more for fun than for competition. Oh, sure, we wanted to win, and few athletes that don’t want to win will ever get very far in any kind of ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:3

Tags: Youth, Book Of Life, Athletics, Friends, Relationship  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Redefining Sin

Contributed by Bret Toman on Jan 4, 2011

REDEFINING SIN "In recent years, and especially since the 1960s, the democratic societies of the West have been enlarging the boundaries of acceptable behaviour, in effect redefining sin. The sexual revolution of my youth dismantled barriers against premarital sex and encouraged open marriages. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:1-11

Tags: Sin Exposed

Denomination: Baptist

Moved By Grace

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Apr 20, 2023

The word itself... grace... has become trite and debased through misuse and overuse. It does not move us the way it moved our early Christian ancestors. In some European countries, certain high ecclesiastical officials are still called, Your Grace. Sportswriters spoke of Michael Jordan's easy ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:17

Tags: Grace, Lacking In Grace, Scandal Of Grace

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Undefiled Mouth

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

"Undefiled Mouth" The Holy Spirit illuminated child of God knows that he has received mercy from God, therefore he wants to make Biblical sacrifices that are pleasing to God. Romans 12:1-2 gives clear instructions on how to be a living sacrifice unto the Lord. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2

Tags: Holiness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Many Years Ago C.s. Lewis Wrote The Screwtape ...  PRO

Contributed by Tim Zingale on Dec 4, 2003

Many years ago C.S. Lewis wrote the Screwtape Letters. Screwtape was an assistant devil writing to his nephew Wormwood. Screwtape was telling his nephew how to make the "patient" leave the camp of the arch enemy, the Prince of Peace, and dwell in the camp of the real boss, the prince of darkness. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:4, Matthew 3:1-12

Tags: Temptation Pride

Denomination: Lutheran

Perhaps You Are Familiar With The Greeting Or ...

Contributed by R. David Reynolds on Sep 6, 2005

Perhaps you are familiar with the greeting or call to worship whereby the pastor or liturgist declares, “God Is Good,” and the people, respond, “All the Time.” The pastor affirms, “All the time,” and the congregation declares, “God is Good.” Many United Methodists use it frequently as a ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

Denomination: Methodist

Is There A Difference?  PRO

Contributed by Brian Mavis on Jul 26, 2002

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE? In their recent book "Unveiling Islam," Emir and Ergun Caner, former Sunni Muslims cite the major differences between Islam and Christianity as the "personalness" of God, and "grace as opposed to works." "Jesus Christ ... is ultimately personal and wants to have a ...read more

Scripture: John 14:6

Tags: World Religions, Faith Vs. Works, God's Forgiveness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Key Called Promise

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 2, 2012

THE KEY CALLED PROMISE In John Bunyan's great allegory, Pilgrim's Progress, the incident is related of how Christian decides to leave the Main Highway and follow another Path which seemed easier. But this Path leads him into the territory of Giant Despair who owns Doubting Castle. Eventually he ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 6:13-20

Tags: Promises Of God

Excuses: Any Will Do?  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Jan 17, 2002

Zig Ziglar writes: My brother, the late Judge Ziglar, loved to tell the story of the fellow who went next door to borrow his neighbor’s lawnmower. The neighbor explained that he could not let him use the mower because all the flights had been canceled from New York to Los Angeles. The borrower ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:7

Tags: Character, Growth In Christ, Workplace

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Sin Breaks Fellowship With God. A Little Girl ...  PRO

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Mar 5, 2003

"Sin breaks fellowship with God. A little girl committed a certain offense, and when her mother discovered it she began to question her daughter. Immediately the child lost her smile and a cloud darkened her face as she said, "Mother, I do not feel like talking." So it is when our fellowship ...read more

Tags: Sin Separates From God

Denomination: United Methodist

Quote: John F. Kennedy: Inaugural Address Jan. ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jun 8, 2005

Quote: John F. Kennedy: Inaugural Address Jan. 20, 1961 “…my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man. Finally, whether ...read more

Tags: Holidays Civic, Independence Day

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Was On A Mission Trip To North Carolina A Few ...

Contributed by Kory Wilcoxson on Mar 12, 2006

I was on a mission trip to North Carolina a few years ago, working on a house that had been flooded by a recent hurricane. A few youth and I were assigned to clean out the pool, which had been filled to the top with floodwaters and creepy-crawlies and sticks that looked liked snakes and made ...read more

Tags: Faith General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ