In Sermon Illustrations: "What Is Holy Spirit"

Second Thoughts Can Be Dangerous To My Health

Contributed by James Snyder on Mar 30, 2024

Many things in life can be rather dangerous. For me, the most dangerous things in my life are thoughts. I thought about this one day, and by the end of the day, I was in deep trouble. Thoughts have a way of doing that with me. My New Year’s resolution one year was to have one thought per day. ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:12

Tags: Obedience, Opinion, Thoughts

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

The Blood And Water  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Mar 24, 2013

THE BLOOD AND WATER Before I became a minister I attended a secular college for a couple of years. While I was there I took several classes I thought would help me when I went to Bible college, and some of those classes were in Philosophy. Now Philosophy and Christianity are somewhat at odds. ...read more

Tags: Blood Of Christ

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Some Thoughts On The 4b Movement

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Nov 15, 2024

Introduction: Ever since the November 2024 American elections, there seems to be more and more reference to the “4B” movement. That this movement began in South Korea a number of years ago seems to be of little importance to any number of American women. This is especially true of those American ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:19, Romans 13:9, Acts 15:29

Tags: Women, Christian Living, 4b Movement

Denomination: Baptist

Bill Hybels, The Pastor Of Willow Creek Church ...  PRO

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jul 3, 2005

Bill Hybels, the pastor of Willow Creek Church in Chicago which as over 20,000 people in attendance each week, tells the story of an encounter he had with a young woman: “I recall one time being in a restaurant studying for a message, and a gal looked over from her table and saw me reading my ...read more

Tags: Judgment, Belief

Denomination: Methodist

Not Mixed Veggies! (09.23.05--Grace ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Sep 21, 2005

Not Mixed Veggies! (09.23.05--Grace Walks!--Isaiah 4:2-4) As we recently joined a local CSA, a farmer’s cooperative whereby we receive our vegetables on a regular basis from a local farm, our refrigerator has been pretty consistently stuffed with vegetables of all sorts. From squashes to ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 4:2-4

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Lutheran

Seeing Only You! (10.14.05--Sacrifice!--Leviticus ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Oct 12, 2005

Seeing Only You! (10.14.05--Sacrifice!--Leviticus 1:2) Think about it; a world free from the chains of pain and suffering--a place where accomplishment reigned and failure rarely reared its ugly head. Since sacrifice requires so much effort and consumes so much valuable time, wouldn’t we be far ...read more

Scripture: Leviticus 1:2

Tags: Cross Agony

Denomination: Lutheran

Osceola Mccarty, African-American Philanthropist  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 3, 2009

Osceola McCarty, African-American Philanthropist The late great African-American laundry woman, author, and philanthropist, Osceola McCarty (1908 - 1999), did one thing all of her life: laundry! For decades, Osceola, a frugal Christian woman who never bought a car - who never got married - who ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 26:6-13

Tags: Giving General

Not A Slave? Think Again

Contributed by Nickolas Kooi on Jun 22, 2017

Paul says that you were a slave. Slavery is unfortunately still alive and well in our world. The story of a young girl named “Dodzi” is a common one in Ghana. Dodzi was orphaned at nine months and lived with her Grandmother, who served as her guardian. Her Grandmother had a lot on her plate as ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:12-23

Tags: Sin, Slave

Denomination: Lutheran

Between You And ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 23, 2008

BETWEEN YOU AND GOD I conclude with a story that I heard Pastor Larry Booker tell in a sermon he preached on August 4, 2007 at the First Pentecostal Church of North Little Rock, Arkansas. The title of the message was "Three Attitudes of Jewish Babylon." I understand just as you do that holiness ...read more

Tags: Obedience

Which Way, O Lord?  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Which Way, O Lord? "This is what the Lord says; 'Stand at the crossroads and look... ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.'" Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV) The way many people attempt to determine the will of God would make a great new television ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 6:16

Tags: Character

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

On ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 13, 2009

ON PRAYER Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer told a story on the subject of prayer. A certain minister was in the habit of profound prayers, oftentimes resorting to words beyond the understanding of his simple flock. This went on week after week, to the dismay and frustration of the congregation. At last, a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:5-15

Tags: Prayer How To

Monk Story  PRO

Contributed by Andrew Hamilton on Sep 29, 2002

Monk Story There is a story told of an old monastery that had fallen upon hard times. It was once a great order, but as a result of waves of anti-monastic persecution in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and the rise of secularism in the nineteenth, all its branch houses were lost and it ...read more

Tags: Christian Love, Romantic Love

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Reward For Doing Right

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 1, 2008

REWARD FOR DOING RIGHT Joseph told Israel of his brother's evil doings. He was faithful to reveal rather than conceal the matter. Certainly it took a great deal of courage to do what he did. The exercising of that courage showed forth faithfulness. He also was faithful to his job requirements. ...read more

Tags: Righteousness

Reward For Doing Right: Joseph Told Israel Of His ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 12, 2008

Reward for Doing Right: Joseph told Israel of his brother’s evil doings. He was faithful to reveal rather than conceal the matter. Certainly it took a great deal of courage to do what he did. The exercising of that courage showed forth faithfulness. He also was faithful to his job requirements. ...read more

Tags: Ot Characters

Reward For Doing Right: Joseph Told Israel Of His ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

Reward for Doing Right: Joseph told Israel of his brother’s evil doings. He was faithful to reveal rather than conceal the matter. Certainly it took a great deal of courage to do what he did. The exercising of that courage showed forth faithfulness. He also was faithful to his job requirements. ...read more

Tags: Ot Characters

Authentic Worship  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 12, 2002

AUTHENTIC WORSHIP In his article ’Celebrating God in Authentic Worship’, pastor Glenn Wagner (Calvary Church, Charlotte, NC) points out: "I believe that one of the most evangelistic tools the church possesses, one desperately needed in today’s society, is authentic worship. People want to know, ...read more

Scripture: John 4:24

Tags: Church Practices, Worship Purpose

A Couple Of Years Ago, Newsweek Magazine Ran An ...  PRO

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jun 6, 2005

A couple of years ago, Newsweek magazine ran an article on “Faith and Healing.” The article began with this unsettling story: “On a quiet Saturday afternoon, Ming He, a fourth-year medical student in Dallas, came across a man dying in the VA Hospital. Suffering from a rare cancer and hooked up ...read more

Tags: Fulfillment

Denomination: Methodist

James S. Hewett Tells This Story. "A Tyrannical ...  PRO

Contributed by R. David Reynolds on Jun 18, 2006

James S. Hewett tells this story. “A tyrannical husband demanded that his wife conform to rigid standards of his choosing. She was to do certain things for him as a wife, mother, and homemaker. In time she came to hate her husband as much as she hated his list of rules and regulations. Then, ...read more

Tags: Parenting

Denomination: Methodist

G. K. Chesterton, In His Book Orthodoxy, Writes ...  PRO

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Dec 17, 2006

G. K. Chesterton, in his book Orthodoxy, writes about creation and the creative enthusiasm of God. He says: “A child kicks his legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life. Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

Everyone Needs This List To ...

Contributed by Tony Abram on Aug 20, 2009

Everyone Needs this List to Live. * The most destructive habit: Worry, * The greatest Joy: Giving, * The greatest loss: Loss of self-respect, * The most satisfying work: Helping others, * The ugliest personality trait: Selfishness, * The most endangered species: Dedicated ...read more

Tags: Christian Values