In Sermon Illustrations: "Why Christ Came"

Fans Often Confuse Their Admiration For ...

Contributed by Kevin Karhoff on Feb 11, 2013

"Fans often confuse their admiration for devotion. They mistake their knowledge of Jesus for intimacy with Jesus. Fans assume their good intentions make up ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:18-25

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Most Of Us Don't Mind Jesus Making Some Minor ...  PRO

Contributed by Kevin Karhoff on Feb 18, 2013

Most of us don’t mind Jesus making some minor change in our lives but Jesus wants to turn our lives upside down. Fans don’t mind him doing a little touch up work, but Jesus wants complete renovation. Fans come to Jesus thinking tune up, but Jesus is thinking overhaul. Fans think a little makeup ...read more

Scripture: John 3:11-18, John 3:1-18

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

One Way Fans Try To Follow Jesus Without Denying ...  PRO

Contributed by Kevin Karhoff on Mar 4, 2013

One way fans try to follow Jesus without denying themselves is by compartmentalizing the areas of their lives they don’t want him to have access to. They try to negotiate the terms of the deal. I’ll follow Jesus, but I’m not going to sell my possessions. Don’t ask me to forgive the people who ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:16-22

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Relationships Inside And Out

Contributed by Kevin Karhoff on Mar 5, 2013

RELATIONSHIPS INSIDE AND OUT If I saw our relationship (with his wife) as a bunch of rules I had to keep, I would quickly become bitter and miserable. I would likely rebel and break the rules when she wasn’t paying attention. But I am passionately in love with my wife and that translates into a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 23:13-36

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Fans Of Jesus

Contributed by Kevin Karhoff on Mar 5, 2013

FANS OF JESUS Fans of Jesus sooner or later find themselves exhausted. Fans grow tired or trying to maintain an outer appearance that doesn’t match an inner passion. They find themselves weary of trying to keep all the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 23:13-36

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Being Filled With The Power Of The Spirit Begins ...  PRO

Contributed by Kevin Karhoff on Mar 12, 2013

Being filled with the power of the Spirit begins with an honest acknowledgement of our own weakness. The truth is that most of us go to great lengths to ...read more

Scripture: John 16:5-15

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Asterisk

Contributed by Kevin Karhoff on Mar 12, 2013

THE ASTERISK When we read the word anyone in the invitation of Jesus we can’t help but think there must be an asterisk next to it. Even if there wasn’t one when Jesus spoke these words, it seems that over the years the church has put an asterisk next to his invitation. The sign out front of the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:27-31

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Pastor Mark Driscoll States: "The Only Thing ...

Contributed by Robert Leroe on Apr 3, 2013

Pastor Mark Driscoll states: "The only thing that gets me out of bed on Monday morning is the picture in the Book of Revelation of King ...read more

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Congregational

I Think It's Jesus In The Liimo

Contributed by Joe Tilton on Jun 4, 2013

I THINK IT'S JESUS IN THE LIMO The Oklahoma Conference Leader Bishop Hayes is returning home after a speaking engagement. When his plane arrives, there is a limousine there to transport him to his home in Oklahoma City. As he prepares to get into the limo, he stops and speaks to the driver. "You ...read more

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: *other

Dirty Clothes

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 2, 2025

Have you ever been working outside, gotten your clothes all dirty, then put clean clothes on top of those to go somewhere? Of course not! If we are going to put on Christ (Romans 13:12-14), we need to remember to take off the old ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:1, Romans 13:12-14

Tags: Christ, Gossip

Denomination: Methodist

Royalty Clothed In Rags

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 2, 2020

“This is the way the Savior came into the world. He did not lay aside His deity; He laid aside His glory. There should have been more than just a few shepherds and angels to welcome Him—all of creation should have been there. Instead of collecting taxes, that fellow Caesar should have been in ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-12

Tags: Christmas, Birth Of Christ, The First Coming Of Christ

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Have You Ever Gone To Some Of The Older Members ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Have you ever gone to some of the OLDER MEMBERS and ask them why TRADITION is so important to them? Have you ever asked what is of UTMOST important to them in their WORSHIP? Have you ever asked them why they so enjoy some of the OLDER SONGS that you can hardly bear singing? Ask one of the WIDOWS ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Getting Organized  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 28, 2009

GETTING ORGANIZED In a Peanuts cartoon, Lucy demands that Linus change TV channels and then threatens him with her fist if he doesn’t. "What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?" asks Linus. "These five fingers," says Lucy. "Individually they are nothing, but when I curl ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:25

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Who Will Do The Need-Meeting?

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 11, 2011

WHO WILL DO THE NEED-MEETING? One preacher told of shopping at the supermarket when a lady came down the aisle heading straight for him. She screeched to a halt within a few feet of him, wagged her finger, and said, "I left your church. I left your church". So I said, "Well, if it’s my church, I ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-5

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

David Brainerd, The Famous Missionary To The ...  PRO

Contributed by Evie Megginson on Mar 27, 2001

David Brainerd, the famous missionary to the American Indians, proclaimed this truth throughout his ministry. He said, “I never got away from Jesus and Him crucified in my preaching. I found that once these people were gripped by the great evangelical meaning of Christ’s sacrifice ...read more

Tags: Holiness, Jesus Christ, Lordship Of Christ

Denomination: Baptist

In American History, The Battle Of The Alamo ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 7, 2002

In American history, the Battle of the Alamo stands as a prime example of the kind of decisiveness Jesus calls for. In 1836 a band of fewer than 200 men defended the little mission in San Antonio, against General Santa Anna’s 6,000 Mexican troops. For two weeks they held the Alamo against ...read more

Tags: Lordship Of Christ, Faith, Commitment To Christ

A New York City Businessman Moved To The Country ...  PRO

Contributed by Eric Snyder on Mar 4, 2002

A New York City businessman moved to the country and bought a piece of land. He went to the local feed and livestock store and talked to the proprietor about how he was going to take up chicken farming. He then asked to buy 100 chicks. "That’s a lot of chicks," commented the proprietor. "I mean ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:4

Tags: Growth In Christ, Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Ring  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Andrew Stephens on Apr 2, 2002

THE RING I told you earlier that my favorite Christmas present was given to me be a lady named Joan Ellis in 1982. Joan is now my mother in law. The gift that she gave me is a wedding ring. It was the set that her husband had given her on their engagement. Her husband Don died in 1978, and she ...read more

Tags: Fulfillment, Commitment To Christ, Divinity Of Christ

The Shocking Truth  PRO

Contributed by Brian La Croix on Oct 26, 2002

THE SHOCKING TRUTH “Imagine if you will that among the Jews there suddenly turns up a man who goes about talking as if He was God. . . Now let us get this clear. Among Pantheists, like the Indians, anyone might say that he was a part of God, or one with God: there would be nothing very odd about ...read more

Tags: Humanity Of Christ, Trinity, Divinity Of Christ

Denomination: Wesleyan

Just The Right Word  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 16, 2003

JUST THE RIGHT WORD “Defining Jesus,” said Max Lucado, “would be a challenge to the best of writers, but John handles the task with casual analogy. The Messiah, in a word, was ‘the Word.’ Be He a fiery verb or a tender adjective, He was, quite simply, a word.” And I might add that He was “just ...read more

Tags: Humanity Of Christ, Divinity Of Christ, Trinity