In Sermon Illustrations: "Wise Generosity" showing 661-680 of 871

A Farmer Plants Sour Apples Near Edge Of Orchard ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 3, 2009

A Farmer Plants Sour Apples Near Edge of Orchard To Camouflage The Sweet Ones in the Middle A farmer repeatedly invited his neighbor to come over to his orchard and pick some apples and make fresh, sweet apple cider. The neighbor kept turning down the offer. Finally, the farmer asked why the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1-6

Tags: Commitment To Christ

Years Ago In California There Was An Ag Minister ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Feb 23, 2010

Years ago in California there was an AG minister named Ralph Mahoney, who was the head of World Missionary Assistance Plan. Also, every summer he ran camp meetings in California and Oregon. A group of people would register for a week’s meetings, which were financed by receiving offerings each ...read more

Tags: Leadership Listening

Denomination: Pentecostal

Read The Word Any Way You Can  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 28, 2010

READ THE WORD ANY WAY YOU CAN A man in Kansas City was severely injured in an explosion. Evangelist Robert L. Sumner tells about him in his book The Wonders of the Word of God. The victim’s face was badly disfigured, and he lost his eyesight as well as both hands. He was just a new Christian, and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:1-3

Tags: Disciplines Scripture

The Nobodies Of The Church  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 6, 2010

THE NOBODIES OF THE CHURCH Janet Reno, Attorney General of the United States during the Clinton administration, was interviewed on "60 Minutes" on June 26, 1999. She seems to hold this ancient opinion of Christians. Here is how she defined a cultist: "A cultist is one who has a strong belief in ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

His Dangerous Condition

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Nov 20, 2010

HIS DANGEROUS CONDITION A drunkard husband, spending the evening with his jovial companions at a tavern, boasted that if he should take a group of his friends home with him at midnight and ask his Christian wife to get up and cook supper for them, she would do it without complaint. The crowd ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: *other

Vigilance, War, And The Price Of Freedom

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 6, 2011

VIGILANCE, WAR, AND THE PRICE OF FREEDOM "Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom" -- a familiar saying in our country. We remember from Pearl Harbor what it's like to get caught off guard. The enemy can be so deceptive: Japan's peace envoys were seated at the negotiating table at the very ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:8-10

Tags: War

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

Spurgeon On Truth And The Spirit

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 20, 2011

SPURGEON ON TRUTH AND THE SPIRIT The great 19th century British preacher, Charles Spurgeon, made a wonderful analogy about the Holy Spirit’s role in leading us into God’s truth: "Truth may be compared to a cave or grotto, with wondrous stalactites reaching from the roof, and others reaching from ...read more

Scripture: John 16:5-15

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Satan's Three-Fold Attack

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 9, 2020

Satan tempts us in three separate ways according to I John 2:15-16: "The lust of the flesh is the desire to DO something apart from the will of God. The lust of the eyes is the desire to HAVE something apart from the will of God. The pride of life is the desire to BE something apart from ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12, 1 John 2:15-16

Tags: Lust, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Temptation

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

3 Temptations Satan Uses Against Us

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 27, 2023

Eve’s descent into depravity is an illustration of James 1:14-15: “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” This is the Bible’s description of sin’s slippery ...read more

Scripture: James 1:14-15

Tags: Temptation, Sin, Satan, Eve, Garden Of Eden, Backsliding  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Where Is He?

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on Dec 8, 2023

Where is the Hope of our salvation? Where is the cause of the celebration? Where is the One sent from above? Where is He, the Divine Gift of love? Where is He, born the Jewish King? Where is He of whom angels sing? Where is the One that shepherds seek? Where is He of whom wise men speak? Where is ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12

Tags: Christmas Poems, Christmas, Birth Of Christ, Advent, Presents, Poetry  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Burn The Books!  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Aug 16, 2005

Burn the Books! (08.18.05--Envy!--Prov 14:30) “Envy cannot read; therefore its will is that all books should be burned.” If we can’t have it then it should not be possible for others to know what we ourselves have not be given. When we equate envy with justice, we travel a very rocky road. Denying ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 14:30

Tags: Envy

Denomination: Lutheran

Giving: A Step To Revival

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jan 30, 2009

GIVING: A STEP TO REVIVAL Today we are focusing our attention on the second step to revival: GIVING. We all say we want revival, but many throw away the second step - but you cannot have revival without taking the second step to revival. This step impacts the life and effectiveness of our ...read more

Tags: Giving General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

As We Begin This New Series On The Bible I ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 8, 2001

As we begin this new series on the Bible I thought I’d share some Biblical Bloopers with you. These are s-lightly skewed scriptural insights from children of Christian and Jewish faiths: - In the first book of the Bible, Guinessis, God got tired of creating the world, so he took the Sabbath ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 1:1-11, Joshua 2:1-21, Joshua 2:1-24

Why Did The Magi Come?  PRO

Contributed by William Matthews on Nov 20, 2001

Why did the Magi come? They were looking for “Messiah the Prince” of Daniel’s prophecy An examination of Daniel’s prophecy shows why they expected Jesus at this time Daniel 9:24-26 - “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make ...read more

Tags: Messianic Prophecies, Birth Of Jesus

Denomination: Baptist

Many Years Ago I Went To See A Theatrical ...  PRO

Contributed by Howard Tyas on Jan 7, 2002

Many years ago I went to see a theatrical production called Cotton Patch Gospel, a musical about the life of Jesus with an Appalachian, country-western twist. It was based on Clarence Jordan’s paraphrase of the New Testament, by the same name. It tries to tell the story of Jesus as if he has been ...read more

Tags: Herod, Messianic Prophecies, Birth Of Jesus

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Faithful For A Promise  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Jul 28, 2002

FAITHFUL FOR A PROMISE A promise from God is a statement we can depend on with absolute confidence. Here are 12 promises for the Christian to claim. God’s presence -- "I will never leave thee" (Heb. 13:5) God’s protection -- "I am thy shield" (Gen. 15:1) God’s power -- "I will strengthen thee" ...read more

Tags: God's Provision, Faith, Deception, Peace, Prayer, Promise  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Although Douglas Macarthur Graduated From West ...  PRO

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Nov 7, 2002

"Although Douglas MacArthur graduated from West Point at the top of his class, he continued to prepare himself for service to his country. He studied every military textbook he could get his hands on. He visited battlefields and personally reviewed the tactics which the victors and the losers ...read more

Scripture: Titus 2:11-14, Matthew 25:1-13, Matthew 25:1-13

Tags: Discipleship, Second Coming

Denomination: United Methodist

If We Want God To Guide Us, Our Attitude Needs To ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Oct 18, 2000

If we want God to guide us, our attitude needs to be right. Here are some guidelines as to how we can play our part in arriving at right decisions. First, we must be willing to think. It is false piety, super-supernaturalism of an unhealthy pernicious sort that demands inward impressions with no ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Leadership General, Wisdom

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Getting Past Your Past  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 23, 2002

GETTING PAST YOUR PAST Consider Charles Colson, the aide to Richard Nixon who was sent to jail for Watergate. As as a result of his experience as a convicted felon, Colson founded Prison Fellowship, now the world’s largest Christian outreach to prisoners and their families. Prison Fellowship has ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-16, Jeremiah 29:11

Tags: New Year's Day, God's Sovereign Will