In Sermon Illustrations: "Worldly Goods"

No More Rules

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Jun 27, 2009

NO MORE RULES More than 28 years ago, before I married Sandy, I was a lousy cook. I could maybe cook hot dogs and beans (out of a can), and those didn’t always turn out so well. That’s because I was confined to a set of instructions called a "cookbook." It was a list of rules and regulations, a ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: Evangelical Free

God With Us

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 24, 2009

GOD WITH US Count Zinzendorf, the founder of the Moravians, was converted in an art gallery in Dusseldorf while contemplating a painting of Christ on the cross which had the inscription, "I did this for thee. What hast thou done for me?" This picture had been painted by an artist three hundred ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 1:23

Tags: Christmas Advent

Micaela Played T-Ball. Many Of You Know About The ...

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Aug 24, 2009

Micaela played t-ball. Many of you know about the t-ball experience. One of the kids asked me if Micaela’s team was good. I chuckled because from what I see no t-ball team is “good.” They are there to learn some basics and have fun. The biggest struggle that the coaches face is not kids who can’t ...read more

Tags: Preparation

Denomination: Church Of God

Thanksgiving Poem: We Plow The Fields By Matthias ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 26, 2009

Thanksgiving Poem: We Plow The Fields by Matthias Claudius The poem entitled "We Plow The Fields," by Matthias Claudius, says things well: We plow the fields, and scatter The good seed on the land, But it is fed and watered By God’s Almighty hand; He sends the snow in winter, The warmth to swell ...read more

Scripture: Luke 17:11-19

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday

Many Today Try To Explain Away Their Sin By ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Many today try to explain away their sin by denial. "I live a good moral life" they say or "I’m just as good as the next guy". They over estimate themselves with too high a view of their condition. Muhammad Ali, who is one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century and maybe the best boxer of ...read more

Tags: Commitment To Christ

Goodbye, Mother!

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on May 9, 2011

GOODBYE, MOTHER! A young man was walking through a supermarket to pick up a few things when he noticed a little old lady following him around. Thinking nothing of it, he ignored her and continued on. Finally he went to the checkout line, but she got in front of him. "Pardon me, sonny" she said, ...read more

Tags: Mother's Day

Denomination: Independent/Bible

One Scheme Of The Devil Is To Create A Twisted ...

Contributed by Michael Walther on May 25, 2011

One scheme of the devil is to create a twisted view of God. USA Today ran an article on a very comprehensive religion survey conducted by Baylor University. This survey showed that 96% of Americans believe in some view of God. But of this group 40% , or almost half, believe in a God who does not ...read more

Tags: False Teaching

Denomination: Lutheran

King Of The Jungle

Contributed by Randy Wilson on Aug 1, 2011

KING OF THE JUNGLE I'm reminded of the lion who woke up one morning and decided it was time to stroll through the jungle and check on his kingdom. He came first to a giraffe chewing on some leaves up in a tree. "Hey, long neck," he asked, "Who's the king of the jungle?" "Why you are on great ...read more

Tags: Lordship Of Christ

Denomination: Baptist

Fear Of Witnessing

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 31, 2011

FEAR OF WITNESSING Leighton Ford, Good News is for Sharing, 1977, David C. Cook Publishing Co., Page 15: In preparing for this book, I have talked to a lot of people, and the fear issue comes up front again and again. What makes people hesitate to share their faith? Here are some of the fears ...read more

Scripture: John 20:21-22

Tags: Evangelism Fear Of

A Father's Legacy

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 30, 2012

A FATHER’S LEGACY Ken Hemphill tells the story of what took place at his church when he was pastor of FBC of Norfolk. He was out on the sidewalk welcoming people as they got out of their cars. About 3rd in line was a father & his teenage son. The father had a golf shirt on, and he evidently was ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 22:6

Tags: Father's Day

Joanne Shetler Spent Years In The Philippines ...

Contributed by Tim Spear on Dec 3, 2012

Joanne Shetler spent years in the Philippines with the Balangao people, translating the Bible into their language and trying to tell them the good news of the Savior. But it was slow going. One day Ama, a man who had “adopted” her as his Balangao daughter, picked up an English New Testament from ...read more

Tags: Missions

Denomination: Baptist

Prayer - Cancer Patients Or Relay For Life Sunday

Contributed by David Simpson on Jan 15, 2013

PRAYER - Relay for Life Prayer – Road Atlanta- Hall County, Georgia Relay – June 1, 2012 Father God, You are our rock, our fortress, our strength… especially in the most difficult struggles of life. For all those gathered here today, bless them with your comforting peace and your reassuring ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 25:5, Psalm 39:7

Tags: Hope, Prayer, Prayer General

Denomination: Christian Church

Give God A Blank Check!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 4, 2021

I read once about a family that put their elderly grandmother on a plane for her first flight. She wasn’t too sure about this mode of transportation, but she grudgingly went along with it. When she returned, some of the family members couldn’t help playfully asking, “Grannie, did the plane hold you ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6

Tags: Faith, Commitment, Trust, Will Of God, Believing God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Preserved And Protected By The Holy Spirit

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 26, 2022

When my mother used to make jam, I would watch her pour wax over the top of the preserves until it was at the brim of the jar. She would then carefully wipe some wax around the rim itself and place the rubber-lined lid on tight. The wax and the vacuum caused by the cooling preserves would seal that ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:13

Tags: Holy Spirit, Preserve, Protection

3 Temptations Satan Uses Against Us

Contributed by Garris Hudson 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: Eve, Sin, Satan, Temptation, Garden Of Eden, Backsliding  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Secret To Happiness

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on May 22, 2024

Ecclesiastes tells us that the secret to happiness is to choose happiness. Don't kid yourself into believing that if you're not feeling good all the time then there is something wrong. Olympic athlete, poet, and filmmaker Alexi Pappas has some great advice to keep us grounded. One lesson ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 2:24, Ecclesiastes 3:12, Ecclesiastes 5:19, Ecclesiastes 6:9

Tags: Happiness, Joy, Happy, Satisfaction, Expectations, Pain  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

In An Interview With C-Span Sykes Said: ""All Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Victor Yap on Jan 23, 2001

In an interview with C-SPAN Sykes said: ""All of us in some sense can blame somebody else for our problems. Mommy and Daddy are a good target, but also we all want to be loved and we would wish that everything was suited for us, that all of our needs were taken care of. That¡¦s what it was like ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Children

Denomination: Independent/Bible

A Husband Was Told By The Marriage Counselor To ...  PRO

Contributed by Ross Mitchell on Jan 30, 2001

A husband was told by the marriage counselor to try and be nice to his wife. One day he comes home from work. He’s dressed up in a suit, he has cologne on, he has a bouquet of flowers and a box of candy in his hands. He’s trying to make a good impression. The wife says, "Oh, I can’t ...read more

Tags: Romantic Love, Christian Love, Marriage Struggle

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Commentator William Barclay Notes: "You ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 1, 2001

Commentator William Barclay notes: “You can tell what a man’s relationship with God is by looking at his relationship with other people. If a man is at variance with his fellow man, and if he’s a quarrelsome, competitive, argumentative, trouble-making creature; he may be a diligent ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 3:23-29

Tags: Love Of The Disciples, Christian Love

In His Book The Counselor, A.w. Tozer Said, ...  PRO

Contributed by Alan Stokes on Apr 22, 2001

In his book The Counselor, A.W. Tozer said, "Spell this out in capital letters: THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON. He is not enthusiasm. He is not courage. He is not energy. He is not the personification of all good qualities, like Jack Frost is the personification of cold weather. Actually, the Holy ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit General, Trinity

Denomination: Holiness