Sermon Central
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1 Timothy
Contributed by C. Philip Green on May 15, 2010 (message contributor)
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1. Love And Law
Contributed on May 15, 2010
If we want to make a real difference in people’s lives, then we must emphasize love, not law.
This last week, I came across a website that cataloged what they called “The Best Church Bulletin Bloopers.” They are sentences that actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services. Here are just a few of them: Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa, will be ...read more
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2. A Good Fight
Contributed on May 27, 2010
We fight the good fight against those forces that would destroy our fellowship with gratitude, humility and faith.
Ruth Bell Graham tells this story about her son Franklin: Franklin was sleeping on the front porch with his cowboy boots and toy gun. We were having problems with some polecats (skunks), and Franklin told me not to worry because he had a gun. “Franklin, it’s just a toy gun,” I said. ...read more
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3. Top Priority
Contributed on Jun 3, 2010
The top priority of the church is prayer. More than anything else, we must pray for people’s salvation. Pray that they come to the Father through Jesus, the Son, and pray that they find freedom through Jesus, the Savior.
Several years ago, because of all the tornados in the area, a developer in Tulsa, Oklahoma, offered an optional tornado-safe room in the new homes he was selling. Nine of the first ten buyers opted to pay the extra $2,500 for the room, which can also be used as a closet, bathroom, or vault when ...read more
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4. Loving Leadership
Contributed on Jun 17, 2010
In order to earn the heartfelt respect of their families, fathers must love and lead them.
A young boy had just gotten his driving permit. He asked his father if they could discuss his use of the family car. His father took him into his study and said, “I’ll make a deal with you. You bring your grades up, study the Bible a little, get your hair cut, and then we’ll talk about it.” ...read more
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5. Eternity Clothes
Contributed on Jun 26, 2010
God wants both men and women to wear holiness and peace to church.
Norma Lauby, of La Mesa, California, was browsing in the ladies’ department one day with her son who was just learning to read. Trying to read all the signs he could, he came upon one in the maternity department. “Look, Mom!” he said excitedly as he pointed at the sign. “They’re even making ...read more
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6. Qualities Of An Effective Leader
Contributed on Jul 8, 2010
To be an effective leader people can trust, we must be above reproach in our marriages, minds and manner.
The preacher was wired for sound with a lapel mike, and as he preached, he moved briskly about the platform, jerking the mike cord as he went. Then he moved to one side, getting wound up in the cord and nearly tripping before jerking it again. After several circles and jerks, a little girl in ...read more
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7. Qualities Of An Effective Leader -- Part 2
Contributed on Jul 15, 2010
If you want to be an effective leader, don’t let alcohol control you, don’t let anger control you, and don’t let money control you. Instead, let Christ control you so you can lead others to Him.
Once upon a time there was a teacher in Texas who was helping one of her kindergarten students put on his cowboy boots? He asked for help, and she could see why. Even with her pulling and him pushing, the little boots still didn’t want to go on. By the time they got the second boot on, she had ...read more
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8. Pitfalls Of Leadership
Contributed on Jul 29, 2010
To be an effective leader, you must avoid the pitfalls of leadership, which are the honor and dishonor of men.
Several years ago, a pastor in Valparaiso, Indiana, started visiting a man in the local nursing home. The man was a VIP, one who had been instrumental in starting the major industry in town. When he died, his family asked the pastor to do the funeral service. He was nervous, because he knew his ...read more
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9. Genuine Servants
Contributed on Aug 5, 2010
In order to be effective servants helping the church be all that God called it to be, we must be genuine servants. That is to say, we must be serious, sincere, sober and straightforward in our service for Christ.
Just a few years ago, Larknews.com carried the following fictional piece of satire on its website. In the form of a news release, it reported: Julie and Bob Clark were stunned to receive a letter from their church in July asking them to “participate in the life of the church” ...read more
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10. Deceptive Delicacies
Contributed on Aug 13, 2010
If we're going to remain vital in our churches and in our own spiritual lives, we must watch out for the false doctrine of self-help spirituality and instead feast at the table of God's Word along with exercise in the gym of good works.
Chuck Swindoll tells the story of a young lady who loved playing practical jokes. She had just graduated from a gourmet cooking class. So at an elegant student reception in a physician’s home near Miami, she decided to put her new cooking skills to the test. She took dog food and put ...read more
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11. The Battlefield Of Truth
Contributed on Aug 19, 2010
If we’re going to save ourselves and our churches from moral ruin, then we must preach, practice, and persevere in God’s Word.
Several years ago, Art Linkletter had a TV show where he would interview children about various subjects, and those children would say “some of the darndest things,” as the name of the show suggested. There was humor in their statements and sometimes quite a bit of wisdom. Well, this last week, I ...read more
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12. Silver In Their Hair
Contributed on Aug 25, 2010
In a culture which values its elderly less and less, God calls us as the church to treat the elderly like family and like a fortune.
When I was a teenager, I thought people in their 50’s were really old. Now, that I’ve recently celebrated my 52nd birthday, I’m not so sure, especially since I’m around so many people here who are still going strong in their 70’s and 80’s. They don’t seem ...read more
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13. Worthy Work
Contributed on Sep 4, 2010
If we as believers want to make a real difference in our world, then we start at work where we honor our boss and help our brother (if he is a believing boss).
A photographer was snapping pictures of first graders at an elementary school, making small talk to put his subjects at ease. “What are you going to be when you grow up?” he asked one little girl. “Tired,” she said. (J. R. Love, Rushton, Louisiana; www.PreachingToday.com) Is that all ...read more
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14. Elder Care
Contributed on Sep 8, 2010
If churches want to help their leaders be all they can be, they must pay them well, treat them fairly, and pick them wisely.
When I get a chain letter in my Email, I usually ignore it; but sometime ago, I came across this chain letter, which gave me a chuckle. It was written to church members looking for the perfect pastor. It said… “The perfect pastor preaches exactly 10 minutes, but thoroughly expounds ...read more
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15. Treasure’s Trap
Contributed on Sep 18, 2010
Stop pursuing wealth, because: such a pursuit has made us (the American Church) sick; it never satisfies; and it is a snare into sin and self-destructive behavior.
Several years ago, Millard Fuller of Habitat for Humanity addressed the National Press Club on public radio, on which he recalled a workshop he conducted at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary with 200 pastors in attendance. The assembled pastors quickly pointed toward greed and selfishness as the ...read more
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16. Grab Life!
Contributed on Sep 23, 2010
If we want to grab a hold of the life that is truly life, then we must grab tomorrow by living for eternity; guard our love for God today; and give away as much as we can.
The movie, Braveheart, tells the story of William Wallace, a common man, who led Scotland to freedom from the tyranny of English rule in the late 13th Century. At the end of the movie, Wallace has been betrayed to the English and sits in prison awaiting execution. The Princess of Wales, who ...read more