Sermon Central
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Ephesians
Contributed by C. Philip Green on Nov 3, 2012 (message contributor)
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1. Gifted Ministers
Contributed on Nov 3, 2012
If you want a growing church that builds itself up in love, then accept your spiritual gifts, develop them and use them wherever and whenever you can.
When a local church broke ground for a new 500-seat sanctuary, an inventive church member made sure everyone could participate in the experience. The man attached a 145-foot handle to a stainless steel spade so that all 300 members could squeeze together to turn the first shovel full of dirt. ...read more
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2. Wine And Wisdom
Contributed on Jul 15, 2014
To make the most of the time we have left and bring harmony to all your relationships, walk in wisdom, God's Will, and in the fullness of the Spirit.
In 1867, Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel invented a new high explosive, which he named “dynamite.” He was convinced that his invention would make war too horrible to ever happen again. However, he quickly discovered there was no shortage of buyers for his new explosive. He made a huge ...read more
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3. Change Your Clothes
Contributed on Jul 2, 2014
If we want to build strong relationships for a strong church then replace old habits with new. Replace lying with the truth, anger with peace, stealing with sharing, hurtful words with helpful ones, and bitterness with forgiveness.
An executive was plagued by a strange disease that caused splitting headaches and ringing in his ears. He first went to an ear, nose and throat specialist who corrected his deviated septum, but the condition grew worse. He consulted an ophthalmologist who performed delicate optic nerve surgery. ...read more
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4. Rich Christians
Contributed on Apr 23, 2014
We are rich in Christ, so let's praise the Father for selecting us, the Son for setting us free, and the Spirit for securing our salvation.
Rich Christians (Ephesians 1:3-14) Thousands of letters sent each year to God end up in a sorting office in Jerusalem. According to the Associated Press, the letters arrive from all over the world in the city's undeliverable mail department. “We have hundreds of thousands of letters ...read more
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5. Knowing God
Contributed on Apr 30, 2014
If we want to build strong relationships for a strong church with a strong ministry, then we must know God, His hope, His wealth and His power.
A couple of hunters were out in the woods of New Jersey when one of them fell to the ground. He didn’t seem to be breathing, and his eyes were rolled back in his head. Terrified, his friend whipped out a cell phone and dialed 911. “My friend is dead! What can I do?” he cried ...read more
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6. Seated With Christ
Contributed on May 13, 2014
If we want to live the life God designed for us to live, we must remember where we came from, realize where we are today, recognize how we got here - purely by God's grace.
In 1992, a Los Angeles County parking control officer came upon a brown El Dorado Cadillac illegally parked next to the curb on street-sweeping day. The officer dutifully wrote out a ticket. Ignoring the man seated at the driver's wheel, the officer reached inside the open car window and ...read more
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7. Harmony In The Home
Contributed on Jul 25, 2014
If you want harmony in your home, submit to one another, respect your husband and love your wife
Gayle Urban of Woodbridge, Virginia, was browsing in a Christian bookstore where she discovered a shelf of reduced priced items. Among the gifts was a little figurine of a man and woman, their heads lovingly tilted toward one another. “Happy 10th Anniversary” read the inscription. It ...read more
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8. Together As One
Contributed on May 20, 2014
The cross makes reconciliation possible. It brings us together as one nation, one body, and one building, so be hopeful, be healed and be holy in all your relationships.
Once upon a time, there was an elderly couple who lived together in a nursing home. Though they had been married for 60 years, their relationship was filled with constant arguments, disagreements, and shouting contests. The fights didn't stop even in the nursing home. In fact, the couple argued and ...read more
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9. God's Secret
Contributed on May 27, 2014
To beat discouragement and defeat, learn the secret of our co-ownership in Christ, share the secret, and live the secret in our relationships with each other.
Three preachers were on a non-productive fishing trip when they began to discuss various topics to pass the time. One preacher said he thought it would be nice if they confessed their biggest sins to each other and then prayed for each other. They all agreed, and the first preacher said that his ...read more
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10. Growing Grand Kids
Contributed on Jul 30, 2014
If we want to raise grand kids, then we must teach them to obey without putting them down, but bringing them up to follow Christ.
Several years ago (1997), Reeve Lindbergh, daughter of aviator Charles Lindbergh, was invited to give the annual Lindbergh Address at the Smithsonian Institution's Air and Space Museum. They were commemorating the 70th anniversary of her father's historic solo flight across the Atlantic. On the day ...read more
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11. Love And Light
Contributed on Jul 9, 2014
If you want to be holy and whole, just like our Heavenly Father, then walk in love and walk in the light of Christ.
Six-year-old little Jenny complained to her mother of a tummy ache. “That’s because your tummy is empty,” her mother replied. “You’d feel better if there were something in it.” That evening, their pastor stopped for a visit and later commented that his head ...read more
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12. Prayer For Unity
Contributed on Jun 7, 2014
As we pray for the unity of the body of Christ, pray for power, for love, and for the fullness of God Himself.
At a wedding rehearsal in Concord, California, the pastor was explaining the symbolism of the unity candle. “After the middle candle is lit,” he said, “blowing out the two side candles means the two become one.” “Oh,” someone in the wedding party exclaimed. ...read more
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13. Preserving Unity
Contributed on Jun 17, 2014
To build a strong church, preserving the unity that is ours in Christ, don't underestimate or overestimate yourselves. Instead, be faithful to serve, focusing on those things we share in common.
A woman was sitting in the waiting room for her first appointment with a new dentist. She noticed his DDS diploma, which bore his full name. Suddenly, she remembered that a tall, handsome, dark-haired boy with the same name had been in her high school class so many years ago. “Could this be ...read more
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14. Spiritual Warfare Advanced Training (S.w.a.t.)
Contributed on Aug 14, 2014
We are the church triumphant only if we utilize the energy and the equipment God supplies. Don't live in defeat any longer. Overcome through the power and provision of our Lord.
A former boxing champion, eager to regain his status, got into the boxing ring with a newer and much younger champ. After five or six rounds of pummeling, the old champ came back to his corner and sat down. He was cut several times, and both of his eyes were nearly swollen shut. Even so, his ...read more
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15. Joy On The Job
Contributed on Aug 7, 2014
To find joy on the job, do your work respectfully, sincerely, and enthusiastically, as unto the Lord.
Dad was skeptical of his teenage son's newfound determination to build bulging muscles. Even so, he followed his son to the store's weight-lifting department, where they admired a set of weights. “Please, Dad,” pleaded the boy, “I promise I'll use 'em every day.” ...read more
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16. Gifted Ministers
Contributed on Jun 24, 2014
If we want a growing church that builds itself up in love, then we must accept our spiritual gifts, develop them and use them wherever and whenever we can.
When a local church broke ground for a new 500-seat sanctuary, an inventive church member made sure everyone could participate in the experience. The man attached a 145-foot handle to a stainless steel spade so that all 300 members could squeeze together to turn the first shovel full of dirt. ...read more