In Sermon Illustrations: "Refine" showing 41-60 of 66

An Outline Of Joseph's Life

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 13, 2022

The story of Joseph’s life can be outlined by several key events in Genesis:   1. REJECTION (37:1-36) – Jacob selected Joseph as the favored son and he was despised by his brothers. They threw him into a pit and left him for dead.   2. REFINEMENT (38:1 – 40:23) – Traders came by and ...read more

Tags: Faith, Temptation, Rejection, Joseph, Will Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Planting A Donut  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 12, 2004

PLANTING A DONUT When Watching the Krispy Kreme Donut machine, or as I like to call it the “Dream Machine,” I noticed something that made me very upset. At the end of the conveyer they were throwing away a bunch of the donuts. Let me describe the machine. First there is the dough plopper that ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23, Matthew 13:1-23

Tags: Parable Sower And Seed

Suburban Outreach

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 10, 2010

SUBURBAN OUTREACH Calvin Miller teaches in Birmingham, Alabama, at the Beeson Divinity School. He recently wrote a provocative article entitled, "Rethinking Suburban Evangelism," on the challenge taking the gospel to people who sense no need: "Suburbia: the push-button Zion of those who have made ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:14-22

Tags: Evangelism How To

Blessed Are The Pure

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 27, 2011

BLESSED ARE THE PURE A couple of years ago we went to Ottawa as my wife Joanne had some work to do there, so Thomas and I tagged along to check out our nation’s capital. One of the places we visited was the historic Canadian mint – where money is made – and we had a tour but unfortunately no free ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:8

Tags: Sermon On The Mount

The Emporer's Clothes

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Dec 19, 2014

Do you remember the story of the emperor’s clothes? If I am recalling it right, someone persuaded the emperor to buy a suit of clothes that only people with the most exquisite taste in fashion could see. Of course, the emperor could not see the clothes, nor could anyone else – because the peddler ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:10-11

Tags: Flattery, Self Deception

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Bought To Be Freed

Contributed by Bill Butsko on Jul 27, 2008

BOUGHT TO BE FREED A young girl was being sold at auction one day. She was a beautiful girl, tall and slender. The bidding was keen, and quickly mounted higher and higher until at last only two men were left bidding for her ownership: the one a low, uncouth foul-mouthed fellow who raised his bid ...read more

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: Christian Church

See For ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 22, 2008

See for Yourself When the Wright brothers first began experimenting with flying machines, they accepted as fact the data and conclusions that were available in the theory of aviation. As they experimented, however, their own experience provided different conclusions. They began by doubting ...read more

Tags: Truth

I Will Die – Let My Baby ...

Contributed by Bill Butsko on May 9, 2009

“I Will Die – Let My Baby Live!” I knew him as a brilliant young member of a noted family. He was studying in one of the great universities. His physical development was well-nigh perfect. Tall, broad-shouldered, brawny, graceful in bearing and quick in movement, he was soon well-known as an ...read more

Tags: Mothers

Denomination: Christian Church

Tiger Breath!" Matthew 6:9-13 Key Verse(S): ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Feb 6, 2005

“Tiger Breath!” Matthew 6:9-13 Key verse(s): 13:“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” It has been foreordained that life is a temptation! Now that is a depressing thought if I ever heard one. Foreordained? That means that no matter what I do or how I do it, ultimately I ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:9-13, Matthew 4:1-11

Tags: Sin Exposed, Risk Of Sin, Release, Sin Separates From God

Denomination: Lutheran

Bought To Be ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 2, 2008

BOUGHT TO BE FREED A young girl was being sold at auction one day. She was a beautiful girl, tall and slender. The bidding was keen, and quickly mounted higher and higher until at last only two men were left bidding for her ownership: the one a low, uncouth foul-mouthed fellow who raised his bid ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:1-17

Tags: Sin Bondage To

What Comes Out Of Your Mouth  PRO

Contributed by Alan Perkins on Apr 10, 2011

WHAT COMES OUT OF YOUR MOUTH How carefully do you monitor what goes into your mouth, compared to what comes out of it? For example, do you follow a low-fat diet? Do you obsessively track the grams of fat going into your body? Do you watch the number of calories that you consume? Do you avoid ...read more

Scripture: Mark 7:14-23

Tags: Relationships, Tongue

Denomination: Baptist

What Are You Being Saved From?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 23, 2011

WHAT ARE YOU BEING SAVED FROM? Vance Havner tells the story of a who lady came forward during the invitation in one of his meetings to be saved. She was a very sophisticated and refined woman. She had a graduate’s degree and was very articulate and intelligent. When she came forward during the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:23

Tags: Evangelism How To

The Caterpillar's Voice  PRO

Contributed by Christian Cheong on May 31, 2006

STORIES - The Caterpillar’s Voice …Eugene Loh, in A Slice of Life, FM93.8LIVE, 17 May 2006 Once upon a time a caterpillar crawled inside a hare’s house when the hare was away, and set about making himself comfortable. When the hare returned home, he noticed new marks on the ground going into the ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Let's Think About That For A Moment. In This ...

Contributed by Gene Gregory on Aug 12, 2006

Let’s think about that for a moment. In this country, we are living at a time of nearly full-employment. Although interest rates have headed back up some recently, we are still enjoying some of the lowest interest rates our country has seen in decades. When I bought my house in 1990, I was ...read more

Tags: Finding Fulfillment

Denomination: Baptist

Something To Be Saved From

Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Apr 19, 2011

SOMETHING TO BE SAVED FROM To be saved, like the thief on the cross, you must see yourself as destitute of any goodness worthy of heaven and, like this thief, by faith receive the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Vance Havner tells of a lady who came forward during the invitation in one of his ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Baptist

Sorry--No Spare Grace Today?" Leviticus 19: 9-10 ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Dec 12, 2004

“Sorry--No Spare Grace Today?” Leviticus 19: 9-10 Key verse(s): 9: “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.’” “Is your generosity based on facts or faith?” I would imagine that most of us would answer that ...read more

Scripture: Leviticus 19:9-10

Tags: Giving General

Denomination: Lutheran

Becoming ...

Contributed by Chris Carter on Feb 3, 2010

Becoming Cupid In a dream I had a short while ago, The winds of love upon my face began to blow. I opened my eyes and began to glare, At what it was that caused the current of air. Many thoughts flooded my wee little mind, As I rose from the bed desperate to find, Whatever this was that made me ...read more

Tags: Miscellaneous

Denomination: Baptist

Humility

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 27, 2014

“None are as empty as those who are full of themselves.” - Benjamin Whichcote Have you ever met a prideful, arrogant person? Prideful people are always telling you about themselves, their accomplishments, and how smart and wonderful they are. Then they look at you to continue the conversation ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 22:4, Proverbs 3:34

Tags: Honor, Humility, Pride, Reverence

Denomination: Charismatic

If I Were The Devil  PRO

Contributed by Jonathan Lucas on Jun 13, 2001

If I Were the Devil If I were the prince of darkness, I’d want to engulf the world in darkness, and I’d have a third of its real estate, and I’d have four-fifths of its population, but I wouldn’t be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree. THEE. So I’d set about however necessary to ...read more

Tags: Devil, Sin, Satan, Sin Exposed, Sin Fall Of Man  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Kingdom Of God Is Like Leaven  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 9, 2002

Scholar Gary North observes: “The kingdom of God is like leaven. Christianity is the yeast, and it has a leavening effect on pagan, satanic cultures around it. It permeates the whole culture, causing it to rise. The bread which is produced by this leaven is the preferred bread. In ancient ...read more

Tags: Leaven, Bread