Sermon Starters and Quotes
Sermon Starters and Quotes
Achievement
• Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that
something inside them was superior to circumstances.
— Bruce Barton, Pentecostal
Evangel
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You cannot control the length of your life, but you can control its breath, depth and height.
— Unknown
Affirmation, Words of
• Wisdom in four letter words:
In God we trust
This, too, shall pass
Love laughs at locksmiths
Nothing succeeds like success
Charity begins at home
Aging
• An older pastor who had seen success in his many years of pastoring recently
commented during a message, “During the past four years of my ministry, Iʼve brought in
more money for my ministries and seen more souls saved through my ministry, than the
previous 43 years combined.”
•
Altar
•
•
Maybe weʼre getting older but, through the grace of God, and keeping our hand to the
plow, we can get better. — Unknown
Evangelist Kenneth Schmidt once told me, “I have never gone into a service without
planning for the altar and what I want to see accomplished in that service. So if it isnʼt
accomplished, I know I missed it.” Iʼve never forgotten that, and from time to time over my
years of ministry Iʼve had to refocus and know the difference between what I was wanting
to accomplish and what God was wanting to accomplish. — Thomas E. Trask,
Assemblies of God general superintendent 1993-2007, and David A. Womack, Back to
the Altar
The church has not had church till theyʼve had an altar service. — Unknown
Ambition
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• Iʼll go anywhere, provided it is forward. — David Livingstone, 19 century Scottish
missionary and explorer to Africa
Anxiety
• I am no longer anxious about anything, as I realize that the Lord is able to carry out His
will, and His will is mine. It makes no matter where He places me, or how. That is rather
for Him to consider than for me; for in the easiest positions He must give me His grace,
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and in the most difficult His grace is sufficient.
— J. Hudson Taylor, 19 century English
missionary to China
Application
• The way for evil men to triumph is only for good men to do nothing.
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Sermon Starters and Quotes
Attitude
• Whether you think you can, or canʼt - youʼre right. — Henry Ford
Behavior
• As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do. —
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Andrew Carnegie, 19 century entrepreneur and philanthropist
Bible
•
I never knew all there was in the Bible until I spent those years in jail. I was constantly
finding new treasures. — John Bunyon, Pilgrimʼs Progress
•
Americaʼs first textbook (The New England Primer, 1690) relied heavily upon the Bible
and was used in American classrooms until the 1930s. The first English-language Bible in
America was printed in 1782 by the Continental Congress as an “edition of the Holy
Scriptures for the use in our schools.”
— David Barton, Pentecostal Evangel
•
Some people are bothered by Scriptures they donʼt understand. I am bothered by the
ones I do understand. — Mark Twain
•
The Bible is a missionary book, and the source of its missionary zeal lies in the heart of
God himself. Jesus Christ is Godʼs Missionary to a lost and dying world, and the entire
sacred canon is a description of God reaching down and reaching out toward sinful man
for the purpose of redeeming him. — Harold Lindsell, former editor of Christianity Today,
Pentecostal Evangel
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The study of Godʼs Word, for the purpose of discovering Godʼs will, is the secret
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discipline which has formed the greatest characters. — James W. Alexander, 19 century
American minister and writer
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The Bible holds the key which can unlock doors to harmony in the heart and home.
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A heron, if attached by an eagle or other large birds of prey, merely stands still with beak
pointed upward and permits the attacker to impale itself on the heronʼs bill. Godʼs Word is
the Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17) that will conquer the attackers as we let the
Word of God defend itself.
•
Someone said there are 8,810 promises in the Bible.
Bible Reading
• As you read your Bible in daily devotions ask yourself the following questions:
1. Is there a command to obey?
2. Is there a sin to confess or avoid?
3. Is there an example to follow?
— Marjorie Zimmerman, Pentecostal Evangel
•
Another series of questions to ask yourself in your daily Bible reading:
1. Is there a promise to claim? (Any conditions?)
2. Is there a command to keep?
3. Is there a timeless principle?
4. Is there an example to follow or avoid?
5. What do I learn about God in this passage?
6. What is Godʼs special message for me today?
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Sermon Starters and Quotes
7. How can I apply any of the above to my life.
— Unknown
•
If Iʼm successful at all, itʼs because as a young man I read and read and read the Bible
and it impacted my life. — Daniel E. Johnson, Assemblies of God minister
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The Lord didnʼt show Joshua how to use the sword, but He told him how he should
meditate on the Word day and night, and then he would have good success (Joshua 1:8).
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— Dwight L. Moody, 19 century American evangelist
Body Ministry
• Surround yourself with people who can hold your arms up when you canʼt do it yourself.
When you go on your lifeʼs adventure you will get wounded, so have those around you
who can support you and hold you accountable if needed. Itʼs when we get alone and by
ourselves that the devil can pick us off. There is strength in numbers. — Mart Green,
Pentecostal Evangel
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Die when I may, I want it said of me that I plucked a thorn and planted a flower. —
Abraham Lincoln
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It is one of the most beautiful compensations in life that one cannot sincerely try to help
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another without helping himself. — Ralph Waldo Emerson, 19 century American
essayist, lecturer and poet
Calling
• God isnʼt looking for people of great faith, but for individuals ready to follow Him.
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— J. Hudson Taylor, 19 century English missionary to China
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God never calls us to a task that we are capable of doing apart from Him. God wants us
to stretch ourselves for His help.
- T.F. Zimmerman, Assemblies of God general
superintendent 1959 – 1985
•
The Christian is not obedient unless he is doing all in his power to send the gospel to the
heathen world. — A.B. Simpson, founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance
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If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make
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for Him. — C.T. Studd, 19 & 20 century missionary
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It remains to be seen what God will do with a man who gives himself up wholly to Him. —
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Dwight L. Moody, 19 century American evangelist
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He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. — Jim
Elliot, missionary martyr who lost his life in 1956 trying the reach the Auca (now called
the Shuar) Indians in Ecuador
Character
• Zedekiah was a weak character. As one writer puts it, “He had a wishbone where a
backbone should have been.”
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People seldom improve when they have no other model but themselves to pattern after
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— Oliver Goldsmith, 18 century writer and poet
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Sermon Starters and Quotes
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If I find I have to justify anything in my life, I am not walking in the light. Do not be
negligent in some small thing yet be good in great things; do not be good at prayer
meetings and negligent at cleaning boots. This peril comes from selecting one of our
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Lordʼs teachings as a standard instead of God himself. — Oswald Chambers, 20
century Scottish minister and teacher
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Remember that the measure of a personʼs character is not when we get from our
ancestors but what we leave our descendents.
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The best you can give to anybody, especially your children, is a good example.
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“Lord, let me live my life in such a way that the preacher wonʼt have to lie at my funeral.”
•
Many believers are being spiritually destroyed because they do not know how to handle
the world around them, but as one wise old Christian said, “Itʼs not the outward pressures
that determine a Christianʼs life, but it is the inward braces.” — Charles T. Crabtree,
Developing Dynamic Disciples
•
Iʼd rather be remembered as a nice guy than a great coach. — College basketball coach
Jerry Tarkanian, Newsweek
•
The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear —
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Socrates, 4 century B.C. philosopher
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Two young men with large rocks in their hands planned to throw them at John Wesley as
he preached. But as Wesley continued presenting the love of God, they dropped their
rocks, came forward and were converted. Wesley placed his hands upon them and
prayed for them. On leaving, one said to the other, “Wasnʼt that God?”
“No,” but it was a man like God,” the other replied.
Children
• Anyone who works with small children has the same opportunity as has a foreign
missionary - to tell someone about the gospel for the first time. — Unknown
•
To teach a child is to touch a life forever. — Unknown
•
D.L. Moody once reported “two and a half conversions.” His host inquired, “Two adults
and a child, I suppose?” The evangelist replied, “No, two children and an adult. The
children gave their whole lives. The adult had only half of his life left to give.”
—
Unknown
Choice
• As missionary-explorer David Livingstonʼs body was being carried through the streets of
Londonʼs vast throngs, an elderly man wept. He said: “I knew him as a boy. I ridiculed his
decision to go to Africa. I was ambitious. I cared for my own special interests. Now, with a
misspent life behind me, I acknowledge that Livingstone made a wise choice when he
answered and obeyed Godʼs call. I put emphasis on the wrong world.” — Unknown
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Choose now whom you will serve, and that choice is going to affect the next generation.
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— Edith Schaeffer, 20 century Christian author
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Sermon Starters and Quotes
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As David Livingstoneʼs body was carried through the streets of Londonʼs vast throngs, an
elderly man wept. He said, “I knew him as a boy. I ridiculed his decision to go to Africa. I
was ambitious. I cared for my own special interests. Now, with a misspent life behind me,
I acknowledge that Livingstone made a wise choice when he answered and obeyed
Godʼs call. I put emphasis on the wrong world.”
Christ
• Jesus didnʼt take the people out of the slums; He took the slums out of the people. Jesus
did not minister to groups; He ministered to individuals. — Tom Anderson
•
Nature forms - sin deforms - school informs - Christ transforms!
— Unknown
•
Very seldom do you see a picture of Christ laughing or smiling. I like to think of Him as
[someone] who got people to listen to Him by leaving them laughing and chuckling with
one another. — Bil Keane, creator of the Family Circus comic strip, to Religion News
Service
Christ, Presence of
• There is only one recorded case when men thrown into a fiery furnace survived (Daniel
3). The Son of God walked with them. If you are passing through a fiery furnace or trial,
remember only Jesus can deliver you.
Christianity
• The main thing the Lord would have me do is live for him on a daily, personal basis.
Whether or not I ever said so in public would not mean as much to him as my being sold
out to him on the inside, at home, alone, when the chips are down and there is no
audience. — Singer B.J. Thomas
•
Christian movie actors and singers Roy Rogers and Dale Evans received a humanitarian
award in New York. Paul Harvey, in commenting on the occasion, said: “They are leaders
worth following because they follow a Leader worth following.”
Christmas
• It takes more than a MasterCard with a high credit limit to ensure a meaningful
Christmas. The heart of Christmas should be delighting in the Savior himself and
appreciating His greatness. — Arlene Allen, national Womenʼs Ministries director 2003
2009, Pentecostal Evangel
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It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty
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Founder was a Child himself. — Charles Dickens, 19 century English author
•
Did you know that poinsettias came from Mexico? They are called Nochebuenas which in
Spanish is synonymous with Christmas Eve. — Ed and Jeanette McCallie, AGWM
missionaries to Mexico
•
After spending Christmas on the front lines, a young soldier wrote home: “I think Iʼve felt
the true meaning of Christmas more today than any other year of my life. There were no
presents, no festivities, no decoration or fancy food to cover up the real meaning.” —
Maude C. Johnson, Pentecostal Evangel
•
Over a century ago Henry Wadsworth Longfellow looked out on the strife-torn world of his
day and mused:
“I heard the bells on Christmas Day
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Sermon Starters and Quotes
The old familiar carols play.
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
“And in despair I bowed my head:
ʻThere is no peace on earth,ʼ I said,
For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men.ʼ”
— Advance
Church
• We were raised up to be a praying church. We were raised up to be a missions church.
We were raised up to be a church that introduces people to Jesus Christ ... a witnessing
church. We were raised up to be a church of compassion - not just sending in offerings
but also going where people are hurting and ministering to them. I see God calling us
back to those basics across our Fellowship. — Thomas E. Trask, Assemblies of God
general superintendent 1993 - 2007, Pentecostal Evangel
•
You need to have the expertise and the guidance of someone else. You cannot train
yourself. ... The church is the gym of the soul. — Actor Sylvester Stallone on spiritual
fitness, in a teleconference with pastors, Pentecostal Evangel
•
The mission of the church is missions. — Oswald J. Smith, 20 century Canadian
missionary statesman
•
The average pastor views his church as a local church with a missions program. Instead,
he should view his congregation as a global church with a missions purpose. — Unknown
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The true greatness of any church is not how many it seats but how many it sends.
—
Unknown
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Any church that is not seriously involved in helping fulfill the Great Commission has
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forfeited its biblical right to exist.
— Oswald J. Smith, 20 century Canadian missionary
statesman
•
A church that does not pray does not grow. — Unknown
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Church planting is central to the Great Commission. It is not just a good idea; it is a
biblical command. The commands of the Great Commission (make disciples, baptize,
teach, etc.) are all church functions and they were lived out in early churches. Church
planting is the most effective evangelistic methodology we have. New churches reach
and baptize more people and are more focused on reaching the lost. — Ed Stetzer,
Pentecostal Evangel
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If your church is passing through a difficult season, here is what you can do to honor the
Lord and keep hope alive: 1. Do your part - pray, witness and remain faithful.
2. Do not become divisive or cynical.
3. Be an encourager, especially to the pastor and his family.
4. Do not give up. Hold onto hope that this season will pass.
5. Believe God for the miraculous.
— Hal Donaldson, Pentecostal Evangel
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Sermon Starters and Quotes
•
Only as the church fulfills her missionary obligation does she justify her existence. —
Unknown
•
The problems of America will not be solved by government but by churches.
Church Growth
• In recent years, it has been the churches that demand the most of people - tithing,
bowing to firm doctrines, observing strict rules of conduct - that have grown the fastest.
— Wall Street Journal Deputy Editor Naomi Schaefer Riley, Pentecostal Evangel
•
I have found that personnel, organization, follow-up, facilities, promotion and hard word
are important elements to church grown, but the most important factor is spiritual power.
— James E. Hamill, Pentecostal Evangel
•
In a province of Northern Mexico the peasants lived in poverty. Corn was their main crop,
but between the ravages of disease which attacked the corn and the depleted soil, the
average yield was only 10 bushes per acre.
Then American experts decided to see what they could do to help the situation. They
analyzed the soil to determine what was lacking. They developed a strain of diseaseresisting corn particularly suited to that area. As a result the corn harvest increased 11
times — to 110 bushels per acre.
Perhaps the local church that finds itself in a low production cycle should engage in an
analysis of the “soil” to see how the situation might be improved. Here are some areas of
difficulties that deserve watching:
Some churches fail to grow:
1. When their leaders become victims of defeatism
2. Because they have lost their mobility and have become prisoners of their buildings
3. Because they have in their church a “family-clan” mentality
4. Because the pastor has a “I-can-do-it-all” mentality
5. Because the church is self-centered
6. Because they have a weak spiritual incentive
7. Because they are in bondage to traditions and religious habits.
— Melvin Hodges, Advance
Commitment
• Either live for something, die for nothing - itʼs your choice. — Actor Sylvester Stallone,
Springfield News-Leader
Compassion Ministry
• Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted according to the graces we
have received. — Mother Theresa
Courage
• Courage is being scared to death — but saddling up anyway. — John Wayne
•
Courage is admitting your fears, but not letting those fears stop your actions. — AGWM
missionary Andy Raatz
Death
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Sermon Starters and Quotes
•
Some day you will read in the papers that D.L. Moody of East Northfield, is dead. Donʼt
you believe a word of it! At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now; I shall have
gone up higher, that is all, out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal — a
body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint; a body fashioned like unto His
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glorious body. — Dwight L. Moody, 19 century American evangelist
Depression
• God can mend a broken heart, but we have to give Him all the pieces. See Psalm 34:18.
— Unknown
Discipleship
• Words from a Chinese classic written hundreds of year ago by one of the old scholars: “If
you are going to plant for one year, sow grain; if you are going to plant for 10 years, put in
trees; if you are going to plant for 100 years, grow men.” That presents the whole genius
of the missionary enterprise. — Unknown
Disobedience
• Delayed obedience is disobedience; and disobedience is sin. — Don Hillis, Building
Missions Support by Paul Brannan
Education
• From the beginning, our Movement recognized the need to prepare the next generation,
should Jesus tarry, for Christian service. The late Ralph Riggs, former general
superintendent, made this poignant comment back in the mid-1940s regarding the
college-age young people of the Assemblies of God: “If they are lost, we are to blame.”
My plea is for a new passion for the future - that the prayer of Jesus for His own will be
our prayer for the junior and senior high young people in our churches today: I have not
lost one of those you gave me (John 18,9, NIV). — George O. Wood, general
superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Pentecostal Evangel
Eternity
• The bright hope of everlasting life for those who believe is shadowed by those perishing
in darkness. — Randy Hurst, AGWM communications director
•
We are fortunate that Godʼs Spirit has dwelt so long and richly blessed so many
Americans. Material things are fleeting; that which is spiritual stays with us and is
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immortal. — Former President Gerald R. Ford, in a 90 birthday interview with World
Tribune.com., Pentecostal Evangel
Evangelism
• Christ alone can save the world, but Christ cannot save the world alone. — Unknown
•
Christ came to save the lost, the last and the least. — Unknown
•
American Christians are mute when it comes to sharing the gospel, but Jesus wants to
free our tongue that we might make known His gracious invitation for all to come to the
Cross. — Mart Green, director if istreetwitness.com, Pentecostal Evangel
•
The greatest thing on earth that a Christian can do is to win a soul to Christ, and itʼs a
work that every real Christian is doing. — Nathanael Olson, Advance
•
We Christians are debtors to all men at all times in all places, but we are so smug to the
lostness of men. Weʼve been “living in Laodicea” (Revelation 3:14-22), lax, loose, lustful
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Sermon Starters and Quotes
and lazy. Why is there this criminal indifference to the lostness of men? Our
condemnation is that we know how to live better than we are living. — Leonard Ravenhill,
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20 century English preacher
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It is no marvel that the devil does not love field preaching! Neither do I; I love a
commodious room, a soft cushion, a handsome pulpit. But where is my zeal if I do not
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trample all these underfoot in order to save one more soul? — John Wesley, 18 century
English minister
•
One would think that when the Son of God was born, the news would have spread like
wildfire throughout the whole area. But it didnʼt. God had to send His angels to make the
announcement to a group of sleepy shepherds on a hillside.
Incidentally, this is the only
occasion when God allowed angels to be the evangels. From that time on it has become
the obligation of His followers to tell of Christʼs birth, life, death and resurrection. — J.
Philip Hogan, AGWM executive director, 1960 - 1989, Advance
•
Dwight L. Moody was greatly impressed by a picture of one being saved as he came up
out of the stormy waves by clinging to the cross. However this first picture lost all its
appeal when he saw another picture. The rescued man clung to the cross with only one
hand and was rescuing another drowning companion with the other hand.
•
Perhaps the most outstanding thing about Andrew, one of Jesusʼ disciples, is that in
every place where he is mentioned in the Bible, he is pointing someone to Jesus.
Faith
•
Faith is to believe what we do not see; and the reward of this faith is to see what we
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believe. — St. Augustine, 5 century Algerian bishop
•
There are three kinds of faith in Christ:
1. Struggling faith, like a man in deep water desperately swimming.
2. Clinging faith, like a man hanging to the side of a boat.
3. Resting faith, like a man safely within the boat (and able to reach out with a hand to
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help someone else get in). — Dwight L. Moody, 19 century American evangelist
•
Belief in and dependence on God is absolutely essential. — Ronald Reagan
•
You do not test the resources of God until you attempt the impossible! — F.B. Meyer
Family
• God never intended us to face family challenges alone. Galatians 6:2 says, Carry each
otherʼs burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ (NIV). We must not allow
pride, embarrassment or unrealistic expectations to rob us of the prayers and support
from our church family. When we enlist others to pray for our family members, we fortify
the hedge of protection around them and declare to the enemy he is not welcome in our
house. — Hal Donaldson, Pentecostal Evangel
•
The more often families eat together, the less likely kids are to smoke, drink, do drugs,
get depressed, develop eating disorders and consider suicide, and the more likely they
are to do well in school and delay having sex. — Time writer Nancy Gibbs, Pentecostal
Evangel
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Sermon Starters and Quotes
Fasting
• Fasting is a powerful tool. Whatever you are facing today, consider fasting as part of your
response. As you subject yourself to that discipline, you may feel weak. But Godʼs
strength becomes even more evident in that weakness. — Dave Williams, Pentecostal
Evangel
Forgiveness
• Forty years ministering as a Christian therapist has taught me there is nothing more
healing for the emotions than forgiveness. — Richard D. Dobbins, Pentecostal Evangel
•
Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it. See
Ephesians 4:32. — Unknown
Giving
• The Bible teaches that itʼs more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). While there
are many rewards to giving, longevity may be a nice bonus.
According to a study
conducted by the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, those who help
others tend to live longer. ... Amazingly, volunteering was found to be an even greater
predictor of longevity than exercise. — Christina Quick, Pentecostal Evangel
•
God has given us two hands - one to receive with and the other to give with. We are not
cisterns made for hoarding; we are channels made for sharing. If we fail to fulfill this
divine duty and privilege, we have missed the meaning of Christianity. — Billy Graham,
Advance
•
You can give without loving. But you cannot love without giving. — Amy Carmichael, 20
century missionary to India
•
A person who goes to church every week ... will give, on average, 100 times more money
to charity each year than a person who never attends a house of worship. — Arthur C.
Brooks, author of Who Really Cares: Americaʼs Charity Divide, in World. Pentecostal
Evangel
•
In the spirit of caretaking and giving, there is a lot of service the faith-based community
can do. ... You can do so many things because you have credibility. — Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Julie Gerberding in a speech to Springfield,
Missouri, church leaders, in the Springfield News-Leader, Pentecostal Evangel
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Goals
• The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that
our aim is too low and we reach it. — Unknown
•
I have four things to learn in life:
To think clearly without hurry or confusion
To love everybody sincerely
To act in everything with the highest motives
To trust in God unhesitatingly
— Helen Keller
•
One person with a dream is equal to 99 who only have an interest!
— Unknown
God
•
The question isnʼt: “Do you believe in God.” The question is: “Do you believe God?”
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Sermon Starters and Quotes
— Unknown
•
Be assured, if you walk with Him and look to Him and expect help from Him, He will never
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fail you. — George Mueller, 19 century evangelist and coordinator of orphanages
•
We have recognized that, underlying every other need in life - the need for food, for
warmth, for human love, for a dream to follow - is the most pressing need of all: the need
for God. — Lawrence Welk
•
Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you
have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake. —
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Victor Hugo, 19 century French writer
•
Our coins, our national motto all say: “In God We Trust.” All right then, letʼs do it. —
Lawrence Welk
God, power of
• Isnʼt it wonderful to get into trouble, into disappointment, into a tight place? You would
never know Godʼs power if you didnʼt. — Unknown
God, working for
• We have all eternity to celebrate the victories, but only a few hours before sunset to win
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them. — Amy Carmichael, 20 century Irish missionary to Japan and India
•
Between the great things that we canʼt do, and the little things that we wonʼt do, the
danger is that we shall do nothing at all. — Selected
•
I really donʼt know what direction my life is going from here: I just know Iʼm on the track.
Whatever Heʼs got planned for me, Iʼm ready to listen. Iʼm ready to try to follow. —
Johnny Cash
•
Never take on more work than you have time to pray about. See Isaiah 30:15.
—
Unknown
•
It is amazing how much God can accomplish through an imperfect person who has put all
his imperfections completely at Godʼs disposal — Unknown
Gospel
• There are two things to do about the gospel; believe it and behave it. — Susannah
Wesley, mother of John and Charles Wesley, Treasury of Womenʼs Quotations
•
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The gospel is only good news if it gets there on time. — Carl F.H. Henry, 20 century
theologian and first editor-in-chief of Christianity Today, Pentecostal Evangel
Great Commission
• The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed.
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— J. Hudson Taylor, 19 century English missionary to China
•
The fact that the Lordʼs Commission was recorded in all four gospel accounts and in the
book of Acts should impress Christians to truly accept it as “The Marching Orders of the
Church.” It appears in Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:14-20; Luke 24:46-53: John 20:19-23;
and Acts 1:1-8.”? — Jesse Moon, Power Encounter 11
Sermon Starters and Quotes
Happiness
• It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness. — Charles
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H. Spurgeon, 19 century English preacher
•
Happiness is being where He wants you to be and doing what Heʼs asked you to do.
Health
• People who pray, read the Bible and are involved in a religious community are mentally
and physically healthier, less depressed and less anxious. They have better immune
function that we can actually measure, they donʼt use as many health services and they
live longer. — Dr. Harold G. Koenig, co-director and founder of Duke Universityʼs Center
for Spirituality, Theology and Health, Pentecostal Evangel
Heathen
• We must remember that, even in America, those who claim to be Christians but do not
personally know Christ are as lost as any who fit the stereotype of “heathens.” A person
doesnʼt have to be heathen to go to hell. — Randy Hurst, Pentecostal Evangel
Holy Spirit
• The authentic empowerment for life and ministry can only come when we embrace the
power which God birthed into the Church by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. You can point to
no other dynamic in the Bible that so profoundly speaks of the way God makes Christ
real. Through the baptism in and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, God expresses himself
continually in believers and the Church. — Keith Heermann, Developing Dynamic
Disciple
•
The baptism in the Holy Spirit and the fruit the Spirit provides make it possible for the
believer to live a life of constant victory over sin. Accordingly, every Christian should seek
earnestly the fullness of the Spirit in his life. — Charles Harris, Power Encounter
•
Why be filled with the Holy Spirit? Because itʼs a biblical experience.
Without the baptism
in the Holy Spirit, we are too ordinary and too weak to handle the responsibility of the
Great Commission.
— Loren O. Triplett, AGWM executive director 1990 – 1997
•
The message of Jesus does not change [in spite of new technology], nor does our
essential need for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Without the message of salvation
and touch of Godʼs Spirit on our efforts, our work will make no eternal difference - no
matter how state-of-the-art our tools and capabilities are.
— L. John Bueno, AGWM
executive director 1997 - 2011
•
Missions is the special work of the Holy Spirit. No one may expect to be filled with the
Spirit if he is not willing to be used for missions. No one who wishes to work or pray for
missions need fear his feebleness or poverty - the Holy Spirit is the power that can fit him
to take his divinely-appointed place in the work. Let everyone who prays for missions and
longs for more of a missionary spirit in the church, pray first and most that in every
believer personally, and in the church and all its work and worship, the power of the
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indwelling Spirit may have full sway. — Andrew Murray, 20 Scottish missionary to South
Africa
•
The Holy Spirit can do more in a couple of minutes than we can do in 10 days of
programs. — L. John Bueno, AGWM executive director 1997 - 2011
12
Sermon Starters and Quotes
•
I have a passion to move every Christian to the free exercise of tongues, not as a proof of
spirituality but as a privilege for worship and intercession. — International Church of the
Foursquare Gospel President Jack W. Hayford, in Christianity Today, Pentecostal
Evangel
Indifference
• There is no greater danger than indifference or lukewarmness to those raised in the
church. — L. John Bueno, AGWM executive director 1997 - 2011
Jesus
• “Who is Jesus?” That is the most profound, far-reaching, and important question you will
ever ask. The consequences of a wrong answer cannot be calculated. Among them is a
lifetime of spiritual lostness, deception and bondage. Beyond this life lies an eternity
without God. On the other hand, the consequences of the right answer and a proper
response mean a lifetime of truth and freedom and an eternity in Godʼs presence. —
Charles T. Crabtree, Assemblies of God assistant general superintendent 1993 - 2007,
Pentecostal Evangel
Laughter
• Proverbs 17:22 says, A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the
bones. Cardiologists at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore would
likely agree. In a study involving 300 people, doctors found that people who developed
heart disease generally laughed less and displayed more anger and hostility.
”People
become healthier from laughter,” says Judy Goldblum-Carlton, a humor therapist at the
University of Maryland Childrenʼs Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. “It improves
circulation. When you laugh heartily, every organ is being massaged, including your
heart, lungs and digestive system.” — Christina Quick, Pentecostal Evangel
•
Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects. See Proverbs 15:30.
— Unknown
•
We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give. — Winston Churchill
•
Each life is a gift from God. ... Each of us has been born for a purpose. I believe that no
life - no life - is wasted. — Joni Eareckson Tada, Pentecostal Evangel
Life
Life, Purpose of
• There is room enough on earth to find graves for the finest abilities and noblest powers.
The ground which received one talent will also receive five. You can easily find a spade
to dig a grave for your talents and abilities, your money and time, but understand that in
burying your talents you are burying yourself; in burying aught that God has given you,
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you are burying part of your life. — Joseph Parker, 19 century English preacher
•
Be such a man, and live such a life, that if every man were such as you, the earth would
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be Godʼs paradise. — Phillips Brooks, 19 century American clergyman and author
•
Every person is born as a solution to a Kingdom problem. — R. Bryan Jarrett,
Assemblies of God pastor
Love
•
For the most high calling, the work of the ministry, there abides faith, hope, and love,
these three; but the greatest and most necessary of these is love. — Hal Bredbenner,
Advance
13
Sermon Starters and Quotes
•
1 Corinthians 13 for ministers:
Though I can expound the Scripture better than most, and manage a staff of well-trained
assistants, if I have not love, I am but a bellowing bore.
And though I have a natural gift for leadership, and have a knack for wisely counseling
the confused, and seem to know everything; and although I can muster up enough faith
to build debt-free church expansions, and have not love, I am accomplishing nothing.
And though I get paid far less than Iʼm worth (without grumbling), and though Iʼd give up
all my meager belongings to serve the Lord, and have not love, it gains me nothing.
Love is patient with the drunk whose wife calls at 1 a.m. and needs someone to post bail
for her husband. To the slandering gossip who tells the unaware of all the problems in the
pastorʼs home, love is kind.
Love does not constantly refer to the article it got published in Pentecostal Evangel or
Enrichment. It does not loudly boast of record giving to missions. It acts the same
whether in or out of the pulpit.
It works to add souls to Godʼs kingdom, even if they end up taking their tithes to another
church.
Love takes harsh criticism without getting mad or defensive, and always expects the best,
even from the worst of people.
Love is not happy to see a competing ministry fail, but rather rejoices when the gospel
blesses even its enemies.
Love never fails: But whether there be successful money-raising programs, they shall fail;
Whether there be well-organized bus ministries, they will break down;
Whether there be a prominent lecture circuit, it shall be canceled.
For the most high calling, the work of the ministry, there abides faith, hope, and love,
these three; but the greatest and most necessary of these is love. — Hal Bredbenner,
Advance
Media
• He who tells the story has the influence. — Robert McKee, Hollywood screenwriter
Men
•
God gives to every man the virtue, temper, and understanding that lifts him into life and
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lets him fall just in the niche he was ordained to fall. — William Cowper 18 century
English poet and hymnodist
Ministry
• Wherever your deepest wound is, God will allow you to use that to minister to others. Like
it says in 2 Corinthians 1:4, God heals our wounds so we can help others who are going
through the same things we went through. — Mart Green, Pentecostal Evangel
•
Let your emphasis be on the creative and constructive rather than the critical and
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corrective. — J. Robert Ashcroft, 20 century Assemblies of God minister and educator
•
The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. — Steve Covey, Seven Habits
of Highly Effective People
•
We donʼt minister according to needs, but according to Godʼs direction. — Unknown
•
An 85-year-old preacher said, “I learned the secret of the ministry too late. When I was a
strong young man and I could preach, I gave it all I had. But if I had to do it over again, Iʼd
pray more; Iʼd read my Bible more; Iʼd reckon on the Holy Spirit more.” — Unknown
14
Sermon Starters and Quotes
Missionaries
• “Missionaries create the kind of respect for the individual who then can participate more
fully either in the religious structure or within a governmental structure. Evangelicals and
Pentecostals really have helped introduce the possibility of democracy in countries.”
—
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in a Christianity Today interview.
Pentecostal Evangel
•
Though we do not recruit missionaries, increasing numbers of people are coming to us
with a divine call. Our responsibility is not to place or transfer missionaries based on
demographic studies, but to send them where the Spirit calls them. A recent study
showed the greatest general increase in our Assemblies of God missionary personnel is
in areas of the world that have the lowest percentage of Christian believers. This is not
because of in-depth population statistics, but because the Holy Spirit knows where the
need is and calls those who are willing to serve. — L. John Bueno, AGWM executive
director 1997 - 2011, Pentecostal Evangel
•
The word “missionary” doesnʼt occur in the Bible. It comes from the Latin word missio,
which means “sent.” The closest word in the New Testament is “apostle,” which
describes a messenger sent on a mission. The apostolic missionary task is taking the
message of Jesus to those who havenʼt heard and establishing His church where it
doesnʼt yet exist. As with the apostle Paul, missionaries have a passion to proclaim the
gospel where Christ has not yet been named. — Randy Hurst, Pentecostal Evangel
•
To the question, “What equipment does one need to be a missionary?” J. Hudson Taylor
once replied: “A life yielded to God, a restful trust in Him to supply your needs, a
willingness to take a lowly place, adaptability toward circumstances, steadfastness in
discouragement, love for prayer and the study of Godʼs Word, some experience and
blessing in the Lordʼs work at home.” — Selected
•
For my own part I have never ceased to rejoice that God has appointed me to such an
office [of being a missionary]. People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so
much of my life in Africa. ... Away with such a word, in such a view and with such a
thought! It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege. Anxiety, sickness,
suffering, or danger now and then with a foregoing of the common conveniences and
charities of this life, may make us pause, and cause the spirit to waver and sink; but let
this only be for a moment. All these are nothing compared with the glory which shall
hereafter be revealed in and for us. I never made a sacrifice. Of this we ought not to talk
when we remember the great sacrifice which He made who left His Fatherʼs throne on
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high, to give Himself for us. — David Livingstone, 19 century Scottish missionary and
explorer to Africa
•
May I venture to invite young men of education, when laying down the plan of their lives,
to take a glance at that of missionary? For my own part, I never cease to rejoice that God
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has appointed me to such an office. — David Livingstone, 19 century Scottish
missionary and explorer to Africa
•
In a spiritual sense, missionaries are sent by God. In a practical sense, they are sent by
laypersons with a vision for missions. We have God, missionaries and laypersons.
Remove any one of these three factors and effective missions work will no longer exist.
— Jerry Burgess, Pentecostal Evangel
Missions
15
Sermon Starters and Quotes
•
I have but one passion: It is He, it is He alone. The world is the field and the field is the
world; and henceforth that country shall be my home where I can be most used in
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winning souls for Christ. — Count Nicolaus Ludwig Von Zinzendorf, 18 century German
missionary
•
No one has the right to hear the gospel twice, while there remains someone who has not
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heard it once. — Oswald J. Smith, 20 century Canadian missionary statesman,
Pentecostal Evangel
•
[Pentecostals] are having a tremendous influence in places like South America and parts
of Africa and in this country. Churches that tend in that direction are growing by leaps and
bounds. ... I have many of them as friends. — Billy Graham on Larry King Live,
Pentecostal Evangel
•
I think the problem we have with so many people not giving to missions is not that they
are basically selfish, but that they have never adequately comprehended how lost man
really is and how desperate is his situation without Christ. — Paul Brannan, resource
development editor, Missions Awareness Team, Pentecostal Evangel
•
Millions are perishing without Christ and without a ray of light to scatter the eternal
darkness. How great is the need! How urgent is the call!
— Noel Perkin, Assemblies of
God executive director 1927 - 1959, Pentecostal Evangel
•
The only missing ingredient in reaching our generation is our willingness to do it. God has
already declared himself. He is not willing that ANY should perish. The rest is up to us.
Letʼs hurry on with the harvest. — Loren Triplett, AGWM executive director 1990 - 1997,
Pentecostal Evangel
•
The truth that rings over and over again is that every country is open to prayer
missionaries; they are closed only to our minds. — G. Edward Nelson, AGWM director of
U.S. Relations 1978 - 1988, Pentecostal Evangel
•
I have but one candle of life to burn, and would rather burn it out where people are dying
in darkness than in a land which is flooded with light. — Unknown
•
If Jesus died for all men, then all men must be told. It is as simple as that. — Loren
Triplett, AGWM executive director 1990 - 1997, Pentecostal Evangel
•
The Spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions and the nearer we get to Him the more
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intensely missionary we must become. — Henry Martyn, 19 century English missionary
to India and Iran
•
I have seen in the morning sun the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary
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has ever been. — Robert Moffat, 19 century Scottish pioneer missionary to South
Africa, Pentecostal Evangel
•
It has been the glory of the Christian Church that she has gone to regions where no one
else has dared or desired to go. — J. Philip Hogan, AGWM executive director 1960 1989, Pentecostal Evangel
•
Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God. — William Carey, 19
century English missionary, called the father of modern missions
16
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Sermon Starters and Quotes
•
If a commission by an earthly king is considered an honor, how can a commission by a
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Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?
— David Livingstone, 19 century Scottish
missionary and explorer to Africa
•
Missions is not the “ministry of choice” for a few hyperactive Christians in the church.
Missions is the purpose of the church. — Unknown
•
The success of missions is not to see whatʼs in the barn, but what is left standing in the
field. — Unknown
•
When you begin to think missionally, you realize, This is not somebody elseʼs
responsibility; itʼs my responsibility. Christʼs commission to the early Christians was to
reach out to Jerusalem, then Samaria, then to the corners of the earth. I have to take
care of my “Jerusalem.”
— Alton Garrison, Assemblies of God assistant superintendent •
Most unbelievers who are not atheists want to think that there are many ways to find God.
Some cults even try to combine what they suppose is the good in various religions. but all
this is in vain. God has rejected all other ways. In Christ alone is there hope. It is this that
places the heavy responsibility of the Great Commission upon us. If there were any other
way of salvation, we could afford to take it easy. But there is no hope for anyone apart
from the salvation through Christ. — Stanley M. Horton, Assemblies of God theologian,
The Book of Acts
•
I will go down to the pits if you will hold the ropes at home. — William Carey, 19 century
English missionary, called the father of modern missions
•
Prayer is one rope, financial support the other. — Huldah Buntain, AGWM missionary to
India
•
Godʼs work done in Godʼs way will never lack Godʼs supply. — J. Hudson Taylor, 19
century English missionary to China
•
Sympathy is no substitute for action. — David Livingstone, 19 century Scottish
missionary and explorer to Africa
•
We talk of the Second Coming; half the world has never heard of the first. — Oswald J.
th
Smith, 20 century Canadian missionary statesman
•
No reserves. No retreats. No regrets. — William Borden, millionaire heir who died as a
missionary at the age of 25
•
Some asked, “Will the heathen who have never heard the gospel be saved?” It is more a
question with me whether we - who have the gospel and fail to give it to those who have
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not - can be saved? — Charles H. Spurgeon, 19 century English preacher •
We are not running out of money; we are running out of time. — Unknown
•
Where there is no witness of Christ, there is no light in the darkness. — Jim Lowell,
AGWM missionary to Latin America, Mountain Movers
•
The late missionary-evangelist Bernhard Johnson saw more than 1.8 million people
respond to salvation invitations in crusades in Brazil. I once asked him, “What do you
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17
Sermon Starters and Quotes
believe accounts for the great numbers who make decisions in your crusades.”
He
replied, “I always exalt Jesus Christ.” — Randy Hurst, Pentecostal Evangel
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within
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a yard of hell. — C.T. Studd, 19 & 20 century missionary
2012 Assemblies of God World Missions Facts, Stats and Trends Report
The Assemblies of God is planting churches in 252 countries, territories, and provinces.
One new believer is added every 14 seconds.
One new church is planted every 45 minutes.
One new minister is trained every 50 minutes.
The Assemblies of God comprises nearly one percent of the worldʼs population.
The world population is growing by 1.2 percent. The Christian population is growing by
1.2 percent. The evangelical population is growing by 2.5 percent. The Assemblies of
God is growing by 4.0 percent.
5,487 missionaries are sent by the World Assemblies of God Fellowship from 79
countries. 2,699 missionaries are sent from the United States.
95 percent of Assemblies of God constituents worship in a church outside the United
States.
More than 4 billion lost people wait in darkness for an adequate witness of Jesus as
Savior and Lord.
Mothers
• Ten ways to show love for your mother:
1. Confide in her about the ups and down of your life.
2. Ask for her advice.
3. Leave notes in her room, purse or briefcase.
4. Let her hug you as long as she wants.
5. Smile and tell her you love her.
6. Donʼt expect her to be perfect.
7. Cook dinner for the family.
8. Surprise her with a gift sheʼs been wanting.
9. Pray for her.
10. Give her compliments and compliment her to others.
— Compiled by Jena Schaumburg, Pentecostal Evangel
Pentecost
• If there is to be any hope of our working like the church of Pentecost, we must have a
new era in our missions. There must be a real restoration of the Pentecostal life and
power in the church at home. The Great Commission was given in connection with
Pentecost and its fulfillment was made directly dependent on it. The Pentecostal
commission can only be carried out by a Pentecostal church, in Pentecostal power.
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— Andrew Murray, 20 century Scottish missionary to South Africa
Pentecostal
• [Pentecostals] have aggressively courted the poor and imparted a work ethic that is
nudging their members into the middle class and beyond.
— David Gonzales,
Pentecostal Evangel
•
The early Pentecostal movement discovered that when we go back to New Testament
Christianity we get New Testament results.
— Thomas E. Trask, Assemblies of God
general superintendent 1993 - 2007, and David A.Womack, Back to the Altar 18
Sermon Starters and Quotes
•
This is a movement that began 100 years ago and it has gone from virtually nothing to
impacting more than a quarter of world Christianity.
— Luis Lugo, director of the Pew
Forum on Religion and Public Life, on Pentecostalism in The New York Times,
Pentecostal Evangel
•
A Pentecostal church is never content with the number of persons already reached with
the gospel. The passion of a Pentecostal church is for people who are still not safe.
—
George O. Wood, Assemblies of God general superintendent
•
To be truly Pentecostal, as we are using the term, is to rely on the Word of God for all
doctrine, expecting the same power operative in the Gospels and Acts to be
demonstrated in the Church today, and judging all experience by the Word.
— Opal L.
Reddin, Power Encounter •
To maintain Pentecost in the church, a spiritual leader must understand the full-orbed
ministry of the Holy Spirit within a Pentecostal context. I cannot emphasize enough the
need to stay true to the genuine prototype of the New Testament church. I have no desire
to go back to the early 1930s or 1940s, but I have a desire to go back to the first century
and learn again the dynamics of true Pentecost. I have little interest in tradition; my desire
is for the eternal, the supernatural.
— Charles T. Crabtree, Assemblies of God assistant
general superintendent 1993 – 2007
Perseverance
• God gives great victories and wonderful moments of joy and exhilaration, but if we look
through Scripture, we see that the great men and women God used were people willing to
keep plodding even in the difficult times. Space will not permit us to recount the stories of
Abraham, Moses, and Noah, but if we reflect on their lives, we will see men who
accepted Godʼs word as fact and kept moving even when outside circumstances didnʼt
confirm their vision and their call.” — L. John Bueno, AGWM executive director 1997 2011
Praise
• When youʼre down or discouraged, the best remedy is always to offer praise to God.
When our praise goes up, Godʼs power comes down. The Bible urges us to put on a
garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness. (See Isaiah 61.) — Unknown
•
You were made to praise - today, tomorrow, for a lifetime, for eternity.
— Thomas
Lindberg, Pentecostal Evangel
Prayer
• The enemy doesnʼt care how much business we do and how busy we become in religious
activities. But if he can keep us from praying heʼs got us on the run. Jesus took time to
pray.
— Thomas E. Trask, Assemblies of God general superintendent 1993 - 2007,
Pentecostal Evangel
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•
The neglect of prayer is a grand hindrance to holiness.
— John Wesley, 19 century
English minister
•
In the ongoing work of the Kingdom of God, nothing is more important
than intercessory prayer. People today desperately need the help that we
can give them. We can make a difference if we will learn to pray for
them. — Richard J. Foster.
19
Sermon Starters and Quotes
•
Prayer is weakness leaning on omnipotence. — W.S. Bowd
•
If we really believed Godʼs guarantee to both hear and answer our prayers, we would
pray far more than we do. See 1 John 5:14,15.
— Jim Cymbala, Assemblies of God
pastor
•
In no other way can the believer become as fully involved with Godʼs work, especially the
work of world evangelism, as in intercessory prayer. — Dick Eastman, The Hour that
Changes the World
•
Walking with God down the avenues of prayer, we acquire something of His likeness, and
unconsciously we become witnesses to others of His beauty and grace.
— E.M. Bounds,
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19 - 20 century American minister and author
•
Prayer is the first thing, the second thing, the third thing necessary [to the life of a
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Christian]. Pray, then, my dear friend; pray, pray, pray — Edward Payson, 19 century
American preacher, Pentecostal Evangel
•
Prayer is not a substitute for working, thinking, watching, suffering or giving; prayer is a
support for all other efforts. — Glen D. Cole, Assemblies of God minister, Pentecostal
Evangel
•
Prayer is more than spiritual exercise, more than a channel to get our desires filled.
Prayer is communion with God.
— G. Raymond Carlson, Assemblies of God general
superintendent 1986 – 1993
•
Thomas E. Trask, [former] general superintendent of the Assemblies of God, often has
said, “Prayer is what moves the hand of God.” John Wesley stated this idea similarly:
“God does nothing except in answer to prayer.” Prayer is vitally linked to the outworking
of Godʼs kingdom purposes in our lives and in our world.
— John T. Maempa, director of
the Assemblies of God Prayer Center, Pentecostal Evangel
•
Prayer is not manipulation; it is collaboration. We cannot manipulate God to do anything;
but we are privileged to collaborate or partner with Him to accomplish Kingdom purposes.
— John T. Maempa, director of the Assemblies of God Prayer Center, Pentecostal
Evangel
•
Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.
See Philippians 4:6.
— Corrie ten Boom
•
Intercessory prayer is both a privilege and a responsibility. As Aaron held up Mosesʼ
hands, we can help sustain our missionaries as they faithfully work to bring the light of
the gospel to those lost in darkness. Though we are separated by many thousands of
miles, God allows us to be fellow workers with our missionaries on the front lines of
spiritual harvest around the world.
— Randy Hurst, Pentecostal Evangel
•
It has been said that God answers prayer in four ways: (1) “No, not yet”; (2) “No, I love
you too much”; (3) “Yes, I thought youʼd never ask”; and (4) “Yes, and hereʼs more.”
— Ken Horn, Pentecostal Evangel
•
If we can raise the level of prayer in the Assemblies of God I am confident we can see
such a growth in this Fellowship and the releasing of the Spirit of God and the power of
God that will result in the miraculous and the supernatural and the deliverance of lives
20
Sermon Starters and Quotes
trapped by evil.
— Thomas E. Trask, Assemblies of God general superintendent 1993 2007, Pentecostal Evangel
•
We want the message to be repeated again and again: Pastors, congregations, we must
be people of prayer. Our churches must be places of prayer. There isnʼt an Assemblies of
God church in America, there isnʼt an Assemblies of God church in the world, that could
not experience a more powerful work of the Holy Spirit through a stronger commitment to
prayer.
— Thomas E. Trask, Assemblies of God general superintendent 1993 - 2007,
Pentecostal Evangel
•
Prayer is not monologue but dialogue, Godʼs voice in response to mine in its most
essential part. Listening to Godʼs voice is the secret of the assurance that He will listen to
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mine.
— Andrew Murray, 20 century Scottish missionary to South Africa
•
If you can answer your own prayer, you ought to do it.
— Unknown
•
Little or no praying are two of the great evils of our day. Of these two, perhaps little
praying is worse than no praying for it is a kind of make-believe, a slave for the
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conscience, a farce and a delusion.
— E.M. Bounds, 19 - 20 century American minister
and author
•
The greatest breakthroughs of history have resulted from people who refused to stop
knocking, seeking and requesting, when seemingly “the door is now shut.”
— C.M. Ward,
Assemblies of God minister and Revivaltime preacher •
When we work, we work; when we pray, God works.
— Oswald J. Smith, 20 century
Canadian missionary statesman
•
Spirit-inspired prayer - in the forms of confession, petition, thanksgiving, supplication,
praise, and intercession - is a distinctive that has given Pentecostal worship its power
and attraction. People seeking God in earnest, “holding on to the horns of the altar,” have
been the reason revival has come to their church. Robert Murray McCheyne reported that
when revival came to Dundee, Scotland, there were 39 prayer meetings going on in his
church at the time. Nothing reveals a churchʼs true character like the quality of prayer
being prayed in its services.
— James K. Bridges, Assemblies of God general treasurer
1993 – 2008
•
One of the great needs of the present day is men and women who will not only start out
to pray for things but pray on and on and on until they obtain that which they seek from
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the Lord.
— R.A. Torrey, 19 - 20 century American minister, educator and author
•
I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I have
nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seem insufficient for that
day.
— Abraham Lincoln
•
More things are wrought by prayers, than most people dream of.
— Alfred Lord Tennyson
•
It seems that today instead of fasting and praying we are fastly praying.
— Unknown
•
My fundamental duty as a pastor is to preach the Word. My secondary duties may include
administration, promotion, overseeing development of the physical facilities, visitation,
etc. But unless I give the preaching of the Word my first priority, the heart of the church
has collapsed. The heart is a pump. God has ordained that through the preaching of the
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21
Sermon Starters and Quotes
Word a constant supply of spiritual life and power be pumped into the church, His people.
— George O. Wood, Assemblies of God general superintendent
•
The key to heartfelt, meaningful, enriching realism in our prayers is threefold: clear
realization of the reality of God, continual practice of the presence of God, and constant
endeavor to please God every day of our lives.
— J.I. Packer, Pentecostal Evangel
•
The glory of the Father must be the aim and the end, the very soul and life of our prayer.
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— Andrew Murray, 20 century Scottish missionary to South Africa
•
Our prayers are heard, not because we are in earnest, not because we suffer, but
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because Jesus suffered.
— Oswald Chambers, 20 century Scottish minister and teacher
•
A prayerless Christian is a powerless Christian.
— Billy Graham
•
We ought to act with God in the greatest simplicity, speaking to him frankly and plainly,
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and imploring his assistance in our affairs, just as they happen.
— Brother Lawrence, 17
century monk
•
I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had
nowhere else to go.
— Abraham Lincoln
•
The prayer closet is the battlefield of the Church, the base of supplies for the Christian
and the Church. Cut off from it there is nothing left but retreat and disaster.
— E.M.
th
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Bounds, 19 - 20 century American minister and author
•
“Pray and never faint” is the motto Christ gives us for praying. It is the test of our faith,
and the more severe the trial and longer the waiting, the more glorious the results.
—
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E.M. Bounds, 19 - 20 century American minister and author
•
Persistent prayer is the mighty move of the soul toward God. It is the stirring of the
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deepest forces of the soul toward the throne of heavenly grace.
— E.M. Bounds, 19 th
20 century American minister and author
•
Helplessness becomes prayer the moment that you go to Jesus and speak candidly and
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confidently with Him about your needs. This is to believe.
— Ole Hallesby, 20 century
Norwegian writer and theologian
•
If your crowd knows you as a man or woman of prayer, they have a right to expect from
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you a nobler type of conduct than from others.
— Oswald Chambers, 19 - 20 century
Scottish minister and teacher
•
How vital is prayer? Our spiritual well-being and the outworking of Godʼs kingdom
depends on it.
— John Maempa, director of the Assemblies of God Prayer Center
•
The prayers of Godʼs saints are the capital stock in heaven by which Christ carries on His
great work upon earth. The great throes and mighty convulsions on earth are the results
of these prayers. Earth is changed, revolutionized; angels move on more powerful, more
rapid wings; and Godʼs policy is shaped as the prayers are more numerous, more
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efficient.
— E.M. Bounds, 19 - 20 century American minister and author, Pentecostal
Evangel
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Sermon Starters and Quotes
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The only way I can accomplish anything is through prayer.
— John Wesley, 19 century
English minister
•
Prayer recognizes that God is able, that God is in control, that God is faithful. Prayer
recognizes that God has done wonders in the past, and He has not changed.
— Stanley
M. Horton, Assemblies of God theologian
•
True prayer is a way of life, not just an emergency route.
— Unknown
•
Prayer is the most indispensable function of the Church or the Christian.
— J. Robert
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Ashcroft, 20 century Assemblies of God minister and educator
•
Until praying results in action, we have not really prayed.
— J. Robert Ashcroft, 20
century Assemblies of God minister and educator
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Preaching
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• Preach the gospel always, using words when necessary.
— St. Francis of Assisi, 13
century friar, Pentecostal Evangel
Priorities
• Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure. Where your treasure is, there is your
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heart. Where your heart is, there is your happiness.
— St. Augustine 5 century bishop
•
We need to reexamine our relationships with the Lord every now and then, and we need
to do the same thing in our relationships with one another: where we are and where we
are going.
— Shirley Boone, wife of singer Pat Boone
•
Give your best energies to your most important relationships.
Give your best resources to
your highest priorities.
Give your best attitudes to your deepest disappointments.
- James
T. Bradford, Assemblies of God general secretary
Revival
• If you want a revival, you have to pour your life out. That is the only way.
— Minnie
Abrams, “Sacrifice & Triumph” Heroes of the Faith book series 3
•
History tells us that when Godʼs people turn to prayer, they are on their way to revival.
—
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J. Robert Ashcroft, 20 century Assemblies of God minister and educator
Speech
• Before you say anything ask yourself, “Is it kind, true or necessary?”
— Unknown
•
God spoke and the world was created. We speak and create our world.
— Unknown
Stewardship of Talents
• When I played at the University of Missouri, there was this sign in the locker room: “What
you gave today, you have; what you didnʼt give, youʼve lost forever.” — Bill McCartney,
founder of Promise Keepers
Stewardship of Time
• When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was
your last, someday youʼll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and
since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked
myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do
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Sermon Starters and Quotes
today?” And whenever the answer has been ʻNoʼ for too many days in a row, I know I
need to change something. — Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc.
•
Time lost is time lost. Itʼs gone forever. Some people tell themselves that they will work
twice as hard tomorrow to make up for what they did not do today. People should always
do their best. If they work twice as hard tomorrow, then they should have also worked
twice as hard today. That would have been their best. — John Wooden, legendary UCLA
menʼs basketball coach; 10-time NCAA national champion
Success
• The two hardest things to handle in life are failure and success.
— Unknown
Suffering
• Suffering is the textbook that really teaches us who we are.
—Joni Eareckson Tada
Sunday School
• Rumors of Sunday schoolʼs imminent demise are greatly exaggerated. Many pastors are
coming to realize that ministry to children must be one of - if not the - pre-eminent
emphases of their church.
— Researcher David Kinnaman in a Barna Group study,
Pentecostal Evangel
Temptation
• The grass is not greener on that side of the fence and the grass is not greener on this
side of the fence. The grass is greener where you water it.
— Unknown
Time
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More than ever, as I read my Bible and pray and spend time with my wife, I see each day
as a gift from God, and we canʼt take that gift for granted.
— Billy Graham in Newsweek,
quoted in Pentecostal Evangel
Tithing
• I dreamed that the Lord took my Sunday contribution and multiplied it by 10 and this
became my weekly income. In no time I lost my color TV, had to give up my new car, and
I couldnʼt even make my house payment. What can a person do on $10.00 a week? —
Unknown
•
Trial
•
•
Suppose the Lord took your offering and multiplied it by 10 and made that your weekly
income. How much would you make?
— Unknown
Godʼs love for us is not a love that always exempts us from trials, but rather, a love that
always sees us through trials.
— Unknown
Itʼs wonderful to get into a trial where your own strength is gone, where you canʼt rely on
an arm of flesh. The three in the fiery furnace would never have seen the Son of God
unless they had been there.
— Selected
Trouble
• Troubles are often the tools by which God fashions us for better things.
— Henry Ward
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Beecher, 19 century American clergyman
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Sermon Starters and Quotes
Weaknesses
• God uses men who are weak and feeble enough to lean on Him.
— Hudson Taylor,
missionary to China
Wealth
• It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich according to what he is, not according to
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what he has.
— Hudson Taylor, 19 century missionary to China
Witnessing
• The things we do today - sowing seeds, or sharing simple truths of Christ - people will
someday refer to as the first things that prompted them to think of Him.
— George
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Matheson, 19 century Scottish blind minister and writer
•
American Christians are mute when it comes to sharing the gospel, but Jesus wants to
free our tongue that we might make known His gracious invitation for all to come to the
Cross. — Mark Green, director of istreetwitness.com, in his book Here Am I, Donʼt Send
Me!
Workers
• When God wants a person to do an important work for His Kingdom, He does not call the
idle, but He calls those who are already busily engaged in useful service.
Amos was busy with his herds when God called him.
Elisha was plowing in the field.
Joseph was on a mission for his father.
Moses was keeping the flock in the desert.
Saul was hunting his fatherʼs lost donkeys.
Daniel was serving the king.
Peter and James and John were fishing.
Matthew was collecting taxes.
So it has always been. Those who are performing well the lowly talks of life are those
whom God calls to the greater tasks.
— Selected
Worry
• A 1997 Harvard study showed that worriers have an increased risk of coronary heart
disease. A 2000 Mayo clinic study demonstrated that optimists, on average, live longer
than pessimists.
— Christina Quick, Pentecostal Evangel
•
Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.
- Corrie ten
Boom, Pentecostal Evangel
Worship
•
Learn to worship God as the God who does wonders, who wishes to prove in you that He
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can do something supernatural and divine.
— Andrew Murray, 20 century Scottish
missionary to South Africa
•
An atmosphere that is joyous, ecstatic and emotionally expressive is appearing in all
kinds of churches now, even if itʼs not labeled Pentecostal.
— Harvard Divinity School
professor Harvey Cox on how Pentecostal worship styles have influenced other
denominations, in Newsweek, Pentecostal Evangel
•
Worship is pictured at is best in Isaiah, chapter 6, when the young prophet became
aware of the Father; aware of his own limitations; aware of the Fatherʼs directives; and
aware of the task at hand.
— David Julius, Advance
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Sermon Starters and Quotes
Compiled by Owen Wilkie
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