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Everything you need to know about IllustrateTheWord. Find answers to common questions or contact us for help.
How to find the perfect illustration for your sermon.
Use the search bar at the top of any page. You can search by keyword, topic, scripture reference, or phrase. Results are ranked by relevance and quality score.
You can browse illustrations by topic (200+ topics), scripture passage, emotion (joy, hope, comfort, conviction, and more), theological tradition (17 traditions), liturgical season, and source type (stories, quotes, movie analogies, poetry, historical, and more).
From the homepage, click any of the browse cards: By Topic, By Scripture, By Emotion, By Tradition, or By Source Type. Each category page shows all available options with illustration counts.
The Lectionary page shows upcoming Sunday readings from the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) with linked illustrations for each passage. It helps pastors following the lectionary find illustrations matched to their weekly readings.
IllustrateTheWord has over 26,000 sermon illustrations across 26 content types, including stories, historical illustrations, quotes, movie analogies, devotionals, poetry, character profiles, prayers, and more. New content is added weekly.
Understanding tradition-aware illustrations.
Each illustration is tagged with one of 17 theological traditions (or marked "Universal"). The tradition lens shapes how an illustration approaches a topic. For example, an illustration on grace might emphasize covenant theology in a Reformed lens, sacramental grace in a Catholic lens, or Spirit-empowerment in a Pentecostal lens.
The 17 traditions include: Reformed, Baptist, Methodist/Wesleyan, Lutheran, Pentecostal/Charismatic, Catholic, Anglican/Episcopal, Presbyterian, Non-denominational, Evangelical, Church of Christ, Assemblies of God, Orthodox, Adventist, Anabaptist/Mennonite, Quaker, and Salvation Army. Plus a "Universal" category for tradition-neutral content.
Yes. Visit the Traditions page to browse all 17 traditions. Click any tradition to see illustrations written from that perspective. You can also use the tradition filter on search results.
LensLines are tradition-specific perspectives on illustrations. They show how the same topic or passage is approached differently across theological traditions, helping you find content that fits your church's perspective.
Saving and organizing illustrations.
Click the heart icon on any illustration card or detail page. You need a free account to save favorites. Once saved, you can access all your favorites from the Favorites page (linked in the header menu when signed in).
No. Saving favorites is available with a free account. You can browse public and free-signup content and save as many favorites as you like.
Your favorites are saved in a single collection that you can browse anytime. Use the search and filter tools on the favorites page to find specific saved illustrations.
Sign in, subscriptions, and profile settings.
Click "Sign Up Free" in the header. You can sign up with your email address. A verification email will be sent to confirm your account. Once verified, you can sign in and access free-tier content and favorites.
Click "Sign in" in the header. Enter the email address you used when creating your account. You can also use the magic link option if you prefer not to use a password.
Visit your Profile page (click your name in the header, then "Profile"). From there you can view your current plan, manage your subscription through the Stripe Customer Portal, update payment methods, download invoices, or cancel.
Click "Sign in" and then "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in page. Enter your email address and you will receive a password reset link.
Contact us at support@churchwiseai.com with your account email and request account deletion. We will process your request and confirm when complete.
What kind of illustrations we include.
IllustrateTheWord includes 26 content types: sermon illustrations, historical illustrations, stories, quotes, movie analogies, TV analogies, devotionals, poetry, biblical insights, theological reflections, character profiles, prayers, spiritual disciplines, fables, analogies, application points, vivid retellings, and more.
Every illustration is quality-scored and reviewed for theological accuracy. Content is tagged with appropriate traditions, topics, scriptures, and emotions. We use both AI-assisted generation and human editorial review to maintain high standards.
Illustrations are tradition-tagged, not denomination-neutral. Each is written from the perspective of a specific theological tradition (or marked Universal). This means you get content that genuinely reflects your tradition rather than generic content that tries to please everyone.
We do not currently accept user submissions, but this is on our roadmap. If you have a suggestion or correction for an existing illustration, contact us at support@churchwiseai.com.
AI-powered sermon outlines using IllustrateTheWord content.
SermonWise AI is a companion product that generates full sermon outlines using illustrations from the IllustrateTheWord library. It combines AI-powered outline generation with tradition-aware illustration matching to help pastors prepare sermons faster.
When you generate a sermon outline in SermonWise, it automatically searches the IllustrateTheWord library for relevant illustrations matched to your sermon topic, scripture, and theological tradition. The illustrations are embedded directly in your outline.
Yes. SermonWise AI is a separate product with its own subscription ($19.95/month). However, it draws from the same IllustrateTheWord content library. Your IllustrateTheWord Premium subscription gives you direct access to browse and search all illustrations independently.
Visit churchwiseai.com for details on SermonWise AI and other ChurchWiseAI products. SermonWise is part of the ChurchWiseAI product family.
Our team is here to assist you. Reach out and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
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