One of the largest free collections of sermon illustrations, organized by topic, scripture, and theological tradition.

Stay updated

New illustrations, features & occasional discounts

Browse

By Topic
By Scripture
By Tradition
By Emotion
By Source Type
Sermon Slides

Resources

Sample Illustrations
About
Premium
Contact Us
SermonWise AI
PewSearch
ChurchWiseAI

Support

Contact Us
+1 (888) 603-0316
support@churchwiseai.com
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service
Refund Policy

HomeIllustrations

50,739 Illustrations

Browse Sermon Illustrations

Search, filter, and discover the perfect illustration for your sermon

All Stories & Illustrations Poetry & Verse Quotes Biblical Insights Historical Examples Movie Analogies Devotionals Tradition Perspectives All types →

Top Rated Newest Oldest|All Sources Biblical Illustrator Spurgeon Maclaren

Free to browse · Sign up free to unlock most illustrations · Premium ($9.95/mo) for the full library of 50,000+ illustrations

Sermon Illustration

The Rooftop Watch Over St. Paul's

On the night of December 29, 1940, German bombers dropped thousands of incendiary devices across London in what became known as the Second Great Fire...

Mark 13:24-37Universal

233 words

PreviousPage 1136 of 2115Next

Sermon Illustration

The Clerical Error That Opened a Grave

On December 16, 1944, Betsie ten Boom died in the Ravensbruck concentration camp, whispering her final words to her sister Corrie: "We must tell people...

Matthew 28:1-10Universal

244 words

Sermon Illustration

The Long Wait of Tim Duncan

In 1997, the San Antonio Spurs finished with the worst record in franchise history — 20 wins and 62 losses. It was a brutal season....

Universalpatience

235 words

Sermon Illustration

The Capsule That Came Down

On October 13, 2010, the world held its breath as a narrow steel capsule called Fénix — Spanish for Phoenix — was lowered 2,300 feet...

John 3:13-17Universal

222 words

Devotional

Evening Prayer: Joy - Story

As the sun dips below the horizon, painting the sky with hues of orange and purple, I can't help but think of the joy that fills our hearts when we embrace the profound truth found in John 3:16. For God...

John 3:16Missional

243 words

Contemporary

The Voice That Went Ahead of the Army

On August 28, 1963, a quarter of a million people stood before the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., waiting for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr....

2 Chronicles 20:21-22Universalworshipinspiration

249 words

Movie Analogy

Selma: Casting Cares in Community - Progressive (1 Peter 5:7)

Imagine a crowded church basement in Selma, a place steeped in history, where the air is thick with a mix of fear and hope. Here, in this sanctuary of shared burdens, folks gather for a prayer meeting, their voices rising...

1 Peter 5:7Universal

297 words

Movie Analogy

The Dark Knight Rises: Descent and Exaltation - Christocentric (Philippians 2)

In *The Dark Knight Rises*, we witness Bruce Wayne's harrowing journey as he descends into the depths of "the pit." Picture this dimly lit prison, with rough stone walls that seem to close in, the air thick with despair, and...

Philippians 2:5-11Universal

319 words

Sermon Illustration

The Unlikely Weaver

In E.B. White's *Charlotte's Web*, a young pig named Wilbur learns a terrifying truth: come winter, he will be slaughtered. He is helpless to save...

Universalcommunity

216 words

Sermon Illustration

The Fingerprints on the Window

When Margaret Chen moved into her first house in Boise in 1987, she spent an entire Saturday cleaning the picture window in the living room...

Psalm 127:3Universalparenting

254 words

Sermon Illustration

Finding Women and Church Leadership in Everyday Moments

In a small town, where the steeple of the traditional church dominated the skyline, lived a young woman named Sarah. From an early age, Sarah felt a stirring in her soul, a calling to ministry that she couldn't shake. With...

Luke 6:20-21Lutheran

302 words

Sermon Illustration

The Songs That Set Captives Free

Before the Civil War, enslaved men and women in the American South developed a hidden language woven into their hymns. The spiritual *Wade in the...

Universalfreedom

224 words

Devotional

Morning Meditation: We are Imago Dei - Story

This devotional reflection emphasizes the importance of recognizing the divine image in all people and responding with love and justice. It encourages individuals to engage actively in their communities, bringing hope and healing while reflecting God's character. The call to transformation is not only personal but also communal, aiming to create a world aligned with God's kingdom of justice and peace.

Amos 5:24Reformed

172 words

Sermon Illustration

The Symphony That Waited Thirty Years

In 1793, a young Ludwig van Beethoven first read Friedrich Schiller's poem "Ode to Joy" and knew immediately he wanted to set it to music....

Universalpatience

261 words

Sermon Illustration

Five Dollars and Fifty Cents an Hour

In 1994, Kurt Warner wanted nothing more than to play quarterback in the NFL. Instead, he got cut from the Green Bay Packers before the...

Universalpatience

255 words

Sermon Illustration

The Comeback at Merion

On February 2, 1949, a Greyhound bus emerged from the fog on a narrow Texas highway and struck Ben Hogan's car head-on. The golfer suffered...

Universalrestoration

267 words

Sermon Illustration

The Platform, Not the Purpose

In January 2005, Albert Pujols was already one of the most feared hitters in Major League Baseball. He had won three Silver Slugger awards and...

Universalpurpose

235 words

Devotional

Quiet Time: We are Imago Dei - Story

This devotional reflection emphasizes the importance of recognizing the divine image in all people and responding with love and justice. It encourages individuals to engage actively in transforming their surroundings through compassion and hope, inspired by the teachings of Jesus in Luke 4:18-19.

Luke 4:18-19Lutheran

172 words

Historical

The Race He Never Ran

The schedule for the 1924 Paris Olympics arrived weeks before the Games, and Eric Liddell studied it carefully. The 100-meter heats were set for Sunday,...

Acts 5:29Universalconvictionfaith

248 words

Historical

Ink Strong Enough to Break a Yoke

On March 20, 1852, the Boston firm of John P. Jewett published a two-volume novel by a minister's daughter from Connecticut. Harriet Beecher Stowe's *Uncle...

Isaiah 58:6Universaljusticecompassion

233 words

Sermon Illustration

The Duet Nobody Expected

In 2002, a drunk driver named Eric Smallridge killed two young women in a head-on collision. One of them was Meagan Napier. Renee Napier buried...

Universalforgiveness

228 words

Contemporary

The Evidence No One Expected

On December 9, 1952, Thurgood Marshall stood before the nine justices of the United States Supreme Court to argue Brown v. Board of Education of...

Isaiah 1:17Universaljusticewisdom

236 words

Sermon Illustration

The Cellist in the Ruins

In May 1992, a mortar shell struck a bread line in Sarajevo, killing twenty-two people who had simply stepped outside to feed their families. The...

Universalpurpose

233 words

Historical

The Man Who Reached for Heaven's Fire

In June of 1752, on the outskirts of Philadelphia, a forty-six-year-old printer named Benjamin Franklin walked into a gathering thunderstorm carrying a silk kite, a...

Psalm 97:4Universalwondercourage

232 words