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50,739 Illustrations

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Top Rated Newest Oldest|All Sources Biblical Illustrator Spurgeon Maclaren

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Sermon Illustration

The Twenty-Six-Year-Old Who Said "Go

On July 20, 1969, alarms started blaring inside Mission Control. The Apollo 11 lunar module's guidance computer was overloading, flashing 1202 program alarms that no...

Universalcourage

236 words

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Sermon Illustration

The Hidden Arrow of Tyndale

In 1521, a young English priest named William Tyndale sat across from a fellow clergyman who sneered, "We were better without God's law than the...

Isaiah 49:1-6Universal

247 words

Contemporary

Rising on Wings

On September 4, 1993, Jim Abbott stood on the mound at Yankee Stadium and did what only a handful of pitchers in baseball history have...

Isaiah 40:31Universalperseveranceovercoming limitations

251 words

Sermon Illustration

The Painter Who Would Not Put Down His Brush

By 1918, Claude Monet could barely see the water lilies he had spent decades painting. Cataracts clouded both eyes, turning the world into a muddy...

Universalperseverance

258 words

Sermon Illustration

The Cellist in the Ruins

On May 27, 1992, a mortar shell struck a bread line in Sarajevo, killing twenty-two people who had simply been waiting for food. The city...

Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9Universal

237 words

Sermon Illustration

The Hymn Written in Famine

In 1637, the German pastor Martin Rinkart looked out over his walled city of Eilenburg and saw a community stripped of everything. The Thirty Years'...

Habakkuk 3:17-19Universal

227 words

Sermon Illustration

Modern Examples of Idolatry

In the heart of a bustling city, a young woman named Sarah found herself at a crossroads in life. With her career taking off, she was celebrated for her achievements and surrounded by the allure of a fast-paced lifestyle. Yet,...

2 Corinthians 5:17Lutheran

286 words

Movie Analogy

Chariots of Fire: Bodies Offered in Worship - Traditional (Romans 12:1-2)

In the film *Chariots of Fire*, we meet Eric Liddell, a gifted athlete with a heart set on something far greater than medals and accolades. Picture the scene: Liddell, with his fiery spirit and powerful stride, stands on the starting...

Romans 12:1-2Traditionalliving sacrificeworship

adults

284 words

Contemporary

The Race John Lewis Refused to Quit

On March 7, 1965, twenty-five-year-old John Lewis stood at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. As chairman of the Student Nonviolent...

Hebrews 12:1-2Universalsacrificecourage

257 words

Application Point

Real-World Ascension Day - Illustration

As we gather to celebrate Ascension Day, let’s pause and consider the profound truth in Romans 8:28, where Paul assures us that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” This isn’t just a comforting...

Romans 8:28Eastern Orthodox

302 words

Movie Analogy

WALL-E: God's Creation Mandate Restored - Missional (Genesis 1-2)

In the animated film *WALL-E*, we encounter a poignant picture of humanity's plight. Picture this: Earth is buried beneath mountains of garbage, a once-vibrant planet now a desolate wasteland. In stark contrast, humanity floats above in a sterile spaceship, lulled...

Genesis 1:1-2:3Universal

285 words

Movie Analogy

Babette's Feast: Trust That Releases Control - Lutheran (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Picture a small, windswept Danish village, its cobblestone streets lined with quaint cottages, each one echoing with the familiar scents of simple, hearty meals. It’s here that Babette, a French woman with a mysterious past, arrives as a refugee, carrying...

Proverbs 3:5-6Lutherantrustreleasing control

adults

366 words

Movie Analogy

Left Behind: The Shepherd Through Tribulation's Valley - Dispensational (Psalm 23)

Imagine a scene unfolding in a small, dimly lit room. The walls are adorned with peeling paint, and the flickering light bulb casts long shadows that dance across the floor. A group of believers, weary and anxious, gathers together. They...

Psalm 23DispensationalTribulationprophetic valley

adults

352 words

Movie Analogy

Harriet: Freedom's Season Comes - Black Church (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

Imagine a night heavy with the weight of despair, the kind of darkness that wraps around you like a thick fog. In that oppressive stillness, a figure emerges—Harriet Tubman, her silhouette against the moonlit fields of Maryland, heart pounding with...

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8Black Churchfreedom's seasonliberation timing

adults

288 words

Sermon Illustration

I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up: Life Alert

Illustration using the iconic Life Alert commercial "I've fallen and I can't get up" to describe the helplessness and hopelessness of humanity after the Fall.

Genesis 3:8-10Universal

Short74 words

Show Don't Tell

Show Don't Tell: Psalm 112

Vivid sensory description for preaching Psalm 112

Universal

234 words

Movie Analogy

The Letters: Mother Teresa's Beatitude Life - Catholic (Matthew 5:3-12)

Picture, if you will, the bustling streets of Calcutta, a cacophony of sounds—the honking of rickshaws, the chatter of vendors selling their wares, the distant wail of a child. In the midst of this vibrant chaos, there is a quiet...

Matthew 5:3-12Roman Catholicholiness markerssaints

adults

323 words

Show Don't Tell

Show Don't Tell: Psalm 128

Imagine a warm autumn evening in a cozy home nestled in a quiet neighborhood. The aroma of roasted chicken wafts through the air, mingling with the earthy scent of freshly baked bread. At the heart of this home sits a...

Universal

338 words

Movie Analogy

The Passion of the Christ: Emmanuel's Courage Given to Us - Christocentric (Deuteronomy 31:6)

Picture a young man named Jamal, standing at the edge of a darkened forest one autumn evening. The leaves have turned shades of fiery red and orange, but there’s a chill in the air that sends shivers down his spine....

Deuteronomy 31:6ChristocentricEmmanuelChrist's courage

adults

313 words

Movie Analogy

The Color Purple: Building Life on Faith's Rock - Black Church (Matthew 7:24-27)

In Alice Walker's *The Color Purple*, we witness Celie’s extraordinary journey from despair to empowerment. Picture her standing confidently in the sun-drenched fields of Georgia, the weight of her past tethered like a boulder behind her. But as the winds...

Matthew 7:24-27Universal

271 words

Movie Analogy

Babette's Feast: Vocation as Justice, Mercy, Humility - Lutheran (Micah 6:8)

In the heart of a small Danish village, nestled between rolling hills and misty fjords, there lived a woman named Babette. A refugee from a world torn by strife, she found solace among the humble members of a devout congregation....

Micah 6:8Universal

352 words

Devotional

Morning Prayer: Seeking God's Will in the Black Church Tradition Lens Tradition

As the sun rises, casting golden light through the stained glass of our sanctuary, I am reminded of the rich tradition of prayer that flows through the veins of the Black church. This sacred time of morning prayer is more...

1 Corinthians 13:4-8Black Church

291 words

Commentary

Traditional Lens Commentary: Matthew 6:9-13 (The Lord's Prayer)

We read this passage as the model prayer given by the Lord Jesus Christ, illustrating the essential elements of prayer for His disciples. It emphasizes the recognition of God's holiness and sovereign reign ('hallowed be your name, your kingdom come') while acknowledging our dependence on Him for dai

Matthew 6:9-13 (The Lord's Prayer)TraditionalThe sovereignty of GodThe holiness of God

pastor

362 words

Movie Analogy

Chariots of Fire: Discerning God's Purposes - Anglican (Jeremiah 29:11)

Imagine, if you will, the early morning light breaking over the fields of Scotland, as a young Eric Liddell laces up his worn running shoes. The air is crisp, and the dew clings to the grass like tiny jewels glistening...

Jeremiah 29:11-13Anglicandiscernmentpurpose

adults

312 words