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HomeIllustrations

8,934 Illustrations

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Top Rated Newest Oldest|All Sources Biblical Illustrator Spurgeon Maclaren

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Sermon Illustration

Lessons from Humility - Biblical Analogy

In a small village nestled at the base of a grand mountain, there lived a humble shepherd named Eli. He tended to a flock of sheep, known not just for their wool but for their unwavering loyalty to him. Every...

Psalm 23:1-6Black Church

265 words

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Sermon Illustration

A Grain of Sand

In 1995, astronomer Robert Williams made a decision that many of his colleagues called reckless. As director of the Space Telescope Science Institute, he pointed...

Universalhumility

236 words

Sermon Illustration

The Power of Compassion - Biblical Analogy

There once lived a woman named Maria, a single mother in a small village, facing struggles that felt insurmountable. Her days were filled with toil, and her nights haunted by worries about her children’s future. One evening, exhausted and on...

Matthew 28:19-20Reformed

255 words

Sermon Illustration

A Story of Justice - Contemporary Example

In a bustling neighborhood in Chicago, a local community center operated by a small church found itself at the heart of a crisis. Families were struggling with food insecurity, and the local pantry could barely keep its shelves stocked. One...

John 14:6Arminian/Wesleyan

250 words

Sermon Illustration

When Goodness - Contemporary Example

There’s a remarkable story of a young man named Aaron, who found himself lost in a swirl of life’s pressures and temptations. Raised in the church, he had a genuine faith, but as he entered college, the challenges mounted. The...

Romans 12:2Traditional

270 words

Sermon Illustration

From the Stockroom to the Super Bowl

In 1994, Kurt Warner was stocking shelves at a Hy-Vee grocery store in Cedar Falls, Iowa, earning $5.50 an hour. The Green Bay Packers had...

Universaltransformation

244 words

Sermon Illustration

Lessons from Justice - Story

In a small town nestled between rolling hills, a woman named Deborah emerged as a beacon of hope amidst deep divisions. The community had been struggling with conflict; neighbors were pitted against one another over land disputes and grievances that...

John 14:6Reformed

276 words

Sermon Illustration

The Tenderness Carved in Stone

In 1499, a twenty-four-year-old Michelangelo unveiled his Pietà in St. Peter's Basilica. The marble sculpture depicts Mary cradling the lifeless body of Jesus across her...

Universallove

254 words

Sermon Illustration

The Boy Who Walked Out of the Ward

In January 1922, fourteen-year-old Leonard Thompson lay dying in Toronto General Hospital. Type 1 diabetes had wasted his body to sixty-five pounds. Before that winter,...

Universalfreedom

261 words

Sermon Illustration

The Example of Hope - Story

There was a woman named Mary who lived in a small town. She had devoted her life to her family and her community, always lending a hand where she could. But when her husband was diagnosed with a terminal illness,...

1 Corinthians 13:4-7Progressive/Social Justice

271 words

Sermon Illustration

The Power of Wisdom - Contemporary Example

In a small town not too far from here, there lived a woman named Clara who had spent her entire life as a dedicated teacher. She loved guiding her students, pouring her heart into their growth. But one fateful spring,...

Romans 8:28Arminian/Wesleyan

237 words

Sermon Illustration

A Story of Faith - Biblical Analogy

A few years ago, a woman named Sarah found herself at a crossroads in life. She had just lost her job, and the weight of uncertainty pressed heavily on her heart. Desperate for direction, Sarah turned to the story of...

Psalm 23:1-6Traditional

256 words

Sermon Illustration

The Body God Built for Battle

In 1901, Japanese chemist Jokichi Takamine became the first scientist to isolate adrenaline, the hormone produced by two small glands perched atop your kidneys. What...

Universalcourage

245 words

Sermon Illustration

When the Signal Finds You

In 2017, Hurricane Maria knocked out nearly all of Puerto Rico's cell towers. For weeks, millions of people had no way to call loved ones,...

Universalhope

228 words

Sermon Illustration

The Example of Kindness - Contemporary Example

Mary, a dear friend of mine, recently faced a storm in her life that many never see coming. She had always been the one to offer a listening ear and warm embrace, a beacon of kindness in our community. Yet,...

1 Corinthians 13:4-7Black Church

255 words

Sermon Illustration

The Voice That Wouldn't Be Silenced

In 1939, Marian Anderson was one of the most celebrated contraltos in the world. She had performed in the great concert halls of Europe to...

Universalcourage

232 words

Sermon Illustration

The Smallest Point of Light

In 1995, astronomer Robert Williams made a decision that many of his colleagues considered a waste of precious telescope time. He pointed the Hubble Space...

Universalhumility

255 words

Sermon Illustration

The Bone That Breaks and Grows Back Stronger

Orthopedic surgeons have long observed a remarkable phenomenon known as Wolff's Law, first described by German anatomist Julius Wolff in 1892. When a bone fractures...

Universalcourage

230 words

Sermon Illustration

Lessons from Salvation - Story

One Sunday afternoon, a small parish community gathered to celebrate their annual feast day, a day marked by joy and togetherness. The church’s aging bell tower rang out, calling everyone to a grand meal adorned with bright banners and the...

John 14:6Reformed

272 words

Sermon Illustration

The Carpenter's Patience

In 1987, a furniture maker named Thomas Gentry ran a small workshop in Asheville, North Carolina. His twelve-year-old son, David, wanted to build a birdhouse....

Ephesians 6:4Universalparenting

238 words

Sermon Illustration

When Healthcare & Healing Ministry Meets Faith - Story

Imagine a small community church nestled in a quiet town, where the heartbeat of faith intertwines with the rhythm of life’s most pressing struggles. In this congregation, there’s a woman named Clara, a retired nurse, whose life story is a...

Galatians 3:28Lutheran

262 words

Sermon Illustration

The Weather Channel at 3 AM

In 2011, meteorologist Jim Cantore stood on a beach in Joplin, Missouri, narrating an EF5 tornado bearing down on the city. Millions watched from their...

Philippians 4:6-7Universalanxiety

229 words

Sermon Illustration

The Night a Nation Sang Itself Free

In 1988, Estonia had endured nearly fifty years of Soviet occupation. The Estonian language was suppressed, their flag banned, their cultural identity slowly strangled. Then...

Universalfreedom

219 words

Sermon Illustration

The Freedom of Running for One

In 1924, Scottish sprinter Eric Liddell arrived at the Paris Olympics as the favorite to win the 100 meters. Then he learned the heats were...

Universalfreedom

243 words