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HomeIllustrations

50,739 Illustrations

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Sermon Illustration

George Müller's Empty Plates and Overflowing Tables

In 1838, George Müller sat at the head of a long table in his Bristol orphanage, staring at three hundred empty bowls. There was no...

Luke 6:38Universal

259 words

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Devotional

Spiritual Insight: Immigration and Welcome

In the ancient Orthodox liturgy, when the priest opens the Royal Doors of the iconostasis, he enacts what Paul proclaimed in Ephesians 2:14 — Christ Himself is our peace, the One who has torn down the dividing wall of hostility....

Ephesians 2:14Pentecostal

258 words

Sermon Illustration

The Dragon Skin We Cannot Shed Ourselves

In C.S. Lewis's *The Voyage of the Dawn Treader*, the selfish boy Eustace Scrubb falls asleep on a dragon's hoard and wakes to discover he...

Universaltransformation

225 words

Historical

Gold in the Longer Race

On the morning of July 6, 1924, the fastest sprinter in Scotland was nowhere near the starting blocks. Eric Liddell, the flying Scotsman favored to...

Matthew 6:33Universalconvictionfaith

231 words

Movie Analogy

Chariots of Fire: Wonderfully Made for Running - Anglican (Psalm 139:13-16)

Imagine standing in the cool morning air of a Scottish field, dew glistening on the grass as the sun begins to rise. The roar of a crowd echoes in the distance, but in that moment, all is quiet for Eric...

Psalm 139:13-16Anglicanvocationgifts

adults

289 words

Sermon Illustration

The Rancher Who Came Looking

In 2019, a cattle rancher named Dale Pennington outside of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, noticed that three of his weaker heifers had gone missing after a...

Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24Universal

261 words

Sermon Illustration

A Modern Story of Irony

In our modern world, irony often feels like a double-edged sword—cutting through our expectations while simultaneously unveiling deeper truths about our faith. Picture, if you will, a young woman named Sarah, who found herself navigating the tumultuous waters of life’s...

1 Peter 2:9Progressive/Social Justice

295 words

Sermon Illustration

Harriet Tubman and the God Who Parts the Waters

In the winter of 1851, Harriet Tubman stood at the edge of the Choptank River in Maryland, ice forming along its banks, slave catchers somewhere...

Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20Universal

229 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

Sermon Illustration

The Night a Nation Held Its Breath and Then Roared

On October 13, 2010, a steel rescue capsule broke through two thousand feet of Chilean rock and delivered the first of thirty-three trapped miners back...

Psalm 98Universal

221 words

Sermon Illustration

Fanny Crosby's Eight Thousand Hymns

When Fanny Crosby lost her sight at six weeks old due to a doctor's mistake, no one imagined she would become the most prolific hymn...

1 Corinthians 1:3-9Universal

240 words

Commentary

Traditional Lens Commentary: Genesis 5:1-32

We read Genesis 5:1-32 as a genealogical account that underscores God's faithfulness in preserving a godly line from Adam to Noah. This passage provides a historical framework that emphasizes the reality of human mortality due to sin, yet also highlights the promise of life through those who 'walked

Genesis 5:1-32Traditionaloriginal sinsubstitutionary atonement

pastor

337 words

Sermon Illustration

Born in the Bomb Shelter

In March 2022, as Russian missiles struck Kyiv, a young mother named Mariana went into labor in the basement of a maternity hospital. Doctors had...

Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10abUniversal

229 words

Contemporary

The Casket That Became a Proclamation

On September 3, 1955, Mamie Till-Bradley stood beside the open casket of her fourteen-year-old son, Emmett, at Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ on...

Isaiah 61:1-3Universalgriefjustice

245 words

Application Point

Putting Into Practice: AI & Human Dignity - Contemporary Example

As we consider the profound truth of Galatians 3:28, where Paul boldly proclaims that “there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus,” let us...

Galatians 3:28Christocentric

305 words

Devotional

Evening Prayer: Faithfulness - Story

As the sun dips below the horizon, casting long shadows across the landscape, let us take a moment to reflect on the faithfulness of God—a faithfulness that calls us to serve and grow in His presence. Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us...

Ephesians 2:8-9Missional

259 words

Sermon Illustration

What Hubble Found in the Darkness

In 1995, astronomer Robert Williams made a decision that his colleagues called a waste of time. He pointed the Hubble Space Telescope at a tiny...

Universalfaith

249 words

Sermon Illustration

The Frequency That Finds You

In 1665, Dutch physicist Christiaan Huygens noticed something peculiar. Two pendulum clocks mounted on the same wall, started at different times, would gradually synchronize their...

Zephaniah 3:17Universal

223 words

Sermon Illustration

The Way of Jesus: Peace, Simplicity, and Discipleship - Story

The Anabaptist tradition emphasizes the practical application of Jesus' teachings, particularly in the areas of non-resistance and peacemaking. By following the example of Jesus, believers engage in active discipleship that fosters community, mutual aid, and a commitment to justice. This approach highlights the importance of mature faith and the responsibility of all believers in ministry and community life.

Matthew 5:39, Luke 6:35, Acts 2:44-47Anabaptist

220 words

Sermon Illustration

The Law That Makes Bones Stronger

In 1892, German surgeon Julius Wolff published a principle that still guides orthopedic medicine today. Wolff's Law states that bone remodels itself in response to...

Universalfaith

228 words

Sermon Illustration

A Mote of Dust in a Sunbeam

On February 14, 1990, NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft was hurtling past Neptune, nearly four billion miles from home, when astronomer Carl Sagan convinced the team...

Universalhumility

230 words

Vivid Retelling

Eden Restored: Revelation 22:1-5

Cinematic retelling of the river of life and restored Eden

Universal

437 words

Theological Reflection

Theological Perspective: Hope - Teaching Material

In John 14:6, Jesus proclaims, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” This profound statement is not just a promise; it’s an invitation to a journey of hope that reassures us amid the uncertainties of life. The...

John 14:6Reformed

249 words

Commentary

Roman Catholic Lens Commentary: Amos 5:21-27

In Amos 5:21-27, we read this passage as a divine call to authentic worship that transcends mere ritual observance. The Lord, through the prophet Amos, rejects the empty sacrifices and feasts of Israel, emphasizing that true worship must be accompanied by justice and righteousness. This aligns with

Amos 5:21-27Roman CatholicThe Eucharist as the source and summit of Christian lifeCatholic Social Teaching on justice and peace

pastor

415 words