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50,739 Illustrations

Browse Sermon Illustrations

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Top Rated Newest Oldest|All Sources Biblical Illustrator Spurgeon Maclaren

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Sermon Illustration

The Flying Scotsman Who Stayed

In February 1945, Eric Liddell lay dying in a Japanese internment camp in Weifang, China. The Olympic champion who had stunned the world at the...

Zephaniah 3:17Universal

230 words

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Sermon Illustration

The Dare That Changed Everything

Marcus and Elena Rivera had been married three years when Marcus lost his warehouse job in Memphis. They were already stretched thin — rent, a...

Malachi 3:10Universal

224 words

Sermon Illustration

Called Before She Knew It

In 2019, a journalism student named Darnella Frazier was walking her nine-year-old cousin to Cup Foods, a corner store in Minneapolis. She had no grand...

Isaiah 49:1-6Universal

236 words

Commentary

Black Church Tradition Lens Commentary: 1 John 2:1-6

We read this passage as a call to live out the commandment of love as a true reflection of our relationship with Jesus. In the Black Church Tradition, we see 1 John 2:1-6 as a mandate for both personal holiness and communal solidarity. The text speaks directly to our lived experience of struggle and

1 John 2:1-6Black Churchliberationholistic salvation

pastor

356 words

Movie Analogy

Chariots of Fire: Trust Through Balanced Discernment - Anglican (Proverbs 3:5-6)

In the heart of Scotland, amidst the rolling hills and the crisp, wind-swept air of the 1920s, there lived an extraordinary man named Eric Liddell. Known as the "Flying Scotsman," Eric was not just an athlete; he was a fervent...

Proverbs 3:5-6Anglicandiscernmentbalanced trust

adults

307 words

Sermon Illustration

The Oxygen You Didn't Know You Needed

In 2018, a family in Shelbyville, Tennessee spent three weeks suffering from headaches, fatigue, and confusion before a visiting relative walked into their home and...

Romans 8:6-11Universal

237 words

Sermon Illustration

Nature Illustration: Soil, Tending, and Cultivation

Imagine a small garden nestled behind an old wooden fence, its soil rich and dark, cradling the promise of life. Each spring, a seasoned gardener arrives, not with grand plans or elaborate designs, but with humble tools—just a trowel, a...

Hebrews 11:1-3Universal

246 words

Movie Analogy

Hidden Figures: Excellence as Resistance - Black Church (Colossians 3:23-24)

In the film *Hidden Figures*, we meet three extraordinary women—Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson—who navigated the oppressive confines of a segregated NASA in the 1960s. Picture them, sitting shoulder to shoulder in a cramped office, their minds ablaze...

Colossians 3:23-24Black Churchexcellence as resistancedignity

adults

334 words

Sermon Illustration

The Chef Who Forgot Their Records

In 2015, Dallas chef Chad Houser opened Cafe Momentum, a restaurant staffed almost entirely by teenagers coming out of juvenile detention. Most of these kids...

Psalm 25:1-10Universal

240 words

Sermon Illustration

The Night the Sky Opened Over Tromsø

In January 2023, photographer Shang Yang traveled to Tromsø, Norway, hoping to capture the Northern Lights. He had seen photographs, watched documentaries, studied the science...

Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9Universal

222 words

Sermon Illustration

Real-World Preaching

Imagine a small fishing village nestled along a rocky coast, where the waves crash fiercely against the cliffs. Each morning, fishermen set out into the churning sea, their boats small and vulnerable against the vastness of the ocean. They know...

Titus 3:5Arminian/Wesleyan

326 words

Sermon Illustration

Bonhoeffer's Question in the Dark

In the winter of 1944, Dietrich Bonhoeffer sat in a concrete cell in Tegel Prison, Berlin, and wrote the poem that would outlast his captors....

Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18Universal

225 words

Devotional

Morning Meditation: Love - Story

As the sun rises, casting golden rays through my window, I am reminded of the profound truths found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. Love is not merely a feeling; it is a deliberate, powerful choice that transforms our hearts and lives....

1 Corinthians 13:4-7Eastern Orthodox

239 words

Vivid Retelling

Eyes of the Heart: Ephesians 1:15-23

Apostolic dictation scene of Paul's prayer for the Ephesians

Universal

733 words

Commentary

Roman Catholic Lens Commentary: Hebrews 13:1-6

We read Hebrews 13:1-6 as a call to live out the virtues of charity, hospitality, and contentment, rooted in our Catholic understanding of community and sacramentality. This passage reminds us of the importance of brotherly love and the dignity of marriage, which aligns with our sacramental view of

Hebrews 13:1-6Roman CatholicSacrament of MatrimonyCommunion of Saints

pastor

408 words

Commentary

Roman Catholic Lens Commentary: John 4:1-4

In the Roman Catholic Lens tradition, we read John 4:1-4 as an example of Jesus' intentional and purposeful mission. The passage shows Christ's movement through various regions, underscoring His universal mission to all people, not limited by ethnic or cultural barriers. This aligns with our underst

John 4:1-4Roman CatholicThe universality of the Church's missionThe unity of the Body of Christ

pastor

384 words

Devotional

Morning Meditation: Immigration and Welcome - Biblical Insight

Dear God of Love and Justice, As I pause to reflect on the theme of Immigration and Welcome, I am drawn to the poignant words of Jesus in Luke 4:18-19, where He declares His mission: “to proclaim good news to...

Luke 4:18-19Anabaptist

277 words

Sermon Illustration

Dorothy Day and the Bread Line on Mott Street

During the Great Depression, Dorothy Day stood on Mott Street in Lower Manhattan, ladling soup to a line that stretched around the block. She had...

Isaiah 58:1-12Universal

219 words

Sermon Illustration

The Elm That Wouldn't Die

In downtown Oklahoma City, an American Elm stands in the northwest corner of the National Memorial. Before April 19, 1995, nobody paid it much attention...

Genesis 9:8-17Universal

245 words

Sermon Illustration

The Lighthouse That Wasn't Built for Itself

In 1822, workers finished constructing the Tuskar Rock Lighthouse off the southeast coast of Ireland. It sat on a jagged outcrop battered by Atlantic storms,...

Psalm 67Universal

237 words

Devotional

Quiet Time: A Better Political Imagination - Biblical Insight

This devotional encourages reflection on how to engage with political issues through a lens of love and justice, inspired by biblical teachings. It emphasizes the importance of personal transformation in order to effect positive change in the world, highlighting the call to bring hope and healing to those in need.

Luke 8:1-3Anabaptist

173 words

Commentary

Traditional Lens Commentary: Luke 8:1-3

We read this passage as a clear demonstration of Jesus' ministry model, which includes both men and women in significant roles. Luke 8:1-3 highlights the active participation of women in Jesus' ministry, emphasizing the inclusivity of the gospel. This passage affirms the dignity and worth of women,

Luke 8:1-3TraditionalImago DeiRedemption through Christ

pastor

343 words

Sermon Illustration

The Chef Who Wouldn't Let Him Settle

When Marcus Thompson walked into Magnolia Kitchen in Birmingham, Alabama, he wasn't looking for a career. He was looking for a meal. He'd been sleeping...

Titus 2:11-12Universal

241 words

Sermon Illustration

The Keystone That Holds the Arch

In the hill towns of central Italy, Roman aqueducts still stand after two thousand years. Engineers in Segovia, Spain, walk beneath arches built before the...

Proverbs 16:3Universal

242 words