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

9,055 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 Stories That Really Mattered

In J.R.R. Tolkien's *The Two Towers*, there is a moment when Frodo and Sam sit exhausted on the stairs of Cirith Ungol, the weight of...

Universalcourage

239 words

PreviousPage 232 of 378Next

Sermon Illustration

The Father Who Finished the Race

In the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, British sprinter Derek Redmond lined up for the 400-meter semifinal carrying the weight of years of injury and disappointment. He...

Universalredemption

229 words

Sermon Illustration

When the Last Store Closed

In East Cleveland, Ohio, the last full-service grocery store shut its doors after years of slow decline. Residents had watched the shelves grow thinner —...

Amos 8:1-12Universal

254 words

Sermon Illustration

When Love - Biblical Analogy

A farmer once faced a relentless fog that cloaked his fields, obscuring the familiar paths he had walked for years. Every morning, he would rise with the sun, hoping to catch a glimpse of the golden light breaking through the...

John 14:6Progressive/Social Justice

261 words

Sermon Illustration

The Astronaut Who Couldn't Stop Thinking About Home

When astronaut Chris Hadfield floated aboard the International Space Station in 2013, he pressed his face against the cupola window and watched Earth spin below...

Psalm 8:4-9Universal

259 words

Sermon Illustration

The Mental Health & Spirituality Challenge - Biblical Analogy

In our churches today, mental health struggles often linger in the shadows, much like the unspoken burdens we carry in our hearts. Picture for a moment the woman who reached out to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment in that...

Galatians 3:28Christocentric

283 words

Sermon Illustration

The Last Box from the Old Address

When Maria Dominguez finally closed on her first house in Garland, Texas, she kept a cardboard box in the hallway closet for eleven months. It...

Joshua 5:9-12Universal

262 words

Sermon Illustration

The Power of Gentleness - Contemporary Example

There’s a story from my childhood that still resonates with me, one that speaks to the power of gentleness and patience. I remember the days when my grandmother would sit on the porch, a sturdy woman with hands like worn...

Joshua 1:9Christocentric

250 words

Sermon Illustration

Modern Examples of Environmental Stewardship - Biblical Analogy

In the heart of California, a small church named Hope Haven embarked on a journey that would transform not only their building but their entire community. Faced with the pressing realities of climate change, they embraced the challenge with a...

Galatians 3:28Traditional

275 words

Sermon Illustration

Churchill's Black Dog and the Cave at Horeb

In May 1940, Winston Churchill rallied a nation from the brink of surrender. His speeches during the Battle of Britain became the backbone of Allied...

1 Kings 19:1-4, 8-15aUniversal

238 words

Sermon Illustration

The Competitor Who Knelt to Help

In the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Jesse Owens was on the verge of elimination. Adolf Hitler had staged these Games to showcase Aryan supremacy, and Owens...

Universalgrace

257 words

Sermon Illustration

The Comeback Nobody Expected

In April 2019, Tiger Woods stood on the 18th green at Augusta National and won the Masters — his first major championship in eleven years....

Universalhealing

236 words

Sermon Illustration

The Lighthouse Keeper's Faith - Story

The story of the lighthouse keeper illustrates the importance of faithfulness in our Christian walk, even when our efforts go unnoticed. It emphasizes that our actions, like the light of the beacon, can guide others safely through life's storms. Ultimately, we are called to be faithful in our service to God and others, trusting that our light can make a difference in the world.

Matthew 5:14, 1 Corinthians 4:2Traditional

212 words

Sermon Illustration

The Finish Line He Couldn't Earn

On August 3, 1992, British sprinter Derek Redmond lined up for the 400-meter semifinal at the Barcelona Olympics. He had trained for years, overcome four...

Universalgrace

238 words

Sermon Illustration

When Healing Begins with Surrender

In bone marrow transplantation, there is a phase that sounds deeply counterintuitive. Before a patient can receive life-saving marrow from a donor, their own immune...

Universalcourage

246 words

Sermon Illustration

A Father's Finish Line

In the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, British sprinter Derek Redmond lined up for the 400-meter semifinal carrying the weight of years of injury and comeback. He...

Universallove

238 words

Sermon Illustration

Beyond the Pull

In physics, there is a concept called escape velocity — the precise speed an object must reach to break free from a planet's gravitational pull....

Universalfreedom

250 words

Sermon Illustration

The Cross in the Ruins of Coventry

On the morning of November 15, 1940, Provost Richard Howard picked his way through the smoldering skeleton of Coventry Cathedral. German bombers had reduced six...

Isaiah 11:1-10Universal

242 words

Sermon Illustration

The Comeback No Scout Could Have Predicted

In 1999, Josh Hamilton was the number one pick in the Major League Baseball draft — a teenager with a swing so pure that scouts...

Universalredemption

253 words

Sermon Illustration

A Modern Story of Mental Health & Spirituality - Quote

In our churches, mental health struggles often remain hidden, silently affecting so many of us. It’s reminiscent of the woman in the crowd who reached out to touch Jesus’ hem, desperate for healing yet afraid to voice her pain. Take...

Micah 6:8Arminian/Wesleyan

271 words

Sermon Illustration

More Powerful Together Than Alone

In March 2020, as COVID-19 swept the globe, a quiet revolution happened on millions of home computers. A project called Folding@home invited ordinary people to...

Universalcommunity

232 words

Sermon Illustration

Corrie ten Boom and the Sister Who Wandered

In the years before World War II, Corrie ten Boom's father Casper kept a watchmaker's shop in Haarlem, Netherlands. What few people remember is how...

Hosea 11:1, 3-4, 8c-9Universal

232 words

Sermon Illustration

When the Snow Began to Melt

In C.S. Lewis's *The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe*, the White Witch has cast Narnia into a hundred years of frozen despair — "always...

Universalhope

223 words

Sermon Illustration

A Story of Perseverance - Story

Sarah had always dreamed of running a marathon. Each year, she would watch the race from the sidelines, cheering for the runners, feeling a spark of longing ignite within her. But fear and self-doubt held her back. “I could never...

Isaiah 40:31Traditional

271 words