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HomeIllustrations

9,055 Illustrations

Browse Sermon Illustrations

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Top Rated Newest Oldest|All Sources Biblical Illustrator Spurgeon Maclaren

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Sermon Illustration

When Conscience Runs Faster Than Gold

In the summer of 1924, the world watched as Scottish sprinter Eric Liddell made an astonishing choice. Favored to win gold in the 100-meter dash...

Universalfreedom

229 words

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Sermon Illustration

A Modern Story of Climate Change and Hope - Biblical Analogy

Imagine a small coastal town, once vibrant with life, now grappling with the harsh realities of climate change. The sea, once a source of joy where children splashed and fishermen cast their nets, has begun to swallow the shoreline, leaving...

Luke 4:18-19Arminian/Wesleyan

277 words

Sermon Illustration

The Man Who Knew Who He Was Before the Race Began

In 1924, Scottish sprinter Eric Liddell arrived at the Paris Olympics as the fastest man in Britain. He was the heavy favorite in the 100...

Universalidentity

242 words

Sermon Illustration

The Light That Finds You in the Dark

In 1600, the Italian painter Caravaggio completed one of the most stunning depictions of redemption ever put to canvas. *The Calling of Saint Matthew*, which...

Universalredemption

255 words

Sermon Illustration

The Bells That Broke the Silence

On August 25, 1944, the great bell Emmanuel — thirteen tons of bronze hanging in the south tower of Notre-Dame — had been silent through...

Isaiah 52:7-10Universal

215 words

Sermon Illustration

The Deepest Roots Bend First

In 2004, a team of researchers in Sweden discovered the world's oldest known living tree — a Norway spruce they named Old Tjikko, clinging to...

Universalhumility

232 words

Sermon Illustration

The Lighthouse Keeper of Peggy's Cove

In 1998, when Swissair Flight 111 crashed into the Atlantic just off Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, it was the local fishermen who responded first. They...

Luke 21:25-36Universal

231 words

Sermon Illustration

When the Father Runs

Derek Redmond had trained for this moment his entire life. On August 3, 1992, in the semifinals of the 400-meter race at the Barcelona Olympics,...

Universaltrust

223 words

Sermon Illustration

The Song That Took a Lifetime to Understand

On New Year's Day, 1773, an Anglican priest named John Newton stood before his small congregation in Olney, England, and introduced a hymn he had...

Universalgrace

238 words

Sermon Illustration

The Man in Black and the God of Second Chances

In 1968, Johnny Cash walked into Folsom Prison to play a concert for two thousand inmates. What most people forget is that Cash himself was...

Universalredemption

234 words

Sermon Illustration

Someone Else's Blood

In a bone marrow transplant, the patient's diseased marrow — the very factory that produces their blood — is first destroyed through chemotherapy. Every last...

Universalredemption

229 words

Sermon Illustration

The Comeback Kid from Kansas City

In January 2023, the Buffalo Bills led the Kansas City Chiefs 24-20 in the divisional playoff round. Patrick Mahomes had suffered a high ankle sprain...

Universalrestoration

253 words

Sermon Illustration

The Runner Who Knew Who He Was

In 1924, Scottish sprinter Eric Liddell arrived at the Paris Olympics as the favorite in the 100 meters. But when he learned the heats were...

Universalidentity

227 words

Sermon Illustration

Life Returns to the Gray Zone

On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted with catastrophic force, flattening 230 square miles of old-growth forest in minutes. Everything was buried under ash...

Universalrestoration

238 words

Sermon Illustration

The Defragmenter of the Soul

If you owned a computer in the early 2000s, you probably remember running the disk defragmenter. Over time, your hard drive would scatter pieces of...

Universalhealing

238 words

Sermon Illustration

The Genome and the One Who Wrote It First

In the year 2003, Dr. Francis Collins stood before a bank of microphones and announced that the Human Genome Project was complete. After thirteen years...

Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18Universal

223 words

Sermon Illustration

Science Illustration: Engineering and Building for the Common Good

A few years ago, I had the privilege of visiting a local engineering firm that was tasked with designing a bridge meant not just to connect two towns, but to unite their communities. As I walked through the bustling office,...

John 1:1-5Universal

254 words

Sermon Illustration

Hearts That Beat Together

In cardiac research laboratories, scientists have observed something remarkable about individual heart muscle cells called cardiomyocytes. When isolated in a petri dish, a single heart...

Universalcommunity

231 words

Sermon Illustration

The Runner Who Felt God's Pleasure

In the 1924 Paris Olympics, Scottish sprinter Eric Liddell faced a decision that baffled the sporting world. His best event, the 100 meters, was scheduled...

Universalpurpose

241 words

Sermon Illustration

The Bird That Flew Without a Map

In September 2007, a bar-tailed godwit known to researchers as E7 launched from the mudflats of Alaska and flew 7,145 miles non-stop to New Zealand...

Universaltrust

250 words

Sermon Illustration

The Tree They Pulled From the Rubble

In October 2001, recovery workers at Ground Zero discovered a Callery pear tree buried beneath smoldering debris. Eight feet of trunk remained — split, burned,...

Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24Universal

238 words

Sermon Illustration

When the Body Learns to Move Again

Orthopedic surgeons have a name for it: adhesive capsulitis, commonly known as frozen shoulder. It begins quietly, often after an injury the patient thought had...

Universalfreedom

248 words

Sermon Illustration

Feeling His Pleasure

In the summer of 1924, Scottish sprinter Eric Liddell arrived at the Paris Olympics as the favorite in the 100 meters. When he learned the...

Universalpurpose

199 words

Sermon Illustration

The Standing Ovation Bill Buckner Never Expected

On October 25, 1986, Boston Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner watched a slow ground ball from Mookie Wilson roll between his legs in Game...

Universalforgiveness

249 words