One of the largest free collections of sermon illustrations, organized by topic, scripture, and theological tradition.

Stay updated

New illustrations, features & occasional discounts

Website

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

1,308 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

Movie Analogy

The Gardener Who Waited for Rain

In *The Shawshank Redemption*, we remember Andy Dufresne's patience, but there is another movie that captures patience with even quieter power. In *Babette's Feast*, a...

Universalpatience

232 words

PreviousPage 35 of 55Next

Movie Analogy

When Courage Crawls Back Over the Edge

In *Hacksaw Ridge*, there is a scene that should make every believer sit up straight. Desmond Doss, a combat medic who refused to carry a...

Universalcourage

241 words

Movie Analogy

Selma: Prophetic Faith Living Micah 6:8 - Black Church (Micah 6:8)

In March of 1965, as I stand on the banks of the Alabama River, I can almost hear the echoes of brave voices rising from the crowd gathered at Selma. It was not just a march; it was a profound...

Micah 6:8Universal

305 words

Movie Analogy

Jesus Revolution: The Spirit Falls Again - Pentecostal (Acts 2)

Imagine a warm summer evening in 1960s California, where the golden sun dips below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the Pacific Ocean. A group of young people, their hearts heavy with the weight of disillusionment and searching for...

Acts 2:1-21PentecostalSpirit baptismtongues

adults

304 words

Movie Analogy

The Long-Expected King

In *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King*, there is a moment that rewards every viewer who journeyed through three films of...

Universalpatience

210 words

Movie Analogy

Babette's Feast: Faith Serving Neighbor Freely - Lutheran (Matthew 25:31-46)

Imagine a small, weathered village in Denmark, where the winds whisper through the narrow cobblestone streets and the fragrance of the sea mingles with the scent of fresh bread. In this village lives Babette, a woman who once graced the...

Matthew 25:31-46Universal

337 words

Movie Analogy

Facing the Giants: My Personal Shepherd - Baptist (Psalm 23)

In the movie *Facing the Giants*, Coach Grant Taylor finds himself in the dark valleys of despair—infertility, a losing season, the looming threat of losing his job. It’s a gripping portrait of a man who, like many of us, feels...

Psalm 23Baptistpersonal shepherdMY shepherd

adults

267 words

Movie Analogy

Harriet: Scripture as Freedom Text - Black Church (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

As we gather to reflect on Harriet Tubman's incredible journey, let us step into the quiet of a dimly lit cabin in the woods of Pennsylvania, a sanctuary for the weary and the oppressed. Imagine Harriet, a woman of profound...

2 Timothy 3:16-17Universal

299 words

Movie Analogy

No One Is a Failure Who Has Friends

Near the end of Frank Capra's *It's a Wonderful Life*, George Bailey stands on a bridge in the falling snow, convinced the world would be...

Universalcommunity

244 words

Movie Analogy

When Andy Dufresne Crawled Through the Dark

In *The Shawshank Redemption*, there is a moment that still takes my breath away. Andy Dufresne has spent nineteen years chipping through a concrete wall...

Universalfaith

235 words

Movie Analogy

What to Do with the Time Given Us

Deep in the Mines of Moria, surrounded by darkness and danger, Frodo Baggins turns to Gandalf and whispers what so many of us have felt:...

Universalpurpose

256 words

Movie Analogy

The Step You Cannot See

In *Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade*, Harrison Ford's character faces an impossible moment. His father is dying from a gunshot wound, and the only...

Universaltrust

230 words

Movie Analogy

Harriet: Grandmother's Training That Endured - Black Church (Proverbs 22:6)

In the heart of the 19th century, amidst the fields of Maryland, a young girl named Harriet Tubman was not just a child; she was a vessel of God’s purpose, steeped in the rich tradition of her ancestors. Each night,...

Proverbs 22:6Black Churchgenerational traininggrandmother's wisdom

adults

336 words

Movie Analogy

Chariots of Fire: Liddell's Weakness, God's Pleasure - Anglican (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

Picture the bustling streets of Edinburgh in the 1920s, where the air is filled with the crisp, invigorating scent of rain on cobblestone. Among the throngs of students and townsfolk, a young Eric Liddell, a celebrated runner and a man...

2 Corinthians 12:9-10Anglicanprincipled weaknessordered limits

adults

347 words

Movie Analogy

Chariots of Fire: Ordered Love, Expressed Joy - Anglican (1 John 4:7-8)

Imagine the brisk morning air of Scotland, where the sun peeks over the horizon, casting golden rays upon the dew-kissed grass of a small, bustling town. Here, in the early 1920s, a young man named Eric Liddell readies himself not...

1 John 4:7-8Anglicanordered loveformed

adults

350 words

Movie Analogy

Crawling Through the Dark to Reach the Light

In the final act of *Les Misérables*, Jean Valjean carries the wounded Marius through the sewers of Paris. It is one of the most physically...

Universalperseverance

236 words

Movie Analogy

The Door at the Edge of the Sky

In Peter Weir's *The Truman Show*, Truman Burbank has spent his entire life inside a manufactured world. Every sunrise is staged. Every relationship is scripted....

Universalfaith

254 words

Movie Analogy

Romero: Christ Crucified in the Poor - Liberation (Matthew 25:31-46)

In the heart of El Salvador, a small chapel stood as a beacon of hope amid despair. It was here that Archbishop Oscar Romero, a man of profound faith and fiery conviction, would gather with the faithful, often speaking not...

Matthew 25:31-46Liberation TheologyChrist in poororthopraxis

adults

301 words

Movie Analogy

Ostrov (The Island): Hesychast Peace - Orthodox (Philippians 4:6-7)

Picture a remote island off the coast of Russia, where the sun rises slowly over the still waters, casting golden hues across the horizon. This is where Father Anatoly lives, a man whose very presence seems to radiate a profound...

Philippians 4:6-7Eastern OrthodoxhesychasmJesus Prayer

adults

304 words

Movie Analogy

Witness: The Violence of the Fallen World - Anabaptist (Genesis 3)

In the film *Witness*, there’s a poignant scene where a corrupt Philadelphia detective, played by Harrison Ford, intrudes upon the serene existence of an Amish community, shattering their peace with the harshness of violence and chaos. Imagine, if you will,...

Genesis 3Anabaptistviolencepeace

adults

285 words

Movie Analogy

Amazing Grace: Public Square Apologetics - Reformed (1 Peter 3:15)

Picture the bustling halls of Parliament in early 19th-century England. The air is thick with tension, the debates echoing off the grand stone walls like thunder. In this cacophony of voices, one man stands resolute—William Wilberforce. With every stroke of...

1 Peter 3:15Reformedpublic squarerational argument

adults

277 words

Movie Analogy

Witness: Community Flourishing in Exile - Anabaptist (Jeremiah 29:11)

Have you ever seen the movie *Witness*, where the peaceful Amish community stands in stark contrast to the chaotic world that surrounds it? Imagine for a moment the vibrant colors of their world: the earthy browns of handmade barns, the...

Jeremiah 29:4-7Anabaptistresident alienscommunity

adults

301 words

Movie Analogy

Romero: God Hears the Cry of the Poor - Liberation (Exodus 3)

In the heart of El Salvador, amidst the shadow of political turmoil and poverty, Archbishop Oscar Romero experienced a divine awakening that forever changed his life and the lives of countless others. It was a day that began like any...

Exodus 3:1-15Liberation Theologyliberationcry of poor

adults

334 words

Movie Analogy

The Courtroom Stand

In the film *Les Misérables*, there is a moment that stops your breath. Jean Valjean has built a new life. He is a respected mayor,...

Universalcourage

256 words