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Home›Traditions›Charismatic

Charismatic Illustrations

The present-day operation of all spiritual gifts and the experiential dimension of the Holy Spirit.

Key question: “How is the Holy Spirit actively manifesting His power and gifts in the church today?”

23,329 sermon illustrations through the Charismatic lens

Sermon Illustration

The Hymn Writer Who Never Saw a Sunrise

Fanny Crosby was six weeks old when a minor eye infection changed everything. A man claiming medical knowledge applied hot poultices to her inflamed eyes,...

Universaltransformation

228 words

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Sermon Illustration

The Unfinished Captives

In the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence, visitors walk a long hallway to reach Michelangelo's famous *David*. But lining that hallway are four extraordinary sculptures most...

Universalfreedom

237 words

Sermon Illustration

The Farmer Who Never Stopped Giving

When the 2011 tornado flattened half of Joplin, Missouri, Earl Schaffer lost his equipment barn, two grain bins, and most of his winter wheat crop....

Psalm 112:1-10Universal

231 words

Vivid Retelling

The Crowd Chose: Mark 15:1-15

Cinematic retelling of Jesus' trial before Pilate and the crowd's choice

Universal

303 words

Show Don't Tell

Show Don't Tell: Matthew 5:13-16

Imagine a bustling marketplace in the heart of an ancient city, with its vibrant colors and tantalizing aromas wafting through the air. Vendors shout out their wares—fresh fruits, spices, and, most importantly, salt. In the ancient world, salt was not...

Universal

290 words

Sermon Illustration

Updated Overnight

In 2012, Tesla Motors did something no automaker had ever done. They pushed a software update to every Model S on the road — overnight,...

Universaltransformation

252 words

Show Don't Tell

Show Don't Tell: Luke 8:16-18

In a small village, nestled between rolling hills, there lived an elderly woman named Miriam. Every evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, she would light a small oil lamp in her cozy kitchen. The flickering flame danced joyfully,...

Universal

305 words

Show Don't Tell

Show Don't Tell: Mark 4:10-20

As the sun dipped low in the sky, casting a warm golden hue across the dusty roads of Galilee, Jesus gathered His closest disciples around Him, the evening air filled with the scent of freshly baked bread wafting from the...

Universal

320 words

Vivid Retelling

The House on the Hill: Philemon's Church in Colossae

A historical reconstruction of Philemon's house church in Colossae, setting the scene for Paul's letter. Explores the social dynamics of early Christian gatherings where slaves, freedmen, and citizens shared space as siblings. Shows Philemon as a generous host whose love has "refreshed the hearts of the saints."

Universal

585 words

Sermon Illustration

The Notification We Almost Swipe Away

In 2019, a young nurse named David Chen kept getting a nagging thought during his shifts at Seattle Children's Hospital. Every time he passed Room...

1 Samuel 3:1-10Universal

243 words

Show Don't Tell

Show Don't Tell: Psalm 134

As the pilgrimage draws to a close, imagine the pilgrims gathered on the sun-drenched slopes of Zion, weary yet filled with a deep sense of fulfillment. The rustle of their worn sandals on the dusty path fades into a hushed...

Universalhomileticspreaching technique

adults

322 words

Sermon Illustration

The Cathedral That Survived the Fire

On April 15, 2019, the world watched in horror as flames consumed the roof of Notre-Dame de Paris. Eight hundred years of history disappeared into...

1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17Universal

254 words

Sermon Illustration

The Menders You Never See

Every day, inside each cell of your body, something catastrophic is happening. Your DNA suffers between ten thousand and one hundred thousand breaks and lesions...

Universalgrace

244 words

Show Don't Tell

Show Don't Tell: Luke 8:19-21

The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting a warm golden hue across the dusty streets of Capernaum. The air was thick with the mingled scents of roasted fish and fresh bread, as people crowded around Jesus, eager...

Universalhomileticspreaching technique

adults

289 words

Sermon Illustration

The Man in Black and the Cave of Grace

In 1967, Johnny Cash crawled into Nickajack Cave on the Tennessee River, intending never to come out. Years of amphetamine addiction had cost him nearly...

Universalredemption

242 words

Show Don't Tell

Show Don't Tell: Matthew 9:18-26

In the bustling heart of Capernaum, the sun hung low, casting a warm glow on the anxious faces gathered around a troubled synagogue ruler named Jairus. His voice trembled when he pleaded with Jesus, “My daughter has just died. Please,...

Universalhomileticspreaching technique

adults

341 words

Show Don't Tell

Show Don't Tell: John 4:1-4

As Jesus wraps up his time in Judea, a palpable tension hangs in the air. News travels fast, and the Pharisees have caught wind that Jesus is drawing a crowd, gaining more followers and baptizing more people than even John...

Universalhomileticspreaching technique

adults

294 words

Show Don't Tell

Show Don't Tell: Matthew 17:22-23

As the sun dipped low over the rolling hills of Galilee, casting long shadows on the dusty ground, the air hummed with a mix of anticipation and unease among Jesus and his disciples. They gathered around a small fire, the...

Universalhomileticspreaching technique

adults

297 words

Sermon Illustration

Tolkien's Eucatastrophe - Anglican (Jeremiah 29:11)

Tolkien, devout Anglican, coined the word "eucatastrophe"—the sudden turn in a story where everything seems lost, then unexpectedly comes right. He saw it in the gospel: crucifixion looked like the end; resurrection was eucatastrophe. Jeremiah 29:11 is eucatastrophic promise: exile...

Jeremiah 29:11Universal

Short74 words

Sermon Illustration

The Search That Ended at a Kitchen Table

For eleven years, Maria Santos searched for her birth mother. A hospital intake form from 1987 gave her a first name — Rosa. A cousin...

Hebrews 1:1-4Universal

252 words

Show Don't Tell

Show Don't Tell: Matthew 4:1-11

Out in the desolate wilderness, just outside Jericho, the air hangs heavy with silence, broken only by the whisper of wind across the sunbaked earth. Picture Jesus, a man weary and worn, having fasted for forty grueling days. His body...

Universal

332 words

Sermon Illustration

The Signal From Home

In February 2021, NASA's Perseverance rover landed on Mars and began receiving instructions from mission control at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. Every command...

Universalobedience

243 words

Sermon Illustration

The Love That Refused to Leave

On the evening of June 6, 1882, Scottish minister George Matheson sat alone while his sister's wedding celebration carried on without him. Nearly blind and...

Universallove

240 words

Sermon Illustration

The Voice That Knew His Name

In 1829, Felix Mendelssohn traveled to Berlin to conduct a performance of Johann Sebastian Bach's St. Matthew Passion — a masterwork that had been virtually...

Universalidentity

250 words