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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?”
23,513 sermon illustrations through the Charismatic lens
"Isaiah 40 speaks to exiles exhausted by empire. 'Wait on the Lord' is not quietism but resistance—refusing to be defined by Babylon's pace and priorities. Renewed strength comes to those who trust God's alternative future, not imperial timelines." — Walter Brueggemann.
"Fear departs when we are united with God. The soul progressing in theosis knows increasing fearlessness because God's presence becomes more real than any threat. 'The Lord is with you'—this is not metaphor but mystical reality. In Him, we are unshakeable." — St.
"Looking to Jesus means following Him to the cross. He endured the cross, despising the shame—for us. The race is costly discipleship; cheap grace offers no finish line. But He who endured is now seated at God's right hand.
"Through every dispensation, the LORD has been light to His people—to Israel, to the church. As darkness increases in these last days, His light shines brighter. Our stronghold is eternal; our salvation is secure. We fear not the coming tribulation;...
"In the ancient world, gods didn't seek people—people sought gods. But our Shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to find the one. He leads, guides, pursues. Mission flows from this: we seek others because He first sought us." — Tim Keller. The...
"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. This is the substance of Romans 8:28 for those who have suffered: God is not absent from history. He is working—sometimes invisibly, often slowly—bending all things toward...
"Note that sheep travel in flocks. 'The Lord is MY shepherd' is spoken within community. We are not isolated individuals with personal shepherds; we are a flock, together following, together fed, together protected. The Psalm is personal but never private." — Stanley Hauerwas.
"'I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever'—this is theosis, eternal participation in divine life. The Psalm moves from pasture to table to dwelling—ever deeper communion. The goal is not just provision but union, dwelling eternally in God's presence." — St.
"Fear is a tool of empire—fear of the other, fear of scarcity, fear of change. Perfect love dismantles fear's power. Love creates welcome, not walls; abundance, not hoarding; solidarity, not suspicion. The beloved community is fearless because it is grounded...
"Mission requires courage—to cross cultures, to face rejection, to persist when results are invisible. Joshua needed courage to enter new territory; we need courage to engage new contexts. 'Do not be afraid'—fear is the enemy of mission. God goes before us." — Lesslie Newbigin.
"Three assurances balance each other: God goes before (leadership), God is with (companionship), God will never leave (permanence). This is comprehensive care—past, present, future covered. Moses' words to Joshua become Scripture's words to us. Fear is dispelled by presence." — John Stott.
"Do you have this faith? Not just belief ABOUT God but trust IN God? Faith is personal—it's YOUR substance, YOUR evidence. No one else can believe for you. This faith saves, sustains, and guarantees your eternal home with God." — Billy Graham.
"We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us. Delight in the Lord means learning to want what is actually best. When we truly delight in God, our desires are not...
"Your identity is not your performance, your reputation, or your achievements. 'It is no longer I who live.' Your truest self is now 'Christ in me.' This frees you for mission: you have nothing to prove, nothing to lose. The...
"'He restores my soul'—restoration is a Spirit work. The Hebrew word suggests returning, refreshing, reviving. The Holy Spirit doesn't just comfort; He RESTORES what was lost, broken, depleted. Expect the Spirit to restore your soul today!" — Jack Hayford. Charismatic emphasis on Spirit-restoration.
"God has given us a lifeboat in John 3:16. While the ship is sinking, we must rescue all we can. Time is short. Whoever believes shall not perish—but those who reject will perish. The urgency of the gospel compels us...
"Faith is SUBSTANCE—not vapor, not wish, not maybe. Faith creates atmosphere for miracles! When you believe, you're standing on solid ground that the natural eye can't see. Faith is heaven's currency; spend it boldly! Believe for the impossible!" — Bill Johnson.
"A chosen people, a holy nation—this is identity formed against empire. We are not citizens of Babylon first but priests of the Most High. Our royal identity subverts earthly hierarchies; every believer is priest, mediating God's justice to the world." — Walter Brueggemann.
"Sin pays wages—and systemic sin pays systemic death. Racism kills; poverty kills; empire kills. These are the wages of structural sin. But God's gift is life—abundant, liberated, restored. The gift counters every death-dealing system with resurrection power." — James Cone.
"Temptation is not merely individual moral failure but includes systemic seductions—idolatry of empire, worship of wealth, complicity with injustice. The 'way of escape' may be prophetic resistance, communal accountability, choosing solidarity over safety. We face temptation together." — Walter Brueggemann.
"Work heartily—put your whole heart into it. This is practical holiness: sanctified hands and hearts in daily labor. Whatever work—manual or mental, paid or unpaid—becomes means of grace when offered to God. Holy living includes holy working." — John Wesley.
"You can know the Shepherd personally. Not just believe He exists, but KNOW Him—His voice, His care, His provision. 'The Lord is MY shepherd'—have you made it personal? Have you given your life to the Good Shepherd who gave His...
"Good works shine in ordinary places—the kitchen, the field, the workshop. The mother caring for children, the farmer tilling soil, the craftsman at work—these ARE lights shining. Vocation is lampstand; faithful daily work is the flame. God is glorified in the ordinary." — Martin Luther.
"The lamp shines brightest in community—we read Scripture together, discerning together what it illumines. The path lit is often the path of discipleship: nonviolence, simplicity, community. The Word lights the Jesus-way, and we walk it together." — John Howard Yoder.