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The immediate, experiential work of the Holy Spirit and the expectation of spiritual gifts.
Key question: “How does this text reveal the present-day work and power of the Holy Spirit?”
25,762 sermon illustrations through the Pentecostal lens
"Christian courage is required for faithful witness—the courage to speak truth graciously, to hold convictions humbly, to engage the world hopefully. 'Do not be terrified'—fear silences witness. God's presence emboldens us to be His ambassadors." — John Stott. Anglican: courage for witness.
"The Word is not dead letters but living light! The Spirit illumines Scripture—makes it personal, makes it NOW. When you open the Bible, expect the Spirit to switch on the lamp! The Word becomes light when the Spirit reveals it to YOUR situation." — A.W.
"The clean heart begins with confession—acknowledging what is unclean. Through the sacrament of reconciliation, God creates anew. The contrite heart He will not despise. Come to confession; receive absolution; be renewed. The Church mediates the grace that creates clean hearts." — St.
"Be still and know—and what do we know? We know Christ. He is the revelation of God; in Him we see who God is. Stillness before Christ, meditation on His word, contemplation of His cross—here we know that He is God.
"The kingdom is God's mission—His reign breaking into the world. To seek first the kingdom is to align with the missio Dei. When mission is our priority, provision follows. The sent one trusts the Sender for 'all these things.' Kingdom-seekers become kingdom-bringers." — Lesslie Newbigin.
"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.
"Jesus didn't say 'I teach the truth'—He said 'I AM the truth.' Truth is not just doctrine; it's a Person to be encountered. When you meet Jesus—really meet Him—you encounter the Way, the Truth, and the Life. This is personal, experiential, transformational." — David Wilkerson.
"Note the balance: temptation is common to humanity—we are not unique in our struggles. Yet God is faithful—we are not alone. He limits temptation—we are not overwhelmed. He provides escape—we are not trapped. This is realistic and hopeful: human struggle, divine faithfulness." — John Stott.
"To HIM be glory—God does immeasurably more for HIS glory. Our asking and imagining serve His purposes; His exceeding serves His praise. The abundance is not merely for us but through us for His name. To God be glory in...
"You ARE a new creation—now live like it! The old is GONE; stop letting it define you. Your past sins, failures, identity—gone! Walk in the new. The Spirit empowers you to live the new creation reality NOW. Don't believe the...
"Missionaries face real danger—hostility, rejection, persecution. But the LORD is light in dark places, salvation in dangerous situations, stronghold when vulnerable. Mission courage flows from this confidence: whom shall I fear? The sent ones go with the Sender." — David Bosch.
"Before we are sent, we must be still. Before we act, we must know. Mission without stillness becomes activism; knowing without sending becomes pietism. The missionary who knows God in the stillness carries that presence into the noise of engagement." — Tim Keller.
"In prayer we cast our cares—the Jesus Prayer itself is a casting: 'Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.' Each repetition releases anxiety into divine mercy. The practice of ceaseless prayer is ceaseless care-casting. God's providence holds what we release." — St.
"Isaiah 40 anticipates new creation. The renewed strength is resurrection power—the same power that will raise the dead already at work in those who wait. We soar because new creation has begun; we run because resurrection energizes us now." — N.T.
"Jesus speaks to those 'heavy laden'—burdened by systems that crush: economic anxiety, impossible standards, religious legalism. His rest is not escape but liberation. The yoke of empire is heavy; His yoke is just, humane, life-giving." — Barbara Brown Taylor. Progressive: rest from systemic burdens.
"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.
"What have YOU asked God for? He can do more! What have YOU imagined? He exceeds it! The power at work within YOU—personally—accomplishes immeasurably more than YOUR biggest prayers, YOUR wildest dreams. Believe for more; God delights to exceed." — Billy Graham.
"Jesus didn't come to give you ordinary life—He came to give you ABUNDANT life! OVERFLOWING! SUPERNATURAL! The enemy wants to steal your joy, kill your dreams, destroy your purpose—but JESUS gives LIFE! More than enough! Walk in the FULLNESS!" — T.D.
"Light affliction—Paul was beaten, shipwrecked, stoned! But compared to ETERNAL glory, it is light. The eternal weight of glory outweighs every present suffering. God uses affliction to prepare glory; sovereignty ensures the exchange. Fix your eyes on what grace is accomplishing." — John Piper.
"'I am crucified with Christ' is not private spirituality; it's the shape of the community. We die to individualism, violence, power-seeking. Together we embody the crucified life: vulnerable, serving, peace-making. The church IS a crucified body." — Stanley Hauerwas. Anabaptist cruciform community.
"Whatever YOUR work—do it for the Lord. Your boss may not appreciate you; your coworkers may not notice; but Christ sees and rewards. YOU work for HIM. That changes everything: your attitude, your effort, your integrity. Personal faithfulness in work matters." — Billy Graham.
"Christ died while we were sinners—this is prevenient grace in its starkest form. Before we sought God, He sought us. Before we loved, He loved. His death is the ultimate expression of grace that comes before any response on our part.
"The Lord makes me lie down in green pastures—this is an act of resistance against a culture of relentless productivity. Sabbath rest is prophetic protest. The anxious system says 'produce more'; the Shepherd says 'lie down.' Rest is revolutionary." — Walter Brueggemann.
"Grace subverts every merit system—religious, economic, social. 'Not of works' challenges not just legalism but capitalism's myth that you get what you deserve. Grace says worth is given, not earned. This is revolutionary: nobody earns belonging." — Brian McLaren. Progressive: grace against merit systems.