Joy Illustrations
2073 illustrations evoking joy
Walter Brueggemann on Tasting Abundance - Progressive (Psalm 34:8)
"Taste and see—in a world of scarcity anxiety, God offers abundance to taste. The empire says 'never enough'; God says 'taste My goodness.' Those who taste justice know God is good; those who experien
Smith Wigglesworth on Spirit-Transformed Living - Pentecostal (Romans 12:1-2)
"Present your body to the Holy Spirit! When the Spirit fills you, transformation happens—supernatural, radical, complete! Your mind renewed by Spirit power thinks new thoughts; your body becomes a ves
Karl Barth on Christ as Light in Word - Christocentric (Psalm 119:105)
"Scripture is lamp and light because it witnesses to Christ, who is THE Light. The Word illumines by pointing to the Word made flesh. We read Scripture to find Him; finding Him, we find our path. Chri
Bill Johnson on Rhema Light - Charismatic (Psalm 119:105)
"The Word becomes ALIVE—rhema word for your moment! When the Spirit quickens Scripture, the lamp BLAZES! Suddenly you see what you couldn't see. Expect God to speak SPECIFICALLY through His Word. The
E. Stanley Jones on Cooperative Journey - Wesleyan (Deuteronomy 31:8)
"God goes before—but Joshua must follow. God is with—but Joshua must walk. This is cooperative grace: divine initiative meets human response. God prepares the way; we travel it. God provides presence;
Walter Brueggemann on Light Against Empire - Progressive (Psalm 27:1)
"The LORD is light—exposing empire's lies, revealing injustice hidden in darkness. Salvation—not from sin alone but from oppressive systems. Stronghold—refuge when powers threaten. Those who work for
Jim Wallis on Public Faith - Progressive (Matthew 5:14-16)
"Light exposes darkness—injustice, oppression, lies. The church as city on a hill is meant to model an alternative: a community of justice, equality, peace. Our good works are social witness: feeding
Stanley Hauerwas on Visible Holy Nation - Anabaptist (1 Peter 2:9)
"A holy nation—visible, distinct, alternative. Not individuals scattered but a people formed. The church IS the nation, the holy polis, the royal community. Our identity is communal: together we are p
R.C. Sproul on Sovereign Victory - Reformed (John 16:33)
"'I have overcome'—past tense. The victory is accomplished, not merely anticipated. In Christ, the world is already conquered; trouble is real but penultimate. God's sovereignty ensures the outcome. O
Gustavo Gutiérrez on Light for Liberation - Liberation (Matthew 5:14-16)
"Light exposes injustice, illuminates paths of liberation. The church must be visible light in dark places of poverty, oppression, exploitation. Good works are not charity but solidarity, not patroniz
T.D. Jakes on Divine Setup - Pentecostal (Deuteronomy 31:8)
"God goes BEFORE you—He's already setting things up! That job, that breakthrough, that healing—He's preparing it NOW! He is WITH you—supernatural presence for supernatural living! He will NEVER leave—
Bill Johnson on Presence and Power - Charismatic (Deuteronomy 31:8)
"God goes before with POWER! He is with you with PRESENCE! He never leaves with PROMISE! Walk into your Promised Land—giants fall, walls crumble, breakthroughs happen because GOD IS THERE! His presenc
John Stott on Balanced Spirit-Life - Anglican (2 Timothy 1:7)
"Note the balance: power (dynamis), love (agape), and self-discipline (sophronismos). The Spirit's gifts are not wild but wise; not weak but powerful; not cold but loving. This balanced trilogy equips
R.C. Sproul on Spirit-Given Courage - Reformed (2 Timothy 1:7)
"The Spirit God gives—note: GIVES, not earns—is Spirit of power, love, and self-control. This is grace: we do not generate courage but receive it. The Spirit's power is God's power; the Spirit's love
Martin Luther King Jr. on Kingdom Justice - Black Church (Matthew 6:33)
"Seek first the kingdom and His righteousness—and that righteousness is justice. The beloved community IS the kingdom present. When we seek justice first, trusting God for provision, we find that the
Pope Benedict XVI on Grace and Cooperation - Catholic (Ephesians 2:8-9)
"Grace is entirely God's gift—the Council of Trent affirmed this clearly. Yet grace invites our cooperation; it transforms us from within, enabling the good works that flow from salvation. We are save
Bill Johnson on Soaring in the Spirit - Charismatic (Isaiah 40:31)
"Mount up with wings like eagles—this is life in the Spirit! The Spirit is the wind beneath our wings. When we wait in His presence, soaking in worship, we receive supernatural lift. Don't just walk;
Charles Spurgeon on Living by Faith - Baptist (Galatians 2:20)
"The life I now live in the flesh I live BY FAITH in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Faith is the breath of this new life. Not by feeling, not by sight, but by faith. Faith grasp
Billy Graham on Personal Assurance - Baptist (John 16:33)
"Whatever trouble YOU face—Jesus has overcome. YOUR difficulties, YOUR opposition, YOUR struggles—He has conquered. Take heart, YOU personally: the world that oppresses YOU is a defeated world. In Chr
Bill Johnson on Kingdom Identity - Charismatic (1 Peter 2:9)
"You are ROYAL—kingdom authority flows through you! You are a PRIEST—you have ACCESS to the throne room! You are CHOSEN—handpicked for SUCH A TIME AS THIS! Declare His excellencies with BOLDNESS! Your
Warren Wiersbe on Tasting Now and Forever - Dispensational (Psalm 34:8)
"We taste God's goodness now; we will feast on it forever. Present experience is appetizer; the marriage supper of the Lamb is the full meal. In this age we taste; in the age to come we feast. But eve
Bill Johnson on Abundant Life Gift - Charismatic (Romans 6:23)
"God's gift is LIFE—and not just barely alive! ETERNAL life! ABUNDANT life! SUPERNATURAL life! Sin pays death; God gives LIFE with POWER! The same Spirit that raised Christ LIVES IN YOU! Receive the g
Gustavo Gutiérrez on Life for the Poor - Liberation (John 10:10)
"The thief is the system that steals life from the poor—resources, dignity, opportunity. Jesus brings abundant life: food, justice, community, hope. Abundant life for the poor is not spiritual escapis
Howard Thurman on Mystery and Trust - Black Church (Isaiah 55:8-9)
"God's ways are not our ways—and this is hope for the disinherited. Human ways crush; God's ways liberate. What seems defeat may be victory; what seems ending may be beginning. The oppressor cannot pr