Browse Sermon Illustrations
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John Wimber on Kingdom Power - Charismatic (Philippians 4:13)
"'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me' includes signs and wonders, healing and deliverance. The same power that raised Christ from the dead works in you. This is kingdom power for ki
John Piper on Jesus as Author and Perfecter - Reformed (Hebrews 12:1-2)
"Jesus is both author and perfecter of our faith—He begins it and He completes it. We persevere not because of our strength but because of His faithfulness. The race is run by looking to Him; eyes fix
Dietrich Bonhoeffer on Hidden Providence - Lutheran (Romans 8:28)
"I believe that God can and will bring good out of evil, even out of the greatest evil. For that purpose He needs human beings who make the best use of everything. I believe that God will give us all
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
Lesslie Newbigin on Mission and Truth - Missional (John 14:6)
"The claim that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life is not arrogance but witness. Missionaries don't impose; they share what they have found to be true. We cannot offer Christ apologetically; He
Martin Luther on Daily Bread - Lutheran (Matthew 6:25-27)
"'Give us this day our daily bread'—God provides day by day, not year by year. Worry grasps for tomorrow; faith receives today. The same God who gave His Son will give all else. What can we lack when
Dietrich Bonhoeffer on Christ as God's Good Purpose - Christocentric (Romans 8:28)
"What does 'good' mean in Romans 8:28? The next verse answers: to be conformed to the image of Christ. God's good purpose is not our comfort but our Christlikeness. Everything that happens serves this
Walter Brueggemann on Justice Fulfilled - Progressive (Revelation 21:4)
"Every tear wiped—tears of injustice, oppression, exploitation. No more death from poverty, from violence, from neglect. This vision indicts present arrangements and energizes present resistance. The
St. Maximus the Confessor on Theotic Transformation - Orthodox (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
"The inner person is being deified—this is daily theosis. While the body participates in Christ's death, the soul participates in His resurrection. The eternal weight of glory is full union with God.
Jon Sobrino on Life for the Crucified - Liberation (Romans 6:23)
"Sin's wages are paid most heavily by the poor—death from poverty, violence, neglect. But God's gift is life—especially for the crucified peoples. Eternal life begins with abundant life now: justice,
Warren Wiersbe on Peace in Perilous Times - Dispensational (Philippians 4:6-7)
"As prophetic signs multiply and the world grows more anxious, believers have a resource: prayer that produces peace. 'The Lord is at hand'—His return is near! This blessed hope dispels anxiety. Whate
St. Gregory of Nyssa on Infinite Tasting - Orthodox (Psalm 34:8)
"Taste and see—but the tasting is infinite! God's goodness has no end; we taste forever without exhausting. This is epektasis: eternal progress into infinite divine goodness. Each taste reveals more t
Billy Graham on Heaven's Promise - Baptist (Revelation 21:4)
"God will wipe YOUR tears—every one. YOUR pain will end; YOUR mourning will cease; YOUR death will be swallowed in victory. This is heaven's promise to YOU personally: no more crying, no more dying. H
Martin Luther on Wisdom Without Reproach - Lutheran (James 1:5)
"God gives without reproach—He does not shame the ignorant for being ignorant! This is grace: the wise God stoops to give wisdom to fools. When I am confused, I do not pretend wisdom; I ask. God recei
Pope Francis on Wisdom Through Discernment - Catholic (James 1:5)
"Wisdom is a gift of the Holy Spirit—we ask, and the Spirit illumines. Through prayer, through the Examen, through spiritual direction, wisdom grows. The Church provides frameworks for discernment; Go
John Piper on God-Given Wisdom - Reformed (James 1:5)
"All true wisdom is gift—we lack it, God gives it. He gives generously because He is generous; without reproach because He is gracious. We do not earn wisdom; we receive it. Ask in faith, trusting the
E. Stanley Jones on Practical Wisdom - Wesleyan (James 1:5)
"Ask for wisdom—and then act on it. James links wisdom with doing. We ask; God gives; we apply. This is cooperative wisdom: divine gift meeting human response. The wisdom God gives is practical—it wor
Jon Sobrino on Wisdom for Liberation - Liberation (James 1:5)
"The poor need wisdom—wisdom to understand their situation, wisdom to resist, wisdom to organize, wisdom to hope. God gives this wisdom generously and without reproach—He does not shame the uneducated
St. Maximus the Confessor on Divine Wisdom - Orthodox (James 1:5)
"Wisdom is participation in divine life—theosis includes the mind. As we grow in union with God, wisdom increases. Prayer for wisdom is prayer for deeper participation in the Logos. God gives generous
Charles Spurgeon on Simple Obedience - Traditional (Micah 6:8)
"What does the Lord require? Not complex rituals but simple obedience: do justice, love mercy, walk humbly. This is religion distilled: right action (justice), right heart (mercy), right posture (humi
John Stott on Balanced Wisdom - Anglican (James 1:5)
"James offers wisdom for trials (context of the verse). We need wisdom not just for moral decisions but for suffering—how to endure, what to learn, when to speak. God gives this wisdom generously: pra
Martin Luther on Station and Calling - Lutheran (Colossians 3:23-24)
"The milkmaid and the preacher both have callings from God. Work in your station as unto the Lord—this IS your worship on Monday. God hides Himself in ordinary callings; through your work, He cares fo
St. Basil the Great on Work and Theosis - Orthodox (Colossians 3:23-24)
"Work offered to God becomes means of theosis—participation in divine life. The worker who labors for Christ shares in Christ's creative work. Whatever you do becomes sacramental when done prayerfully
Howard Thurman on Faith That Sustains Through Night - Black Church (Hebrews 11:1)
"Faith was the substance that sustained the enslaved when hope seemed impossible. They believed in what they could not see: freedom, dignity, justice. Their faith was evidence itself—proof that God wa