Browse Sermon Illustrations
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Pope Francis on Mercy and Temptation - Catholic (1 Corinthians 10:13)
"God does not abandon us in temptation—He is faithful. The sacraments strengthen us: Eucharist nourishes, confession restores, prayer sustains. The Church provides spiritual direction, community suppo
John Calvin on God's Sovereign Limitation - Reformed (1 Corinthians 10:13)
"God sovereignly limits temptation—He sets the boundaries. Satan cannot tempt beyond what God permits. The way of escape is divinely provided, not humanly manufactured. Our victory comes from God's fa
Billy Graham on Personal Promise - Baptist (1 Corinthians 10:13)
"This is God's promise to YOU personally: whatever temptation you face, He will not let it be more than YOU can handle. And He will provide YOUR way out. Look for it—the door is there. God is faithful
St. Seraphim of Sarov on Joy in God - Orthodox (Psalm 37:4)
"Acquire the Spirit of peace, and thousands around you will be saved. Delight in God is the fruit of the Spirit—divine joy, uncreated energy. Through hesychasm, through the Jesus Prayer, through the L
Pope Benedict XVI on Deus Caritas Est - Catholic (1 John 4:18)
"God IS love—Deus Caritas Est. Perfect love is not our achievement but our participation in divine love through sacraments, prayer, community. Servile fear yields to filial love; we approach God not a
Charles Stanley on Personal Providence - Baptist (Romans 8:28)
"God is too good to be unkind and too wise to be mistaken. When you cannot trace His hand, you can always trust His heart. Romans 8:28 is God's personal promise to YOU: in YOUR situation, for YOUR goo
Walter Brueggemann on Anxiety and Empire - Progressive (Matthew 6:25-27)
"Empire produces anxiety—scarcity mentality, competitive striving, fear of not having enough. Jesus counters: 'Do not worry.' This is resistance to the anxiety economy. Trust in God's abundance subver
Howard Thurman on Hearts Cleansed of Hatred - Black Church (Psalm 51:10)
"Create in me a clean heart—cleansed of hatred, cleansed of bitterness toward oppressors. The hardest cleansing is forgiving those who wound us. But hate corrodes the container; a heart full of vengea
Stanley Hauerwas on Community as Branches - Anabaptist (John 15:5)
"The branches are plural—we abide together. Individual spirituality divorced from community is a severed branch. The church abides in Christ as a body; we bear fruit through shared life. Isolated Chri
Charles Spurgeon on Eternal Perspective - Traditional (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
"Do not lose heart—though the body decays, the spirit is renewed daily. Light affliction, momentary trouble—producing eternal glory beyond comparison. We fix our eyes on the unseen: what is visible is
St. John Chrysostom on Inexhaustible Mercy - Orthodox (Lamentations 3:22-23)
"His mercies never cease—they are inexhaustible, flowing from the infinite God. Each morning's mercy is fresh from the eternal spring. In the Divine Liturgy, we sing 'Lord, have mercy' repeatedly beca
Howard Thurman on Word for the Journey - Black Church (Psalm 119:105)
"The enslaved people found light in Scripture—the story of Exodus, the songs of hope, the promises of liberation. The Word was lamp for dark nights of bondage, lighting the path toward freedom. Script
Smith Wigglesworth on Spirit-Renewed Strength - Pentecostal (Isaiah 40:31)
"Wait on God and receive FRESH power! The Holy Spirit renews our strength—not the same old energy but NEW strength from on high! Mount up with wings like eagles—that's supernatural flight! Expect the
Pope John Paul II on Be Not Afraid - Catholic (Deuteronomy 31:8)
"'Be not afraid!'—the promise Moses gives Joshua echoes through salvation history. God goes before His Church in every age. Through Mary, through the saints, through the sacraments, His presence accom
John Wesley on Universal Atonement - Wesleyan (John 3:16)
"Nothing in the Christian system is of greater consequence than the doctrine of the Atonement. God so loved the world—the whole world, every soul He has made—that He gave His only Son to the end that
James Cone on Solidarity with Sinners - Progressive (Romans 5:8)
"Christ died for sinners—identifying with the broken, the outcast, the condemned. This is radical solidarity: God takes the side of those the world rejects. While we were enemies of God and neighbor,
Stanley Hauerwas on Martyrs' Witness - Anabaptist (Hebrews 12:1-2)
"The cloud of witnesses includes the Anabaptist martyrs—those who endured fire, drowning, sword for their faith. They ran the race unto death, eyes on Jesus. Their example calls us to costly disciples
Menno Simons on New Birth - Anabaptist (Psalm 51:10)
"The new birth creates a clean heart—truly regenerate, truly changed. This is not external reform but internal transformation. The new creation lives differently: peaceably, simply, in community. A cl
Walter Brueggemann on Justice Beyond Imagination - Progressive (Ephesians 3:20-21)
"More than we imagine—including justice we cannot yet envision. God's shalom exceeds our best social programs; His kingdom surpasses our progressive dreams. The power at work is for transformation bey
John Calvin on Covenant Obedience - Reformed (Micah 6:8)
"What does the Lord require? Covenant obedience expressed in life: justice to neighbor, mercy to the vulnerable, humility before God. This is response to grace, not its replacement. The grateful heart
Billy Graham on Personal Obedience - Baptist (Micah 6:8)
"What does God require of YOU? Justice—be fair in all your dealings. Mercy—be kind to those in need. Humble walk—stay close to God. This is personal obedience, lived out in YOUR relationships, YOUR de
St. John Chrysostom on Active Love - Orthodox (Micah 6:8)
"God requires not sacrifice but mercy—active love for the poor. Justice is mercy in action; mercy is justice from the heart; humility is the ground of both. The Liturgy after the Liturgy is Micah 6:8:
Warren Wiersbe on Timeless Requirements - Dispensational (Micah 6:8)
"Micah's requirements transcend dispensations: Israel needed justice, mercy, humility; so does the Church. These are not law versus grace—they flow from relationship with God in every age. Until Chris
Jim Wallis on Dying to Privilege - Progressive (Galatians 2:20)
"'I have been crucified with Christ' means my privilege, my comfort, my complicity with unjust systems dies too. The old self that benefited from oppression is crucified. Christ lives in me—the Christ