Browse Sermon Illustrations
816 illustrations available
Joyce Meyer on Fearless Declaration - Pentecostal (Psalm 27:1)
"DECLARE it: The LORD is MY light! MY salvation! MY stronghold! SAY IT until you believe it! Fear has NO place when God is YOUR God! Whatever you're facing—WHOM SHALL I FEAR? The enemy is DEFEATED; th
Howard Thurman on Light in Darkness - Black Church (Psalm 27:1)
"The disinherited have much to fear—real enemies, real threats. But the LORD is light in the darkest night, salvation when all seems lost, stronghold when nowhere is safe. This confidence sustained sl
E. Stanley Jones on Partnership in Victory - Wesleyan (John 16:33)
"Jesus has overcome—and we overcome through Him. His victory is not automatic for us but appropriated through faith. We participate in His triumph; grace enables our perseverance. 'Be of good cheer'—c
Smith Wigglesworth on God's Love and Power - Pentecostal (John 3:16)
"God so loved that He gave. And when you have really grasped that God so loved YOU, you will never be the same. His love is a consuming fire that fills you with power to live and witness." — Smith Wig
Stanley Hauerwas on Love That Creates Community - Anabaptist (John 3:16)
"God's love is not simply a feeling but rather an action that creates a people capable of witnessing to the world that God would have the world saved through the love shown in Christ." — Stanley Hauer
Jack Hayford on Encountering God's Love - Charismatic (John 3:16)
"John 3:16 is not just theology to be understood but love to be encountered. When the Holy Spirit makes this verse alive in your heart, you don't just know God loves the world—you KNOW God loves YOU.
David Bosch on Mission Through Suffering - Missional (Romans 8:28)
"The history of mission is full of suffering, setback, and apparent failure. Yet Romans 8:28 assures us that God weaves even these into His redemptive purpose. The missionary enterprise trusts that Go
John Wesley on Entire Sanctification - Wesleyan (Psalm 51:10)
"'Create in me a clean heart'—this is the prayer for entire sanctification. Not merely forgiveness but cleansing, not just pardon but purity. God can create a heart free from the dominion of sin, a he
John Howard Yoder on Cross-Shaped Providence - Anabaptist (Romans 8:28)
"The cross is the model of how God works good out of evil. The worst thing that ever happened—the murder of God's Son—became the best thing that ever happened. Romans 8:28 follows the logic of the cro
Jim Wallis on Strength for Justice Work - Progressive (Philippians 4:13)
"Paul wrote this from prison—not from a victory parade. The 'all things' include suffering for justice, enduring for righteousness, persisting when the powerful push back. Christ's strength is for the
Oscar Romero on God Working Through Struggle - Liberation (Romans 8:28)
"God works all things for good—but we must not use this as excuse for passivity. God works through our struggle for justice, through our solidarity with the poor. Romans 8:28 is not opiate but fuel: G
Charles Spurgeon on Christ's Sufficient Strength - Traditional (Philippians 4:13)
"'I can do all things'—not some things, but ALL things—'through Christ who strengthens me.' The power is not in me but in Him. Whatever God calls you to, Christ enables you to do. Not by your might, b
Karl Barth on Union with Christ - Christocentric (Philippians 4:13)
"'Through Christ'—here is everything. Not merely by Christ's help from a distance, but through union with Him, through participation in His life. His strength becomes ours because we are IN Him. This
Tim Keller on Gospel Announcement - Missional (Romans 6:23)
"This is the missionary message: sin pays death; God gives life. Every culture knows death is coming; we announce that life is offered. The contrast is stark, the offer is free, the gift is Christ. Th
St. Maximus the Confessor on Divine Energy - Orthodox (Philippians 4:13)
"Through Christ who strengthens me—this is theosis in action. Divine energy flows through human weakness. We become by grace what Christ is by nature. The 'all things' are possible because we particip
St. John Chrysostom on Priestly Dignity - Orthodox (1 Peter 2:9)
"Through chrismation, you become priest, prophet, and king—sharing Christ's triple office. The royal priesthood participates in the Divine Liturgy, offering spiritual sacrifices. This dignity is theot
T.D. Jakes on Daily Renewal Power - Pentecostal (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
"Don't lose heart! Your body may be tired but your SPIRIT is being RENEWED! DAY BY DAY! The Holy Spirit REFRESHES you! What you're going through is LIGHT compared to the GLORY coming! Fix your eyes on
Howard Thurman on Inward Renewal Against Oppression - Black Church (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
"The oppressor can waste the body but cannot touch the inner person—there God renews daily. Light affliction? Heavy for now, but temporary. Eternal glory awaits. The enslaved sang of glory; the disinh
C.S. Lewis on First Things First - Traditional (Matthew 6:33)
"Put first things first and we get second things thrown in: put second things first and we lose both first and second things. Seek first the kingdom—make God's reign the priority—and 'all these things
E. Stanley Jones on Spirit-Enabled Living - Wesleyan (2 Timothy 1:7)
"The Spirit enables what the Spirit commands. Power to overcome, love to reach out, self-discipline to persevere—these are gifts we receive and cultivate. We cooperate with the Spirit; we stir up the
Howard Thurman on Tears of the Oppressed - Black Church (Revelation 21:4)
"God wipes the tears of the oppressed—tears from slavery, from lynching, from exile. The spirituals sang of this: 'No more weepin' and wailin'! No more death from injustice; no more mourning from viol
Walter Brueggemann on Life Against Death Systems - Progressive (John 10:10)
"The thief is empire—stealing dignity, killing bodies, destroying communities. Jesus brings abundant life: justice, dignity, flourishing for all. Life abundant is not individual prosperity but communa
John Calvin on God's Sovereign Rest - Reformed (Psalm 46:10)
"'Be still and know that I am God'—this is not suggestion but sovereign command. God will be exalted whether nations cooperate or not. Our stillness acknowledges His sovereignty; our knowing rests in
Charles Spurgeon on Eternal Comfort - Traditional (Revelation 21:4)
"He will wipe every tear—personally, tenderly, finally. No more death; the last enemy destroyed. No more mourning; sorrow turned to joy. No more pain; suffering ended forever. The old order passes; al