Browse Sermon Illustrations
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N.T. Wright on New Creation Abundance - Anglican (Ephesians 3:20-21)
"We imagine restoration; God is doing new creation—immeasurably more! The power at work is resurrection power; the result is renewed cosmos. We ask for healing; He gives new bodies. We imagine heaven;
Gustavo Gutiérrez on Liberation Exceeding - Liberation (Ephesians 3:20-21)
"The poor imagine bread; God gives banquet. They ask for justice; He gives kingdom. Liberation exceeds revolution—immeasurably more. The power at work among base communities accomplishes beyond their
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
Jon Sobrino on Hope Through Suffering - Liberation (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
"The crucified peoples know bodily wasting—martyrdom, poverty, violence. But inner renewal persists; hope refuses to die. Light affliction? The suffering is not light—but the coming glory is heavier s
John Howard Yoder on Nonviolent Confidence - Anabaptist (Deuteronomy 31:8)
"God goes before—we need not fight with violence; He fights for us. God is with—we need not fear the powerful; His presence protects. The community that trusts this promise can lay down weapons and wa
Dietrich Bonhoeffer on Following the Worry-Free Christ - Christocentric (Matthew 6:25-27)
"Jesus lived without worry—wholly dependent on the Father, free for others. Following Him means learning His freedom. Anxiety binds us to ourselves; trust in Christ frees us for discipleship. 'Do not
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
Howard Thurman on Waters of Oppression - Black Church (Isaiah 43:2)
"The waters of oppression threatened to overwhelm—Middle Passage, slavery, Jim Crow. The fires of hatred burned. But God brought His people through. 'Deep river, my home is over Jordan'—the spiritual
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
R.C. Sproul on Sovereign Security - Reformed (Psalm 27:1)
"MY light, MY salvation, MY stronghold—this is covenant language. The sovereign God binds Himself to His people. Our security rests not in circumstances but in His character. If God is for us, who can
Martin Luther on Christ the Source - Lutheran (John 15:5)
"I am the Vine—Christ is the source; we are only branches. All righteousness, all fruit, all life flows from Him to us. The branch does not produce life; it receives life. Our works are His fruit flow
Bill Johnson on Presence and Power - Charismatic (John 15:5)
"Abide in His PRESENCE and POWER flows! The Vine is alive with supernatural life! Connected branches carry ANOINTING, AUTHORITY, GLORY! Don't just know about Jesus—ABIDE in Him! Live in His presence a
Smith Wigglesworth on Faith and Power - Pentecostal (Philippians 4:13)
"I can do ALL things! There is no limit to what faith can accomplish when filled with the Spirit. God does not give us faith for small things only. Through Christ's power, mountains move, the sick are
John Howard Yoder on Diaspora Faithfulness - Anabaptist (Jeremiah 29:11)
"Jeremiah tells the exiles: settle down, don't rebel, seek the city's good. This is the way of the diaspora community—faithful presence, not conquest. God's plan isn't to restore political power but t
John Calvin on Divine Providence in Psalm 23 - Reformed (Psalm 23)
"When David says 'I shall not want,' he means that God will supply all things necessary for a happy life. This is the fruit of divine providence: not that we get everything we desire, but that we lack
Walter Brueggemann on Prophetic Light - Progressive (Psalm 119:105)
"God's Word illumines paths of justice. The prophetic word exposes darkness—injustice, oppression, exploitation. Scripture is not just personal guidance but public light: showing the way toward belove
Stanley Hauerwas on Community and Temptation - Anabaptist (1 Corinthians 10:13)
"The 'way of escape' is often the community itself—brothers and sisters who hold us accountable, who know our weaknesses, who pray for us. Individualist Christianity faces temptation alone; the church
Dietrich Bonhoeffer on Christ as Light - Christocentric (Psalm 27:1)
"Jesus said, 'I am the light of the world.' The LORD who is David's light IS Christ. He is our salvation—literally, Yeshua. He is our stronghold—the rock on which we build. In Christ, this psalm finds
C.S. Lewis on Safe Though Not Tame - Anglican (Psalm 27:1)
"'Is He safe?' 'Safe? Who said anything about safe? But He's good.' The LORD is not safe but salvation. Not tame but our stronghold. Our confidence is not that life will be easy but that God is good.
Charles Spurgeon on Prayer Against Anxiety - Traditional (Philippians 4:6-7)
"Be anxious for NOTHING—not some things, but nothing. And pray about EVERYTHING—not some things, but everything. The cure for anxiety is prayer with thanksgiving. When we pray, peace guards our hearts
Martin Luther on Letting God Be God - Lutheran (Psalm 46:10)
"'Be still'—let God be God! Our striving says we must do what only God can do. Our anxiety says God cannot be trusted. Stillness is faith's posture: God works while we rest. 'A mighty fortress is our
Howard Thurman on Stillness for the Storm-Tossed - Black Church (Psalm 46:10)
"In the midst of life's tempests—and Black folk know tempests—God speaks: Be still. Not passive resignation but profound trust. In the eye of the hurricane, there is calm. God is the still point in th
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;
St. Teresa of Ávila on Divine Partnership - Catholic (Philippians 4:13)
"Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. And it is through your hands that He works, His strength flowing through your weakness. You can do all things—through Him who w