Browse Sermon Illustrations
860 illustrations available
Black Church Tradition Lens Commentary: Romans 12:14-21
We read Romans 12:14-21 as a call to embody the radical love and justice of Jesus in the face of oppression and adversity. This passage challenges us to bless those who persecute us, to overcome evil with good, and to live at peace with everyone, but not at the expense of justice. We see this as God
Traditional Lens Commentary: Galatians 2:15-21
We read Galatians 2:15-21 as a clear assertion of the doctrine of justification by faith alone, wherein Paul articulates the futility of the law in achieving righteousness. This passage confirms that righteousness cannot be earned through works but is a gift through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul's con
Reformed (Presbyterian) Lens Commentary: Galatians 2:15-21
In Galatians 2:15-21, we read this passage as a profound exposition of the doctrine of justification by faith alone, apart from works of the law. This text underscores the transition from the old covenant to the new covenant in Christ, where the righteousness we possess is not our own but is imputed
Lutheran Lens Commentary: Galatians 2:15-21
In Galatians 2:15-21, we read this passage as a clear declaration of justification by faith alone. Paulβs words here sharply divide Law and Gospel, showing the insufficiency of the Law to justify and the necessity of Christβs atoning work. We see our total inability to fulfill the Law's demands, and
Roman Catholic Lens Commentary: Galatians 2:15-21
In our Roman Catholic tradition, we read Galatians 2:15-21 as a profound exposition of the transformative power of grace that surpasses the works of the Law. We understand this passage as affirming that justification is not merely a legal declaration but an actual participation in the life of Christ
Black Church Tradition Lens Commentary: Galatians 2:15-21
We read this passage as a proclamation of the liberating power of faith in Jesus Christ. Paul declares that we are justified not by the oppressive systems of law but by faith, which aligns with our understanding that true freedom comes through Christ. This passage speaks directly to our experience,
Traditional Lens Commentary: 1 Corinthians 15:35-49
We read this passage as a profound theological explanation of the resurrection body, affirming the future bodily resurrection of believers as a core tenet of our faith. Paul uses the analogy of a seed to illustrate the transformation from perishable to imperishable, emphasizing that our resurrection
Reformed (Presbyterian) Lens Commentary: 1 Corinthians 15:35-49
We read 1 Corinthians 15:35-49 as a profound exposition of the resurrection body in the context of Godβs sovereign redemptive plan. Paul contrasts the perishable, dishonorable, and weak natural body with the imperishable, glorious, and powerful spiritual body, emphasizing the transformation wrought
Lutheran Lens Commentary: 1 Corinthians 15:35-49
We read 1 Corinthians 15:35-49 through the Law/Gospel distinction, recognizing the Law's role in exposing our frailty and mortality, and the Gospel's promise of resurrection through Christ. The passage contrasts our perishable, dishonorable, and weak bodies with the imperishable, glorious, and power
Roman Catholic Lens Commentary: 1 Corinthians 15:35-49
We read this passage from 1 Corinthians 15:35-49 within the rich context of our belief in the resurrection of the body, a core tenet of our faith. This passage affirms our understanding of the continuity and transformation between our earthly bodies and our glorified bodies at the resurrection, refl
Black Church Tradition Lens Commentary: 1 Corinthians 15:35-49
We read this passage as a powerful testament to the transformative power of resurrection, both in the life to come and in our present struggle for liberation. The imagery of the seed sown in dishonor and raised in glory speaks to our own history of suffering and deliverance. Just as God raised Jesus
Traditional Lens Commentary: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
We read this passage as a powerful affirmation of the new creation reality in Christ. In 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Paul emphasizes the transformative work of the cross, where believers are reconciled to God through the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ. We understand this text to underscore the
Reformed (Presbyterian) Lens Commentary: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
In 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, we read this passage as a profound exposition of the new creation in Christ and the ministry of reconciliation. Paul speaks of the radical transformation brought about by sovereign grace, where believers are no longer regarded according to the flesh but in the light of Chri
Lutheran Lens Commentary: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
We read 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 through the lens of Law and Gospel, seeing the Law expose our inability to perceive Christ rightly 'according to the flesh' and the Gospel proclaiming the new creation in Christ. The passage declares that in Christ, God is reconciling the world to Himself, not counting
Roman Catholic Lens Commentary: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
We read 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 through the lens of our sacramental and incarnational theology. This passage speaks profoundly to the ministry of reconciliation, which we understand sacramentally as the work of Christ continued in the Church, most fully in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In saying th
Black Church Tradition Lens Commentary: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
We read this passage as a profound declaration of the new creation that God has inaugurated in Christ Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, we see the ministry of reconciliation as a call to be agents of liberation and justice. The old has passed away, and the new has come β a new identity shaped by the
Traditional Lens Commentary: Romans 16:1-2
We read Romans 16:1-2 as a commendation of Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchreae, highlighting the role of women in the early church without compromising biblical authority on church leadership. Paul instructs the Roman believers to welcome her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, em
Reformed (Presbyterian) Lens Commentary: Romans 16:1-2
We read Romans 16:1-2 as a testament to the unfolding nature of God's covenant faithfulness in the life of the early church. Phoebe is recognized as a servant (διάκονοΟ) of the church, which underscores the covenant community's service in the redemptive history. Her commendation by Paul is not just
Lutheran Lens Commentary: Romans 16:1-2
In Romans 16:1-2, we read this passage as highlighting the role of Phoebe within the early Church, recognizing her as a deacon and a benefactor. Through the Lutheran Lens, we see this as a demonstration of vocation, where God calls individuals to serve in various capacities within the Church. We als
Roman Catholic Lens Commentary: Romans 16:1-2
We read this passage as a testament to the value and role of women in the early Church, specifically highlighting Phoebe as a 'deaconess' or servant of the Church at Cenchreae. The acknowledgment of her role underscores the sacramental nature of the Church's ministry, where different members contrib
Traditional Lens Commentary: Philippians 2:5-8
In Philippians 2:5-8, we read this passage as a profound declaration of the humility and obedience of Christ, which is central to our understanding of the gospel. The text reveals the incarnation of Christ, who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, bu
Reformed (Presbyterian) Lens Commentary: Philippians 2:5-8
In the Reformed (Presbyterian) tradition, we read Philippians 2:5-8 as a profound expression of the incarnation and humiliation of Christ, central to redemptive history. This passage illustrates the covenant of grace, wherein Christ, the second Adam, accomplishes what the first Adam failed to do, pe
Lutheran Lens Commentary: Philippians 2:5-8
We read Philippians 2:5-8 as a profound articulation of Christ's humiliation and the self-emptying nature of the Incarnation. This passage is a clear demonstration of the theology of the cross, where Christ's true glory is revealed not in power or majesty, but in His obedience to death on a cross. I
Roman Catholic Lens Commentary: Philippians 2:5-8
We read Philippians 2:5-8 as a profound reflection on the humility and obedience of Christ, who, though being in the form of God, emptied Himself by taking the form of a servant. This passage highlights the Incarnation, a central mystery of our faith where Jesus, fully divine, also became fully huma