Browse Sermon Illustrations
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N.T. Wright on God's Covenant Love - Anglican (Romans 5:8)
"Here is the demonstration of God's love—concrete, historical, costly. While we were sinners, Christ died. This is not legal transaction but covenant faithfulness: God keeping His promise to rescue Hi
T.D. Jakes on Heart Transformation - Pentecostal (Psalm 51:10)
"God can CREATE in you a CLEAN heart! Not patch, not repair—CREATE! New! Fresh! The Holy Spirit does HEART SURGERY! Whatever mess is in there—guilt, shame, bitterness—GOD CAN CLEANSE IT! Ask Him! He's
Tim Keller on Spirit-Empowered Witness - Missional (2 Timothy 1:7)
"Power for witness, love for the lost, sound mind for cultural engagement—this is the Spirit's missionary equipment. Fear cripples mission; the Spirit liberates. We go not in timidity but in Spirit-gi
Billy Graham on Personal Assurance - Baptist (John 16:33)
"Whatever trouble YOU face—Jesus has overcome. YOUR difficulties, YOUR opposition, YOUR struggles—He has conquered. Take heart, YOU personally: the world that oppresses YOU is a defeated world. In Chr
C.S. Lewis on Present Grace - Anglican (Matthew 6:25-27)
"We are not given grace for tomorrow's troubles today. Worry borrows suffering from the future; trust lives in the present. The birds don't worry about tomorrow's food; today's is enough. 'Sufficient
Charles Spurgeon on Living by Faith - Baptist (Galatians 2:20)
"The life I now live in the flesh I live BY FAITH in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Faith is the breath of this new life. Not by feeling, not by sight, but by faith. Faith grasp
Menno Simons on Strength for Suffering - Anabaptist (Philippians 4:13)
"The true Christian can endure all things—persecution, loss, suffering—through Christ who strengthens. This is not strength for worldly success but strength for faithful suffering. Paul wrote this fro
N.T. Wright on Contextual Reading - Anglican (Philippians 4:13)
"Read Philippians 4:13 in context: Paul is talking about being content in any circumstance—having plenty or going hungry. The 'all things' aren't personal achievements but challenging circumstances. C
Stanley Hauerwas on Fearless Discipleship - Anabaptist (2 Timothy 1:7)
"The early Anabaptists faced drowning, burning, imprisonment—and testified that God gave them Spirit not of fear but of power. Fearless discipleship requires supernatural courage. The community embold
John Calvin on Christ Alone as Access - Reformed (John 14:6)
"We are not to imagine that there is any other way of access to the Father, for all intercourse between God and humanity has been cut off. Christ alone opens the door and is Himself the door. All who
Jon Sobrino on Crucified Solidarity - Liberation (Galatians 2:20)
"To be crucified with Christ is to stand with the crucified peoples of history. Christ died on the cross of empire; His followers die to empire's logic. 'Christ lives in me' means solidarity with vict
Bill Johnson on Soaring in the Spirit - Charismatic (Isaiah 40:31)
"Mount up with wings like eagles—this is life in the Spirit! The Spirit is the wind beneath our wings. When we wait in His presence, soaking in worship, we receive supernatural lift. Don't just walk;
John Stott on Trust and Wisdom Together - Anglican (Proverbs 3:5-6)
"'Lean not on your own understanding' does not mean abandon reason but submit it. Proverbs values wisdom highly—and then says trust God above it. Use your mind fully, but hold conclusions humbly. Divi
Charles Ryrie on Trust in God's Revealed Plan - Dispensational (Proverbs 3:5-6)
"We can trust the Lord because He has revealed His plan in Scripture. The paths He makes straight align with His prophetic program. Trust includes studying His Word to discern His will. He guides thro
Dietrich Bonhoeffer on Christ as Our Courage - Christocentric (Joshua 1:9)
"Christ is our courage. He went to the cross without fear; He descended to hell and rose. In Him, fear has been conquered. 'I am with you'—now means Christ is with us. Our courage is not self-generate
Pope Benedict XVI on Grace and Cooperation - Catholic (Ephesians 2:8-9)
"Grace is entirely God's gift—the Council of Trent affirmed this clearly. Yet grace invites our cooperation; it transforms us from within, enabling the good works that flow from salvation. We are save
Charles Spurgeon on Casting Burdens - Traditional (1 Peter 5:7)
"Cast—throw, hurl, fling your cares upon God! Not gently place them but cast them with force. He can carry what crushes you. 'He cares for you'—not just about your problems but about YOU. You are not
Billy Graham on Personal Spirit Power - Baptist (2 Timothy 1:7)
"God has given YOU—yes, you personally—a Spirit of power, love, and sound mind. Not a spirit of fear! When you accepted Christ, you received the Holy Spirit. Now live in what you have. YOUR fears are
Martin Luther King Jr. on Kingdom Justice - Black Church (Matthew 6:33)
"Seek first the kingdom and His righteousness—and that righteousness is justice. The beloved community IS the kingdom present. When we seek justice first, trusting God for provision, we find that the
R.C. Sproul on Spirit-Given Courage - Reformed (2 Timothy 1:7)
"The Spirit God gives—note: GIVES, not earns—is Spirit of power, love, and self-control. This is grace: we do not generate courage but receive it. The Spirit's power is God's power; the Spirit's love
John Stott on Balanced Spirit-Life - Anglican (2 Timothy 1:7)
"Note the balance: power (dynamis), love (agape), and self-discipline (sophronismos). The Spirit's gifts are not wild but wise; not weak but powerful; not cold but loving. This balanced trilogy equips
Stanley Hauerwas on Communal Stillness - Anabaptist (Psalm 46:10)
"The church gathers in silence together—communal stillness, shared knowing. We are still before God as a body, not just individuals. In corporate silence we learn that God is God and we are His people
Bill Johnson on Presence and Power - Charismatic (Deuteronomy 31:8)
"God goes before with POWER! He is with you with PRESENCE! He never leaves with PROMISE! Walk into your Promised Land—giants fall, walls crumble, breakthroughs happen because GOD IS THERE! His presenc
Martin Luther on Grace Alone - Lutheran (Psalm 51:10)
"'Create'—this is grace language. We cannot clean our own hearts; we can only receive what God creates. David the king becomes David the beggar: 'Have mercy on me.' The clean heart is gift, not achiev