Browse Sermon Illustrations
816 illustrations available
Gustavo Gutiérrez on Surprising Liberation - Liberation (Isaiah 55:8-9)
"God's thoughts surprise the powerful and comfort the poor. His ways overturn human hierarchies. We think might makes right; God thinks the last shall be first. We value wealth; God values justice. Th
John Calvin on the Magnitude of Divine Love - Reformed (John 3:16)
"This is a remarkable commendation of faith, that it frees us from everlasting destruction... And he has employed the universal term whosoever, both to invite all indiscriminately to partake of life,
A.W. Tozer on God's Sovereign Good - Traditional (Romans 8:28)
"God never does anything accidentally, and He never makes mistakes—only we do. God never does anything accidentally, and He never makes mistakes—only we do. To those who love Him, He works all things—
James Cone on New Creation and Liberation - Black Church (2 Corinthians 5:17)
"New creation isn't just spiritual; it's the making of a new world where the old oppressions pass away. In Christ, racism is old; dignity is new. Slavery is old; freedom is new. To be a new creation i
A.W. Tozer on the Crucified Life - Traditional (Galatians 2:20)
"The man on the cross is facing only one direction. He is not going back. He has no further plans of his own. The cross means death to self—complete, final, irreversible. 'I am crucified with Christ'
John Wesley on Daily Dying - Wesleyan (Galatians 2:20)
"I am crucified—not once but daily. The cross is both crisis and process. We die with Christ initially at conversion, but we take up the cross daily, dying continually to sin and self. Sanctification
John Calvin on Union with Christ's Death - Reformed (Galatians 2:20)
"By faith we are ingrafted into Christ so that His death becomes ours. We are not merely inspired by His example; we participate in His crucifixion. His death is our death, legally and mystically. Thi
Tim Keller on Gospel-Shaped Identity - Missional (Galatians 2:20)
"Your identity is not your performance, your reputation, or your achievements. 'It is no longer I who live.' Your truest self is now 'Christ in me.' This frees you for mission: you have nothing to pro
Warren Wiersbe on Rest Now and Coming - Dispensational (Matthew 11:28-30)
"Christ offers rest NOW—present salvation rest for the weary. But ultimate rest awaits: the millennial kingdom, the eternal state, when all burdens cease forever. We taste rest now; we will feast on r
Rowan Williams on Identity in Christ - Anglican (Galatians 2:20)
"'No longer I, but Christ'—yet this is not the annihilation of the self but its liberation. The anxious, grasping ego dies; the true self, held in Christ's love, rises. We become most ourselves when C
Stanley Hauerwas on Communal Waiting - Anabaptist (Isaiah 40:31)
"'Those who wait'—plural. We wait together. The community that refuses the world's frantic pace, that gathers in patience, that trusts God's timing over efficiency—this community receives strength. Wa
John Wesley on Rest Through Surrender - Wesleyan (Matthew 11:28-30)
"'Come unto me'—this is the invitation of prevenient grace, calling all. 'Take my yoke'—this is responsive obedience, learning from Him. 'Find rest'—this is the fruit of sanctification, rest deepening
Barbara Brown Taylor on Rest from Heavy Burdens - Progressive (Matthew 11:28-30)
"Jesus speaks to those 'heavy laden'—burdened by systems that crush: economic anxiety, impossible standards, religious legalism. His rest is not escape but liberation. The yoke of empire is heavy; His
Jon Sobrino on Trust Amid Uncertainty - Liberation (Proverbs 3:5-6)
"The poor trust God not because they have answers but because they have nothing else. 'Lean not on your own understanding'—easy to say when understanding offers no solutions. Trusting God is the faith
John Stott on Courage for Faithful Witness - Anglican (Joshua 1:9)
"Christian courage is required for faithful witness—the courage to speak truth graciously, to hold convictions humbly, to engage the world hopefully. 'Do not be terrified'—fear silences witness. God's
Martin Luther on Courage Against Fear - Lutheran (Joshua 1:9)
"Fear not! The devil wants you terrified, paralyzed, hopeless. But God says 'Be strong!' This is gospel against fear. When terror comes, cling to the Word: 'I am with you.' Christ has conquered; what
Warren Wiersbe on Care in Uncertain Times - Dispensational (1 Peter 5:7)
"As we see prophetic signs increasing, anxiety rises. But God's care remains constant through changing ages. Whatever dispensation, whatever era, the believer can cast cares on the unchanging God. He
Tim Keller on Grace That Sends - Missional (Ephesians 2:8-9)
"We are saved by grace—and saved FOR good works (verse 10). Grace is not the end but the beginning. The gift received becomes gift given. Those who know they are undeserving become the most generous,
Howard Thurman on Cares of the Disinherited - Black Church (1 Peter 5:7)
"The disinherited carry heavy cares—the weight of racism, poverty, fear. 'Cast your cares' speaks to those crushed by systems. God cares for the dispossessed in a way oppressors do not understand. Our
Billy Graham on Personal, Saving Faith - Baptist (Hebrews 11:1)
"Do you have this faith? Not just belief ABOUT God but trust IN God? Faith is personal—it's YOUR substance, YOUR evidence. No one else can believe for you. This faith saves, sustains, and guarantees y
Billy Graham on Personal Priority - Baptist (Matthew 6:33)
"Is God first in YOUR life? Before career, before family, before comfort—is His kingdom your priority? When you put Him first, He promises to take care of everything else. This is personal: YOUR seeki
Stanley Hauerwas on Peace Community - Anabaptist (Philippians 4:6-7)
"Peace guards hearts and minds—plural. This is not individualist calm but communal peace. The church prays together; peace comes to the body. Anxiety is communal too—we worry together and pray togethe
Lesslie Newbigin on Kingdom Mission - Missional (Matthew 6:33)
"The kingdom is God's mission—His reign breaking into the world. To seek first the kingdom is to align with the missio Dei. When mission is our priority, provision follows. The sent one trusts the Sen
Tim Keller on Stillness Before Sending - Missional (Psalm 46:10)
"Before we are sent, we must be still. Before we act, we must know. Mission without stillness becomes activism; knowing without sending becomes pietism. The missionary who knows God in the stillness c