Illustrations from John
1085 illustrations referencing John
When Goodness - Contemporary Example
A few months ago, I met a woman named Clara at a local shelter where I volunteer. Clara had faced unimaginable challenges: a broken marriage, the loss of her job, and the weight of homelessness. Yet, there she was, serving...
Lessons from Wisdom - Story
Elizabeth was a woman known for her deep faith and quiet wisdom. She lived in a modest home at the edge of a vibrant community, where the laughter of children played like a symphony on warm summer evenings. Yet, behind...
The Example of Humility - Story
In a small village, there lived a master carpenter named Elias. Known for his meticulous craftsmanship, people traveled from far and wide to purchase his furniture. Yet, despite his fame, Elias was renowned for his humility. He often wore simple...
Reflecting on Love - Commentary
When we turn to John 3:16, we encounter a verse that is not merely a statement but a profound declaration of God's heart toward humanity: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.” This...
Thinking About Perseverance - Commentary
As we reflect on the beauty of *John 3:16*, we are reminded of the profound truth that God’s love fuels our perseverance. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.” This is not merely...
The Doctrine of Compassion - Church Context
As we reflect on John 3:16, we encounter a profound declaration of God's heart: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son." This verse encapsulates the essence of compassion, a divine love that moves...
Putting Into Practice: Gentleness - Contemporary Example
When we consider *agape*, the self-giving love that we see so vividly in John 3:16, we are reminded that God’s gentle approach in offering salvation to the world is our model for how to engage with one another. This passage...
Theology of Redemption - Commentary
To understand the profound truth of John 14:6, where Jesus declares, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life,” we must delve into the very heart of our redemption. Here, Jesus isn’t merely providing a theological statement; He...
The Whole World Means Everyone - Progressive (John 3:16)
When the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was drafted in 1948, Eleanor Roosevelt insisted on the word "universal"—not just rights for some nations, but for every human being. Critics said it was
The Gift That Must Be Opened - Wesleyan (John 3:16)
A wealthy man left his entire estate to his estranged nephew. The lawyers delivered the documents; everything was legally his. But the nephew never opened the envelope. He assumed it was another rejec
Casablanca: Here Is Looking at You Kid (John 15:13)
Rick Blaine in Casablanca has the papers Ilsa needs to escape with her husband Victor Laszlo. He could keep her for himself - she would stay if he asked. Instead he puts her on the plane, sacrificing
The Father Who Jumped - Traditional (John 3:16)
In 1989, a father and his young son were hiking near a river when the boy slipped and fell into the rapids. Without hesitation, the father dove in after him. Rescuers later found them—the father had d
C.S. Lewis and the Reluctant Convert - Anglican (John 3:16)
C.S. Lewis called himself "the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England." He didn't want God to exist; the universe felt safer without one. But the evidence kept piling up until, riding in h
The Missionary's One Verse - Missional (John 3:16)
When missionary John Paton arrived in the New Hebrides in the 1850s, the indigenous language had no word for "believe" or "trust." For years, he searched for how to translate John 3:16. One day, exhau
The Clock Is Ticking - Dispensational (John 3:16)
In January 2023, the Doomsday Clock was set to 90 seconds to midnight—the closest it's ever been to symbolic catastrophe. Scientists point to nuclear threats, climate change, and global instability. T
Perfect Love Casts Out Fear - Wesleyan (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
Wesley taught entire sanctification—a heart so filled with love that other motives are displaced. "Love is not jealous... not boastful... not proud." These negatives describe what love pushes out. Whe
The Azusa Street Love - Pentecostal (John 3:16)
When the Azusa Street Revival erupted in 1906 Los Angeles, reporters came to mock. What they found shocked them: Black and white worshippers together, men and women leading side by side, rich and poor
The Icon Writer's Prayer - Orthodox (John 3:16)
Orthodox icon writers don't "paint" icons; they "write" them—a theological act requiring prayer and fasting. One iconographer spent weeks on an image of Christ, praying before each brushstroke. When a
Babette's Feast: Grace That Cannot Be Earned (Ephesians 2:8-9)
For fourteen years, Babette serves two elderly sisters in a austere Danish village, her past as a Parisian chef unknown. When she wins the lottery, she asks one thing: to prepare a real French dinner.
The King Who Became a Servant - Reformed (John 3:16)
In medieval Europe, there's a legend of a king who fell in love with a peasant girl. He could have commanded her to marry him—she couldn't refuse a king. But he wanted her love, not her compliance. So
Oscar Romero's Final Mass - Liberation (John 3:16)
On March 24, 1980, Archbishop Oscar Romero celebrated Mass in a hospital chapel in El Salvador. His sermon that evening reflected on John 3:16—God's love poured out in self-giving. "Those who surrende
Her: Made for Real Relationship (Genesis 2:18)
Theodore in Her falls in love with an AI operating system named Samantha. She can talk, learn, empathize, adapt to his needs - be everything he wants her to be. The relationship feels real until it is
Gran Torino: The Violence We Refuse (John 15:13)
Walt Kowalski is a Korean War veteran full of rage, racism, and regret. When his Hmong neighbors are threatened by a gang, everything in Walt wants to solve the problem with violence—he has the weapon
Room: The World Is Too Big (John 8:36)
Jack has spent his entire five years in a single room, captive with his mother. Room is his whole world—he believes the rest of existence is outer space. When they finally escape, freedom is terrifyin