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God's universal love, the necessity of a personal response to grace, and the importance of holy living.
Key question: “How does this text call for a personal decision of faith and empower the believer to live a holy life?”
21269 illustrations found
"We run the race—active, intentional, cooperative. Grace empowers; we run. Jesus is the model and goal; we follow. Laying aside weights requires discipline; endurance requires practice. The race is not passive reception but active participation with the God who runs with us." — E.
"Delight is cultivated—we choose to fix our hearts on God; we practice His presence until joy overflows. This is cooperative grace: God offers Himself as our delight; we respond by delighting. Holy affections grow; desires are sanctified. Heart-transformation is the...
"True faith—the faith that is substance and evidence—is a living faith that works through love. It is not mere assent but active trust that transforms life. The faith defined in Hebrews 11 is the faith demonstrated in Hebrews 11: faith that acts." — John Wesley.
"Jesus has overcome—and we overcome through Him. His victory is not automatic for us but appropriated through faith. We participate in His triumph; grace enables our perseverance. 'Be of good cheer'—courage is possible because victory is shared." — E. Stanley Jones.
"Life abundant is full salvation—not just forgiveness but transformation, not just heaven later but holiness now. Jesus gives life that overflows in love for God and neighbor. Sanctification IS abundant life; perfect love IS life to the full." — John Wesley.
"Seek first the kingdom and His righteousness—and righteousness is holy living. Make holiness your priority; pursue Christlikeness first. When heart-holiness is sought, God supplies all temporal needs. We do not neglect work, but we order loves rightly." — John Wesley.
"Every believer is a priest—not clergy alone but all. This holy nation includes all who respond to grace. Royal priesthood means access to God for all, intercession by all, ministry from all. The Spirit gifts every member for the body's work." — John Wesley.
"Taste and see—and keep tasting! Initial experience deepens into rich knowledge. The more we taste, the more we want; the more we see, the more there is to see. Sanctification is tasting ever more deeply the goodness we first savored at conversion." — John Wesley.
"Trust is not passive. 'In all your ways acknowledge Him'—this is active partnership. We bring our plans; He redirects. We make choices; He guides. Trust is relational, dynamic, a conversation between the trusting soul and the guiding God." — E.
This historical event can serve as a powerful sermon illustration about godly leadership and its impact. Consider using it when preaching about leadership.
This historical event can serve as a powerful sermon illustration about godly leadership and its impact. Consider using it when preaching about leadership.
This historical event can serve as a powerful sermon illustration about the gift of freedom and liberation. Consider using it when preaching about freedom.
On June 18, 1983: Mona Mahmudnizhad, together with nine other women of the Baháʼí Faith, is sentenced to death and hanged in Shiraz, Iran over her religious beliefs. This historical event can serve as a powerful sermon illustration about the...
John's, Newfoundland. The date commemorates the first day of the Battle of the Somme, where at Beaumont-Hamel, 86 percent of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment was wiped out. This historical event can serve as a powerful sermon illustration about God's creation and human discovery.
On September 17, 1862: American Civil War: George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac halts the first invasion of the North by Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia in the single-day Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest day in American military history.
On November 11, 1724: Joseph Blake, alias Blueskin, a highwayman known for attacking "Thief-Taker General" (and thief) Jonathan Wild at the Old Bailey, is hanged in London. This historical event can serve as a powerful sermon illustration about godly leadership and its impact.
This historical event can serve as a powerful sermon illustration about how God works through the events of history. Consider using it when preaching about history.
This historical event can serve as a powerful sermon illustration about godly leadership and its impact. Consider using it when preaching about leadership.
On June 1, 1773: Wolraad Woltemade rescues 14 sailors at the Cape of Good Hope from the sinking ship De Jonge Thomas by riding his horse into the sea seven times. Both he and his horse, Vonk, are drowned on his eighth attempt.
This historical event can serve as a powerful sermon illustration about how God works through the events of history. Consider using it when preaching about history.
On September 30, 1744: War of the Austrian Succession: France and Spain defeat Sardinia at the Battle of Madonna dell'Olmo, but soon have to withdraw from Sardinia. This historical event can serve as a powerful sermon illustration about how God...
On May 24, 919: The nobles of Franconia and Saxony elect Henry the Fowler at the Imperial Diet in Fritzlar as king of the East Frankish Kingdom. This historical event can serve as a powerful sermon illustration about godly leadership and its impact.
Navy warship USS Stark, killing 37 and injuring 21 of her crew. This historical event can serve as a powerful sermon illustration about how God works through the events of history. Consider using it when preaching about history.
On October 30, 1938: Orson Welles broadcasts a radio adaptation of H. Wells's The War of the Worlds, causing a massive panic in some of the audience in the United States. This historical event can serve as a powerful sermon...