Mainline Protestant Illustrations
Social justice, ecumenism, historical-critical scholarship.
Key question: “How does this text address contemporary social issues?”
14785 illustrations found
E. Stanley Jones on Daily Renewal - Wesleyan (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
"Day by day—renewal is a daily choice, a daily grace, a daily practice. The outer person decays; the inner person grows stronger. We cooperate with grace: fixing our eyes, choosing the eternal, receiv
John Wesley on Active Trust - Wesleyan (Matthew 6:25-27)
"'Do not worry' is a command—one we obey through practice. Trust is cultivated; anxiety is overcome through spiritual discipline. Cast your cares on Him daily; choose faith over fear repeatedly. Grace
John Wesley on Light and Holiness - Wesleyan (Matthew 5:14-16)
"Light shines from holy lives—personal and social holiness visible to the world. Your good works are fruits of sanctification: feeding hungry, visiting prisoners, loving neighbor. Holiness is not hidd
E. Stanley Jones on Complete Healing - Wesleyan (Revelation 21:4)
"Every tear wiped—complete healing, full restoration. What sanctification begins, glorification completes. No more death—the enemy destroyed. No more pain—perfect wholeness. God's grace brings us thro
Practical Inclusive Language for God - Contemporary Example
The application points emphasize the importance of using inclusive language for God as a means of fostering community engagement and promoting justice. By reflecting on Micah 6:8 and committing to prayerful action, individuals can contribute to systemic change and transformation within their communities, ultimately working towards God's kingdom of justice and peace.
John Wesley on Faith That Works - Wesleyan (Hebrews 11:1)
"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 fait
John Wesley on Growing in Experience - Wesleyan (Psalm 34:8)
"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 dee
E. Stanley Jones on Active Surrender of Anxiety - Wesleyan (1 Peter 5:7)
"Casting cares is not passive but active—a deliberate choice repeated daily, hourly. We take our worries and consciously hand them to God. This is surrender in action. He cares; we choose to trust tha
John Wesley on Holy Living First - Wesleyan (Matthew 6:33)
"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
E. Stanley Jones on Active Trust - Wesleyan (Proverbs 3:5-6)
"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
John Wesley on Full Salvation - Wesleyan (John 10:10)
"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 abunda
E. Stanley Jones on Practiced Peace - Wesleyan (Philippians 4:6-7)
"Peace is not automatic—it comes through the practice of prayer with thanksgiving. We cooperate with grace by choosing gratitude over grumbling, prayer over panic. Each time anxiety rises, we respond
E. Stanley Jones on Spirit-Enabled Living - Wesleyan (2 Timothy 1:7)
"The Spirit enables what the Spirit commands. Power to overcome, love to reach out, self-discipline to persevere—these are gifts we receive and cultivate. We cooperate with the Spirit; we stir up the
John Wesley on Entire Sanctification - Wesleyan (Psalm 51:10)
"'Create in me a clean heart'—this is the prayer for entire sanctification. Not merely forgiveness but cleansing, not just pardon but purity. God can create a heart free from the dominion of sin, a he
John Wesley on Holy Living - Wesleyan (Micah 6:8)
"Micah 6:8 is sanctification summarized: works of mercy (justice and kindness) flowing from works of piety (walking humbly with God). Personal holiness produces social holiness. These cannot be separa
E. Stanley Jones on Active Stillness - Wesleyan (Psalm 46:10)
"Stillness is not inactivity but receptivity—active openness to God. We choose to be still; we decide to know. Grace meets us in the stillness, but we must position ourselves there. This is spiritual
E. Stanley Jones on Daily Receiving - Wesleyan (Lamentations 3:22-23)
"New every morning—we must receive them daily. Yesterday's grace was for yesterday; today we receive today's portion. This is partnership: God gives; we receive. Each morning is fresh invitation to tr
John Wesley on Grace That Strengthens - Wesleyan (Isaiah 41:10)
"God strengthens, helps, upholds—but we must receive the strength offered. 'Fear not' is invitation to trust. Grace enables courage; we respond with faith. God's hand is extended; we grasp it. His pre
E. Stanley Jones on Partnership in Victory - Wesleyan (John 16:33)
"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'—c
John Wesley on Assurance of Love - Wesleyan (Romans 8:38-39)
"Nothing external can separate us—no power, no circumstance, no enemy. God's love pursues, holds, keeps. We may grieve the Spirit; we may resist grace; but from outside, nothing can tear us away. This
E. Stanley Jones on Practical Wisdom - Wesleyan (James 1:5)
"Ask for wisdom—and then act on it. James links wisdom with doing. We ask; God gives; we apply. This is cooperative wisdom: divine gift meeting human response. The wisdom God gives is practical—it wor
John Wesley on Christ as Universal Access - Wesleyan (John 14:6)
"Christ is the Way—but this way is open to all. He is the Truth—and this truth can be known by any seeking heart. He is the Life—offered freely to whosoever will. The exclusivity of Christ is the incl
John Wesley on Universal Atonement - Wesleyan (John 3:16)
"Nothing in the Christian system is of greater consequence than the doctrine of the Atonement. God so loved the world—the whole world, every soul He has made—that He gave His only Son to the end that
E. Stanley Jones on Cooperation with Providence - Wesleyan (Romans 8:28)
"God doesn't promise to exempt us from trouble; He promises to work within the trouble. And note: it says those who LOVE God. Our loving cooperation with God is part of how things work together. We ar