illustrations
Enhance your next sermon.
The Jobsite That Becomes a Cathedral
Updated:Use to dignify secular vocations and connect everyday work to God’s nature. Ideal for commissioning workers, teaching on faith-and-work, or closing a service with a prayer of dedication over Monday.
The Night Watch at 3 A.M.
Updated:Use to honor first responders and all who protect, and to teach that our guarding is real yet limited without God’s care. Ideal for prayer commissioning, Labor Day, or a sermon on God’s watchfulness.
When What You Built Breaks Your Heart
Updated:Use for pastoral care and altar-call moments about surrendering outcomes to God. Emphasize identity in Christ and inviting God to build, especially after failure or loss.
Sixteen Stitches, Not a Magic Wand
Updated:Use this to contrast process vs. instant miracle. Encourage patience with God’s ordinary means—care, community, and time. Great for counseling moments, altar calls for healing, or teaching on perseverance in recovery.
Hidden Impact, Visible Wound
Updated:Use this when addressing unseen causes of visible pain—trauma, burnout, quiet sin, private loss. The call is to respond with compassion and help, trusting that God sees what we missed and moves toward us when our wounds finally surface.
Smoothies and Security Lines
Updated:Use this to illustrate peace in process—trusting the Father before everything is restored. Perfect for invitations to rest in God’s arms, benedictions, or messages on contentment in the not-yet.
The Thud and the Scream
Updated:Use this to teach on prayer as a cry from the depths—urgency over eloquence. Invite people to drop the polish and call out to God honestly; the Father runs toward the scream of His children.
When Training Takes Over
Updated:Use this to call for spiritual preparation—Scripture, prayer, community, and practiced obedience—so that when crisis hits, formation takes over. It’s a discipleship moment about being ready before the emergency arrives.
Drop-Off Drama vs. Picture-Perfect Kids
Updated:Use to encourage weary parents and to teach contentment in the specific assignment God has given. Fits family Sundays, child dedications, or messages on patience and trust.
The Promotion Across the Hall
Updated:Use when teaching about ambition, envy at work, and trusting God’s timing. Works well before a prayer of surrender or a challenge to celebrate others’ success.