Our "Latest Illustrations" page provides you with the latest sermon illustrations and teaching content from the latest Hollywood movies.
Featured Illustrations
Our "Featured Illustrations" page provides you with sermon illustrations and teaching content from the latest Hollywood movies. If you are looking for a relevant sermon illustration from the films people are talking about, you've come to the right place.
Movies Title
In "Movie Titles" you can browse through the sermon illustrations of hundreds of films by title. Just use the alphabetic tabs to find the movie you want. If you would rather search by topic, keyword, or Scripture reference, then use the search box just below the navigation bar to quickly locate the sermon illustration you need.
Ever since the Iconoclastic controversy arose in the 8th century, Christian preachers have been worried about using images in church. Now I will be the first to admit that the icons St. John of Damascus defended in On the Divine Images are far removed from the kind of images produced by Hollywood, but one of the reasons given by iconoclasts for not using images -- that all images are idols -- is the same reason I would like to advance for using them. People in the West idolize Hollywood. That is why preachers should follow Paul's example on Mars Hill by taking what people worship, and using it to lead them to Christ.
If movie clips are to be used effectively in preaching, guidelines concerning number and placement need to be observed. How many clips should be used in a single message? For preachers who are new to video usage the prospect of illustrating an entire message with vibrant images can be very seductive. I warn against using more than a couple of movie illustrations in a single message -- one of which should be an opener or a closer. Movie clips are expansive. If the focus is to remain on the text, it is important not to overwhelm the congregation or your small group.
There is a lot of negative writing about the moral cesspool that is frequently Hollywood film. I have written a fair amount of it myself. Chances are great that in future columns in this space, you will see more of it. If that is true, why bother to use film as illustrations in sermons, small group discussions, or youth groups? The answer lies in the power of stories to embody the truth and to make morality come alive.
- 
