Jump directly to the Content
Jump directly to the Content

Sermon Illustrations

Home > Sermon Illustrations

‘Chameleon’ Plant Discovered in Chile is a Lot like the Church

Scientists in Chile have discovered a fascinating new plant with properties hitherto unknown to science. While many animals are experts at mimicry and camouflage, plants have never been observed to change their appearance—beyond just imitating a single other species—as a survival tactic. But one "chameleon" vine does just that, able to mimic several other species, changing shape, color, and more to blend in.

Possible Preaching Angle:

Used positively, this story is a beautiful picture of incarnation—keeping identity but changing appearance based on context. The church does this too, right? Our identity is as the redeemed community of Christ, but how we look depends on our environment, culture, and context. Used negatively, it's a picture of conformity—we can't just be ourselves so we have to mimic our environment.

Related Sermon Illustrations

Unfit for Persecution

The greatest criticism of the Church today is that no one wants to persecute it: because there is nothing very much to persecute it about.

[Read More]

"Behind the Times" but Not Outdated

It can be exalting to belong to a church that is 500 years behind the times and sublimely indifferent to fashion; it is mortifying to belong to a church that is five minutes behind ...

[Read More]