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Illustrating: Examples of Excellent Illustrating

How can I help hearers understand abstract biblical truths?

One of the best ways to improve your own sermon illustrations is to hear other preachers practice the skill well. Below is a collection of hand-picked audio sermons for you to listen to, each sermon having its own illustrative strength.

As you listen to these sermons, make note of what stands out to you in each one. Pay attention to the use of story development and details, threads of analogy, personal stories, and other adapted illustrations.

With each sermon, do your own evaluation of illustration effectiveness. Do the illustrations serve to enhance the hearer's understanding of the biblical message? If yes, what factors in the illustration content, placement, and development enable this? If not, in what ways do you think the illustration might detract from the message? How could the illustration be improved to better serve the message?

Click on the links below to hear the audio examples.

Max Lucado: Love in Spite of Differences

Max Lucado is a master storyteller. Notice the effective metaphorical ...