Grief – Sermon Illustration Ideas

Happily-Ever-After Not Guaranteed

Feelings, Grief, lonliness, Present, real feelings, validate

In the devastating crime film Wind River (directed by Taylor Sheridan, Lionsgate, 2017), a man who has already lost his own daughter finds another young woman’s dead…

Handling Death Differently

age appropriate, Death, Grief, Life, Understanding

Loss impacts everyone, and we each manage it a little differently. The children’s show Bluey (season 1, episode 8, “Copycat,” directed by Joe Brumm, aired April…

Tough Thoughts

Death, dying, Grief, Thoughts

“Like adults, children need space to express their wondering thoughts around death. They might share them through the stories they tell while playing, or…

Mourning Together

Community, Grief, Loss, Mourning, Pain

It is common for communities to gather together in mourning when there is a natural disaster or large-scale tragedy that leaves the community feeling…

“The Lord Strengthened Me”

Faith, Grief, Hope, Hope in God, Reactions, Response, Strength, Unexpected

When John Newton lost his wife, Polly, his reaction was not what people expected. The next day he resumed his duties as a pastor,…

Hope Through Love

Grief, Hope, Love, Sacrificial Love

In the movie Spider-Man: No Way Home (directed by Jon Watts [Columbia Pictures, 2021]), Peter Parker realizes that the only way to save the…

Prayer in Grief

Grief, Prayer, Praying, Tragedy

The M. Night Shyamalan thriller Signs (Buena Vista Pictures, 2002)is the story of a family fighting an alien invasion. Of course, the sci-fi adventure…

A Testament of God’s Goodness

God's Goodness, Gratitude, Grief, Loss, Perspective, Suffering

In Richard Lischer’s memoir of his first pastorate, he tells the story of his second son Adam’s birth. Born big and robust, within hours…

Man on Fire

Depression, Forgiveness, Grief, Pain, regret, Suicide

Pain and guilt can lead to destructive behaviors. We cope with pain in several ways. Some people might turn to drugs and alcohol, self-harm,…

Trusting God In The Midst of Grief

Grief, Pain, Suffering, Trust, Trusting God

There is the great challenge for us as we navigate the valleys of pain, death, suffering, and hardship: not to give ourselves over to…

Tension

Already And Not Yet, Grief, Hope, Joy, Perseverance, Perspective, Suffering, Tension, Trials

Living with joy and hope amid pain requires an ability to live in tension. We can’t just deny the pain and pretend like all…

Out From The Shadows

Confusion, God's Will, Grief, Jesus' Humanity, Jesus' Teaching, John The Baptist, Matthew 14, Matthew 14:1-22, Ministry, Out From The Shadows, Pain, Trauma

We must allow ourselves to fully experience and traverse the journey of grief, anger, or confusion in the wake of trauma, while also keeping…

Saints of Old

1 Corinthians 1:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:24, Attendance, Church Life, Faithfulness, Fellowship, Frustrations, Grief, Hebrews 12:1, Ordinary, Proverbs 28:20, Psalm 119:90, Sin, Trials, United

In an article for Her.meneutics, Megan Hill shares her experience getting to know older “church ladies,” who have persevered in the church through trials…

Unexpected Forgiveness

Abundance, Acts 3:19, Counter-Cultural, Ephesians 1:7, Ephesians 4:31-32, Example, Forgiveness, Freedom, Grace, Grief, Hebrews 4:16, Love, Mercy, Radical, Romans 5:1-2

After Dylann Roof shot and killed nine members of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, in Charleston, South Carolina, one could expect their family…

Sharing Grief

Comfort, Consistency, Death, Grief, John 14:1, Kindness, Lamenting, Loss, Matthew 5:4, Mourning, Presence, Psalm 147:3, Psalm 34:18, Revelation 21:4, Support

In a memorial service for five slain Dallas police officers, former President George W. Bush spoke, saying, “Those of us who love Dallas and…