Mercy – Sermon Illustration Ideas

Kind Judgment

forgive, Forgiveness, Judge, Judgment, Mercy

Judgment isn’t always negative. A judge’s ruling can bring remarkable joy for the person he rules in favor of. Caught in Providence is a reality TV…

Measure For Measure

Darkness, Death, Judgment, Mercy, pardon, plot twist, Vice, William Shakespeare

“William Shakespeare based a whole play on the second verse of Matthew 7. Measure for Measure is classified as a ‘comedy,’ and indeed everything…

Pit of Failure

fail, Mercy, Only Way, Power

In The Dark Knight Rises (directed by Christopher Nolan, Warner Brothers, 2012), Bruce Wayne is trapped in “the Pit,” a prison on the other side of…

Mercy And Judgment

Challenges in Life, Circumstances, God's Judgment, Jesus' Death, Jesus's Resurrection, Judgment, Mercy, Struggle

The judgment of the world is rarely tempered by mercy, making us apt to misidentify the world’s sufferings as the judgment of God. The…

The Magnifying Glass of Truth

Confession, Evil, Humility, Mercy, Repentance, Truth

The film Promising Young Woman (directed by Emerald Fennell [Focus Features, 2020]) provides a powerful example of what it looks like when the magnifying…

Extending Mercy

Forgiven, Forgiveness, Forgiving Others, Grace, Mercy

This powerful scene from Invictus (directed by Clint Eastwood [Warner Bros., 2009]) recounts the story of Nelson Mandela insisting that his leaders extend forgiveness…

Coming To The Father

Child of God, Confession, God Our Father, Mercy, Repentance

Admitting we are wrong is an incredibly hard thing to do. And when we are in the presence of someone who is powerful and…

Have Mercy

Grace, Judgment, Mercy, Second Chances

Mike Howerton tells a story about how grace works. He recounts the time that he received a second ticket in two years for expired…

Boiling Point

Anger, Disobedience, God's Character, God's Sovereignty, God's Wrath, Mercy, Patience, Slow to Anger, Wrath

Imagine a pot of water, full to the brim, boiling on the stove. The water in the pot goes through several stages of heat…

Before & After

Death, Destruction, Fixer UPper, God's Love, Grace, Life, Mercy, New Life, Repentance, Restoration, Salvation, Sin

This before-and-after photo comparison from the TV show Fixer Upper shows the incredible restoration of an old, dilapidated house (https://www.hgtv.com/shows/fixer-upper/fixer-upper-takes-on-a-vintage-tiny-house-pictures). This isn’t just an…

Jesus, Our Advocate

1 John 1:9, 1 John 2:1, 1 Timothy 2:5, Advocate, Faith, Jesus, John 14:16, John 3:16, Kindness, Mark 5:21-43, Mediator, Mercy, Romans 5:12

In our foster-care system today, many young children are left to navigate a maze of court hearings and new schools all on their own. Through…

Reckless Mercy

2 Corinthians 12:8-9, 2 Peter 1:2, Comforter, Ephesians 2:8-9, Ephesians 4:7, Forgiveness, Grace, John 1:14, Love, Mercy, Redemption, Romans 3:20-24

My Refuge House is a home for survivors of commercial sexual exploitation in the Philippines. This organization provides incredible support to girls who have…

Leave It To God

1 Thessalonians 5:15, Ephesians 4:26-27, Ephesians 4:32, Getting Back, God's Judgment, Hebrews 10:30, Judgment, Leviticus 19:18, Mark 11:25, Matthew 18:21-22, Matthew 5:38-39, Mercy, Retribution, Revenge, Romans 12:19, Submission, Surrender, Vengeance

At the end of the movie, Matilda, the main antagonist, Ms. Trunchbull gets what she deserves, after spending the entire movie harassing the children and…

Grace + Nothing

2 Corinthians 12:8-9, Acts 15:11, Cross, Ephesians 2:8-9, Ephesians 4:7, Forgiveness, Grace, Hebrews 13:9, James 4:6, Jesus, Jesus' Death, John 1:14, Mercy, Redemption, Romans 1:1-5, Romans 1:16, Romans 3:20-24, Romans 6:14, Titus 2:11

Truly believing something changes our behavior. The issue some people get confused about is which comes first: works before salvation or salvation before works?…

Costly Forgiveness

2 Corinthians 12:8-9, Acts 15:11, Cross, Ephesians 2:8-9, Ephesians 4:7, Forgiveness, Grace, Hebrews 13:9, James 4:6, Jesus, Jesus' Death, John 1:14, Mercy, Redemption, Romans 1:1-5, Romans 1:16, Romans 3:20-24, Romans 6:14, Titus 2:11

Matthew West’s song “Forgiveness” is a radio hit because of its powerful message. It was inspired by an amazing true story about a woman…

Grace For Good

1 Peter 1:2, 1 Peter 3:8, Advantage, Challenge, Colossians 3:12, Faith, Generosity, Grace, Mercy, Musical, Novel, Proverbs 11:16, Psalm 145:8, Security, Theme

Les Misérables is one of the most popular novels turned musical turned movie (twice). One of the overarching themes is grace. Jean Valjean, the…

Supplemental Faith

2 Corinthians 12:8-9, Acts 15:11, Cross, Ephesians 2:8-9, Ephesians 4:7, Grace, Hebrews 13:9, James 4:6, Jesus, Jesus' Death, John 1:14, Mercy, Redemption, Romans 1:1-5, Romans 1:16, Romans 3:20-24, Romans 6:14, Titus 2:11

Research by experts at Johns Hopkins University has found that half of all American adults take a multivitamin every day, spending a total of…

Protecting The Vulnerable

Commitment, Faith, Fight, Isaiah 1:17, Mercy, Ministry, Obedience, Predatory, Protect, Proverbs 24:11-12, Proverbs 31:8-9, Psalm 82:3-4, The Church, Works, Zechariah 7:10

The Ordinance is a documentary by Deidox Films that shows church communities in Texas working together to protect people from predatory payday loans. These…

Paradigm Shift

2 Corinthians 5:17, Colossians 1:21-22, Ephesians 4:22-24, Ezekiel 18:31, Ezekiel 36:26, Grace, Influence, Mercy, New Life, Outlook on Life, Perception, Psalm 51:10, Redemption, Romans 12:2, Salvation, Titus 3:5

“Christianity isn’t something you add. It is an explosion that changes everything you had” (Timothy Keller [@timkellernyc], Twitter, November 10, 2017, 1:30 p.m.)To follow…