Page 52 - Homiletics I Student Textbook

see, feel, taste, or smell features of the event as though he or she were bodily present in
the unfolding account.

For an illustration the preacher says, ‘I’ll take you there. Live through this experience
with me so that you will understand fully what this means’ . . . [T]he preacher verbally
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recreates a slice of life to explain a sermonic idea.

Description – What are the characteristics of a good illustration?

1. Good illustrations are ethical. They are honest; they get the facts right.

The gospel sits in judgment on the methods used to proclaim it, and God’s truth cannot be
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benefited by our falsehoods.

They come from a humble heart. They protect information given in confidence. They don’t embarrass
anyone in the audience, including your children or wife!

2. Good illustrations are effective in that they:

1. They relate to the truth being explained.
2. They are understood by the audience.
3. They are appropriate.
4. They are believable.
5. They are rarely repeated.
6. They are used only when necessary.
7. They make a clear point.
8. They should illustrate a spiritual experience.
9. They should use dialogue.
10. They can include appropriate humor.
If you must choose between a humorous and a nonhumorous example, all other
things being equal, if it is appropriate, take the humorous one every time. But be
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sure it is appropriate. Be sure it doesn’t clash with the mood set by your content.
11. They should tell a story about people.
An illustration will usually have an introduction, descriptive details, movement
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through crisis (i.e., creating suspense that leads to a climax), and a conclusion.
12. They are complete.
13 They touch the emotions as well as the mind.
14. They allow you to move on in the message with the listener’s attention.
15. They are patterned after the illustrations used in the Bible.

Discovery – What are the sources of good illustrations?

Here are some suggestions for finding good illustrations:

50 Chapell, Bryan, Christ-Centered Preaching, (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2002), 164-165.
51 Robinson, Haddon, Biblical Preaching, (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1981), 152.
52 Adams, Jay E., Truth Applied, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1990), 101.
53 Chapell, Bryan, Christ-Centered Preaching, (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2002), 182.
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