When Sermon Illustrations Go Bad
August 16th, 2007 | by Scott |As a preacher I rely heavily on the use of illustrations. I believe strongly in the power of story to make and emphasize a point. One of my Master’s papers was on the power of illustration.
Because of my reliance on story as a preaching tool I tend to look at life based upon its narrative possibilities. I’m am able to use a lot of what I come up with in my preaching and teaching.
Conversely, there are a lot of illustrations that pop in my head that are just plain awful. For every illustration worth using there are several that never need to be voiced.
Here is an example of a sermon illustration I came up with that is just too bad to ever use:
If you visit a restaurant, gas station or some similar establishment you will be given an opportunity to choose your particular beverage of choice. What you will notice at these establishments is that your selection will usually be either Coke products or Pepsi products. But rarely will you have the option for both. That is because Coke and Pepsi are bitter rivals. Most places will not enter into a contract with both companies.
Yet at each of these locations you will most likely have the additional choice of Dr. Pepper. Dr. Pepper is equally disbursed among Coke and Pepsi locations. And in the instances where Coke and Pepsi are on the same drink station? Yep, Dr. Pepper is there.
The folks at Dr. Pepper haven’t entered into the brutal cola wars that have consumed Coke and Pepsi.
We need to be Dr. Pepper Christians. We need to be people who are equally comfortable with all the beverage choices out there. Uniters, not dividers.
If you are preaching a sermon or devotional talk and this fits in with your theme feel free to use it. But do not, I repeat DO NOT, feel that you have to give me credit for it.
Any bad sermon illustrations you have used or heard?
11 Responses to “When Sermon Illustrations Go Bad”
By That Girl on Aug 16, 2007 | Reply
…and it takes 23 flavors just to make ONE Dr. Pepper!!!!
By Scott on Aug 16, 2007 | Reply
There you have it. Dr. Pepper: The Ecumenical Soft Drink.
By Greg on Aug 16, 2007 | Reply
I remember one time my youth minister used the illustration that 99 cents, while almost a dollar, is not a dollar, and in the same manner our best efforts at righteousness may come close but they’re never enough to earn salvation. Then he threw the 99 cents across the fellowship hall.
I think it was that same night that he rigged the men’s room with red lights and a space heater and took us to “hell”.
I had a terrific youth minister.
By Scott on Aug 16, 2007 | Reply
My all-time favorite is the ‘throwing the yarn’. Good times. Good times.
By Scott on Aug 16, 2007 | Reply
The “throwing the yarn” was Tracy’s comment, not mine. I promise I never did that more than twice.
Greg, that sounds like a terrific youth minister. I hope he literally scared the “Hell” out of you that night. I might use that this Sunday.
By Lachen on Aug 16, 2007 | Reply
I take SUCH PLEASURE in this and can’t contain my grin at this cheeseball sermon illustration.
As someone who loves Dr. Pepper and Jesus (not in that order), this rings all the right bells for me.
Dr. Pepper is what God drinks, by the way. I’m almost 99% sure.
By SteveC on Aug 17, 2007 | Reply
ROFL @ comment by Lachen. Just as dangerous and dishonoring to Jesus Christ as cheezy illustrations are those who build major theology off obscure points in parables or even worse - “types” in the Old Testament. I remember a commentary of one person who, when refuting Pink on the Definitive Atonement, based his objection on his symbolic interpretation of the two goats in Lev 16. God’s Word is clear (Psalm 19:8b) and Philosophy, based on Symbology, is bad Theology.
Thanks for posting and keeping me aware of “Illustrations Gone Bad”.
By Timm on Aug 17, 2007 | Reply
That was aweful…. and great at the same time. When I was working with the youth at my church, I liked to tell them thrilling stories using made up characters. Then I would show them the exact same story in the Bible. It was strange to me how much more they were interested if they didn’t know it was from the Bible. I’m off topic.
By Shane on Aug 17, 2007 | Reply
It may be a good illustration, but I am a Diet-Coke-but-only-from-a-fountain-Christian. How come DP snobs get to be ecumenical and I have to be an ardent sectarian.
By Scott on Aug 20, 2007 | Reply
Thanks from my new commenters. Hope to see you guys visit again.
Shane, I don’t make the rules I just preach them.