Tony Evans’ Book of

Illustrations

Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes

from more than 30 years of preaching and public speaking

Tony Evans

Moody Publishers

chicago

© 2009 by

Anthony T. Evans

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Compiling Editor: Chrystal Hurst

Editor: Christopher Reese

Cover Design: Paetzold Associates

Cover Image: Donald Fuller

Interior Design: Ragont Design

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Evans, Anthony T.

Tony Evans’ book of illustrations: stories, quotes, and anecdotes

from more than 30 years of preaching and public speaking / Tony Evans.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN 978–0-8024–8578–6

1. Homiletical illustrations. I. Title. II. Title: Book of

illustrations.

BV4225.3.E93 2009

251′.08--dc22

2008031093

We hope you enjoy this book from Moody Publishers. Our goal is to provide high-quality, thought-provoking books and products that connect truth to your real needs and challenges. For more information on other books and products written and produced from a biblical perspective, go to www.moodypublishers.com or write to:

Moody Publishers

820 N. LaSalle Boulevard

Chicago, IL 60610

This book is dedicated to Ikki Soma, one of my special sons in the ministry.

Special thanks to my daughter Chrystal Hurst for her labor in compiling and editing the material for this work.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Sermon Illustrations

Subject / General Index

Scripture Index

INTRODUCTION

I Am Regularly asked where I get my illustrations. My answer is always the same: everything for me is an illustration, because I have learned to think illustratively. The wonders of God’s creation make everything that exists, as well as all the events that occur, possible illustrations. The key is to learn to view everything through this lens.

Illustrations are important because relevancy is important. The Bible was not written as a systematic theology with all the truth on any given subject neatly packaged in one location. Rather, it is a biblical theology where forty authors over fifteen hundred years recorded for us God’s interface and interaction with the history of mankind where real life unfolded. Scripture deals with real people in real life dealing with real issues and needing real answers. In fact, the New Testament exhorts us to look to the Old Testament for the purpose of illustrations and examples (1 Corinthians 10:11).

Therefore, for someone to speak on God’s behalf and be irrelevant, esoteric, and ethereal is to commit the sin of boring people with the Word of God. Illustrations are one primary way of keeping ...