53 Sermon Illustrations on Provision

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Provision in Christian preaching highlights God's faithful and timely care for His people, supplying both physical needs and spiritual blessings. Illustrations often draw on images of nature's bounty, a child's dependence, and unexpected supplies during journeys, emphasizing God's abundant goodness and perfect timing (Philippians 4:19; Matthew 6:26).

Give Them Something To Eat

Luke 9:13

”But He said to them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people.” Luke 9:13

“You give them something to eat!” What was Jesus thinking? He was the one with the power. He was the one who claimed to have been there at creation. How could 12 men possibly do anything with this crowd?

“You give them something to eat!” What did He mean? Give them something to eat? What? A quick search revealed five small loaves of bread — personal size — more like biscuits really. Oh, there were the fish. Two little dried fish. A feast for a little boy. An insult to a multitude like this.

“You give them something to eat!” Something? Oh, we’ll give them something. Let’s send them all home. Sure, some of them may faint from hunger, but that’s their fault. Coming into the wilderness with no food! How ridiculous! I don’t suppose they have any water either. Let them drink from the lake. We have nothing to give. What we do have is a little boy’s lunch. At least his mother was thinking! Go ahead, Jesus. Send them away. “You give them something to eat!” Do you think you can do any better, Jesus? Go ahead. Give it a try. What’s that? Tell them to sit down in small groups. OK. You’re the boss. You say you want the bread? Are you going to eat it in front of them? How tacky! Get some baskets? Yea, sure. Oh there they are. Yes, we have 12 of them. So what?

“You give them something to eat!” Oh. Sure, we must pray before this meal! Let’s all bow our heads and enjoy our crumb! … Wow! John, did you see that? He broke a chunk off that loaf and … and … and it’s still whole! And the chunk is a whole loaf too! Amazing! What’s that? Oh, pass the baskets around to all the crowd? Sure.

“You give them something to eat!” Hey! Can you do that with the fish, too? You can? WOW!!!!! Look at that would you! He can. I told you he could, James. Thomas, why did you ever doubt? I knew He could do it! Yeah, I really did. Don’t you remember me telling you He could? You don’t? Well I did … sorta … well in my mind I did … OK! It surprised me too!

“You give them something to eat!” What do you have in your hand? Give it to Jesus. He can take it — no matter how small or how insignificant or how humble — and make it feed your multitudes.

O Worship the King

1. O worship the King, all glorious above,

And gratefully sing His pow'r and His love;

Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,

Pavilioned in splendour and girded with praise.

2. O tell of His might, O sing of His grace,

Whose robe is the light, Whose canopy space;

His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,

And dark is His path on the wings of the storm.

3. Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite?

It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;

It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,

And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

4. Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,

In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail;

Thy mercies how tender! How firm to the end!

Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer and Friend.

[Tune “Lyons”]

All Glory To Jesus

John 8:58

1. All glory to Jesus,

begotten of God,

The great "I AM" is He;

Creator, Sustainer –

but wonder of all,

The Lamb of Calvary!

2. To think that the Guardian

of planets in space,

The Shepherd of the stars,

Is tenderly leading

the church of His love,

By hands with crimson scars!

3. The King of all kings and

the Lord of all lords,

He reigns in glory now;

Some day He is coming

earth's kingdom to claim,

And ev'ry knee shall bow!

Coda

And ev'ry knee shall bow!

[Tune “Ridgemoore”]

Give Us Today Our Daily Bread 44:57

by Anton Bosch

Anton Bosch teaches that trusting God daily for our essential needs, both physical and spiritual, is vital for a faithful Christian life.

17 - God's Exacting Provision 9:51

by Ben Torrey

Ben Torrey discusses the importance of trusting God's provision and the paradox of being poor in spirit while accessing His abundant resources.

The Hand of God 1:01:50

by Billy Ingram

To have the hand of God upon your life, you must prepare your heart, make it a priority, and seek the law of the Lord.

Have You Heard? There Is Bread in Bethlehem 45:55

by Carter Conlon

The sermon calls listeners to return to God's historic faithfulness and to experience the promise and fulfillment of God's love and salvation, rather than being seduced by the fals

The Key to Unlocking the Provision of God 41:38

by Carter Conlon

The key to unlocking the provision of God is compassion and faith, as demonstrated by the four lepers in the story of Elisha.

God's Provision for the Children of Israel 25:06

by Chuck Smith

God provides for the Israelites' physical needs, but also teaches them lessons about humility and gratitude through His judgment and leadership.

His Eye Is on the Sparrow 56:27

by David Wilkerson

David Wilkerson's sermon reassures believers of God's sovereignty and care amidst global chaos and encourages steadfast faith.

Possum in the Tree 1:29

by E.A. Johnston

E.A. Johnston illustrates through the metaphor of a possum in a tree that true wealth is found in being rich toward God rather than in worldly possessions.

God's Provision 26:06

by Erlo Stegen

The sermon emphasizes God's provision through prayer, the urgency of evangelism, and the transformative power of the Holy Spirit in believers' lives.

Our Daily Bread (May 30, 1987) 1:31:45

by George Warnock

George Warnock's sermon emphasizes the importance of seeking God's daily provision and understanding our role in manifesting the fullness of Christ within the corporate body of bel

The Lord's Perfect Provision for His Own Masterpiece 18:50

by Hans R. Waldvogel

We are God's masterpiece, and He provides for us perfectly and sufficiently, but we must trust in Him and have faith in His goodness.

Daily Prayer and Our Daily Provision 36:58

by J. Glyn Owen

The sermon emphasizes the importance of praying for material things and living for God's glory, and highlights the need for balance between spiritual and material concerns.

These illustrations have been gathered from many sources over many years and are offered to preachers as a study aid. Each is credited wherever the source is known, and we have made every effort to respect the rights of authors and publishers.

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