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5 Sermon Illustrations on Thought Life

5 illustrations

The thought life encompasses the inner spiritual and moral condition reflected in our mental imagery, highlighting the importance of guarding our minds against impurity and distraction. Christian preaching often uses pictures of the mind as a battleground or mirror, emphasizing the need to cultivate pure and focused thoughts as a foundation for holy living (2 Corinthians 10:5). Thought life influences the soul's joy and witness before God (Philippians 4:8).

Imagery Of The Mind

The mind’s imagery reflects the moral and spiritual condition of the soul.

Thought is an artist painting its pictures on the mind, so producing its imagery on the walls of one’s immortal nature. If evil, the mind becomes a mystic shrine painted with such figures as were found in some of the chambers of Pompeii, where excavators had to cover up the pictures because they were so foul. If good, the mind is like the cells in the convent of San Marco, at Florence, where Fra Angelico’s holy genius had painted on the bare walls angel imaginings and celestial faces. (Text.)

from Cyclopedia of Illustrations for Public Speakers · Robert Scott and William C. Stiles heartspiritual formation

Impure Thoughts

Impure thoughts, once admitted, leave a lasting stain on a person's life.

A man went to his friend and asked the loan of a barrel. “Certainly,” was the reply, “if you will bring it back uninjured.” The man used the barrel to hold brandy until he could get certain bottles from the factory, when he filled them and returned the barrel to his friend. But the barrel smelled of brandy, and the owner sent it back with the request that it be cleansed. Boiling water was poured into the barrel, but it still smelled of brandy. Acids and disinfectants were put in, but the smell of the brandy could not be removed. It was left out in the rain, but all to no purpose; the smell of the brandy still remained. So it is with impure thoughts; when they are once admitted they remain and taint the whole life.--JAMES T. WHITE, “Character Lessons.”

from Cyclopedia of Illustrations for Public Speakers · Robert Scott and William C. Stiles consequences of sin

Trivial Causes

Small, distracting thoughts can silence the heart’s joyful praise to God.

The clock of the Potsdam Garrison Church, which Frederick the Great in his day had placed in the tower of that cathedral, and which hourly chimed familiar strains, suddenly stopt. The cause of this sudden cessation of both its works and its music was the intrusion of a brown butterfly, which alighted in its wheelworks.

Is it not often thus with the heart of man, out of which well songs of joy and praise--songs suddenly and unexpectedly reduced to silence? The cause of it often is so insignificant a thing as a transient thought, a carking care, which becomes entangled in the delicate spiritual works and brings the heavenly music to a standstill.

Think On These Things

2 Corinthians 10:5

You may be good at controlling your finances, your career, maybe even other people, but chances are you struggle with controlling your own thought life. We might have expected our thoughts to be the easiest of all things to control, but there are times when taming the national debt seems easier than steering one’s own mind to where it needs to be. The Bible sets a very high standard by recommending that we “take every thought captive” to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). EVERY thought.

One of the verses that Christians across the ages have turned to for help in submitting their thoughts to the obedience of Christ is Philippians 4:8:

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,

whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever

is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything

worthy of praise, think about these things.”

This verse is commonly applied negatively. It convicts us because our thoughts do not live up to this standard. We recognize that many of our thoughts are impure or unlovely or far from praiseworthy. Yet while conviction may be one purpose of this verse, we should not overlook the fact that it gives a positive command. It does not focus on what we shouldn’t be thinking about; it tells us what we SHOULD think about.

The difference in applying this command positively instead of negatively hit home a few weeks ago when I was praying through this verse. I decided to try to think of an image, person, or idea that fit each of these adjectives that should describe our thought life. I went down the list, calling to mind things that were true, honorable, just, pure, and so forth. To my surprise, I found it difficult. I was not used to focusing on what is commendable; far more often, my critical spirit seizes upon what is not quite right.

Though I found the exercise difficult, I found it very profitable, and it is one that I’ve taken to repeating. While it took me a while to think of things that fit these characteristics, once I thought of them, my heart was full of gratitude and admiration. I found that I started looking out for these things, striving to recognize excellence and make note of it in my mind. When I am pursuing thoughts that are pure, I simply have less time to spend thinking negative thoughts.

The struggle to break an addiction is more effective when the addiction is replaced rather than simply resisted. If we only battle sinful thoughts by trying to shut them off, we will find that our minds abhor a vacuum even more than nature does. It is only when we replace the thoughts that do not honor God with thoughts that bring Him glory that we will have truly taken our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ.

If you struggle to find the motivation to discipline your thought life, consider that those whose thoughts are pure and honorable lead happier lives. Lust, anxiety, fear, and judgmentalness may satisfy our cravings, but the end result is that they, like junk food consumed on the couch, leave us feeling sluggish and spiritually immobile. If, instead, we think on the things that God recommends, we will find welling up in us a spring that is flowing with life.

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Copyright © 2007 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. "A Slice of Infinity" is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #26418]

Filling the Mind

Luke 6:45

When we fill our minds with trash, vulgar sitcoms, steamy movies, dirty music, and the casual disrespect for the things of God that we find in today’s culture, and especially in the media, we spit in the face of a holy God. How can we claim to be new men and live like the devil all day long? How can we claim to love the Lord then fill our minds with junk?

Solomon’s instructions to his own son begins by saying, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7). Maybe a healthy dose of fear is appropriate as we think about the importance of self-control for the Christian. But it’s also helpful to hear Paul’s advice to young Timothy when he says, “Flee also youthful lusts; who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife” (2 Timothy 2:22-23).

If you long to see the world transformed and renewed through faith, then why not start now, by praying that God will give you real self-control.

TODAY’S POWER VERSE “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45, NIV).

“Like the father of the Prodigal Son, God can see repentance coming a great way off and is there to meet it; the repentance is the reconciliation.”–Dorothy L. Sayers

from (unknown devotional) · Unknown via Kerux Sermon and Illustration Database

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