Sermon Illustrations

There is a story of a young man who came to D.L. Moody’s church and for six weeks preached revival from the single text of John 3:16. After seeing the great number of people saved and being himself moved, Moody said, “Heretofore I had been preaching on the [judgment, the wrath, the perdition and damnation, and the penalty for sin] side of the cross. But after that young man began to preach for six weeks on John 3:16, I began to preach to preach on the other side, the Calvary side, the love of God side, the grace and mercy of God side. I began to preach on the outpouring of the Spirit of grace side of the cross.”

Criswell, W.A. Ephesians: An Exposition by W.A. Criswell. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 1974. 155.