Sermon Illustrations

Category: Nicky Gumbel

  • How you respond to criticism

    How you respond to criticism is another test. Jesus said, ‘For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, “He has a demon.” The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, “Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and ‘sinners’”’ (vv.33–34). Jesus…

  • God forgives

    We have a tendency to take forgiveness for granted. The poet Heinrich Heine once said, ‘Dieu me pardonnera. C’est son métier.’ (God will forgive me. It is his job.) I Nicky Gumbel – UK Vicar, Alpha Course (1955- )Click to Tweet

  • Source of power

    What was the source of his power? ‘At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place’ (4:42). ‘Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed’ (5:16). You will never cope with the demands of life in the kingdom of God unless you are being recharged through your hotline to God. Nicky Gumbel – UK Vicar,…

  • Anointed Christians

    Theophilus of Antioch wrote, ‘We are called Christians (christianoi) because we have been anointed (chrisometha) with the oil of God.’ Nicky Gumbel – UK Vicar, Alpha Course (1955- )Click to Tweet

  • Complaining keeps you captive

    Complaining keeps you captive, whilst remembering God’s faithfulness sets you free. Praise, thanksgiving and worship are the antidote to complaining and grumbling. Nicky Gumbel – UK Vicar, Alpha Course (1955- )Click to Tweet

  • Wisdom and knowledge

    Knowledge is horizontal. Wisdom is vertical. It comes down from above. It is far more important to grow in wisdom than to grow in wealth. Wisdom outweighs wealth. Intimacy with the Father leads to growth in wisdom. Nicky Gumbel – UK Vicar, Alpha Course (1955- )Click to Tweet

  • Grass greener?

    The grass is not greener on the other side of the fence – it is greener where we water it.’ In fact, ‘If the grass looks greener, it’s probably AstroTurf!’ Nicky Gumbel – UK Vicar, Alpha Course (1955- )Click to Tweet

  • Fit for battle

    The battles of life need not intimidate you. All the way through history, God’s people have faced obstacles and challenges. The book of Numbers is about how God’s people prepare for battle. In Exodus we see the people of God as a liberated people. In Leviticus we see them as a holy people. In Numbers…

  • Fighting for the king

    Raniero Cantalamessa points out that, ‘In the tales of medieval battles, there always comes a moment when the orderly ranks of archers and cavalry and all the rest are broken and the fighting concentrates around the king. That is where the final outcome of the battle will be decided. For us too, the battle today…

  • Battles of life

    There have been very few periods when I have not been facing some kind of battle. The nature of these battles has varied enormously. There have been internal battles – times of intense temptation, doubt, fear and anxiety. There have been times of deep sadness, great loss and bereavement. There have been battles over health,…