I am trying to gather as many illustrations from nature and from the natural wold or even history to illustrate theological truths.
Thomas Watson does this a lot and I find Watson very effective in teaching, except that many of his illustrations are from Roman history instead of the natural world.
How would one illustrate concepts such as the sovereignty of God from the natural world? The covenants? Faith, repentance, grace, mercy, from simple illustrations that even small children can understand? Affliction.
Also, pre-industrial illustrations might work better for my own context. For instance, one Word Picture I often use for the human heart is a factory that makes poison gas, that god renovates to make perfume...but some Melanesian folks know nothing about poison gas, etc. So, illustrations concerning the nature of a pig or a dog work better (a dog returns to its vomit, etc).
Other illustrations would be that the same sun hardens clay and melts wax, an illustration of God's Word on two classes of people. or, that if you step on and crush a sweet flower it emits a different smell than if you step on a turd, illustrating the different responses of people under trials. etc.
So send me your favorite illustrations....
Thomas Watson does this a lot and I find Watson very effective in teaching, except that many of his illustrations are from Roman history instead of the natural world.
How would one illustrate concepts such as the sovereignty of God from the natural world? The covenants? Faith, repentance, grace, mercy, from simple illustrations that even small children can understand? Affliction.
Also, pre-industrial illustrations might work better for my own context. For instance, one Word Picture I often use for the human heart is a factory that makes poison gas, that god renovates to make perfume...but some Melanesian folks know nothing about poison gas, etc. So, illustrations concerning the nature of a pig or a dog work better (a dog returns to its vomit, etc).
Other illustrations would be that the same sun hardens clay and melts wax, an illustration of God's Word on two classes of people. or, that if you step on and crush a sweet flower it emits a different smell than if you step on a turd, illustrating the different responses of people under trials. etc.
So send me your favorite illustrations....