3 Sermon Illustrations on Conversation

3 illustrations

Conversation in Christian preaching highlights the importance of harmonious and orderly communication that reflects mutual respect and spiritual edification, as believers engage with one another. It often uses the metaphor of music or a well-coordinated dialogue to illustrate how variety and unity combine to build up the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:29).

Conversation, Description of

Good conversation requires harmony, variety, and order among participants.

Conversation is the music of the mind,—an intellectual orchestra, where all the instruments should bear a part; but where none should play together. Each of the performers should have a just appreciation of his own powers, otherwise an unskilful novitiate, who might usurp the first fiddle, would infallibly get into a scrape. To prevent these mistakes, a good master of the band will be particular in the assortment of the performers: if too dissimilar, there will be no harmony; if too few, there will be no variety; and, if too numerous, there will be no order; for the presumption of one prater might silence the eloquence of a Burke, or the wit of a Sheridan, as a single kettledrum would drown the finest solo of Gioniswich or a Jordini. C. Colton.

Conversation

Grace should season our speech, prompting humility and prayerful self-examination.

In Andrew Fuller's diary is the following entry:—"Jan. 3, 1782. This afternoon being on a visit, as I stepped aside from the company, I overheard one of them saying, 'I love Mr. Fuller's company, it is so diverting. 'This expression moved me much. Oh, wretch that I am! Is this to have my speech seasoned with grace? O Lord, forgive me! Some humbling thoughts for the above in prayer."

CONVERSATION—Edifying

Edifying conversation flows from a heart filled with sacred knowledge and sanctified experience.

The Spaniards in Chili believed that no water was so wholesome or of so delicate a flavour as that which flowed through veins of gold; certainly no conversation is so edifying to the hearers as that which pours forth from a heart stored with sacred knowledge, sanctified experience, devout contemplations, and such like precious treasures.