Plan for: Thanksgiving | Advent | Christmas

Sermon Illustrations

ANGELS OF RECONCILIATION

With his life in disarray, Steven Lavaggi sat on his bedroom’s wooden floor, and began searching his Bible for answers. His wife had just left him to marry a writer for The Rolling Stone Magazine. Ten days later, Steven discovered his son was stricken with Juvenile Diabetes. Then he lost his graphic art business. Unemployed, abandoned, and worrying about his son, Lavaggi turned to God’s Word.

As Steven read, he skipped over the black letters, only wanting to read the words of Jesus. The Risen Christ emerged from the pages. Lavaggi gave his life to Jesus. As a new Christian, he clung to Psalm 91:11: "For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways."

Out of his brokenness, came a passion to create a message of hope. He discovered his passion was to minister through fine art. He moved to California, to influence the people who influence the world--Hollywood. He is doing just that.

The response to his work is overwhelming. Inspired by the Psalmist’s words he painted an angel. When a friend encouraged him to make the image three dimensional, he collaborated with a sculptor, and together they cast the angel.

While speaking to a crowd of 3500 natives in Soweto, South Africa, Lavaggi held a 20" sculpture of a black angel above his head. When he did, the crowd erupted with enthusiasm. A man on the stage told him that just a few days before, a preacher had declared that God would soon send an international artist who would express the love of God to their culture by doing something like "painting Angels in black!"...

Continue reading this sermon illustration (Free with PRO)

Related Sermon Illustrations

Related Sermons

  • Broken: How God Uses Defective People

    Contributed by John Beukema on May 1, 2013
    based on 4 ratings
     | 26,376 views

    The Bible is filled with stories of fractured lives and messy situations. From these we can learn truths about how God works.

  • Into The Wilderness Series

    Contributed by Chris Kelly on Jul 5, 2012
    based on 4 ratings
     | 20,471 views

    What I at first thought was a dry and boring book with no relevance to my life, turned out to be one of the most profound and exciting books in the bible, with full of application to my life! Learn how to make it through the "wilderness" of this life suc

  • Great Expectations Series

    Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 26, 2012
    based on 1 rating
     | 17,314 views

    ?” People with a great life purpose reach forward with great expectations. Here’s the good news: God is able to abundantly exceed all that we ask or think. Said another way: your expectations will never be so great that God is not able to more than meet

  • Saved For A Purpose

    Contributed by Daren Mitchell on Dec 10, 2013
    based on 1 rating
     | 11,545 views

    You don't have to be a theological scholar to figure out what God expects of those who follow Jesus. He made it really clear. Take care of those who are in need in Jesus Name because you love God and you love people.

  • What Is Man? Series

    Contributed by Perry Greene on Feb 7, 2012
    based on 1 rating
     | 9,398 views

    Psalm 8 asks a probing question and indirectly answers some basic ones -- Who Am I?; Why Am I Here?; Who Is God?