What Sermon Illustrations Should Be Banned From Pulpits?

[Susan R]

are the ones based on internet hoaxes. Is it a bad thing to email the preacher the link to the relevant Snopes article when you get home from church?

The frog-in-boiling-water is one that has a smidgen of truth, but Pierce Brosnan’s character uses it in Dante’s Peak, so that should disqualify it for a sermon, right?

As a pastor who preaches/teaches 3+ times a week, I definitely would welcome an email or verbal “correction” regarding an errant illustration. That said, it’s quite rare that I use a story read on the web. And almost never use tear-jerkers or “unbelievable” stories (because they’re likely bogus). Most illustrations I use are personal experience or something read in one of the books I’m reading.