A mixed group of people will not all connect with your default type of illustrations from your favorite sport, era of history, Charles Dickens’ story or volume of “sure-fire, guaranteed, pithy, quotable, useable” illustrations.  So what to do?

Determine the purpose of the illustration – The purpose should not be to fill time or just to be interesting.  The illustration is needed in the sermon to either explain, to prove or to apply the truth being communicated.  When you are clear on the purpose, then you can select or craft an illustration that will achieve that purpose.

Target each illustration at a different individual in the congregation – How would this truth be applied in the life of the young mother with three children under the age of four?  Or the recently retired middle-manager now trying to find his role and status outside the office?  Or the art student home from university with questions about what comes after graduation next summer?  Unless you are the chaplain to a football team, it is obvious that sports illustrations won’t work for everyone.  Nor will movies.  Nor lines from old hymns.  Nor literature.  Nor poetry.

If illustrations allow for connection to occur, then make sure that different listeners will have a variety of possibilities to connect.  A sermon with lots of illustration is generally considered more interesting than one without. However, unless there is variation in illustration source and type, a good proportion of the congregation might prefer no illustration at all!