In Sermon Illustrations: "God In The Hardships"

God Moved Christian Across Pond To Save Him From Drowning

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Sep 25, 2025

God Moved Christian across Pond to Save Him from Drowning One of my favorite miracle stories is from Jan Ramsey. My wife Mary used to work at Lakeshore School with Jan. She was a member of First Baptist in Swartz. Jan gave this prayer testimony about her dad, James, and I think he was 81 at the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 139:1-24

Tags: Solomon's Temple, Mother's Womb, Omnipotence, Omnipresence, King David, Fearfully Made, Wonderfully Made, Nathan The Prophet, Creation, Light, Darkness, Presence, Omniscience  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

A Number Of Years Ago Researchers Performed An ...  PRO

Contributed by Lou Nicholes on Dec 28, 2004

A number of years ago researchers performed an experiment to see the affect hope has on those undergoing hardship. Two sets of laboratory rats were placed in separate tubs of water. The researchers left one set in the water, and found that within an hour they had all drowned. The other rats were ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:18-27

Tags: Hope, God Brings Hope

Denomination: Baptist

Paul Krause Was Recently Inducted Into The Nfl ...  PRO

Contributed by Anthony Bradseth on Jan 5, 2001

Paul Krause was recently inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. He played sixteen years and had eighty-one career interceptions as a safety with the Minnesota Vikings. However, his greatest challenge in life did not occur on a football field but in his response to the automobile ...read more

Tags: Faith General, Doubt, Hardship Of Life

Denomination: Baptist

Horror To Hope—a Story From The Holocaust  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 7, 2012

HORROR TO HOPE--A STORY FROM THE HOLOCAUST In Jerusalem there is a Holocaust Museum dedicated to the memory of the millions of Jews who were killed by the Nazis in World War II. It has been said that going through the museum is a very depressing experience because you see these horrible pictures ...read more

Scripture: Job 42:10-17, Jeremiah 29:10-14

Tags: God Brings Hope

Looking Back, Looking Forward  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Jul 28, 2002

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD Hudson Taylor founder of China Inland Mission) used to hang in his home a plaque with two Hebrew Words on it: EBENEZER & JEHOVAH JIREH. The first word means ‘Hitherto hath the Lord helped us’ and the second, ‘The Lord will see to it or provide.’ One looked back while ...read more

Tags: Promises Of God, Faithfulness, God's Promises, God's Provision

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Good Pilots Do What It Takes To Get Their Passengers Home.

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jul 9, 2018

A good pilot does what it takes to get his passengers home. A good example of this, is the story of a flight when the attendant told everyone to take their seats because of impending turbulence. It was a rowdy flight; the folks weren’t quick to respond; so she warned them again. “The flight is ...read more

Scripture: Acts 9:3-11

Tags: Listening To God, Hearing From God, Gods Voice

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Parable Of The Big Plane

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 16, 2020

A boy asked his father, “Dad, what is the size of God? How big is He?” The Father looked up at the sky and saw a little plane In the far distance and asked his son, “What is the Size of the plane in the sky?” The boy replied, “It is really small. I can hardly see it in the sky." Then, the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12

Tags: Worship, God, Beatitudes, Seeing God, Greatness Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Bad Storms Of Life - Great Reasons To Pray

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Jul 16, 2008

Bad Storms of Life - Great Reasons to Pray *The scariest airplane flight I have ever been on was in 1982. I worked for the Air Force back then and was going to Korea for a contract negation with Korean Airlines. *When we were way out over the Pacific Ocean, we hit some bad weather. And I mean it ...read more

Scripture: Acts 27:21-44, Ephesians 6:18-24

Tags: Prayer, Hardship Of Life, Storms In Life

Denomination: Baptist

Sometimes I Feel A Little Tugging On The Line!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 20, 2023

A little boy was flying his kite in the windy city of Chicago, Illinois one day. He sent the kite up and let the line out as the wind took it away to the cloudy sky. About that time, an elderly man walked past the little boy and asked him a question. "What are you doing there, son?" he ...read more

Tags: Answers To Prayer, Prayer, Will Of God, Hearing God, God's Voice, Sovereignty Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

This Year Will Have A Notoriety Among Its ...  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Sep 26, 2001

"This year will have a notoriety among its fellows as the year of calamities. Just as that season when man goes forth to reap the fruit of his labors, when the harvest of the earth is ripe, and the barns are beginning to burst with the new wheat, Death too, the mighty reaper, has come forth to ...read more

Tags: Hardship Of Life, Patience, Second Coming

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Fly Like An Eagle

Contributed by Eric Ferguson on Aug 13, 2008

FLY LIKE AN EAGLE A nature lover was once walking through the countryside when he came upon a farm. He walked up to the fence and looked into the barnyard. He saw lots of chickens and geese and other farm animals wandering and scratching about. Then he noticed one bird that didn’t fit. He looked ...read more

Tags: Hardship Of Life, Edgar Saban Mino

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God Has Given Us All A Sweet Spot—in Fact, ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Emmert on May 29, 2001

God has given us all a sweet spot—in fact, Paul says that God has given us the gift of a sweet spot so that we could serve God and produce the maximum result and maximum satisfaction both for God and for us. Mark McGwire said, “When I feel the ball hit right on the sweet spot, a home run is ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:7, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Tags: Field, Gifts General

Denomination: United Methodist

I Am Not Where I Need To Be, But Thank God I Am ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2002

I am not where I need to be, but thank God I am not where I used to ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ, Character

One Man Said, "God, Why Did You Make Women So ...  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Smith on Dec 11, 2002

One man said, "God, why did you make women so soft and beautiful?" God said, "So you’d love them." Then the man asked, "Then, God, why did you make women so illogical and emotional?" God said, ...read more

Tags: Sin Fall Of Man

Denomination: Christian Church

What Do We Owe God? You Ask. Suppose He Sent ...

Contributed by Jeff Simms on Jun 1, 2003

What do we owe God? You ask. Suppose he sent his bill. One hundred thousand dollars, For the Sun upon the hill; Two thousand For the little brook that runs along the way; Five thousand for the nighttime And Five thousand for the day; Six thousand for the little birds; That trill and chirp and ...read more

Tags: Money

Denomination: Baptist

The Next Time You Feel Like God Can't Use You, ...  PRO

Contributed by Sam George on Nov 8, 2004

The next time you feel like GOD can’t use you, just remember... Noah was a drunk Abraham was too old Isaac was a daydreamer Jacob was a liar Leah was ugly Joseph was abused Moses had a stuttering problem Gideon was afraid Sampson had long hair ...read more

Scripture: Nehemiah 1:1

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

One Man Said, "God, Why Did You Make Women So ...  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Smith on Dec 18, 2004

One man said, "God, why did you make women so soft and beautiful?" God said, "So you’d love them." Then the man asked, "Then, God, why did you make women so ...read more

Tags: Marriage Obligations

Denomination: Christian Church

God Knows I Tried! (10.25.05--Making It!--Genesis ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Oct 21, 2005

God Knows I Tried! (10.25.05--Making It!--Genesis 31:1-2) Success is a measure of looking down and not looking up. It all about winning and losing. For me that winning and losing began when I left college over thirty years ago. I had spent four years and a lot of money along with thousands of ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 31:1-2

Tags: Peace, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Lutheran

J.c.ryle Wrote, About Gods People "See Only One ...

Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on Sep 6, 2006

J.C.Ryle wrote, about Gods people “see only one thing”- care for one thing, live for one thing, are swallowed up in one thing ...read more

Tags: Leadership General

Denomination: Baptist

Often I Have Heard People Say, "How Good God Is! ...

Contributed by Tony Earl on Nov 23, 2006

Often I have heard people say, "How good God is! We prayed that it would not rain for our church picnic, and look at the lovely weather!’" Yes, God is good when He sends good weather. But God was also good when He allowed my sister, Betsie, to starve to death before my eyes in a German ...read more

Denomination: Baptist