In Sermon Illustrations: "Hardship Of Life"

Edison Couldn't Make Life

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Mar 15, 2012

EDISON COULDN'T MAKE LIFE Are you extremely proud of your lifetime accomplishments? It was on November 21 of 1877 that Thomas Edison announced to the world that he had invented the phonograph. Edison's accomplishments are often forgotten. In his Menlo Park, New Jersey fix-it shop he designed the ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 9:23-24

Tags: Pride

Denomination: Baptist

Bertrund Russell's Thoughts On Life And Death

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 12, 2014

Many people fear death because they believe death is the end. Bertrand Russell was a 20th century philosopher and an atheist. As he approached his death in 1970, he wrote: "The life of Man is a long march through the night, surrounded by invisible foes, tortured by weariness and pain, towards a ...read more

Scripture: John 11:25-26

Tags: Death, Atheism, Worldly Wisdom, Resurrection Of Jesus Christ

Intimacy: How Is Your Prayer Life?

Contributed by Davon Huss on Feb 18, 2014

INTIMACY: HOW IS YOUR PRAYER LIFE? Eugene Peterson: "She came to see me at the recommendation of a friend. She had been troubled for years, seeing psychiatrists and not getting any better. The consultation had been arranged on the telephone so that when she walked into my study it was as a first ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6

Tags: Prayer, Intimacy, Biblical Sexuality, Intimacy In Marriage, Intimacy With God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

My Life: Crazier Than It Has To Be

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Nov 18, 2020

Last Friday was a crazy day. But I made it crazier than it had to be. High winds blew through the region the night before leaving hundreds without power including the church building – well, sort of. One of our assistants called me when she got in the office and said the lights were out, which ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 33:20

Tags: Faith, Trust, Hope, Worry, Wait, Waiting  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

"living Life With Purpose"

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jul 2, 2021

Jewish novelist Chaim Potok (his novel "The Chosen" sold over 3 million copies) gave a lecture at Johns Hopkins University. He had wanted to be a writer from an early age. But when he was ready to go off to college his mother took him aside and said; “I know you want to be a writer but I ...read more

Scripture: John 10:10, Philippians 1:21

Tags: Death, Life, Purpose, Meaning

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Would Life Be Without Mistakes?

Contributed by James Snyder on Oct 9, 2021

Let me be clear from the beginning. I have made a lot of mistakes during my life. I have made mistakes that I don’t even know about to this day. Even the ones I do know about, I cannot remember very clearly. Mistakes are a part of life. Unfortunately, some people believe they live their whole life ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 19:12

Tags: Mistakes, Cleansing, Errors

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Seven Life Lessons From Samson

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 13, 2022

Certainly the story of Samson and the prostitute of Gaza stands as a cautionary tale to all of us. Here are some of the obvious lessons: 1) Just because we think we have conquered a certain sin doesn’t mean it will stay conquered forever. 2) The price of long-term spiritual victory is continued ...read more

Tags: Sin, Temptation, Judgment, Samson, Brokenness, Backslidden  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

An Outline Of Joseph's Life

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 13, 2022

The story of Joseph’s life can be outlined by several key events in Genesis:   1. REJECTION (37:1-36) – Jacob selected Joseph as the favored son and he was despised by his brothers. They threw him into a pit and left him for dead.   2. REFINEMENT (38:1 – 40:23) – Traders came by and ...read more

Tags: Faith, Temptation, Rejection, Joseph, Will Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Four Descriptions Of A Life Without Christ

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 2, 2023

Satan hates God and everything and everyone in the Kingdom of God. He fights the Kingdom on a daily basis and will continue to try to stop the Gospel from spreading (I Thess. 2:18, Ephesians 6:11-12). Paul described the condition of all of those who are unbelievers and living in the Kingdom of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:10, 2 Corinthians 3:12-18, Acts 16:31, 1 Corinthians 1:23, 2 Corinthians 4:1-4  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Satan, Salvation, Gospel, Lost, Unsaved, Spiritual Blindness, Unbelievers, Perishing  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Key To Life Is Forgetting The Right Things

Contributed by James Snyder on Jan 27, 2024

The thing that has concerned me as I have aged was about forgetting things. How could I remember everything when I was crowding my brain with all kinds of new things? In this regard, there is no comparison between The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and myself. I have a problem remembering, and ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:13-15

Tags: Remember, Forget

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Salvation Is Free, But It Will Cost Your Life

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 28, 2024

I am often asked, "How can salvation be free, but, yet, Jesus said that we cannot by His disciple unless we forsake everything for Him?" (Luke 14). Let me explain the answer to this question in a story. Once there was a man who collected and traded in pearls. He had a fine collection of ...read more

Tags: Sacrifice, Salvation, Discipleship, Free, Eternal Life, Grace, Mercy  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When I Finally Decided To Do What God Wanted, I ...

Contributed by Michael Huddlestun on Jun 20, 2004

When I finally decided to do what God wanted, I realized this first hand. Within the span of one week, my wife and I had several negative things happen in our lives. First, a close family friend died of a massive heart attack. Two days after that, we found out that her grandmother was diagnosed ...read more

Tags: God In The Hardships, Prayer Hardship

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

B. Brian J. Waldrop Relates This Slice Of Life: ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 24, 2004

b. Brian J. Waldrop relates this slice of life: "Flipping through the channels of my TV the other morning, I stopped to watch a painter skillfully painting a desert landscape. As the man proceeded to color the canvas in deep browns, reds, and yellows, the picture really started to look good. I felt ...read more

Tags: Humility, Faith, Endurance

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Japanese Introduced A Tree To The World That ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

The Japanese introduced a tree to the world that is called a Bonsai tree. It is measured in inches instead of feet as other trees are measured. It is not allowed to reach its full growth potential but instead grows in a stunted miniature form. The reason for it growing in stunted form is that when ...read more

Tags: Hardship, Trial, God In The Hardships

Interesting Story . . . 1936, His First Book And ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

INTERESTING STORY . . . 1936, HIS FIRST BOOK AND TO THINK I SAW IT ON MULBERRY STREET WAS REJECTED 43 TIMES . . . FAIL MISERABLY. SEVERAL SUBSEQUENT BOOKS MET THE SAME FATE AS THEY BARELY MADE A SCRATCH ON THE LITERATURE RADAR SCREEN. IN FACT IT WAS NOT UNTIL 1954 WHEN LIFE MAGAZINE PUBLISHED A ...read more

Tags: God In The Hardships

All Part Of God's Plan  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 28, 2009

ALL PART OF GOD’S PLAN In the opening pages of his autobiography, "An American Life," Ronald Reagan writes, I was raised to believe that God had a plan for everyone and that seemingly random twists of fate are all a part of His plan. My mother - a small woman with auburn hair and a sense of ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11

Tags: God In The Hardships

Houses Of Refuge

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 13, 2009

HOUSES OF REFUGE There was no alternative to manslaughter. If you wanted to live, the only option was to flee to one of these cities of refuge. [HOUSE OF REFUGE, HUTCHINSON IS., FL] House of Refuge- The House of Refuge is the last remaining shipwreck life-saving station on Florida’s Atlantic ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 35:6-34

Tags: God In The Hardships

Light In The Darkness  PRO

Contributed by Steven Angus on May 20, 2013

LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS Some of you may be familiar with the name Catherine Marshall. She was a wonderful Christian author who wrote such classics as Christy, which became a television series. There was an occasion in her life when she felt as if the flame of God’s love had gone out. It started ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:4, Psalm 22:1-31

Tags: God In The Hardships

Denomination: United Methodist

Today Our Prayer Could Be: Lord, You Were Neither ...

Contributed by Michael West on Sep 29, 2008

Today our prayer could be: Lord, You were neither disheartened nor crushed as You lived YOUR life. The Father upheld You in Your mission. We ask today to uphold us. Grant us new strength, restore our ...read more

Tags: Prayer Hardship

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Great Barrier Reef: Challenges Grow Us

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 7, 2009

GREAT BARRIER REEF: CHALLENGES GROW US Australia’s Barrier Reef. The reef has to fight for survival every day of its life. As it is challenged and tested it changes and adapts. It grows healthy and strong. And it reproduces. That is how it is with people too. When challenged and tested, we come ...read more

Scripture: Zechariah 13:9

Tags: God In The Hardships