Sermons on Above Not Beneath:

Building Godly Character

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Nov 1, 2025

Our culture often tells us to avoid suffering at any cost, to seek pleasure and ease above all else. Paul declares with the authority of heavenly insight that suffering is not without purpose. In God's kingdom, character is currency.

OPENING ILLUSTRATION: There is a story told among the Cherokee Indians… One evening an old Cherokee Indian told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between 2 wolves. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:3-4

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Sermon # 21 - Discover Life's Purpose Series

Contributed by Andrew Dixon on Feb 3, 2023

Have you discovered God’s purpose for your life? Read on to understand how you can break free from every bondage, and be all that God created you to be.

We read in Romans 12:1, “For this reason I make request to you, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you will give your bodies as a living offering, holy, pleasing to God, which is the worship it is right for you to give him.” (BBE) In Romans 12:1, when Paul exhorts the believers with the words ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1, Romans 11:36, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Genesis 1:1, Revelation 22:21, Matthew 24:37-38, Genesis 6:9, Deuteronomy 15:21  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Other

Thorn In The Flesh

Contributed by Robert Leroe on Dec 8, 2005

Some people become defined by their hardships while others rise above their pain. We may suffer broken relationships, broken promises, broken expectations, but we don’t have to become broken people. Pain is inevitable--misery is optional.

No one knows for certain about the nature of Paul’s thorn, and there has been extensive speculation about the nature of his affliction. Explanations range from persistent temptation, dogged persecution, chronic malaria, migraine headaches, epilepsy, or a speech disorder. Because Paul dictated his ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Denomination: Congregational

Lies We Live By Series

Contributed by Robert Leroe on Apr 3, 2006

People admit they live restless lives, yet they don’t know why. No one can discover meaning in life...if God’s wisdom is rejected. If truth is unattainable under the sun, our only hope must be above it.

Overcoming Futility—a Sermon Series on Ecclesiastes “Lies We Live By” -chapter 8 Pastor Bob Leroe, Cliftondale Congregational Church, Saugus, Massachusetts How are we to make sense of this chapter? Let’s frame it: Look at verse one, then the last few verses, 16-17. Chapter 8 begins and ends ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 8:1-17

Denomination: Congregational

God The Glorious

Contributed by Curtis Kittrell on Apr 30, 2002

“Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let Your glory be over all the earth” (Ps. 108:5). Book V begins here. The first six psalms focus on the glories of who God is and what He has done.

GOD THE GLORIOUS PSALMS 107–112 “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let Your glory be over all the earth” (Ps. 108:5). Book V begins here. The first six psalms focus on the glories of who God is and what He has done. Overview Six psalms lead us to praise the LORD as God of Rescue (Ps. 107), ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

How To Give Thanks In Every Circumstance

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Sep 16, 2006

One of the greatest privileges of being a Christian is to have the capacity to give thanks regardless of what happens. It is easy to be thankful when things are going our way, but a Christian can rise above any situation to thank God for causing all thing

How To Give Thanks in Every Circumstance by Paul Fritz 1 Thessalonians 5:16-5:18 Have you ever noticed that people who habitually ungrateful are stranger to happiness? Illustration: One day a TV reporter asked a mason, "How do you like your job? I hate it, he said. Its this most boring job in ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Joshua Introduction Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Jan 16, 2007

Joshua is a book about being an everyday hero, about trusting God’s might above our sight. In this introduction we learn how God prepared Joshua to face his battles, and how God prepares us to face ours.

Calvary Chapel Newberg o Bible Study Joshua - Introduction A brief history of God’s redemptive work: God created man who then rebelled against him, giving themselves over as slaves to an enemy (Satan). God began His redemptive work by promising a Savior (Genesis 3), then working to bring about ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 1:1

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

What's Your Perspective?

Contributed by Jonathan Twitchell on Oct 26, 2006

Contrasting Job with the Rich Young Ruler forces us to consider the priorities in our own life. Our ability to face the inevitable losses and tragedy in life is determined by our perspective on life. By setting our sights on things above, we are better

Whenever the phone rings at 2 o’clock in the morning, you hope that it’s a wrong number, that nothing’s really wrong, and that you can go back to sleep. Middle-of-the-night phone calls are rarely good, as the caller must think it’s pretty important in order to wake you from your sleep. Melody’s a ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:12-16

Denomination: Nazarene

When The Heavens Become Brass

Contributed by Daniel Olukoya on Apr 17, 2009

For your life to prosper, the heavens must be involved, because the heaven above us is seeing everything. If a man is ever going to prosper, he cannot do it outside of heaven. A destiny remains stagnant until a connection is made between earth and heaven.

WHEN THE HEAVENS BECOME BRASS Dr. D. K. Olukoya The message of this week is for those who believe in the God of the suddenlies, those who know that no matter how fast the enemy has been running, just a word from the Master is enough to halt his race. After all, in the beginning, when the earth ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 28:23

Denomination: Pentecostal

Tradition For Tradition's Sake

Contributed by Beth Garrod-Logsdon on Aug 31, 2009

Too often our living and worship become steeped in tradition and ritual. This sermon is a call to examine what we do and more importantly WHY we do it in an attempt to keep us from elevating the traditions of men above the law of God.

Tradition for Tradition’s Sake Mark 7:1-23 (This message was preceded by singing "Joy to the World" as the opening hymn and the theme of "tradition" was introduced by a video clip of Fiddler on the Roof - from the prologue 1:55 (as the fiddler begins to play) through 3:57 (as Tevye says, "...and ...read more

Scripture: Mark 7:1-9

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Funeral Of A Good Woman

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Dec 22, 2018

Barb loved many things, but she loved two things above all else: her husband and her savior. She was a "good" woman" but she realized that being enough would not be good enough to go to heaven

I once heard the story of a young girl who walked thru a cemetery every night because it was the shortest route to her house. When asked WHY she HAD NO FEAR of passing thru the graveyard she responded "The reason I’m not afraid…my home is just on the other side.” This morning we have ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

(The Lord Will Provide)

Contributed by Derrick White Sr on Nov 25, 2017

BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT HIS POSTSCRIPT RESUME PAUL HAD SUFFERED STRIPES ABOVE MEASURE HAD BEEN STONED AND SHIPWRECK LABELED AS A TRAITOR THROWN INTO A DUNGEON WITHOUT HIS CLOAK ,SCROLL OR PARCHMENTS SNAKE BITTEN AND HAD A THORN IN

Philippians 4:19 (KJV) 19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. THE WORD OF GOD FOR THE CHILDREN OF GOD VERY BRIEFLY I WANT TO REASON WITH YOU ON THE THOUGHT (THE LORD WILL PROVIDE) MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTERS THE WRITER OF THE TEXT BEFORE US IS THE ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Feather Trigger

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Feb 6, 2018

What is the most fun of the 7 sins? We deal with people that have feather triggers (hair triggers) with short fuses. We must rise above the debate of desiring to be right, and realize personal relationships develop by love, love never fails.

FEATHER TRIGGER By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com 2/5/2018 TEXT: Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23 (MSG) ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 139:23-24

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Standing Strong Against Evil

Contributed by Kerry Haynes on Feb 28, 2016

It’s not enough to rely on our saved status as Christians. We need to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in fleeing temptation, in battling temptation, in staying above reproach. We can learn from the mistakes of our ancestors, the ancient Israelites.

1 Corinthians 10:1-13 Standing Strong Against Evil Last week we looked at how Jesus withstood temptation from Satan in the wilderness. Today we follow up with a related passage from the Apostle Paul, encouraging us to stand strong against evil. Someone once wrote, “Learning from your own ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Denomination: Baptist

Jesus Instructions And Warnings To His Disciples Series

Contributed by Leighton (Lee) Vary on Feb 14, 2017

Jesus has laid out some very heavy demands, Jesus is to come first in our lives. Even over and above our family and friends. We are to take up our cross and follow Him. Endure hardship, Death and Humiliation.

Introduction A. Last week we began looking at this passage and we found that in this passage Jesus lays some heavy demands upon His disciples 1. He stated clearly what it will cost a person to be His disciple, and He describes the cost by using these four illustrations 2. The passage can be ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 10:34-42

Denomination: Baptist