Sermons on Bad Grief:

"Why Bad Things Happen To God's People"

Contributed by Dennis Deese on Aug 9, 2002

Painful things have happen since the beginning - but why?

“WHY BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOD’S PEOPLE” By: Dr. Dennis Deese Genesis 4:1-8 Bad things happening to God’s people is not anything new. To the contrary, they have been happening since the very beginning of man’s decision to sin. Next to being separated from God (Genesis 3:24), Adam and Eve, a ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 4:1-8

The Prayer Of A Depressed Saint

Contributed by John Lowe on Apr 30, 2014

Psalm 13, for instance, presents the prayer of a man in deep depression. I’ll bet that most, if not all of us are depressed from time-to-time. Today, we know that depression may be the result of many different factors.

April 25, 2006 Title: The Prayer of a Depressed Saint Scripture Reading: Psalm 13:1-6 Introduction: The Psalms gives us a record of the life of God's people, Israel. It tells us of their dealings with our heavenly Father and with other nations. In the Psalms, we find great worship ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 13:1-6

Denomination: Baptist

The Comeback

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Mar 26, 2015

God makes our desert a garden; He turns our exile into homecoming.

MY MOTHER DIED when I was twenty-six. She was only fifty-seven. A few years before her death, she was diagnosed with cancer of the larynx. She fought it bravely, but, in time, it overtook her, and all too soon, by our accounts, she died. We had a service led by an Air Force chaplain at a local ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 35:1-10

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Biblical Views Of A Believer’s Death

Contributed by Rick Crandall on May 14, 2011

In the story of Stephen, we get three essential views of a believer’s death: 1. The view from those in the grip of grief. 2. The view from the Lord of life. 3. The view from those gone home to Heaven.

Biblical Views of a Believer’s Death Acts 7:54-8:2 Sermon by Rick Crandall Originally preached at McClendon Baptist Church - May 29, 2002 *Updated May 14, 2011 for a grieving family. *The death of a loved one: It’s one of the hardest things we ever have to go through in life. Most of us have ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Comfort For The hurting Series

Contributed by Brad Beaman on Mar 3, 2022

What do people want when they are hurting? They want God’s Word that gives comfort. Here in Isaiah is a chapter on comfort. This chapter is announcing the coming Christ. He is our source of comfort. We can certainly take comfort from God’s Word in Isaiah 40.

This may be a dark time for you because of…., you fill in the blank. Most people have great difficulties in their life. God knows you need comfort. Everyone has, is or will experience some hurt or some crises that causes them extreme pain and brings on grief. The problem with grief is that those ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 40:1-11

Denomination: Baptist

What Can I Say? A Graveside Service

Contributed by Perry Greene on Dec 6, 2021

What do we do or say when someone is taken from us unexpecrtedly?

There are times that we don’t know what to say. This is one of those times. ___ died unexpectedly and we are speechless. • We don’t understand why this happened. • We can speculate but we don’t know. • We are left frustrated, angry, and sorrowful. Words seem inadequate, even well-intentioned ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:26-27

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Funeral For A Stillborn Baby

Contributed by Dr. Jonathan Vorce on Dec 8, 2021

Some of the most difficult funerals I have ever officiated were over stillborn babies. I trust something I share here will assist in your preparation for this challenging task. – Dr. Vorce

Baby’s Name: _________________________________ Mother’s Name: _____________________________________ Father’s Name: ______________________________________ Date of Death: _______________________________________ Gender: _____________ Weight and Size: ________ lbs. ________ ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 73:26, Romans 8:18, Philippians 4:13, Philippians 4:6-7, Isaiah 40:28-31, Matthew 11:28-30, Psalm 139:13-16, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 51:17  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Church Of God

Who Is Ready For The Meeting?

Contributed by Chris Swanson on Nov 30, 2022

What happens when we die physically? Do our bodies remain in the ground? What about our souls?

Prophetic truth has a utilitarian reason. It is to condemn the hearts of sinners. It is to empower Christians to holiness, and to provide hope and solace to Christians in the hour of death. This letter was composed to urge Christians to live purified lives while they await the return of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Keep Turning To God In Prayer Series

Contributed by David Owens on Aug 17, 2020

Suffering, loss and grief are all a part of human experience. Learning to lament during those times will help us work through the grief while holding to our faith in God. This only happens if we keep turning to and talking with God.

A. One soldier in the British Airborne was going through his parachute training. 1. This included eight jumps. Two from a balloon at 800 feet with a cage suspended below it, and six from an airplane. 2. While standing at the door of the balloon cage for his first jump, he heard another recruit ask ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:18

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Calm In The Storm

Contributed by Perry Greene on Mar 5, 2024

Funeral sermon for an elderly faithful Christian man.

Kenneth was intelligent, a family man who took his responsibilities seriously. He inherited a love for the outdoors. His grandfather homesteaded in OK before statehood, living in a dugout on the prairie for a time. Kenneth grew up at that farm. He enjoyed being outside farming, ranching, hunting, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:35-41

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

His Family Views His Death Series

Contributed by Rick Burdette on Mar 9, 2016

Death, Grief, Love, Compassion

4 Views from the Cross – His Family Views His Death John 19:25-27 (p. 756) March 13, 2016 Introduction: There’s an old hymn that says, “Jesus keep me near the cross. There a precious fountain, free to all a healing stream, flows from Calvary’s mountain...in the ...read more

Scripture: John 19:25-27

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Battle Of The Brides Series

Contributed by Brian Williams on Feb 25, 2025

God is teaching us that it doesn’t have to be an occasion for fear and desperation but, rather, can be a time to lean into God and pour out our grief out to Him.

We are in our From Dust to Life series in the book of Genesis and last week in chapter 29 we saw how Jacob worked for his uncle Laban for seven years as a dowry payment for his daughter Rachel, the woman he loved. Laban agreed to this but did the bait and switch and gave Jacob his older daughter ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 30:1-24

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Overcoming A Suicide

Contributed by Dennis Gard on Sep 22, 2024

To the family and all friends, God’s peace truly be with you this day. Today we do one of the most difficult of all things to do – we gather to grieve the passing of <Name>, who was much loved, respected, kind and caring, hardworking. We gather to commend him into God’s care.

I. Introduction: a. Grief is never an easy burden to bear – and never more so than when it comes to us in what we can only regard as an untimely fashion. It causes many questions to arise within us – questions about ourselves and what we might or might not have done to make things different – and ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:38-39, Isaiah 54:8-10

Living With Lament Series

Contributed by David Owens on Sep 21, 2020

In this last sermon of the series on grief and lament, we explore and engage in how to live with lament. How to employ it with cases of overwhelming grief, and with cases of everyday, minor grief. The sermon ends with two examples of lament prayers.

A. Back in May, during our series about hope, I opened a sermon with a story that I want to use again today as our launching point. 1. One afternoon, a man came home from work to find two young girls from the neighborhood on the steps of his building. 2. Both girls were crying very loudly, and ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 25:1-5, Romans 12:15, 1 Corinthians 12:26

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Mother's Tears

Contributed by Elmer Towns on Oct 7, 2025

It’s alright to weep. Jesus wept, so did most others in scriptures.

A. INTRODUCTION 1. A mother’s tears: nothing so tender, so convicting, so touching and so powerful. Why? ? Because mothers are more tender and gentler than any others ? Because mothers care deeper than any others ? Because all life comes from mothers ? Because mothers have great hopes for the ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:4

Denomination: Baptist