Sermons on Barriers To Growth:

Prayer Series

Contributed by Eric Carey-Holt on Feb 16, 2003

Personal Application Prayer is one of the strongest and most fundamental aspects of the Christian life and we cannot expect growth in grace, without time in prayer.

SERMON—PRAYER—Luke 11:1-13 TEXT Luke 11:1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." 2 He said to them, "When you pray, say: " `Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3 ...read more

Scripture: Luke 11:1-13, Luke 18:1-8

Denomination: Methodist

The Leaven-Yeast-Mt 13:33 Series

Contributed by Eric Carey-Holt on Mar 7, 2003

Where the kingdom is depicted as having remarkable growth despite humble beginnings, and was probably told to reassure Jesus’ disciples that their involvement in the kingdom would not be for nothing

THE LEAVEN-YEAST-Mt 13:33 Mt13: 33 He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough." INTRODUCTION Our previous study examined ‘The Parable Of The Mustard Seed’ Mt13: 31-32, Where ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:33, Matthew 16:5-12

Denomination: Methodist

Custom Of Prayer Series

Contributed by Dennis Lawrence on Mar 31, 2003

Before Easter is a good time to re-evaluate your prayer life. Do you practice the custom of prayer? It is the key to your spiritual growth.

Custom of Prayer Please read along with me the beginning of Daniel 6- especially v. 10, where we learn about Daniel’s custom of praying. Read on for a few verses to see the trouble that praying got Daniel into. Daniel had a custom of praying. He was known for praying and people even knew something ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 6:10, Matthew 7:7

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Apostle John The Beloved

Contributed by Ray Ellis on Jun 8, 2003

The Apostle John’s life is an example of the Christian Life in Spiritual Growth and Maturity. In John’s life we see three levels of maturity.

Apostle John’s the Beloved -Growth in Spiritual Maturity- Introduction Jesus called 12 men of different personalities, passions and skills to follow Him and become His disciples. We call them Apostles because Jesus commissioned and sent them out as His Missionaries to preach, teach, baptize and ...read more

Scripture: Mark 3:13-19

Denomination: Free Methodist

"When Temptation Overwhelms Series

Contributed by Dan Jackson on Aug 20, 2005

3rd in series on James. True faith is often displayed in its reaction to trouble. Trials produce opportunities for growth and development in the Christian life.

Chuck Swindoll tells of a mountain man from West Virginia who had never seen a city, or bright lights and modern inventions. He married a girl of the hills and they spent all their married years in the backwoods. Their one son, creatively named “Junior,” reached his sixteenth birthday, [and] his ...read more

Scripture: James 1:13-18, James 1:9-12

Life As A Stunted Plan Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on May 2, 2005

Do you feel a lack of growth? It could be that you are experiencing the effects of bad doctrine or that you need to re-connect to the root - Jesus Christ.

The Colossians were Christians - they knew Jesus as their Savior. But what threatened them in the proto-Gnostic heresy was a lack of maturity. They were like plants - plants that hadn’t grown up and were stunted in their maturity. As Christians if we do not grow in our discipleship in Christ ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 2:1-23

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Douse The Flame Of Excuses Series

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Aug 30, 2004

Offering excuses will always limit spiritual growth. We look at people from the Bible and their excuses and how God helped them overcome their excuses.

DOUSE THE FLAME OF EXCUSES! By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.  Kyfingers@aol.com TEXT: Proverbs 22:13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets. Luke 14:18 And THEY ALL with ONE CONSENT BEGAN TO MAKE EXCUSE. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:18-24

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Are You Devoted To The Apostle's Teaching? Series

Contributed by Jason Cole on Feb 22, 2004

Doctrine is imporatnt, and is useful for our growth in Christ. We need to be sure that we take God’s Word and the study of his word seriously.

“Are You Devoted to the Apostle’s Teaching?” Introduction: When their son left for his freshman year at Duke University, his parents gave him a Bible, assuring him it would be a great help. Later, as he began sending them letters asking for money, they would write back telling him to read his ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:42-47

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Church's Challenge Series

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Jan 12, 2011

The church can turn its problems into opportunities for growth if it meets needs by mobilizing people so the leaders can maintain the priority of prayer and the word.

Some time ago, wolves were picking off the livestock of ranchers at an alarming rate, so the state offered a bounty of $5,000 for every wolf killed. It turned Sam and Jed into fortune hunters. Day and night they searched the mountains and forests looking for their valuable prey. Exhausted one ...read more

Scripture: Acts 6:1-7

Denomination: Evangelical Free

A Prayer For Spiritual Progress

Contributed by Gerald Steffy on Sep 10, 2009

For more spiritual growth to take place in our lives, we need to pray that others may experience spiritual progress now in their spiritual life.

A PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL PROGRESS—Philippians 1:9-11 Proposition; For more spiritual growth to take place in our lives, we need to pray that others may experience spiritual progress now in their spiritual life. Objective: My purpose is to challenge people to make progress in their ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:9-11

Denomination: Baptist

"I Must"

Contributed by Gerald Roberts on Feb 13, 2012

The sermon shares some musts we must do for growth in church and for our selves. The apostles must was "preach" what is your "must in life"?

1 Corinthians 9:16-23 "I Must" 1. Paul makes it clear That He Must Preach not to Baptize • 1 Corinthians 1:17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel 2. Paul relates the importance of Preaching A. Preaching saves souls 1 Corinthians 1:21God was pleased through ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:16-23

Denomination: Methodist

Daleth - Psalm 119:25-32 Series

Contributed by Bobby Stults on Nov 2, 2011

Confession of sin is vital, but just as vital to the growth of the believer is active obedience to live out the faith God has instilled within our heart!

Daleth November 2, 2011 Oak Park Baptist Church – Wednesday Bible Study Series Psalm 119:25-32 (ESV) – 4 of 22 25My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word! Our life is destined for death, our mortality is on our minds and we find our very soul clinging to or being pressed ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 119:25-32

Denomination: Baptist

God Of The Shakedown

Contributed by Chad Garrison on Aug 3, 2009

We will all encounter struggle and pain in our lives, but God is still GOD in these things, and will use them for growth in you and ultimately His glory!

God of the Shakedown 1 Kings 19 We’ve all had moments where the world seems to fall down around us don’t we? Some of us may be walking through a season like this right now. I want to thank Geri for her message last week again on the victory that we have in our savior. But why is it that as soon as ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:8-18

Denomination: Foursquare

Paul's Prayer Series

Contributed by Ben Thomas on Apr 29, 2008

Paul prayed in the prison, Knelt down in front of God, the them of his prayer not about him but about the saints inner growth. read on...

Prayer of Paul eph.3.14-21 I. Paul RECOGNIZED who God Is - Eph 3:14 He is Our Father Father of the Savior Related to us- whole family in heaven and earth is named When you realize who our God is we will come to our knee. In the Bible many people prayed on their knee. Here are ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:14-21

Denomination: Church Of God

The Challenge Of Change

Contributed by Joseph Stapleton on Nov 24, 2010

CHANGE is one of the hardest things a church or a person can do, BUTIt is something God wants from us. No Growth occurs without change.

CHALLENGE TO CHANGE All my sermons use illustrations found on www.sermoncentral.com and ALL scripture is NIV unless noted otherwise) I once heard that God loves us just the way we are, BUT He refuses to let us stay that way. That could almost be confusing, God LOVES us, in spite of the many flaws ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 15:16-20

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ