Sermons on Bitter Root:

The Spite House

Contributed by Davon Huss on Nov 23, 2009

A sermon on the parable of the unmerciful servant from Matthew 18:21-35 (Many SermonCentral Contributors helped with this one along with an article in Bible Study Magazine)

Evening Service for 11/22/2009 Matthew 18:21-35 HoHum: A. I read a psychologist who said that Christians were very much like porcupines on a cold winter’s night. The cold drives them to huddle together to keep warm, but as soon as they get close to another they start jabbing each other with ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:21-35

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Who Is Able To Stand

Contributed by Gregory Thomas on Apr 25, 2001

THIS SERMON SHOWS THE OVERWHELMING AMOUNT OF ENVY WITHIN THE CHURCH BODY AND WHO WITHSTOOD THE PERSECUTION THAT WE SO READILY GIVE OVER TO WITH BITTER STRIFE.

INTRODUCTION ENVY REQUIRES A CRUEL HEART OF A BELIEVER. THE BURDEN OF ENVY TAKES A GREAT DEAL OF ENERGY. THOSE IN WHICH YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH REQUIRES YOU TO GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS WITH THIS HEART FELT DISLIKE FOR THAT ONE WHOM YOU HAVE NOT MADE AMENDS WITH. IN OUR CHURCHES TODAY THERE IS ENVY ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 27:4

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How To Pass, When You Feel That You Are A Failure

Contributed by Dwayne Williams on Sep 11, 2006

how a person handles failure can mean the difference between living a victorious life or living a life filled with bitterness, hostility, solitary, and anger.

How to pass even though you feel like you are failing 2 Corinthians 4: 6 – 12 Main Focus is 2 Corinthians 4: 8-9 I know this title of this sermon doesn’t really make sense to a lot of people on this morning, I know that they will have questions that will pop up in people head like, what do you ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:6-12

Denomination: Baptist

The Tale Of The Unexpected Series

Contributed by Grant Adams on Jan 21, 2022

Naomi and Ruth return to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest. Naomi came back bitter, but Ruth turned the negative into positive with trusting in the God of Naomi.

I. The Return to Bethlehem Ruth 1:6-9 1. Naomi has had good news from back home. a. The Lord had visited His people in giving them bread. 2. Three elements are revealed in the initial moments of the return. a. Naomi tells the girls to go back to Moab and return to their Moabites families. b. The ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:6-22

Denomination: Baptist

Detours, Dead Ends, And Dry Holes

Contributed by David Dunn on Sep 24, 2025

God leads through detours, dead ends, and dry holes to grow trust, display His power, and sweeten life’s bitterness by the cross.

Introduction — The Long Way Home Good morning, friends. Please, open your Bible to Exodus 13. God’s people have just left Egypt. After four hundred years of slavery, they’re finally free. You’d think that with the Red Sea behind them and the Promised Land in front of them, the route would be ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 13:17-22, Exodus 14:13-16, Exodus 15:22-27, Deuteronomy 8:2, 1 Corinthians 10:10  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Levi: It’s In His Genes

Contributed by David Dunn on Sep 11, 2025

Levi’s bitter, violent life was transformed by God’s grace. His curse became a blessing, and his descendants faithfully served the Lord.

Introduction What actually determines things in life? Is it just luck? Is it karma? Is it fate? Does everything happen simply by chance or coincidence? Herbert Asquith was prime minister of England from 1908 to 1916. On one occasion he spent a weekend at an estate owned by the wealthy Rothschild ...read more

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Be Imitators Of Jesus PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 7, 2025

The sermon urges believers to let go of bitterness and embrace kindness and forgiveness, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform hearts and relationships through Christlike love.

Friends, welcome. Pull up a chair in your heart and take a deep breath. Some of us walked in with a smile on our face and a storm in our soul. Honest hearts would admit it: bitterness can linger like smoke after a kitchen fire. Wrath can simmer, anger can echo, and harsh words can hang in the air ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:31-32

Topics: Fruit Of The Spirit, New Creation

This Ain't No Joke!

Contributed by Michael Stark on Apr 13, 2023

What will be required for you as a follower to Christ to believe His commands? Receiving Him as Master over life leads us to accept His commands.

“Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will ...read more

Scripture: John 20:24-29

Denomination: Baptist

The Book Of Lamentations – Part 13 – Jeremiah And The Nation Are In Affliction; The Nation Is Expelled; Bodies Suffer; Bitterness - Chapter 3:1-5 Series

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 25, 2025

Sin brought bitterness and hardship, so bad that horrible things were done among the people. These verses dwell on that today. God is blamed for it all through His allowing Babylon to come. They walk in darkness, but they suffer their own fate.

THE BOOK OF LAMENTATIONS – PART 13 – JEREMIAH AND THE NATION ARE IN AFFLICTION; THE NATION IS EXPELLED; BODIES SUFFER; BITTERNESS - CHAPTER 3:1-5 LAMENTATIONS CHAPTER 3 Now we enter into a lot of shorter verses but each one has a definite, strong meaning. I trust you might find a delight in ...read more

Scripture: Lamentations 3:1, 2 Timothy 3:12, Lamentations 3:2, Genesis 3:24, Matthew 25:41, Revelation 20:15, Lamentations 3:3, Revelation 6:16-17, Revelation 9:20-21, Lamentations 3:4, Deuteronomy 28:47-48, Lamentations 3:5, Deuteronomy 28:49-52, Deuteronomy 28:53-57  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

"How To Heal A Wounded Heart”

Contributed by Dave Mcfadden on Aug 11, 2008

One of Satan’s ways of attacking God’s people is through woundedness. Therefore, we must learn how to let God heal our hearts.

In our passage for today, the writer of Hebrews speaks to us about spiritual warfare. You might ask, “Where do you get that? Isn’t this passage one about holy living and getting along with others?” Well, we understand that the writer is emphasizing an aspect of the believer’s spiritual warfare by ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:14-15

Denomination: Baptist

How To Handle Tragedy

Contributed by Michael Luke on Oct 2, 2011

Four principles that help us deal with tragedy

“HOW TO HANDLE TRAGEDY” SELECTED PASSAGES OPEN The Poisonwood Bible is a novel written by Barbara Kingsolver. It’s about a family who in 1959 move from the state of Georgia in the USA to a small village in the Belgian Congo to swerve as missionaries. The family is ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 46:1-3

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Future Focus Present Faithfulness -- Recallibrating Values Series

Contributed by David Welch on Jul 28, 2018

Message addressing a recallibration of our core values.

Future Focus Present Faithfulness Pt 12 “Recalibrating Our Values” Review A clear comprehension of the future helps keeps us accountable in the present. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he ...read more

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

The Landmine Of Animosity Series

Contributed by Dr. Jerry N. Watts on May 27, 2010

This series is based on Charles Stanley’s book "Landmines". The two messages on SC are two landmines which Dr. Stanley did not include. I highly recommend readding his book.

The Landmine of Animosity 1 Samuel 18:1-30 * It was May 12, 1970, when Army Corporal Robert Earl Green of Purvis, MS, was killed in the Vietnam War. We were told that he stepped on a landmine. Although they sent his body home, the casket was unopened because of the damage to Bobby’s body. This ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 18:2-30

Denomination: Baptist

An Evil Report

Contributed by Mark Mccool on Feb 4, 2005

God’s people must guard themselves from an evil report... (Credit is given to Rev Kelsey Griffin former instructor at Texas Bible College, Lufkin, TX for this Bible study is a result of notes taken while in his class. Thanks Brother Griffin!)

AN EVIL REPORT "God’s people must guard against an evil report" Num 13:29-33 29The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. 30And Caleb stilled the ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 13:29-33

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Price Is Right Series

Contributed by Daniel Habben on Jul 18, 2006

Esau sells Jacob the birthright showing how he despised God’s blessings. Are we guilty of despising, that is treating as cheap God’s blessings? Find out what warnings and encouragements we can learn from this episode of "Jake TV."

(As “The Price Is Right” theme song plays, invite three contestants forward.) Welcome to the Price Is Right brought to you today from St. Peter’s Lutheran Church! Before you is a lovely bag of Skittles. The contestant who comes closest to guessing the retail price of this object without going over ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 25:27-34

Denomination: Lutheran