Sermons on Determination To Succeed:

Paul’s Final Encouragement To Ephesus Series

Contributed by T.j. Conwell on Aug 19, 2024

These are the final instructions given to a church whose name means “desirable”. Would our church today be willing to be this bold, this committed, this faithful to the calling that God has placed on each of us?

To the Ends of the Earth, Part 31 Paul’s final encouragement to Ephesus Acts 20:7-38 Introduction - Welcome to Seasons Church & 2024 sermon series, “To the Ends of the Earth” -- Last week, we had several challenges to consider when it comes to being faithful -- Ref: Christian life APP: ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:7-38, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, Acts 9:15, Ezekiel 33:6, John 1:1  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

You Got What You Wanted, But You Lost What You Had!

Contributed by Michael Stark on Apr 7, 2018

We must guard against pursuing our desires at the expense of do what honours God. Christians, especially, can lose effectiveness in service if they fail to consider the cost of their choices.

GENESIS 25:29-34 YOU GOT WHAT YOU WANTED, BUT YOU LOST WHAT YOU HAD! [1] Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore, his name was called Edom.) Jacob said, “Sell me ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 25:29-34

Denomination: Baptist

Are You Ready? Series

Contributed by Troy Mason on Dec 22, 2001

Are you ready to welcome Jesus Christ?

ARE YOU READY? Matthew 24:36-51 INTRODUCTION: Hank Williams Jr. sings a song “Are you ready for some football?” I like that song, because when I hear it on the television, I know I’m usually in for an entertaining game. Unfortunately, I rarely make it past the first quarter, because I’m so ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:36-51

Denomination: Baptist

Preaching Beyond The Text

Contributed by James Groce on Jan 27, 2018

Once, while browsing through a local bookstore, I came across a book entitled “Emotional Intelligence.” While I did not read the book, the title, however, stuck with me. I learned later that EI is the capacity of individuals to recognize their own

PREACHING BEYOND THE TEXT Once, while browsing through a local bookstore, I came across a book entitled “Emotional Intelligence.” While I did not read the book, the title, however, stuck with me. I learned later that EI is the capacity of individuals to recognize their own, and other people's ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1

Denomination: Apostolic

Real Life: For The Sake Of The Call

Contributed by Jeremy Farmer on Mar 7, 2003

Will you abandon it all for the sake of the call? -Steven Curtis Chapman

“REAL LIFE” “For the Sake of the Call” Adoniram Judson was a great missionary. He once said about serving God, and success: "There is no success without sacrifice. If you succeed without sacrifice it is because someone has suffered before you. If you sacrifice without success it is because someone ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:18-22

Denomination: Pentecostal

The 8 Labors Of The Apostle Paul

Contributed by Troy Borst on Nov 30, 2004

Just like Hercules, the Apostle Paul was given a commission by his King to labor for the people and to serve Him. Verse 25 tells us that God commissioned Paul to serve Him and to labor for the Gospel. These labors of Paul were not for fame or fortune, b

THE 8 LABORS OF THE APOSTLE PAUL COLOSSIANS 1:24-2:5 INTRODUCTION... (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Hercules/labors.html) There is a famous story that you perhaps read in high school or college about the Greek hero Hercules. The goddess Hera, determined to make trouble for Hercules, made him lose ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Make Your Life Count

Contributed by Clarence Peters on Aug 17, 2004

Life is short so make God’s best of it.

Make Your Life Count Focus: Life is short so make God’s best of it. Function: The listener will make an assessment of their lives to re-align priorities as needed. Most of us don’t like to see money wasted. If someone inherits hundreds of thousands of dollars and blows it all in a few months ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 90:1-17

Denomination: Mennonite

Finding Out Who Really Cares Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 6, 2008

Who really cares? NOT those who are full of fear, like Herod. But those who believe from the beginning and who give gifts for the future, like the wise men; and those who sacrifice to protect, like Joseph.

Some people have friends. Some people have enemies. Most people have acquaintances. But everybody has people you do business with. The people you do business with -- usually, that’s not an intimate relationship. It’s distant, it’s limited to transactions. We deal with people who may not even ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-23

Denomination: Baptist

Developing Durability, Making My Relationships Last Series

Contributed by Brian Atwood on May 29, 2009

Making my relationships last by learning why and how to keep my commitments to others.

A college man walked into a photography store with a framed picture of his girlfriend. He wanted the picture duplicated. This involved removing it from the frame. In doing this, the storeowner noticed the inscription on the back of the photograph: “My dearest Jim, I love you with all my heart. I ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 18:3-4

Denomination: Baptist

Leaving The Comfort Zone (Vision 2012)

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Dec 29, 2011

All of us are surrounded by comfort zones; those invisible barriers that make us feel cozy and secure. Comfort zones develop after we have done things a particular way for a period of time. Unfortunately, they can make us feel so comfortable, that we neve

Opening illustration: A spy was captured and sentenced to death by a general in the Persian Army. Before carrying out the sentence the general gave the spy a strange choice. He told him he could have his choice of a firing squad or a big black door. After much deliberation the spy chose the firing ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:28-32, Matthew 14:28

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Stand And Strive Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 30, 2021

Paul said to put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Without this weapon of endurance we will not stand but fall wounded from his fiery darts of affliction.

William Lloyd Garrison was born in 1805 and when he became a man he had the audacity to think he could remove a mountain and altar the flow the river of history. Slavery was that mountain, and what a mountain it was. Slavery had existed from the dawn of civilization, and it was one of the most ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:6

Jesus Versus Satan Series

Contributed by Scott Maze on Jun 10, 2021

There was a great deal at stake in the desert. Had Jesus lost to Satan here, God’s whole plan to save humanity would have been destroyed.

Today we conclude a series entitled, The Man Who Won’t Go Away. As we examine Luke 4, we see a telling snapshot of the temptation of Jesus. There is so much in this story that I want to get right to work. And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:1-13

Denomination: Baptist

Joseph Of Arimathea The Corageous Coward Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 18, 2021

It took the crisis of the cross to change his cowardice into courage. Sometimes it takes a crisis to bring out a man's true faith.

A fireman who was half dead from exhaustion and smoke inhalation, with face dirty and uniform covered with grime, staggers past the crowd and is almost deafened by their shouts and cheers for him. He has just come from a burning building where, at the risk of his life, he climbed to the third ...read more

Scripture: Mark 15:37-47

Five Things I Learned From My Forty Day Fast

Contributed by David Diyanni on May 6, 2007

God lead me on the most incredibel journey as I fasted for forty days. I learned some valuable lessons along the way

Five Lessons Learned From My Forty Day Fast Introduction 1. Today I am finishing a forty day fast. When we started this stewardship campaign, I felt in my spirit that God was calling me to fast for forty days. I have never done anything like this. I have never desired to anything like this, but I ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:1-4

Denomination: Vineyard

Spiritual Success

Contributed by Charles Mallory on Jun 4, 2007

Being a spiritual success is a way of life, not just the achievement of a one-time ministry goal.

SUCCESS! ALL OF US NOT ONLY WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL, BUT WANT TO HAVE SUCCESS IN ALL THAT WE DO. WE WANT SUCCESS NOT ONLY FOR OURSELVES, BUT WE WILL DO ANYTHING IN OUR POWER TO HELP OUR CHILDREN BE SUCCESSFUL TOO. IT IS GREAT TO FIND SUCCESS, TO WIN, THRIVE AND HAVE A PROFITABLE CAREER, BUSINESS OR ...read more

Scripture: Zechariah 4:6

Denomination: Free Methodist