Sermons on Difficult:

In The Safe Hands Of God

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Dec 22, 2010

How can we respond to difficult circumstances with acceptance and abandonment? Mary’s response to the angel in Luke 1: 38 shows us. The only way to have that same attitude is to believe that God’s will is “good and acceptable and perfect”, and to lay down

Opening illustration: At age 16, Madame Jeanne Guyon (1648-1717) was forced into an arranged marriage with an invalid 22 years older. She found her marriage to be one of utter humiliation. Her husband was often angry and melancholy. Her mother-in-law was a merciless critic. Even the maid despised ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:26-33

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Who You Believe: Who Is Love And Justice (Session 4) Series

Contributed by Dean Courtier on Feb 10, 2010

Many people find it difficult to understand why Jesus Christ dying an undeserved and cruel death on a cross can have any effect on their own lives. In fact until we understand two fundamental truths - the extent of God’s love and our need for forgiveness

Who is Love and Justice? The cross is central to the Christian message. Some churches display a cross, some people wear a cross as a fashion accessory. In this session we are going to examine the real meaning of the cross of Jesus Christ. Many people find it difficult to understand why Jesus ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:1-10

Denomination: Pentecostal

Hannah, A Godly Mother

Contributed by Bruce Allen on May 10, 2008

Hannah is a good example for all mothers who experience problems too difficult to face. Instead of relying on her own resources - Hannah turns to God recognizing that He was her only solution. May we learn from her story here in God’s Word.

Hannah, a Godly Mother 1 Samuel 1:1-2:1a [1:1] Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. [2] And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Lord, Are You There? Job 23:1-10

Contributed by Toby Powers on Oct 9, 2014

Job, in his troubles sought the Lord, but it seemed quite difficult to reach him. There are times we all face this same trouble. What do we do about it? Can we be assured that he is with us, even when we cannot seem to touch him?

From The Desk Of Toby Powers Pastor Of Truth Baptist Church Bremen, GA www.trumpetoftruthonline.org LORD, ARE YOU THERE? Job 23:1-10 Intro: Bildad, Eliphaz, and Zophar had come to grieve with Job and had accused him of gross iniquity bringing about this intense suffering he was enduring, but job ...read more

Scripture: Job 23:1-10

Denomination: Baptist

Strength In Weakness

Contributed by Benjamin Utomo on Jul 15, 2018

This statement of the Apostle Paul, “For when I am weak, then I am strong” is confusing and difficult for many to accept. Paul was not anti-power or wanted us to be weak. He was a very strong man in many aspects of his life. What did he really mean?

“For when I am weak, then I am strong.” This statement of the Apostle Paul is confusing and difficult for many to accept. Many people want to be strong, whether physically (by doing weights and endurance training in fitness centers or if necessary, taking strong herbal or energy drinks), ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:2-10

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Worship From The Depths

Contributed by Tim Diack on Dec 5, 2012

We all have bad days and difficult seasons in life - how do we genuinely worship God when our world is falling apart around us? Join us as we study Job's life and discover how we can "Worship from the Depths"!

Worship From the Depths - Job 1-2 - November 11, 2012 We’ve all had bad days before - those days when nothing seems to go right no matter how hard we try. I’ve had some pretty bad days but I’m not sure that many of them come close to the experience of a man I will simply ...read more

Denomination: *other

Parent Traps Series

Contributed by David Henderson on Sep 4, 2012

I think that there are several statements that every one of us would agree on today and here are a few. (1) Parenting has greatly changed. How we parent. What is expected. (2) Parenting is more difficult today than ever before. (3) All of us need

TRAPS “Parent Traps” Deuteronomy 6:1-9 I don’t preach very often from the book of Deuteronomy. But Jesus did. Jesus quoted more from the book of Deuteronomy than any of the OT books. As I began to consider what I would say today I wanted to stay with our current series titled ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Denomination: Baptist

Discovering God’s Will

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Jul 9, 2011

Knowing God’s will is sometimes difficult. People want God to tell them specifically what to do - where to work, where to live, whom to marry, etc. God rarely gives people information that direct and specific. God allows us to make choices regarding those

Opening illustration: A young man facing the future and unsure of what the next year would bring, concluded, “Nobody knows what God’s will is.” Is he right? Does a lack of certainty about the future translate into not knowing God’s will? The concept of knowing God’s will is often limited to ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:17-21

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What's Love Got To Do With It? (Part Five) Series

Contributed by Derrick Tuper on Oct 25, 2016

Last week I shared about what love had to do with overcoming fear. Today my focus will be on what love has to do with overcoming unforgiveness. We've all struggled with this one. Overcoming being hurt by someone can be difficult. Forgiveness takes love.

WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? (Part five) INTRODUCTION: Last week I shared about what love had to do with overcoming fear. We looked at 1st John 4:18 that states perfect love drives out fear. Today my focus will be on what love has to do with overcoming unforgiveness. Let’s face it-we ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:8

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

What Is Your Calling? (Part 2) Series

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Mar 10, 2016

Are you going to take the effort to listen to God? How has your faith panned out for God? Will you step out even when God tests your faith by making the most difficult sacrifices in your life? Do you obey God at every level?

Opening Illustration: Narrate the story of our call to the USA as missionaries. Introduction: The Lord's call for Abram to journey to the Promised Land is often equated with a call to missionary service. For the missionary, there is a sense where God has called them from the ease and security of ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 12:1-9

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God’s Amazing Grace When Life Is Hard

Contributed by Gordon Weatherby on May 8, 2013

It is often in the difficult times of life that we grow the most in Christ. Those times when it may even seem as though God has forsaken us, are times we can look back at later, and see his presence and grace abiding with us. It is often in those times

GOD’S GRACE WHEN LIFE IS HARD Rom. 5:1-11 INTRODUCTION: 1.)Several years ago Lanny and Marietta Wolfe wrote a hymn of the faith whose chorus goes: A.)"For whatever it takes to draw closer to you, Lord, That’s what I’ll be willing to do; For whatever it takes to be more like ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:1-11

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Facing Our Fears

Contributed by Steve Woods (Pastor Woody) on Apr 8, 2019

We all have our giants to face in today's society. Our giants may be our fears, our difficult challenges, our health or our finances. Let us battle our giants as those in our Bible have done so in the past.

We have been talking, over the past few weeks, about some of the challenges we’ve all been facing. Some, more than others but nonetheless, challenges… and how they tore at our hearts and, more sadly, tore at our faith. I like to think of these challenges as our giants. What is a giant to you? They ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 51:16, Luke 12:11-12

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Father Of The Future Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 7, 2021

Here was a father who put God first in his life. He chose to be a miserable minority going against the grain. His boys probably did complain at times that it was very difficult to put up with the mockery. Noah had to do a lot of encouraging to keep them faithful.

It is tough to be a father in this world where everything is changing so fast. In Africa the custom of selling the bride to her future husband has been challenged for sometime by Christian daughters. They feel it is a evil custom to be sold like an object to the highest bidder. They have ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 7:1-12

The Retribution Of God And Combatting Injustice – The Christian Position On Retribution: What Do We Do? - Part 5 Series

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Oct 13, 2023

Where do we cross the line from the legitimate to the revengeful? This is one of the most difficult areas of our Christian lives personally to evaluate. Does any form of vengeance or retribution lie with us? Let us consider the Lord, Stephen and Paul. I have been there.

THE RETRIBUTION OF GOD AND COMBATTING INJUSTICE – THE CHRISTIAN POSITION ON RETRIBUTION: WHAT DO WE DO? - PART 5 [A]. THE CHRISTIAN POSITION ON VENGEANCE AND INJUSTICE Having looked at various examples from the Old Testament and drawing certain conclusions from them, we now turn the spotlight ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:6-43, 1 Peter 2:22-24, Luke 23:34, Acts 7:59-60, Leviticus 19:18, 2 Timothy 4:14, Psalm 22:24, 2 Thessalonians 1:5-9, 2 Thessalonians 2:12, Romans 12:17-21  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

David Made King Of The Entire Nation Series

Contributed by Justin Steckbauer on Jun 5, 2023

In our own lives we need to be courageous. Show courage in difficult situations. Don’t give up when times get hard. Keep fighting the good fight. Bring it to God in prayer. Take a deep breath. Sorrows may endure, but joy comes in the morning.

Israel is in a vicious civil conflict, between Judah in the south, and the rest of Israel in the north. David commands from the city of Hebron in the south, and Ish-Bosheth is in charge in the north. Abner was Ish-Bosheth’s main military leader, but he was insulted by his leader, and shifted sides ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 2 Samuel 4:1-12

Denomination: Salvation Army