Sermons on Difficulties:

How To Survive Life's Storms Series

Contributed by Stephen Collins on Jan 6, 2009

Final sermon in the "Being the Church" series, focusing on why bad things happen in our lives and how we can overcome them.

Stephen N. Collins Millville – 9/28/08 Being the Church How to Survive Life’s Storms Scripture: Acts 27 Icebreaker: Good news, bad news for a pastor: Good News: You baptized seven people today in the river. Bad News: You lost two of them in the swift current. Good News: The Women’s Guild voted ...read more

Scripture: Acts 27:1-40

Denomination: Church Of God

God Is Looking For Heroes! Series

Contributed by Paul Clemente on Jan 25, 2009

We are tested by God so that we will mature in God, be complete, and not lack anything, so that we can be heroes!

God is looking for heroes! The world is looking for heroes! A few years ago, there was a story of a church in one of the communist countries. That church, secretly hiding from their atheist government, was one day visited by soldiers armed with machine guns. The soldiers asked everyone who will ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 22:1-24

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Beauty Remains. The Pain Passes

Contributed by Gaither Bailey on Feb 20, 2009

We can be changed into the people God wants us to be through the mountaintop and valley experiences of life.

Mark 9: 2 – 9 / The Beauty Remains. The Pain Passes. Intro: The process of metamorphosis has always fascinated me. It is best seen in the life cycle of the butterfly which lays eggs on a leaf. A small larva emerges, molts a few times each time getting bigger. Finally, it becomes a pupa hanging ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:2-9

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Surviving The Terrible T's Series

Contributed by Charles Wilkerson on Jul 27, 2009

First in a Summer series on the book of James

In elementary school we took a field trip to the Richmond Auditorium. I don’t know who was leading the orchestra but one of the things they did was to introduce us to the idea of "musical themes" via Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. Musical themes are those repetitious melodies that mark the ...read more

Scripture: James 1:1-11

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

From Trouble To Triumph Series

Contributed by Carl Allen on Aug 4, 2009

Trials in the life of a Christian are a norm. But it is how we handles those trials, that separates us from the rest.

From Trouble to Triumph James 2:2-12 Intro Trials in the life of a Christian are a part of life. How we view those trials and handle them is a whole different story though. The Scriptures mention at least eight purposes for the Lord’s allowing trials to come to the lives of His ...read more

Scripture: James 2:2-12

Denomination: Baptist

Lessons From Joe Pt 2 Series

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 9, 2009

Our man Joe even in the midst of being at his lowest point in life grows into the man God desires him to be. Joe grows through adversity into the man God desires him to be. Pride fades away, the spoiled brat syndrome disappears and Joe learns to persevere

Lessons from Joe: Pt 2! Opening video Illustration: Bluefishtv - Joseph - Tested Thesis: Our man Joe even in the midst of being at his lowest point in life grows into the man God desires him to be. Joe grows through adversity into the man God desires him to be. Pride fades away, the spoiled brat ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 39:1-23

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Lessons From Joe Pt 3 Series

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 9, 2009

Joe is forgotten by the cupbearer in our text today but not by God. It was a lonely time for Joe but God was with Him even in the dungeon. We need to be reminded that He is with us in the palaces of life and in the dungeons of life.

Lesson’s from Joe pt 3 - “The forgotten ones.” Opening Video Illustrations – These two clips reveal how people wrestle with loneliness and the feeling of being forgotten. Listen to their stories: “Alone again” - Blue Fish TV (2:12) “Trusting God through loneliness” Blue Fish TV (1:30 min) I ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 40:1-23

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Lessons From Joe Pt 4 Series

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 9, 2009

Joe was on the go for God because he was a humble servant leader filled with the spirit of God. He was on the go because he was dispenser of grace and a forgiving individual.

Lessons from Joe pt 4 Summary of previous messages: 1. Joe goes from being a privileged spoiled brat to slave. 2. Joe goes from slave to prison for doing the right thing. 3. Joe serves others in prison and he’s forgotten by others but not God. 4. Joe goes from prison to Prime Minister of ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Exodus 11 Series

Contributed by Tom Owen on Aug 11, 2009

verse-by-verse

Well we find ourselves in chapter fourteen of the book of Exodus. God has worked mightily on behalf of His people and they have been completely delivered from Egypt so that they could worship God freely in the promised land. And for the most part the people recognized what God had done for them and ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 14:1-31

Denomination: Baptist

God's Grace Amidst Life's Pain

Contributed by Sonny Thomas, Sr. on Aug 15, 2009

We find that the trials and the sufferings of life refine and prepare us to take flight for the glory of God.

[Announce Text] Please take your Bibles and turn with me to II Corinthians chapter twelve. I would like to thank each and every one for all of the calls, cards, emails, flowers, and, most of all, prayers surrounding the event of my brother’s death. Your efforts were a tremendous blessing to me and ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Denomination: Baptist

The Misery Of Suffering: When Life Seems Unfair

Contributed by Gerald Steffy on Aug 15, 2009

God will help us during the misery of suffering when life seems so unfair if we rely on and trust Jesus as our Savior in every experience of life.

THE MISERY OF SUFFERING: WHEN LIFE SEEMS UNFAIR --Job 2:1-13 Proposition: God will help us during the misery of suffering when life seems so unfair if we rely on and trust Jesus as our Savior in every experience of life. Objective: My purpose is to see God’s people realize that God always does ...read more

Scripture: Job 2:1-13

Denomination: Baptist

Stand Up

Contributed by Carl Allen on Aug 19, 2009

Trials are a common part of the Christian life, but not one that we should allow to rule us. This portion of Thessalonians gives us insight into how we can stand up against the trials that come our way.

Stand Up 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13 Intro Before a child can walk, he must learn to stand. Usually the father and mother teach the child to stand and then to walk. Paul was the “spiritual parent” to these believers, but he had been forced to leave Thessalonica. How, then, could he help these young ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13

Denomination: Baptist

Faithfully Persevering In Times Of Trial Series

Contributed by Ned Bartlebaugh on Aug 21, 2009

James encourages us to persevere in times of trial by choosing to have an attitude of spiritual joy, an attitude of persistent faith and an attitude of humility.

1)Introduction a)Statements made: children don’t come with an instruction manual. b)Society says that there is no standard way to live your life. Just do it your way, make yourself happy, and according to Nike “Just Do It.” c)The Book of James however, is a Do It Yourself Guidebook on Faithfully ...read more

Scripture: James 1:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

Fighting His Way

Contributed by Andrew Drummond on Aug 26, 2009

Regardless of the situation or circumstance we all have this tendency to fight first and hope we win. Unfortunately, what ends up happening is we all have had to come to others asking for help on the bad side of a good old-fashioned defeat. We come out li

Who here has ever watched an action flick and felt like you were involved in the fight scene? You know, like when you’re watching Jackie Chan and it’s so intense that you start sweating. You finish watching the movie and you feel like, “watch out anyone who tries to get in my way, I could take on ...read more

Scripture: Judges 7:1-22

Be Prepared Series

Contributed by Pat Damiani on Sep 8, 2009

Amos’ fifth vision encourages us to be prepared for the "Day of the Lord" by being saturated with God’s Word

Be Prepared. That’s the motto of the Boy Scouts. "Be prepared for what?" someone once asked Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, "Why, for any old thing." said Baden-Powell. Perhaps Amos would have adopted the same motto – be prepared. But not just be prepared for any old thing, as we’ll ...read more

Scripture: Amos 9:1-15

Denomination: Baptist