Sermons on Difficulties:

Everyone Needs Encouragement

Contributed by Paul Estabrooks on Oct 24, 2012

Everyone needs encouragement—even the seemingly strong and mature—but especially those who suffer.

Today, in honor of International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, we will stand and kneel with our brothers and sisters in Christ who share our faith but not our freedom. Second Timothy is the Apostle Paul’s final written communication before his death. He was chained to a soldier ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:15-18

Denomination: *other

Follow The Call Series

Contributed by Chris Heimsoth on Jun 16, 2011

This is the 5th of our series on Action in Acts. We look at the charges against Peter, how he did not seek to justify himself but share what God was doing, and how we are called to focus on what is truly important.

Action – Follow the right voice (5:17-42) Have you noticed how there seems to be people making stands for all sorts of things in life? There are thousands of causes, and there are people fighting for all sorts of things. Even within the “church” community, there are people with ...read more

Scripture: Acts 5:17-42

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Gold In The Furnace

Contributed by Michael Buckingham on Jun 20, 2011

Are you going through trials and tribulations? God is putting you through hard times to purify you!

Gold in the Furnace The hymn is beautiful: Gold in the Furnace Tried Ne’er loses aught but dross, So is the Christian purified, And bettered by the cross. My past few days have been about testing and trials. Yesterday, I had an examination for a course I am doing for my career in ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:8

Denomination: Baptist

Faithful In A Foreign Place

Contributed by Jb Hall on Jun 25, 2011

This sermon instructs us how to remain faithful when our pleasant circumstances turn foreign to us.

Faithful in a Foreign Place Daniel 1:1 – 7 By: JB Hall Introduction: Sometimes you and I are thrust into a foreign place; without our consent and by circumstances beyond our control. This foreign place can be a foreign land, or it can be a set of circumstances that is foreign to our ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 1:1-7

Denomination: Baptist

Need Hope?

Contributed by Jason Jones on Jul 11, 2011

Exposition of 1 Corinthians 10 regarding hope and strength for trials and temptations.

Text: 1 Cor 10:13, Title: Need Hope? Date/Place: NRBC, 7/10/11, AM A. Opening illustration: Bill Hybels tells about an interesting experience after a baptism service in their church. He writes: “I bumped into a woman in the stairwell who was crying. I thought this was a little odd, since the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:13

Denomination: Baptist

Spiritual Battles

Contributed by Nicky Evans on Jul 18, 2011

A look at the spiritual battles we face everyday and how to overcome them

I don't know how you all feel these days about the state of Britain spiritually, but from the view of someone on the outside looking in things seem very dark and getting darker. In Korea I don't get to see much or be involved in many things concerning the UK but what I do do without fail, is watch ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-5

Denomination: Baptist

What Song Are You Singing? Series

Contributed by Scott Berry on Jul 21, 2011

A reflection with modern music on one of Davids most timeless psalms. Consider what is your pit, who is your rock and what song are you singing?

To stay true to a psalm – you should hear it sung, so hear is a modern intepration – don’t try and understand everything, but get the gist – lots of rich imagery from psalms and beyond. The Mountain Goats - Psalms 40:2 Lyrics (the song can be found on itunes or ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 40:1-3

Denomination: Baptist

"Trusting God In Tragedy"

Contributed by Brad Henry on Sep 28, 2011

No matter what happnes God knows and he loves you. Tragedy doesn't have to be a horrible experience.

Over the years we have had many gut wrenching stores of families killed in an accident only to leave a mother or father behind. To wake up in a hospital bed hurting physically then realize that your entire family is gone would be unfathomable. Now none of us are immune to have this happening to us. ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:3-26

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

Facing Giants With Nothing But Stones

Contributed by Jarvis Ellis on Oct 13, 2011

This sermon deals with overcoming the many obstacles that often stand in the way of our blessings!

Facing Giants With Nothing But Stones SCRIPTURE: " And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine." 1 Samuel ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:40-41

Denomination: Baptist

What God Does With Pain Series

Contributed by Jonathan Russell on Oct 13, 2011

In this message the "stages" of experiencing pain are examined, with the goal of God using our pain to point others to him

INTRODUCTION * God’s sovereignty: he is in control of all; clearest demonstration of God’s sovereignty is making good come out of bad * How God demonstrated this in Scripture: - Joseph’s life (innocence - sold into servitude - rises in power in Egypt - incident with ...read more

Scripture: Acts 16:16-40

Denomination: Baptist

Let Not Your Heart

Contributed by Jimmy Haile on Oct 23, 2011

Have you ever had one of those days when everything goes wrong? It doesn’t make any difference how hard you try, it just seems that everything backfires on you? The harder you try, the worse it gets. I’m convinced that all of us have had days like t

So as the 14th chapter of John opens, we see Jesus & His apostles in the upper room where they have eaten the Passover meal together. Jesus knew exactly what the next few hours would bring. He knew that Judas would betray Him. He knew about the illegal trials of the night, & how troubled the ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-6

Denomination: Baptist

Katie - "Strong Enough"

Contributed by Brad Henry on Oct 24, 2011

In times of tragedy we think we have to be strong. This is just the opposite of what God desires. This lesson will hopefully you give you a new perspective on the storms of life.

Last Wednesday I received a text from a dear friend of mine in Phoenix. He said that his 15 year old daughter Katie was going in for some tests to determine the reasons for some health issues she was having. I went to bed without knowing the results. I woke up the next morning and I had a text from ...read more

Scripture: John 9:1-3

Good Things Come To Those Who Wait Series

Contributed by Harold Laubach Jr on Nov 2, 2011

Sermon on patience as taught by the book of James chapter 5.

If you noticed the title of this week’s sermon, you may have realized you’ve heard that phrase before. Or what about this one, “Patience is a Virtue”? Well it turns out those phrases have some biblical significance. And it also turns out they are usually true. Let’s ...read more

Scripture: James 5:7-11

Denomination: Salvation Army

Spiritual Bootcamp

Contributed by Joseph Stapleton on Nov 8, 2011

Perhaps the greatest lessons I learned about life came during Marine Corps bootcamp, Paris Island, the Summer of 1978. Christians need bootcamp too.

(All my sermons use illustrations found at www.sermoncentral.com and all scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted.) SPIRITUAL BOOTCAMP When I was young I was a very active kid, I am sure many of you were as well. We may have to strain a little to remember those days, but most all of us could not ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-8

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ