Sermons on Effort Required:

Prayer-Care-Share: The Key To Care-Part 2 Series

Contributed by Marty Boller on Mar 21, 2006

#7 in a series. God is pouring out a whole new level of city-wide cooperation amongst churches and church leaders. Prayer-Care-Share is a concentrated effort focusing on "Building Bridges to our Community"...loving our communities to Christ.

Last week...I shared with you THE KEY TO CARE...Two truths: #1: GOD IS ALREADY AT WORK. #2: JOIN HIM IN HIS WORK. Sounds so easy….doesn’t it? So simple… These TWO TRUTHS can set you free, yet…can I be truthful, here??? Doing ONLY what the Father is doing…can also be quite intimidating! ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Ark, Anger, And Acceptance

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 20, 2010

We who are successful want instant gratification, but must know that God’s timing may be different, and that it is important to do something that enables others to succeed. In prayer we learn that we are accepted and so our efforts have meaning.

Success brings with it its own set of problems. If you get used to being successful, you soon expect it, and then if it eludes you, that can be very hard to take. I know that I am speaking this morning to reasonably successful people, by and large. Most of you, when you face a challenge, are able ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 7:1-27

Denomination: Baptist

Sermon On The Challenges Of Life

Contributed by William Meakin on Nov 22, 2021

Amongst the many interpretations, the challenges of life have been defined as "The situation of being faced with something that needs great mental or physical effort in order to be done successfully and therefore tests a person's ability."

Roy T. Bennett, the author of “The Light in the Heart” once remarked: “Every challenge you face today makes you stronger tomorrow. The challenge of life is intended to make you better, not bitter.” James 1:2-4 reminds us: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:10, Isaiah 41:13, Philippians 4:13

You Must Be "Dreaming"

Contributed by Charlie Roberts on Jul 13, 2016

Don't get caught up in only believing the possibilities of what you have seen in the past! Because no matter where you are at in life, He wants you to dream bigger than your efforts are capable of bringing to the table.

You must be dreaming? Oral Roberts used to use a chorus that some detested, ‘Expect a miracle every day, Expect a miracle when you pray, If you expect it God will find a way, To perform a miracle for you each day.’ What are you expecting or dreaming about for God to do in your life ...read more

Scripture: Luke 23:39-43

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Bumpin Into Jesus Series

Contributed by Jeffrey Sims on Nov 27, 2018

This sermon is about making an effort to encounter Jesus in an intentional way instead of just bumping into him on occasion. It should cause us to look at our relationship with Christ and evaluate whether we are in a relationship with Jesus or if he is just a casual acquaintance.

In our scripture today we find Jesus surrounded by a large crowd on His way to the home of a synagogue official named Jarius’ whose daughter is dying. Now in the whole of the scripture today we learn of two separate miracles but I want to focus on just one today. I want to focus not on the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 8:43-48

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

But They Could Not...

Contributed by Michael Stark on Jul 13, 2018

Despite the repeated efforts of mankind to duplicate the work of the Lord, His work is unique and man is unable to do what He does. Eventually, those who imagine they can supplant God crash up against reality, and they are revealed to be frauds.

“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Say to Aaron, “Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.”’ And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 8:16-19

Denomination: Baptist

Compelled By Love

Contributed by John Gaston on Sep 3, 2017

The heart of God is to rescue the perishing. Paul caught the vision of God's incomparable love and was so moved that he too felt compelled to join God's efforts, regardless of the cost. The love of God should motivate us to rescue the perishing too!

COMPELLED BY LOVE 2 Cor. 5:14 INTRODUCTION A. HUMOR: school is back in session. 1. “How did school go today?” a mother asked her little boy. “Fine”, the little fellow replied. “We had a new teacher and she wanted to know if I had any brothers or sisters and I told her I was an only child”. “What ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Story Of An Absentee King Series

Contributed by Scott Maze on Jun 9, 2021

Every believer will give an account of their efforts You will give an account of your whole life. Some of you have taken the gospel and stuck in a sock drawer. Some of you have taken the story of Jesus and stuffed in under your mattress.

I wish I could say I was shocked when I saw the story… A Libyan branch of ISIS claims to have beheaded 21 men. A caption across the bottom of the video screen read, “The people of the cross, followers of the hostile Egyptian church” As many as thirteen of the men were from one small farming ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:11-27

Denomination: Baptist

Character Study Of Ishmael Series

Contributed by Rev. Samuel Arimoro on Mar 21, 2025

Ishmael's story teaches us the importance of trusting God’s timing and avoiding decisions based on impatience. While human efforts can bring temporary success, only God’s promises bring true fulfilment.

CHARACTER STUDY OF ISHMAEL – SON OF ABRAHAM AND HAGAR By Rev. Samuel Arimoro Main Text: Genesis 16:10-12 "The angel of the Lord also said to her, 'I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.' And the angel of the Lord said to her, 'Behold, ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 16:10-12, Genesis 17:18-21, Genesis 21:8-21, Galatians 4:22-26

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Enter Through The Narrow Door!

Contributed by Michael Otterstatter on Aug 26, 2025

In this Gospel Lesson we hear our Savior speak words of warning and encouragement. Jesus said that there is only one way to enter heaven. He said that we should make every effort to: “ENTER THROUGH THE NARROW DOOR”

“How do you get into heaven?” A Sunday school teacher asked that question of her 2nd grade class. It seemed like a simple question for a group of little Lutherans. But no hands went up. Silence. Crickets. The teacher was confident that the students knew the answer, so she waited patiently. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 13:22-30

Denomination: Lutheran

Make It Make Sense

Contributed by Dr. Jwt Spies on Oct 16, 2025

Pause and reflect on the hand of God in your life. When God allows something to bend a certain way, no human effort can straighten it out, unless He wills it. It may not make sense to us, but it may sense to God.

Ecclesiastes 7:13 (NIV) Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what He has made crooked? Look at somebody and tell them, Neighbor, I’m trying to make it make sense. Look down your row at somebody else and say, but sometimes it just doesn’t make sense. Because if we’re honest today, ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 7:13

Denomination: Baptist

Abraham’s Faith, God’s Faithfulness

Contributed by Barnabas Park on Oct 31, 2025

Abraham trusted God’s promises despite doubt, fear, and impossibility—and how, like Abraham, we are justified not by our works but by God’s faithfulness. It reminds us that salvation and blessing are gifts of grace, not achievements of human effort.

“What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? If Abraham was justified by works, he would have something to boast about—but not before God. What does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’” ...read more

Scripture: Romans 4:1-3, Genesis 15:5-6, Ephesians 2:8-9, Galatians 3:13-16

Denomination: Baptist

Free To Live The Life Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jul 1, 2004

Education, self-help books, and personal improvement efforts can make life richer and better. But nothing can do what God does when a person turns his or her life over to Jesus Christ. IN Jesus Christ, we can have victory in the fullest sense.

Free to Live the Life (Romans 8:1-4) 1. Once in a while you read a news story that makes you feel good: MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - A Mexican boxing champion beat up and hospitalized a gunman who shot at him outside a gym in a crime-plagued city on the U.S. border. Prosecutors in Ciudad ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:1-4

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Paul And His Calling Series

Contributed by Larry Wilson on Feb 12, 2014

To carry the gospel rooted in the Jewish faith to a Gentile world that could care less would require a special man. That man was Paul. In the Providence of God, Paul went forth to bring the gospel to the world. God wanted us to hear the gospel!

BODY OF SERMON See previous sermon for introduction. In our analytical outline, we are in the section ... I. Salutation (Romans 1:1-17) A. Paul and His Calling (1:1-7) PREACHING OUTLINE THEME: GOD WANTED YOU TO HEAR THE GOSPEL OBJECTIVE: The listener will appreciate the great effort of ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:1-7

Denomination: Baptist

What Does It Mean To Count The Cost Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Jun 30, 2013

A look at what it means to "count the cost" and why that's so essential. This message calls down the cheap gospel presentations that we so often make that have no mention in them of what it actually means to follow Jesus.

CHEAP FAITH: Too often we offer salvation that’s straight from the discount bin. - Luke 14:28-32. - Our approach to evangelism is too often to present salvation as a low-cost, no-commitment offer. All you need to do is say you believe in Jesus! That’s it! There’s no mention of the need for ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:28-33

Denomination: Baptist