Sermons on Hard Challenges:

The Religious But Hard-Hearted Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jan 2, 2007

If God does not soften ones heart, one may dabble with religion, but one will never find a saving relationship with the true God.

The Religious But Hard-Hearted (Exodus 8:20-9:12) 1. What if God was politically correct? Imagine this: Moses was sitting in the Egyptian ghetto. Things were terrible. Pharaoh wouldn’t even speak to him. The rest of the Israelites were mad at him and making the overseers even more irritable than ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

A Rock And A Hard Place

Contributed by J. Curtis Goforth, O.s.l. on Sep 30, 2006

This sermon is for the 17th Sunday after Pentecost and addresses the need we all have to cut off from our lives the things which keep us from a deeper relationship with Christ.

“A Rock and a Hard Place” Sermon on Mark 9:38-50 Pentecost +17-B October 1, 2006 Rev. J. Curtis Goforth, O.S.L. 43If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45And if your foot ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:38-50

Denomination: United Methodist

The Rock Is The Hard Place

Contributed by Brett Thomasson on Feb 13, 2007

Our decision to share our faith can be built on shifting sands, or solid rock.

I’ve met folks who think that if Jesus walked among us today like he did back in Galilee, we’d be so much better off in our Christianity. How could we ignore him, they ask, if he was right here in front of us? Judging from the people who were right in front of him a couple thousand years ago, it ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:39-49

Denomination: Methodist

Surviving Hard Times

Contributed by Akindele Opoola on Feb 11, 2011

Hard times are difficult times of life, a time that you hate to experience, not palatable with the flesh. A time it appears you don't know what you are doing. Everybody in life is bound to pass thru hard time. But as xtians we have antidotes against har

Surviving Hard times Gen 35: 15 -20 Hard times are difficult times of life, a time that you hate to experience, not palatable with the flesh. A time it appears you don't know what you are doing. Everybody in life is bound to pass thru hard time. But as xtians we have antidotes against hard ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 35:15-20

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Seeds On The Hard Path Series

Contributed by Eric Lenhart on Aug 13, 2010

Being hardened by life, or free in Christ.

Seeds on the Hard Path (Matthew 13:1-23) 1st in a series on: “The Parable of the Soils” Introduction: An old farmer who was about to die called his two sons to his bedside and said, "My boys, my farm and the fields are yours in equal shares. I leave you a little ready money but the bulk of my ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23

Denomination: Church Of God

Hard Work And Providence Series

Contributed by Christopher Lanham on Jun 18, 2011

It is funny how we think God should work. For some reason we seem to think that since God is the all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present Creator of the universe – and anything else in existence – that he should do everything on a grand scale.

Hard Work and Providence Ecclesiastes 11:1-8 Cascades Fellowship CRC, JX MI June 5, 2005 I am going to tell you one of my favorite stories this morning because it illustrates perfectly how many of us think about the relationship between what we do and what God does. Many of you have probably ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 11:1-8

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Change Comes Hard

Contributed by Richard White on Oct 10, 2008

Gleaned from several sermons on sermoncentral, we see change as necessary but we are slow to do so.

Outline to Learning to Change Acts 10:1-48 It has been said that only wet babies like to be changed, even then they are not that excited about it. Illustration: Henry Ford and William Knudsen Conclusion: Even though he was considered a genius, he did not like change. Sometimes change is ...read more

Scripture: Acts 10:9-43

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Blessings In Hard Times

Contributed by O. K. Neal on Feb 11, 2010

Can we survive the hard times?

Blessings in Hard Times Phil 4:6-7 STORY about Chinese farmer and horse, son’s leg, army “Good luck, bad luck, Who knows?’ It is a hard thing to determine What works for our good and what works for our detriment? Many things happen that we cannot know will help us I did not ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Confidence For Hard Times

Contributed by Larry Finley on Jun 18, 2009

In the midst of America’s self inflicted hard times we as Christians can have Confidence

CONFIDENCE FOR HARD TIMES Micah 7:7-20 4/26/09 1. Judgment of the absence of God a. men clamor for God to be gone b. when He is – Hell breaks loose 2. We live in such a time a. separated from Gov. i. Barney Frank; Nancy Pelosi; ii. Gov. NY; Ill; & Seminole Charley 3. In Midst - we can ...read more

Scripture: Micah 7:7-20

Denomination: Baptist

Worship In The Hard Times Series

Contributed by Tim Patrick on Jul 8, 2009

Discover what it means and how to worship God during the hard times of life.

Are you able to worship God in the hard times? This is one of the most difficult tasks of the faith life. It is easy to worship God when the sun shines bright. It is easy to worship God when the bills are paid. It is easy to worship God when things are going well. What about during the hard times? ...read more

Scripture: Job 1:20-21

Denomination: Baptist

Hope In The Hard Times Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Oct 7, 2007

Do you go through difficult trials that don’t seem to have any way out? So did Naomi, but God showed his love and an alternative she hadn’t thought of, like he does with us.

Ruth was written in perhaps the 2nd half of the 12th century, making it contemporary with Jephthah and Samson of Judges 11 and following. This is important because if you didn’t know that you’d think there’s no way the events could take place concurrently with Judges. Judges is filled with ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:1-22

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Hard-Knock Life

Contributed by Todd Leupold on Jun 4, 2007

Surviving and thriving amidst the difficulties and injustices of life.

THRIVING AMIDST THE HARD-KNOCK LIFE Sunday AM Service, January 6, 2008 Rev. Todd G. Leupold Perth Bible Church INTRODUCTION Life can be so very hard can’t it? It can be wonderful and it can be outright unfair. Around my 10th or 11th B-day, I received one of my most memorable Birthday ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Joy In Hard Times

Contributed by Stephen Smarowsky on Feb 10, 2009

“Christians are like teabags. You don’t know how strong they are until you put them in hot water.”

Joy in Hard Times (James 1:2-8) (v2) “Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials…” - James is telling us to CONSIDER it joy when we encounter various trials. - CONSIDER is different then BE. - We are not going to be joyful when we are struggling in the midst of a ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-8

Denomination: Baptist

Hard To Believe, But True!

Contributed by David Owens on Apr 29, 2014

The resurrection of Jesus is hard to believe, but it is true. And being true, it makes a real difference in our lives.

A. One day an associate minister was teaching a class of second-graders about the resurrection when one student asked, “What was the first thing that Jesus said right after He came out of the grave?” 1. Well, this was a question of great theological importance, and the associate ...read more

Scripture: Mark 16:1-20

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

When Belief Is Hard Series

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Apr 16, 2015

Sometimes belief is just plain hard - just ask Thomas (a 1st person sermon)

“Getting Into Shape: When Belief Is Hard” John 20:19-31 I’m grateful you’re here today. Some of you are here because you want to hear what I have to say – you’re curious; some of you are here to check out what I have to say – you’re suspicious. ...read more

Scripture: John 20:19-31

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed