Sermons on Hard Knocks:

What's In The Middle? Series

Contributed by Dan Willis on Sep 22, 2011

In today's society sense of identity is hard to come by. Where is the scriptural teen? Who are you? What makes a boy into a man? Is age all it takes?

We continue today on the series addressing the 3 Great Lies Satan has told the church. When last we spoke we discussed the important role children play within the congregation. We explained how children inspire the congregation, unite the family and sharpen the fathers. Today we are going to ...read more

Scripture: Titus 2:2-8

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Following God's Directions

Contributed by Greg Vesely on Mar 31, 2009

It’s hard following direction, we want and desire to be in controll of our lives. But God wants us to allow Him to direct our lives.

FOLLOWING GOD’S DIRECTIONS Intro: Have you ever booked anything off the internet like a rental car, well you should try it sometime, it could be an interesting experience . This last weekend Liz booked us a flight and succored a rental car through the internet. This company I have never ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 119:112

Denomination: Pentecostal

Call Unto Me Series

Contributed by Rev. Dr. Andrew B Natarajan on Jun 30, 2022

Prayer life. This is a very interesting practical subject but hard to practice, but the theory is very sweet to read and talk about it. Prayer is the only way to blessings.

Jeremiah 33:3 “Call Me” Greetings in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! This month, I am led by the Lord to meditate on the importance of the Prayer life. This is a very interesting practical subject but hard to practice, but the theory is very sweet to read and talk about it. Prayer ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:3

Denomination: Methodist

Forged For Be More Than A Personality Cult Series

Contributed by Robert Butler on Oct 15, 2019

Being a Christian is a calling to the hard work of shaping the metal of our lives (our character) into a form that expresses God’s masterpiece within all of us.

Over the next few weeks, we will be looking to 1 Corinthians to come to a better understanding of what it means to call oneself a Christian. As Christians, we are called to live a very distinctive way. Being a Christian is a calling to the hard work of shaping the metal of our lives (our ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Turning The World Upside Down

Contributed by John Gaston on Mar 27, 2017

This is a hard hitting sermon contrasting the American church with the Early Church, highlighting our modern compromise and how we can fix it, This message will preach!

TURNING THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN Acts 17:1-10 INTRODUCTION A. HUMOR: Good bye, Dad! 1. Did you hear about the young man who was walking around a supermarket and everywhere he went an old man seemed to be shadowing him? Finally he went to the checkout line, but the old man got in line in front of ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:1-10

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Blessed Are The Persecuted Series

Contributed by David Swanger on Feb 27, 2013

Called to live a beatitude kind of life, the hard reality is anyone who lives out the first seven beatitudes is guaranteed at some point to experience the eighth.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Jesus ends the beatitudes by saying “Blessed are those persecuted, reviled, and spoken against.” Would anyone care to get in “the blessed line?” Most of us prefer ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:10-12

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

"Whatever Was,is, Whatever Will Be Is"

Contributed by Amiri Hooker on Jan 2, 2014

New Years Eve Sermon for a Historic Watch Night Service dealing with the past year and some hard questions on the concept of God as only a Good God.

December 31, 2013 (Watch Night/New Year's Eve/New Year’s Day) Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 “Whatever was, is, Whatever will be is” Psalm 8 (UMH 743) Revelation 21:1-6a
 From time to time, God tests us—as Abraham was tested—to see just how much we trust God and how much ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:9-15

Denomination: United Methodist

Heart Construction Series

Contributed by Perry Greene on Aug 26, 2015

Not only can God remove our hard hearts of stone and give us new ones, he can construct pure hearts within us.

1. Johnny and the Duck (1) A young boy who had just rec'd a slingshot for his birthday. He'd spend hours shooting rocks at various target/but he never seemed to be able to hit his target. One day he was in his Grandmother's house and he watched as her pet duck waddled by. On impulse he took aim ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 51:1-12, Psalm 51:1

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Day Of The Lord

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 22, 2020

In 2 Peter 3:1-17, Peter is dealing with the hard heart of scoffing at the return of Jesus Christ, the final Judgement and how we should be living.

The Day of the Lord It’s Delay, Our Response In some Bibles, The Day of the Lord is found as a preoccupy of 2 Peter 3:1-17. In chapter 3, Peter is dealing with the hard heart of scoffing at the return of Jesus Christ, the final Judgement and how we should be living. There once was a man who ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:1-17

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Do Not Dwell On The Past; Look To The Future

Contributed by Ryan Ferwerda on Apr 25, 2019

When we focus too much on what happened in the past it becomes hard for us to see what God is doing in the present and is leading us in the future.

When I was in the parish, preaching every Sunday, there was usually one of my parishioners that would always come up to me after service and express how that day’s particular sermon seemed like I was speaking directly to them; that the sermon on that given day was addressing something specific ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 43:16-21, Philippians 3:4-14

Denomination: Lutheran

Zechariah And Elizabeth Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 7, 2016

Waiting is hard work, perhaps the hardest work you’ve ever done. And that is what the season of Advent is all about: waiting for the coming of the Messiah

iWitness: Zechariah and Elizabeth Luke 1: 5-17, 39-45 Wayne Styles tells of sitting on the tollways headed into work and realizing how much he spent on tolls. That led to trying to go to work on the access roads but he discovered that just took more time. So he was going to pay with either time or ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:5-17

Denomination: Methodist

Abraham: Biblical Geographical History

Contributed by Kelly Durant on Jul 15, 2015

Geography and archaeology are revealing to us more and more how the ancients lived, how intelligent they were, how hard working they were, and how they worshiped God,

Abraham: Biblical Geographical History by Kelly Durant 2-24-13 Hebrews 11:9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; 10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:9

Denomination: Salvation Army

Accept One Another Series

Contributed by John Dobbs on Jul 1, 2021

This is an uncomfortable, difficult, and counter-culture teaching that is based solely on the love of Christ. They had a hard time with it - it was a shock to their system to hear it - but it was God’s way forward.

-Building Up One Another- ACCEPT ONE ANOTHER Romans 15:7 Introduction Romans 15:7 “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” In his letter of 16 chapters, he raises this in chap 15! This is an uncomfortable, difficult, and counter-culture teaching ...read more

Scripture: Romans 15:7

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Rich Man And Lazarus

Contributed by Bala Samson on Jul 10, 2022

Many may go to church but alas only a few, very few, who strive hard to follow Jesus and His commandments would make it to heaven!

Rich man and Lazarus Luke 16:19 "Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. 20 "And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores..” This morning God reminded me of the parable of the rich man ...read more

Scripture: Luke 16:19

Denomination: Pentecostal

Who Can Stand? The Church!, Part 2 (Revelation 7:9-17) Series

Contributed by Garrett Tyson on May 21, 2023

A no-rapture, academically rigorous reading of Revelation. Life is hard now. It will be harder later, and Revelation prepares us to accept that, and to be faithful in tough times.

Last week, we worked our way through the first vision of Revelation 7, which describes the sealing of the 144,000, from the 12 tribes of Israel. I argued that this was a vision of the church. Israel, is the church. The church, is Israel. I gave a few arguments in support of this, but I left out ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 7:9-17