Sermons on Hard Things:

Observations For Change

Contributed by Anthony Zibolski on Nov 4, 2014

Change is hard, no one really likes to change. We have to decide if we want change and will take steps to accomplish the task.

Observations for Change John 5:1-5:9 Introduction- This sermon was gleaned from ideas from SermonCentral and the Bible This morning I want you to turn to John 5:1-5:8. As you are turning there, I want to tell you of a book I read about 10 years ago. It was called “Who moved my ...read more

Scripture: John 5:1-9

Denomination: Nazarene

It's Fun Being A Christian - Enjoy!

Contributed by Dr. C. David White on Mar 25, 2002

Satan wants us to believe that serving God is too hard. The truth is that only a life with God’s favor is worth living.

THE GREAT LIE 1 Jn. 5:3 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:3-5

Denomination: Baptist

The Circle Maker 4: Think Long Series

Contributed by Mark Batterson on Nov 15, 2011

We need to be willing to pray for as long as it takes. Pray that it will take long enough and be hard enough for God to receive all of the glory.

Introduction On the Swedish Island of Visingso, there is a mysterious forest of oak trees; mysterious because oak trees aren’t indigenous to the island and its origin was unknown for more than a century. Then in 1980, the Swedish Navy received a letter from the Forestry Department reporting ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 10:12-13

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Restoring Strained Relationships Series

Contributed by Paul Clemente on Apr 27, 2009

Until you have learned God’s love for yourself and be reconciled with God, you will have a hard time reconciling with others!

God is a God of relationships; this is why He created people. Because the Creator God is a God of relationships, His created ones, people, are to be relational as well. Most of us have had strained relationships. Should we try and restore strained relationships? If so, how do we do it? How do we ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Honoring Our Mistakes

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Oct 18, 2000

Keeping our commitments may be hard, but its the stuff character is made of. And God rewards faithfulness with a beautiful crown in glory.

1. I was working on an Associates Degree in Electronics Engineering Technology/community college; now, in the beginning of my second year, I felt the call to ministry...what should I do? Completed my degree... 2. Many times married couples second guess their decision of a partner ...if I had only ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Wilderness Or Promise Land

Contributed by David Azbell on Sep 2, 2004

How many times have you found yourself in this spot? A spot commonly referred to as, between a rock and a hard place?

How many times have you found yourself in this spot? A spot commonly referred to as, between a rock and a hard place? Here God had freed His children from Egypt using Moses as the messenger and deliverer. He brought them out of Egypt and into the path of the Red Sea with the Egyptian army hot on ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 14:14-30

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Sleep In Heavenly Peace (Simeon And Anna) Series

Contributed by James Jackson on Jan 6, 2023

A good night's sleep is hard to come by. What does it mean to "sleep in heavenly peace."

Good morning! Please turn in your Bibles to Luke chapter 2. I’d like you guys to think about the last time you went shopping for a mattress. It’s kind of a big deal. When Trish and I first got married, the mattress on our bed was the first major purchase we made together. I remember the sales ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:22-35

Denomination: Baptist

The Promise: Romans 8:28

Contributed by Scott Bayles on Jan 9, 2010

Adapted from Robert J. Morgan's book, this message explores the wonderful promise that God works all things for good. Alliterared & exopsitory. Powerpoint is avialble, just e-mail me.

The Promise Scott Bayles, pastor Adapted from the book by Robert J. Morgan In Robert J. Morgan’s book, The Promise, he tells the story of John Peterson. When John was a teenager he had a remarkable singing voice and was in high demand as a performer. His greatest ambition was to become a ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28-31, 2 Corinthians 1:2

Denomination: Christian Church

The First-Born Over All Creation Series

Contributed by John Lowe on May 21, 2018

The chief religions of Paul’s time included Gnosticism, stressing gnosis as essential to salvation, viewing matter as evil, and combining ideas derived from mythology, ancient Greek philosophy, ancient religions, and, eventually, Christianity.

5/7/18 Tom Lowe Lesson IIA2: THE FIRST-BORN OVER ALL CREATION (Colossians 1:15b-17) • Numbers in brackets [a], correspond to “Special Notes” following each verse. • NIV Bible is used throughout unless noted otherwise. Colossians 1:15b-17 (NIV) (Text) 15b the firstborn over all creation. 16 For ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1

Denomination: Baptist

Growing Closer To God

Contributed by Greg Nance on Dec 2, 2013

This is rule number one. If we do this, all others will fall into place.

This week and next week we will summarize what God’s word teaches us about growing closer to God and closer to one another through our recent study in Genesis 1-22. But to start us off, let’s go first to the New Testament look at the first part of Hebrews chapter 11 where we see all ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-18

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Debunking The Just World Theory

Contributed by Kerry Haynes on Mar 24, 2019

Who do bad things happen to good people? There are no easy answers; yet Jesus teaches there is not always a direct link between misfortune and sin. And every calamity is a wake-up all for all of us.

Luke 13:1-9 Debunking the Just World Theory [Please contact me at kerry.n.haynes@gmail.com for sermon outline in Word.] In a “Calvin and Hobbes” comic strip sometime back, Calvin says to his dad, “Why can't I stay up late? You guys can!” Then with a wide-mouthed protest he declares, “IT'S ...read more

Scripture: Luke 13:1-9, Job 4:7, John 5:14, Romans 11:22

Denomination: Baptist

New Wine Into New Wineskins

Contributed by Imelda Mesa on Sep 27, 2022

Jesus ditches the old ways of coming to God, in favor of the new. And He did not apologize for doing so, nor did he asked permission or approval from people who were stuck with the old ways.

In as much as we love to hold on to the year/decade, that was, it is not the wise. The old has gone, and the new has come! We embrace all that God has lined up to prepare His Bride for His imminent return. We must continue to evolve as an individual and as a Church family. Nonetheless, our biblical ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 43:18-19, Job 8:7, Mark 2:22, Luke 5:36-39

Denomination: Foursquare

Saying No To Temptations Series

Contributed by Paul Clemente on Jun 16, 2009

Say no to temptation, no matter how hard it may be, for there is no substitute for God’s presence in and provisions for our lives today and forever!

When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray, Jesus taught them what we call today the Lord’s Prayer. Let us slowly pray it together: Our Father …………… This prayer of course is not meant to be a repetitive, by rote type of prayer. It is a model for prayer. If it was meant to be a repetitive type ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 39:5-23

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Mark (Jesus Suffering Servant) Series

Contributed by Rick Thiessen on Jan 3, 2005

An overview of the gospel of Mark for seekers, looking at his specific view of Jesus as hard working, suffering Son of God, ransom for the world.

SE120504 GOSPEL TRUTH 1. Mark WHAT’S “GOSPEL” We’ve all heard this phrase: It’s the GOSPEL truth, man! Which means we think something is absolutely true, there’s total veracity… but that’s not what it meant to the people who coined the term. The Greek word we get it from is actually a compound ...read more

Scripture: Mark 2:1-12

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Christian Liberty

Contributed by Lou Nicholes on Mar 28, 2005

Sometimes its hard to know when to defer to the weaker brother. Paul gives a simple rule of thumb to help in making that decision.

THOUGHTS ABOUT THE PASSAGE: A prayer before the U.S. Senate. “Lord Jesus, thou who art the way, the truth, and the life; hear us as we pray for the truth that shall make all free. Teach us that liberty is not only to be loved but also to be lived. Liberty is too precious a thing to be buried in ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:23-33

Denomination: Baptist