Sermons on Heart Hardness:

It's Time To Face Hard Reality, Not Fantasy PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Sep 26, 2023

God desires genuine worship from our hearts, not just rituals, and we must align ourselves with His divine will and justice.

Good morning, beloved family. Today, we're going to dive deep into a passage from the book of Amos that's as challenging as it is enlightening. We're going to take a good, hard look at the hard reality of God's justice, the fantasy of false worship, and the mighty hand of God. Now, before we read ...read more

Scripture: Amos 5:18-27

Topics: Justice, Supreme

The Hard Work Of Trust

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Mar 16, 2021

God teaches us to trust in him and in his Son our Saviour. God tells us that anxious care and bitter sighing won’t help. Discontentment will get us nowhere, but only humble trust and steadfast faith.

Have you ever felt like complaining against the LORD? Maybe you’ve prayed and prayed, but the answer that you wanted hasn’t come. Or you don’t like what God has brought into your life: lots of disappointment, lots of frustration. Or maybe you look at all the wickedness in the world, and you fear ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:26-39, Habakkuk 2:2-4

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Sermon # 20 - A Repentant Heart Series

Contributed by Andrew Dixon on Oct 25, 2024

Jonah was brought to the depths and after being battered in the belly of a big fish, Jonah repented and turned back to God. Rebellion is detrimental to us and only those who repent and get back to God can fulfill His purposes for their lives.

For this study and meditation we will read, Jonah 1:17, “When Jonah fell into the sea, the LORD chose a very big fish to swallow Jonah. He was in the stomach of the fish for three days and three nights.” (ERV) When Jonah disobeyed God, and voyaged in the opposite direction to the place God bid him ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 1:17, Jonah 2:1, Psalm 119:144, Judges 16:21, Judges 16:27, Luke 15:15-17, Luke 15:13, Proverbs 20:20-21, Judges 16:28  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Other

"Hard To Learn Lessons"

Contributed by Dennis Deese on Aug 10, 2002

There are many hard to learn lessons in the Christian life.

"HARD TO LEARN LESSONS" Dr. Dennis Deese - Fan The Flame Ministries, Inc. EZEKIEL 24:15-27 ETS: Ezekiel and the Jews had to learn some hard to learn lessons ESS: There are many hard to learn lessons in the Christian life. Introduction: The August 1992 Hurricane Andrew left more than 50,000 ...read more

It's Hard To Be Humble

Contributed by Eric Ledermann on Jul 23, 2002

Know the gifts which God has given you, these being three (purpose, prayer, and love) from a list of thousands, and go, do the work of God in your life, whatever God is calling you to do, always remaining humble in the presence of such extravagence.

HUMILITY: A pastor was asked to speak for a certain charitable organization. After the meeting the program chairperson handed the pastor a check. “Oh, I couldn’t take this,” the pastor said with some embarrassment. “I appreciate the honor of being asked to speak. You have better use for this ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:1-20

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Fasting The Hard Way

Contributed by Cameron Horsburgh on Nov 5, 2001

God isn’t as impressed with our pious religiosity as he is about the way we live our lives.

Now the Israelites had a problem. They practiced their religion faithfully, and they did everything that was expected, but God didn’t seem to be listening to them. What was the problem? This is a good question. And it’s an important question to ask ourselves as well. God, through his prophet, ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 58:1-9, Isaiah 58:9-14

Denomination: Holiness

Consistency Is Hard Work

Contributed by Matthew Morine on Oct 30, 2007

Want to make the congregation grow? Here is the solution to the problem. It is not talent, effort, or programs, it is a lack of consistency.

CONSISTENCY IS HARD WORK TEXT: 1 CORINTHIANS 15:58 THEME: CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY FOR GROWTH Every morning I try to get up at 6:00am to go to the gym to work out. I have been doing this in Waynesboro for the last 3.5 years. The key in working out is consistency. You have to get up every day ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:58

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The School Of Hard "Nots"

Contributed by Ryan Davis on Sep 27, 2005

You may have heard of people coming through the school of hard Knocks, but as I look through the word of God, I find some “NOT’s” that are hard for some people to swallow.

THE SCHOOL OF HARD "NOTS" TITUS 3:3-8 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of ...read more

Scripture: Titus 3:3-8

Denomination: Baptist

The University Of Hard Knocks

Contributed by Ed Wood on May 26, 2007

Paul sat at the feet of Gamaliel and other great teachers of that day. But he learned far more from the UNIVERSITY OF HARD KNOCKS, for there he sat under God’s great teaching.

THE UNIVERSITY OF HARD KNOCKS 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 INTRO: There are many great universities in our land. Everyone knows about Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. In England there is Oxford University. But I want to tell you about another school. It has had more students and more graduates than any ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:7-9

Denomination: Baptist

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

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

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

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

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

The Hard Topic Of Divorce

Contributed by Daniel Sorensen on Oct 18, 2006

Combining Pastoral Care skills with the scripture on divorce allows us to meet the parishioner/seeker where they are, encourage them to be authentic with who they are, and bring themselves wholly to God. The next step would be be a refelection of God’s l

There is a group of new Pastors who are keeping in touch with one another this year via e-mail. We check-in and see how things are going. We talk about ideas for children’s sermons and compare life in the parish to what we learned in the classroom. It’s a helpful way to enter into a new ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:1-16

Denomination: Lutheran