Sermons on Long Suffering:

Why Trials Come Series

Contributed by Brian Bill on Jul 11, 2010

God wants to grow us through the garbage in our lives.

Why Trials Come James 1:2-8 Rev. Brian Bill 7/11/10 I began the message last week with a question from a PBC member. I begin today with a series of questions from someone else. She has been wracked with worry and pummeled with pain: “Why does it seem some people just can’t get ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-8

Denomination: Baptist

Too Heavenly Minded

Contributed by Jason Jones on Jul 2, 2012

What reward are we to look toward to be able to choose to suffer the reproach of Christ? Background to passage: Paul is exalting in the salvation that we share in Christ, mentions the reward.. “The strength to endure present suffering is the fruit of me

Text: Eph 2:4-7, Col 3:1-4, Title: Too Heavenly Minded, Date/Place: NRBC, 7/1/12 A. Opening illustration: “The strength to endure present suffering is the fruit of meditating on future satisfaction.” B. Background to passage: Paul is exalting in the salvation that we share in Christ, ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:4-7

Denomination: Baptist

Can God Be Trusted?

Contributed by Sean Harder on Aug 5, 2011

God allows us to do things for which he holds himself responsible. God trusts us, can you believe that? And he lets us blame him for things that we are responsible for. I wonder if we can be trusted by him, can he be trusted by us? And will we show that t

Let me start today with some words from Christopher Columbus who we attribute with finding North America, but not many of us know that apparently he was quite a theologian too. He said, “It was the Lord who put into my mind the fact that it would be possible to sail from here (Spain) to the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 55:16-23

Spiritual Thermodynamics Series

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Nov 19, 2014

When you know the Lord, He turns your pain into praise. He turns opposition into opportunity for the spread of the Gospel if you will take that opportunity to preach the Word to all without prejudice and without price.

Eagles are fascinating birds. Did you know a mother eagle constructs her nest with thorns and jagged rocks? These are the first things she lays down. Then she covers that prickly nest with wool, feathers, and the fur of animals she has killed. That makes the nest soft and comfortable, a nice home ...read more

Scripture: Acts 8:1-24

Denomination: Evangelical Free

We Are Family

Contributed by C Jordan on Jul 25, 2014

In this final section of James, we see a beautiful picture of the different seasons of life for the family of God: From suffering and sickness, to prayer, confessing sins and bearing one another’s burdens.

JOURNEY THROUGH JAMES #8: WE ARE FAMILY INTRO TO SPEAKER: Just celebrated Caleb’s grade 12 graduation this past week. THE HEART OF PASTOR JAMES: “Of James, the brother of the Lord, we read the following: James, being considered a just and perfect man, governed the church with the ...read more

Scripture: James 5:13-20

Denomination: *other

Bitter Complaints: Born To Trouble Series

Contributed by Amiri Hooker on Oct 10, 2021

Job speaks his prayers out loud in our text for this week. He shares his brokenness and mostly his feeling that God is not listening any longer.

MAIN TEXT: In a way, a lot has transpired between last week’s reading and this one. In another way, nothing much has changed. Job is still on the ash heap. Job is still iN A place of bitter complaints. The companions who sat in silence with Job for seven days (2:13) now try and blame Job for his ...read more

Scripture: Job 23:1-9, Job 23:16-17

Denomination: United Methodist

Pain Perspective - Pt. 3 - People, Permanent, And Perfected Pain Series

Contributed by Steve Ely on Mar 13, 2014

It interrupts comfort. It turns heaven into hell. Pain . . . it can cloud our vision or clear our vision. We must gain pain perspective.

Pain Perspective Pt. 3 – People, Permanent, and Perfected Pain You will remember that there are only three things that are certain in life . . . death, taxes, and then we added pain to the list because we are told in Genesis 3:19 that because of our own fallenness we will be: “be ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 53:3-11

Denomination: Pentecostal

Triumph Over Trials Sermon Vi: Take Refuge In The Comfort Of God Series

Contributed by Charles Cunningham on May 13, 2020

In times like these, when troubles overwhelm and even Christians find themselves at their wits' end, mature Christians decide to look upon their extremity as an opportunity to renew their trust in the Lord as their refuge.

WHEN TROUBLES OVERWHELM, CHRISTIANS TAKE REFUGE IN THE COMFORT OF GOD Perhaps you’ve heard it said, or you yourself have said, “I’m at my wits’ end”! In other words: “I’m so exhausted trying to figure out how to deal with problems and difficult situations that I don’t ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:3-11

We Must Obey God Rather Than Men

Contributed by Mark A. Barber on May 16, 2022

Where does obedience to the command of men stop and obedience to God begin?

We must obey God rather than Men Acts 5:26-33 Sometimes, the Scripture seems to put us in quite a dilemma. Peter’s response in the passage we just read shows that Peter’s response to the High Priest’s charge that the Apostles had disobeyed the strict prohibition of the Sanhedrin that they should ...read more

Scripture: Acts 5:26-33

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Lingering Gloom Of Sleeping In The Bed We Made Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jun 13, 2016

Our personal choices have consequences, some of them long-term. The choices groups or nations make also have consequences. Provoking God’s long-term discipline is a miserable experience, and sometimes the righteous have to experience it/w the unrighteous.

The Lingering Gloom of Sleeping in the Bed We Made (Psalm 74) 1. A blogger out west writes, “Today, I was hiking, and four miles away from my car and civilization, I tripped over a rock into a cactus. I used duct tape, which ripped all the hair off my arms and legs but ignored the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 74:1-23

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Good

Contributed by Lou Nicholes on Dec 28, 2004

Evil is present in our fallen world, but God is able to turn every circumstance into long range good. However we need to realize that He is not working just to make us happy, but to fulfill His long range purpose.

THOUGHTS ABOUT THE PASSAGE: A farmer went to his banker and announced that he had bad news and good news. “First, the bad news...” “Well,” said the farmer, “I can’t make my mortgage payments. And that crop loan I’ve taken out for the past 10 years—I can’t pay that off, either. Not only that, I ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28-30

Denomination: Baptist

When Failure Is A Step Toward Success Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 29, 2006

Sometimes it must get worse before it gets better; short-term failures can be steps to long term and greater successes. We must aim toward a long term vision, not merely achieving short-term goals.

When Failure is A Step Toward Success (Exodus 5:1-7:13) 1. Misunderstanding can lead to creativity. "Bell was inspired to start development of the telephone when he read an account, written in German, describing an invention which he thought had the function of a telephone. After demonstrating ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

What's So Great About It? Series

Contributed by Guy Caley on Dec 14, 2001

Peter reminds a suffering Church what’s so special about their "living hope."

What’s So Great About It? Text: 1 Peter 1:3-12 Introduction Illustration: Farmer who was so fed up with His farm he wanted to sell it, but when he listed all the features of it with the realtor he realized he had all that he wanted Peter writes this letter to a church in the midst of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:3-12

Denomination: Assembly Of God

When Plans Go Awry Series

Contributed by James Hays on Apr 28, 2020

we all have plans for life and a sense of direction lain out in our minds. Sometimes life laughs. We suffer loss.

This time has disrupted most –if not all – of our plans. The seniors had plans of finishing their senior year and graduating with celebrations, now what? Many had plans of getting married with parties and celebrations, now what? Many had plans of having jobs, income, and insurance, but now what? ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 20:24, Jeremiah 10:23-24, Hebrews 2:14-18

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Love Is Not Rude

Contributed by Roger Hasselquist on Dec 1, 2025

Opie was cleaning things out of the garage and told the other boy that by doing that he was earning a 25 cent allowance. The other boy made fun of Opie saying he should get an allowance without any work. And if he didn't get what he wanted to start crying or have a fit.

Alba 11-30-2025 LOVE IS NOT RUDE I Corinthians 13:5 After spending 3 ½ hours at the Department of Motor Vehicles enduring the long lines, rude clerks and insane regulations, a man stopped at a toy store to pick up a gift for his son. He brought his selection, a baseball bat, to the cash ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:5

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ