Sermons on Overcoming Challenges:

Every Christian Is A Minister

Contributed by R. David Reynolds on Jun 3, 2006

This purpose of this sermon is to challenge laity to become involved in ministry by coming to understand that the Holy Spirit calls all Christians into ministry. It was orginally preached on Pentecost Sunday and tied in with the empowerment for ministry

Every Christian Is a Minister --Ephesians 4:7-12 In his 1786 “Thoughts Upon Methodism” John Wesley made a statement that continually sticks with me: I am not afraid that the people called Methodist should ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid least they should ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:7-12

Denomination: Methodist

Bring One More To Jesus!

Contributed by Stan Simonik on Jun 3, 2006

A Pentecost Sunday message, challenging us to invite one more person to worship and bring one more to Jesus. The experience of Pentecost is not ancient history, it should be today’s reality.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, you may have noticed an article in the newspaper a few days ago about a British mountain climber David Sharp who collapsed during his descent from Mount Everest due to lack of oxygen. Such tragic event in itself is not so unusual. The area above 26,000 feet ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-21

Denomination: Lutheran

Whatever It Takes (#1) Series

Contributed by Jon Daniels on Aug 25, 2004

This is the first in a series of 4 messages challenging the hearers to do "whatever it takes" to be the person God has called them to, and help their church be all that God would have it to be.

“WHATEVER IT TAKES” 1 Cor. 9:22-23 INTRO – Are we living our lives as individual Christians w/ a “whatever it takes” mentality? Are we willing to do whatever it takes to live our lives for Jesus? Do you truly desire to be used by Him as you live out your days on this earth? Or are you ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:22-23

Denomination: Baptist

How Far Will You Go? Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Sep 15, 2004

Jesus has a way of always challenging us to go forward. Just when we think we know Him, He reveals something new that forces us into faith.

Just when you think you know who Jesus is – He reveals something else that throws you completely off. Just when you have a handle on your life, something happens to upset everything you’ve come to rely on. We think that describes someone who is young in the Lord or who should know better. But in ...read more

Scripture: Mark 6:31-56

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Let Him Save Himself (Whose Line Is It?) Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Apr 20, 2003

The Chief Preists and Teachers of the Law challenged Jesus to save Himself, come down off the cross... then they’d believe in Him. Why didn’t He do that?

OPEN: April 15th was just this past week, and I ran across this bit of information about the IRS that I wanted to share with you this morning. According to the "Newhouse News Service:" Over the past 193 years, the federal government has received approximately $4 million in unsolicited funds from ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 27:39-43

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Holy City, The New Jerusalem

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Jun 22, 2001

John, in the Revelation, sees a vision of the New Jerusalem, the Bride of Christ, the Church, as a climax of God’s redemptive purposes, an encouragement and challenge to believers still living in a dark and hostile world.

THE HOLY CITY, THE NEW JERUSALEM When we look out on our world it’s easy to be pessimistic – with countries at outright war and others threatening each other, the environment at risk through global warming, disease and disaster. Evil seems to abound, with downright wickedness, injustice and ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 21:1-8

Denomination: Baptist

God's Way

Contributed by Joey Johnson on May 18, 2001

When we face the challenges of this life, there is but one way to handle them, fighting the tempation to handle them our way and in faith deciding to handle them God’s Way.

GOD’S WAY (2 Kings 5.1-14) (v.1) I. Naaman was a successful man, he had a lot going for him, but he also had a big problem( a burden in his life). “...commander of the army... a great and honorable man... by him the LORD gave ...read more

Scripture: John 9:3, 2 Kings 5:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

The Emmaus Road Series

Contributed by Darren Ethier on May 21, 2002

Part 2 of 4 of the series, Roads of Passion. The Emmaus Road: a road that reveals Jesus’ companionship, conversation, challenge to believe, and renewal of hope to all those who follow Him.

THE EMMAUS ROAD Luke 24:13-35 Read at beginning of service: Luke 24:13-35 (NIV) 13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:13-35

Denomination: Pentecostal

Costs Of The Journey Series

Contributed by E Philip Davis on Mar 6, 2008

Jesus makes it clear in Luke 9:23 that the path of discipleship is a costly one; what challenges do we face in "bearing our cross daily" in today’s culture?

COSTS OF THE JOURNEY In this series from Luke we are seeing how following Jesus – what we call discipleship – is like a journey with him. This is what the disciples did in Luke’s Gospel, where Chapters 9-19 are in the form of a journey from Galilee to Jerusalem. In the first week Wayne introduced ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:23-26

Denomination: Baptist

The Path Principle - New Year's Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Jan 14, 2008

Many people are "directionall challenged". In other words, they have no goals in their lives and often end up in painful relationships and situations because they don’t plan to get anywhere in their lives.

OPEN: On New Year’s Day, 1929, Georgia Tech played UCLA in the Rose Bowl. In that game a young man named Roy Riegels recovered a fumble for UCLA. Picking up the loose ball, and he ran 65 yards toward goal line. Unfortunately… he had gotten confused… it was the wrong goal line. One of his ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Facing Life's Storms Series

Contributed by Shine Thomas on Feb 2, 2009

How to respond when storms come in our way? Why do we go through storms in life? A Biblical perspective to face our day to day problems and challenges.

Message: Facing Life’s Storms Series – Miracles of Jesus Scripture: Mark 4: 35-41 Introduction: Have you experienced storms in your life? Times when things just did not make sense. Times when our problems seemed big and faith seemed so small. Times when we feel scared that we are going to be ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:35-41

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Old Truth In A New Age

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Feb 23, 2009

When I read John 14:6, I face a dilemma...with the challenge of following Jesus as Truth at a time when the concept of universal truth is in question.” (Chan, 2007)

When I read John 14:6, I face a dilemma. I believe the truth, that is not the challenge. Dr. Mark Chan, scholar, theologian, author and professor at University of Nottingham, captures the problem for me. He wrote, “Our concern is with the challenge of following Jesus as Truth at a time when the ...read more

Scripture: John 14:6

Denomination: Salvation Army

Unexpected Joy

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Feb 27, 2009

We sing and quote that "The joy of the LORD is your strength," but learning to live it in challenging service to our King is a daily "workout" for our faith (that brings "unexpected joy").

How many of us have ever said, “As soon as I get this accomplished, I’ll focus on helping out at the church?” How many of us have ever said, “As soon as I have my degree in hand, I’ll start seriously serving the Lord” or “As soon as our church finds a building (or a pastor), I’ll really get ...read more

Scripture: Nehemiah 8:1-10

Denomination: *other

Big Stage...big Performance

Contributed by Johnny Knight on Jan 27, 2010

The bigger the challenge becomes, the bigger the stage for your God to do His amazing thing - maybe something bigger than you have ever seen Him do before!

BIG STAGE...BIG PERFORMANCE Text: 1 Kings 18:36-38 It was the largest cooperative effort ever among the churches of this county where we were about to do our next community-wide outreaches. What we do is a full-scale mobilization of God’s people in an area to reach lost people with what we call ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 18:36-38

Denomination: Assembly Of God

No Matter What

Contributed by Beth Garrod-Logsdon on Mar 1, 2010

Lent 2C - A look at Psalm 27 & Philippians 3:17-4:1. With a reminder that God loves us no matter what. And a challenge to be examples of Christ, no matter what.

No Matter What Philippians 3:17-4:1 & Psalm 27 (Lent 2C - 2010) Rev. Beth Garrod-Logsdon Wilmore Presbyterian Church On Thursday, I took the opportunity to go to Asbury Seminary’s chapel service to experience the preaching of one of the top preachers of our time. Dr. Tom Long is Professor ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed