Sermons on Praying Hard:

Love People, Use Things

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 31, 2009

Thanksgiving Eve sermon 1989: We have a hard time giving up our attachment to things material. We do need to feel, however, that what we use makes a difference for someone -- a way to love them.

When we read that the city of Washington is going to get everybody out of an infamous homeless shelter by Christmas, because that shelter is no longer fit for human habitation, we have a variety of reactions. Some react at the thought that we still have not come very far at settling the issue of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13

Denomination: Baptist

Pride Verses Humility Series

Contributed by Dennis Davidson on Mar 29, 2012

Pride and humility are the outcomes of attitudes and opinion we harbor and the choices we make. The harmful results of pride are repeatedly contrasted with humility & with its benefits. So the sayings in Proverbs hammer hard against pride & drives home th

PRIDE VERSES HUMILITY Proverbs 11:2 Proverbs is direct and forceful in rejecting pride and honoring humility. Pride is pagan behavior. It has no place in the lives of God's people. Pride is a declaration of independence from God if not an assertion of war against Him. Pride therefore draws ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 11:2

Denomination: Baptist

Peace: Ready, Set, Go

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 27, 2010

Peace comes hard for some at Christmas. We must be open to what God wants to give, we must get down to what God wants us to be doing, and we must find meaning in our ordinary pursuits.

National Baptist Memorial Church, Washington, DC, Dec. 19, 2004 These are stressful days. There is too much going on. Too much work, too much to think about, too many demands. Stressful. We’d really like some peace, wouldn’t we? Just a moment or two of quiet – ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Denomination: Baptist

Do This In Remembrance.

Contributed by Howard Strickland on May 18, 2022

We humans often have a hard time remembering things. Maybe your memory has gotten so bad that you figure that within a few years you’ll be able to hide your own Easter eggs.

Do This In Remembrance. Luke 22:7-13NLT A man was working in his backyard one day, when his neighbor began talking to him over the fence. He said, "Yeah, my wife and I went to one of those seminars yesterday, you know, where they teach you ways to improve your memory and such.” ...read more

Scripture: Luke 22:7-13, Luke 22:19-20

Denomination: Pentecostal

Sermon # 24 - Redeemed Not Forsaken Series

Contributed by Andrew Dixon on Jun 27, 2023

Are you feeling lonely, forsaken and wondering when God will intervene to bring deliverance from your hard situations? Here’s the good news! We have a redeemer, and He will never leave us nor forsake us.

We read in Judges 5:31, “And there was peace in the land for forty years.”(GNB) The people of Israel enjoyed peace in the land for forty years, and this was possible because the Lord rendered the enemies of the Israelites powerless and established peace in the land. It is indeed true that the Lord ...read more

Scripture: Judges 5:31, Judges 6:13, Judges 6:1, Genesis 22:16-17, Genesis 1:28, Romans 5:17, Romans 5:10, Judges 6:24, Judges 6:19-20, Exodus 17:6, 1 Corinthians 10:4, Isaiah 53:5  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Other

Believing In Jesus Is Not Enough (John 8:12-59) Series

Contributed by Garrett Tyson on Feb 7, 2022

In John, there are a cluster of verbs Jesus wants from us, to be full disciples, and we have to hold them all together. If we focus too hard on "believing," we will misunderstand Jesus, and what he wants.

Last week, we read just two verses from John 8, spending the rest of our time in Leviticus 23 and Exodus 13. I scratched my itch to get back to the OT, and I'm ready to take another shot at this. I say that, but this is probably the most depressing chapter (I hope!) in the entire gospel of ...read more

Scripture: John 8:12-59

The Prodigal's Father Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 7, 2021

Fathers need some encouragement. There are two things I see in the parable of the Prodigal that can be an encouragement to fathers, for these two things make it clear that fatherhood is hard, but that there is hope. The two things I see here are the intricacy and the intimacy of fatherhood

We live in the age of the marvelous machine. In Washington D. C. the traffic for a half mile around the White House is controlled by a computer system. The system is constantly telling the lights when to change to move the traffic according to the need. 450 buses have a transmitter which is ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32

River Of Life Series

Contributed by Rev. Dr. Andrew B Natarajan on Aug 19, 2021

A day would come on that day, the luxurious cars, elegant high tower buildings and delicious food providing hotels, monuments and the beauties of the earth will be no more. Your hard-earned riches, wealth and properties will go within a fraction of seconds.

Theme: River of Life Text: Revelation 22:1-7 End of earthly life (Revelation 22:1) A day would come on that day, the luxurious cars, elegant high tower buildings and delicious food providing hotels, monuments and the beauties of the earth will be no more. Your hard-earned riches, wealth and ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 22:1-7

Denomination: Methodist

Santa’s Clause Is Coming To Town

Contributed by Charlie Roberts on Dec 15, 2019

God looked at the world, saw all of mankind when they were both sleeping and awake and knew the world could never change no matter how hard they tried, without a Savior to lead and bring the world back into relationship with Him!

Santa Clause is coming to town Ephesians 1:3-6 MSG 3-6 How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-6, Colossians 1:27, Zechariah 4:6, Philippians 4:19

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

"reformation: Finding Peace With God"

Contributed by Clarence Eisberg on Oct 25, 2019

The Reformation explosive, hard hitting, controversial, grace saturated, salvation clarifying Christ moment in history, based on Luther’s understanding of God’s grace as he lectured on Romans. The Reformation changed culture and our view or vocation.

In Jesus Holy Name October 27, 2019 Text: Romans 3:21-24 Redeemer “Reformation: Finding Peace with God” What a great event last night. Good food. Great music. Fun fellowship. Great beer. I always tell my Calvinist friends I’m so glad I’m a Lutheran. Why? Because I don’t ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:21-24, Romans 5:1-3

Denomination: Lutheran

Temporal Blessings Series

Contributed by Rev. Dr. Andrew B Natarajan on Feb 1, 2018

Temporal blessings are gift from God, he enables to earn, enjoy. Never be arrogant but be humble. God never hates the rich but the pride and the ungrateful. God adds many blessings to the smart, hard working people. Poverty is not a curse.

Blessings of the Living God 1 Tim 6:17 Introduction: Paul talks about the salvation, world and other so many problems faced in the Church. Finally, he touched the need of carefulness on the temporal blessings and its perils. No temporal duties can overpower the heavenly duties. Think that many ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:17

Denomination: Methodist

Living In His Presence During Difficult Times

Contributed by Mark Aarssen on Jun 19, 2018

Life is crushingly hard and so often it presents burdens our hearts are unable to bear in our own strength. The key truth is that God is with us through it all. We are not alone even as we walk through the darkest valley.

Living in His Presence during Difficult Times Psalm 23:1-4 Philippians 4:13 As our summer break began a young family suffered the sudden and unexpected death of their infant daughter. Such loss is unimaginable to comprehend. All of our hearts were broken by this news and we are at a loss to ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1-4, John 14:15-17

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Do This In Remembrance.

Contributed by Howard Strickland on Apr 23, 2022

We humans often have a hard time remembering things. Maybe your memory has gotten so bad that you figure that within a few years you’ll be able to hide your own Easter eggs.

Do This In Remembrance. Luke 22:7-13NLT A man was working in his backyard one day, when his neighbor began talking to him over the fence. He said, "Yeah, my wife and I went to one of those seminars yesterday, you know, where they teach you ways to improve your memory and such.” ...read more

Scripture: Luke 22:7-13, Genesis 12:1-4

Denomination: Pentecostal

He Bravely Pursues The Flying Midianites

Contributed by John Lowe on May 1, 2019

The men of Midian would be hard-pressed to go back into Canaan for any reason because now they feared Gideon’s God; since they must have figured out by now that the annihilation of the entire host of Midian was the work of Jehovah.

Chapter 29 He Bravely Pursues the Flying Midianites [Judges 8.10-12] Scripture 10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all the army of the people of the East; for there had fallen a hundred and twenty thousand men who drew ...read more

Scripture: Judges 8:10-12

Denomination: Baptist

He Bravely Pursues The Flying Midianites

Contributed by John Lowe on May 1, 2019

The men of Midian would be hard-pressed to go back into Canaan for any reason because now they feared Gideon’s God; since they must have figured out by now that the annihilation of the entire host of Midian was the work of Jehovah.

Chapter 29 He Bravely Pursues the Flying Midianites [Judges 8.10-12] Scripture 10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all the army of the people of the East; for there had fallen a hundred and twenty thousand men who drew ...read more

Scripture: Judges 8:10-12

Denomination: Baptist