Sermons on Preparing For Trials:

God Is At Your Door

Contributed by Daniel Habben on Nov 15, 2004

God is at Your Door. Be prepared to serve him. Be prepared to listen to him.

Ding-dong! “Is anybody home?” What do you do when someone is at your door? It depends on who it is doesn’t it? If it’s a friend you will make your way quickly to the door to let him/her in. If it’s a stranger you probably won’t be so accommodating, at least not until you find out what that stranger ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 18:1-14

Denomination: Lutheran

We Do Not Lose Heart

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Apr 15, 2018

While God is preparing us for this house, Jesus is preparing this house for us.

WE DO NOT LOSE HEART. 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1. The first thing that strikes us about this passage is the continuity between the Old Testament and the New. Paul finds his warrant to preach embedded in the book of Psalms: ‘I believed, therefore I spoke. I am greatly afflicted’ (Psalm 116:10). ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:1, 2 Corinthians 4:13-18

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Joy And Pain

Contributed by Joe Dan Vendelin on Feb 14, 2024

How are your current trials (pain) preparing you for not only what you need today (or tomorrow), but what others may need today (or tomorrow) as well? This is a quick devotional that will encourage believers to "reframe" their pain.

Joy and Pain What do the words joy and pain mean to us as believers? How is it that these words go together? James 1 is a place to start in considering these questions. “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-3, Galatians 6:2, Romans 8:28

Atm

Contributed by Wesley Bishop on Mar 14, 2004

This is about the Anointing, Trials and Ministry of Jesus.

Turn with me to Mark 1. Read Mark 1:9-15. There are three things we see in this passage. There is anointing, trial and ministry. Anointing Jesus had to be anointed by the Holy Spirit before he could start his earthly ministry. For the first thirty years of his life, he was a carpenter in the ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:9-15

Denomination: Wesleyan

What Kind Of Person Do You Want To Be? (James 1:1-12) Series

Contributed by Garrett Tyson on May 19, 2022

James encourages us to be all-in for God, responding "in faith" to testings, and steadfastly live in faithfulness toward God and people.

Who do you want to be? (James 1:1-12) Today, we begin a new series on the letter of James. The sort of weird thing about teaching on James, from my perspective, is that I've done this before. Maybe 10 years ago, I preached through James in two little churches in Kulm and Medina. I'm ...read more

Scripture: James 1:1-12

Wait Training

Contributed by Derrick Tuper on May 14, 2012

We might think we have patience but the proof will be in the testing of it. Just like our faith needs to be tested, as James pointed out in chapter two, so does our patience. The people in chapter five had been under unjust suffering and they were, up to

WAIT TRAINING James 5:7-12 INTRODUCTION: Someone once said, “Patience is a virtue; possess it if you can. Found seldom in a woman; never in a man.” Of course, the men are agreeing with this except the part about never in a man and the women are agreeing except for the part about seldom ...read more

Scripture: James 5:7-12

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Signs

Contributed by Chris Mccarthy on Oct 11, 2010

Facing our fears and understanding the big picture of Jesus' end time prophecies.

The best fairy tales come from the worst fears… Most of them were written in a time where poverty, famine and childhood abandonment were common. All three of those are mixed into a story about kids getting lost in the woods and eventually meeting a cannibalistic witch in a children’s ...read more

Scripture: Luke 21:5-38

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Blind See Series

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Oct 28, 2009

If you want to gain true wisdom in the midst of your pain, don’t be like those who WON’T SEE, and don’t be like those who CAN’T SEE. Instead, be like those who DO SEE, because they let Jesus touch them not just once, but as many times as it takes.

A businessman was late for an important meeting and couldn’t find a parking space. As he frantically circled the block, the man got so desperate that he decided to pray. Looking up toward heaven, he said, “Lord, take pity on me. If you find me a parking space, I’ll go to church every Sunday ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:11-26

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Visiting Down Under

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Dec 1, 2011

The book of Revelation offers great insight for understanding martyrdom and persecution.

“Visiting Down Under” Rev. 6:9-11 If only we would read the book of Revelation as a message of comfort rather than a calendar of events, if only we would see Revelation as an opportunity for encouragement rather than a platform for debate, if only we would preach and teach it from a ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 6:9-11

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Jesus Christ Being Tempted Series

Contributed by Jaeyoun Chang on Jan 13, 2026

If the devil tempted Jesus, who is God, like this, there is nothing more to say about us.

Introduction When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended on him in the bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” We expect that after this amazing event, Jesus will immediately proclaim the gospel of the kingdom of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:1-13

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Three Truths

Contributed by Jose R. Hernandez on Oct 19, 2000

Three truths about trials and temptations.

The Three Truths I was speaking to someone the other day and I am not sure exactly how it happened, but somehow we began talking about temptation. Has anyone here ever thought about this subject? This is something that if we begin thinking about can be quite perplexing. Therefore, today I want to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:6-9, Revelation 2:9-10

Denomination: Independent/Bible

"Here Comes The Judge"

Contributed by Andy Grossman on Sep 4, 2011

How to prepare for Judgment Day.

“Here Comes the Judge” September 4, 2011 Revelation 20:11-13 “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 20:11-13

Denomination: Holiness

How To Respond To God When Things Don’t Make Sense Series

Contributed by Pat Damiani on Jan 4, 2010

Habakkuk’s psalm helps us to know how to respond to God even when things don’t make sense.

This morning we’re going to return to our journey through the Old Testament prophets in preparation for our study of the Book of Revelation. So go ahead and turn in your Bibles to the Book of Habakkuk. If you’re not familiar with that small book, you can find it by going to the first book in the ...read more

Scripture: Habakkuk 3:1-19

Denomination: Baptist

The Four Winds And The Voice Of God.

Contributed by John Bartol on Aug 20, 2013

Illustrations from Scripture showing how the North, South, East and West Winds all have a different message for us. Though we have sinned, there is mercy and pardon, for you and for me.

The Four Winds and the Voice of God. Who has seen the wind? Where does it come from and where does it go? Let me begin by mentioning just a few of the many references to wind in the Bible. Genesis 8:1 – After the flood we are told that God remembered Noah, and made a wind to pass over the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 27:13

Denomination: Baptist

Living While Dying Series

Contributed by Pat Damiani on Jun 7, 2010

By remaining faithful even in the face of tribulation, we prove the genuineness of our faith and can be assured of eternal life, even in the face of physical death.

I’d like to begin this morning by reading a portion of an article from the January 2008 issue of “Christianity Today” titled “A Victorious Family.” [Read first part of article]. We’ll come back and finish this account of Necati and Semse a little later, but ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 2:8-11

Denomination: Baptist