Sermons on Ruth 1:1-23:

The Dilemma In The Land Series

Contributed by Grant Adams on Jan 21, 2022

A famine forces Elimelech and his family to move to Moab. God turns something that was bad and turned it into good.

I. The Famine in the Land 1. A famine of food. 1 of thirteen in the bible. 2. The period of the famine. a. In the days when the judges ruled. b. Was a space of 450 years. c. 13 judges ruled in all. d. It was a very evil time. e. It was a time of moral and theological degradation. 3. The famine ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:1-5

Denomination: Baptist

Gleaning In The Right Field Series

Contributed by Grant Adams on Jan 21, 2022

As impoverished women in that ancient culture, Naomi and Ruth had few options for earning a living. Naomi desires for her to glean in the relative, Boaz's field.

I. The Cousin of Naomi 1. Ruth 2:1 2. Naomi has a kinsman of the family of Elimelech whose name was Boaz. 3. He was a mighty man of wealth. 4. Boaz was mighty in fortune, fame and in fight. 5. Boaz was not a weakling. II. The Consent for Gleaning 1. Ruth 2:2 2. The first change is seen in the ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 2:1-17

Denomination: Baptist

A Theology Of Problems Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 3, 2021

History began with a problem. Problems are more universal than sin, for Jesus had no sin but He had problems. Even before sin, Adam and Eve had a problem. Their problem was, should I obey God or not?

A woman who wanted her apartment painted while she was out of town was very fussy. She insisted that the ceiling be painted the exact shade of her ash tray. The painters after trying to mix this exact shade unsuccessfully finally hit upon a solution to their problem. They painted the ash ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:1-4

Ordinary People Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 3, 2021

Everybody in this book is ordinary. Obed, the baby who gives the book a happy ending, does not grow up to do anything of significance that we know of. There are no great battles, no miracles, and no profound theological statements in this book. Not one person in this book was above ordinary.

What woman do you know who has had a thousand men propose to her from fisherman to millionaires; from the penniless on the bowry to the prince of a royal European family? And who was still getting regular proposals after she was 70 years old? There was such a woman, and her name was Evangeline ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:1-18

Desirable Determination Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 4, 2021

The old saying that where there is a will there is a way is confirmed over and over again. People with a spirit of determination are doing the improbable all the time, and by the grace and providence of God, sometimes even the impossible.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn is one of the great modern examples of the power of determination. He served time in the Siberian waste land for making a disparaging remark about Stalin in a letter. He endured six years of imprisonment, when he suddenly discovered the joy of writing. He was suffering for ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:14-22

The Clever Couple Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 4, 2021

Cleverness is the ability to skillfully work your way through complex circumstances to a goal that is your aim to reach. Godly cleverness is aiming for a goal that is pleasing to God. Boaz was blessed with godly cleverness. This is a virtue that has changed the entire world in which we live.

A young couple who had just gotten married, and who had received many valuable wedding gifts, established their home in the suburb. One morning they received in the mail two tickets for a popular show in the city. A note said, "Guess who?" The couple were amused as they tried to find ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 4:1-10

Godly Grandparents Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 4, 2021

Godly grandparents have such a powerful impact on the lives of grandchildren that one is not far from the mark to say that the church and the Sunday School, and all other arms of the kingdom of God are supplements to the influence of grandparents.

Among the many things that makes man unique in creation is the presence of, and the influence of, grandparents. F. W. Boreham many years ago pointed out that in the vegetable world, "The bursting buds of spring push off the last lingering leaves of the previous season, and thus decline to ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 4:13-17

Clinging To The Lord In Hope Series

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on May 12, 2022

Life becomes 'bitter' and we lose hope with we turn away from the Lord, but the Lord restores hope by drawing us back to Him.

CLINGING TO THE LORD IN HOPE Ruth 1:1-22 What is wrong?—Life becomes ‘bitter,’ and we lose hope when we turn away from the Lord. What is true?—The Lord restores hope by drawing us back to Him. What to do—We must cling to the Lord in hope. Why? Because… I Hope in the Lord Leads to Obedience ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:1-22

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Clever Couple Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 17, 2021

There are few, if any, who become key links in the plan of God who are not in some way clever, and this goes for both Ruth and Boaz.

A young couple who had just gotten married, and who had received many valuable wedding gifts, established their home in the suburb. One morning they received in the mail two tickets for a popular show in the city. A note said, "Guess who?" The couple were amused as they tried to ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 3:1-4, Ruth 4:1-10

Security

Contributed by Gerald Roberts on Oct 27, 2021

Naomi lost all her security her home, her land, her family, and her hope in God. But, God never left her.

“The Lord grant that you may find security …” New Revised Standard —Ruth 1:9a 1. The place we find security is Home • Home is where one has food on the table, • Home is where we have a place to lay our head and rest. • Home is a place of shelter from storms of life the rain, snow, heat, ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:9

Denomination: Methodist

Strength In Relationships (Version 2: October 31, 2021 Used As An All Saints Day Sermon)

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Nov 4, 2021

What would have happened if Naomi and Ruth would have gone their separate ways because they were widows? What happens when we withdraw, throw our hands up and quit? What will happen if we stop meeting together to encourage one another?

STRENGTH IN RELATIONSHIPS Text: Ruth 1:1 – 18 Ruth 1:1-18  In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons.  (2)  The name of the man was Elimelech and ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:1-18

Denomination: United Methodist

Naomi The Reformer Series

Contributed by Rev. Dr. Andrew B Natarajan on Feb 25, 2024

Naomi a poor widow in a foreign land, bounces back with new life through strong determination and courage. She became a wise and righteous woman.

Theme: Naomi – Reformer Text: Ruth 1:16-23   Greetings: The Lord is good and his love endures forever.   Introduction: The book of Ruth revolves around three personalities namely, Naomi, Ruth and Boaz. The aim of this book is to connect the birth messiah back to David and further back to ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:16-20

Denomination: Methodist

I Was Bitter, But Now I’m Better

Contributed by Dr. Jwt Spies on Sep 30, 2025

Isn’t it something that one of the most honored women in history, the mother of Jesus, the Savior, the Christ, carried a name that meant bitter?

Ruth 1:20-21 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. As I stand before you today, I want to lift up a thought that will stir your spirit: I Was Bitter but Now I’m Better. Touch your neighbor and say: “Neighbor, I’ve been through ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:20-21

Denomination: Baptist

When Everything Falls Apart Series

Contributed by Mark Schaeufele on Oct 1, 2025

Let your decisions in difficulty be shaped by faith, not fear.

When Everything Falls Apart Text: Ruth 1:1-5 Introduction 1. “We pray when there’s nothing else we can do, but God wants us to pray before we do anything at all.” (Oswald Chambers) 2. The Bible is full of stories where people assumed God needed their help, so they went and made terrible mistakes ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:1-5

Denomination: Methodist

God's Grace In Our Grief Series

Contributed by Mark Schaeufele on Oct 23, 2025

2. It’s difficult to see hope in the middle of grief, but God’s grace always supplies us with hope even in the darkest night.

GOD’S GRACE IN OUR GRIEF Text: Ruth 1:19-22 Introduction 1. Illustration: Franklin D. Roosevelt said: “We have always held to the hope, the belief, the conviction that there is a better life, a better world just beyond the horizon.” 2. It’s difficult to see hope in the middle of grief, but God’s ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:19-22

Denomination: Methodist