Sermons on Self Effort:

Unity: Saints, Prepare The Church – Part 5 Of 6 Series

Contributed by Graham Kettle on Oct 14, 2014

Saints must build the Body of Christ through active participation/action. Every church worker is vital; if only one slacks off, the entire effort of the church suffers. Whatever your ability, if you are working for the Lord, it is “for the profit of all."

1. Basics Ephesians 4:12-13 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:12-13

Denomination: Church Of God

Don't You Get Weary, Children

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 26, 2010

Revision of earlier sermon, done for Wisconsin Avenue Baptist Church, Washington, DC. Spiritual weariness comes when we see obligation instead of privilege, or when we see no results from our efforts. But God in Christ will bring ultimate victory.

Wisconsin Avenue Baptist Church, Washington, DC, February 6, 2005 Last May our son got married. He and his bride passed out little bottles of soap instead of the traditional rice, so we all celebrated at the end of the wedding by blowing bubbles. Well, my daughter’s child, a little less ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:1-5

Denomination: Baptist

The Veil Torn

Contributed by David Dunn on Sep 12, 2025

When Jesus died, God Himself tore the temple curtain from top to bottom—forever removing every barrier between His holiness and our hearts. The way into His presence is wide open, not by our efforts or rituals, but by the finished work of Christ.

Introduction – A Wall Comes Down, A Veil Is Rent Down I still remember the summer of 1964 when our family crossed from West Germany into East. We were crammed into a Volkswagen bus—my parents up front, four sisters and two brothers jammed shoulder to shoulder. The youngest, little Sarah, was still ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 27:51, Hebrews 10:19-22, John 19:30, Hebrews 4:16, John 4:23, 1 Corinthians 3:16  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Bifocal ---Always Get Up

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Aug 7, 2019

Most bifocals are two fold: DISTANCE and NEAR VISION. What makes one great? We could achieve so much more with a little more vision, effort and planning. DON'T FORGET HEAVEN. God is rewards His people!

BIFOCAL LENSE? NEVER DIE EASY, ALWAYS GET UP By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com BIFOCAL: lense with two parts normally one for distance and the other for near vision. We seriously need clear vision in the church today. We die for a lack of vision. Many want to ride the ride, few ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:24-25, Hebrews 11:6, Matthew 16:27

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Victory Over Dieases

Contributed by Otis Mcmillan on Sep 29, 2020

Victory over diseases begin with a desperate desire to be well (2) A willingness to Act on Your Faith: put forth an effort, A Willingness to put Faith in Christ alone, A Willingness to Acknowledge the true source of victory and A Willingness to Praise God and Testify before men.

Victory Over Diseases Mark 5:21-34 Introduction: Jesus returned again to Capernaum, and was met by Jairus, a ruler of the Synagogue, whose daughter is sick unto death. On his way to Jairus' house, the woman of our text interrupts him and receives a "wayside miracle" ... an ...read more

Scripture: Mark 5:21-34, Luke 10:19

Denomination: Methodist

Hindered But Not Hopeless Series

Contributed by Christopher Benfield on Nov 11, 2020

There can be no doubt that Paul endured much for the sake of the gospel. From a worldly perspective, one might have thought his efforts had largely failed. However, Paul kept the faith and continued serving the Lord. We should be thankful for his perseverance.

Hindered but not Hopeless 1 Thessalonians 2: 17-20 What precious and powerful words are recorded for our exhortation in these few verses! These words reveal the very heart and soul of the apostle Paul. He, of all men, knew what it was to face adversity and extreme difficulty in ministry. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20

Denomination: Baptist

Removing The Hindrances

Contributed by D. Dewaine Phillips on Mar 3, 2022

Christians will pray for those who are lost in sin, but they usually do nothing more than pray. They are either afraid, or they don’t want to make an effort. Jesus had those who prayed unto Him take an active role in assisting Lazarus.

In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus gave His disciples and all believers the Great Commission, in which He said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you.” The ...read more

Scripture: John 11:38-44

Denomination: Baptist

A Soiled Faith

Contributed by D. Dewaine Phillips on Mar 6, 2022

Jeremiah's prophecy of the sash. The effort put forth in holding up one’s clothes represents a willingness to labor for the Lord, and letting ones clothes drag along the ground is symbolic of laziness and a lack of zeal for God's work.

In days of old, ladies who wore long dresses would lift them up past their ankles when they were walking near a mud puddle or climbing up some stairs. One reason why they did this was so they would not trip and fall; but another reason was to keep their clothing nice and clean. In order to keep ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 13:1-11

Denomination: Baptist

Image Is Everything Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Jun 24, 2019

We live in an image-driven culture and our churches seem to be buying into the concept in their efforts to reach people, but more than ever, what people need is for us to be genuine followers of Christ. Consider these thoughts from our Family Minister Scott Jewell.

*Disclaimer- You need to know your audience to do what I did. It could probably be tamed down with wearing just a pair of sunglasses. I started behind the closed doors at the entrance of the sanctuary. When the entrance music for WWE’s The Big Show started to play, I flung the doors open and ...read more

Scripture: James 2:1-13

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Keep Pushing

Contributed by Rev. Samuel Arimoro on Jan 18, 2025

The Christian journey is a marathon, not a sprint. It demands consistent effort, unwavering faith, and persistence. Just as a woman in labour must push until the baby is delivered, so must we persevere in our spiritual race until we receive our eternal crown.

Title: KEEP PUSHING By Rev. Samuel Arimoro Main Text: “But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.” (2 Thessalonians 3:13) Supporting Text: Luke 9:57-62 INTRODUCTION: The Christian journey is a marathon, not a sprint. It demands consistent effort, unwavering faith, and persistence. Just as a ...read more

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 3:13, Luke 9:57-62

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Unlocking Divine Blessings SermonCentral

Contributed by SermonCentral on Sep 10, 2023

Many individuals expend unnecessary effort in worry, work, and struggle without God's blessings. Haggai's message to the people, in nine points, taught them how to align their priorities correctly. He provided them with a word from God that reverberated with wisdom and guidance.

Many people spend too much time worrying and working without experiencing the blessings of God. In Haggai's message to the people, he taught them how to prioritize their lives according to God's will. By aligning their actions with God's purpose, they could tap into His supernatural blessings. Let ...read more

Topics: God's Provision, Prioritizing God

Hatred And Anger Series

Contributed by Bradford Robinson on Jun 28, 2004

This sermon looks at the impact hatred and anger have in our lives, the Lord’s response, and how Jesus can transform us from Hatred and Anger to Love and Self-Control.

A young boy was walking with his friend when out of nowhere a giant Rottweiler dog jumped out from behind a fence and began to pounce on one of the young boys. His friend bravely grabbed a 2x4 and smacked the dog on the head and then managed to wrap the broken chain from the dog’s leash around ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:51-56

Denomination: Methodist

Simple Truths In Genesis Series

Contributed by James Westervelt on Nov 27, 2001

Greatness of God’s power; Goodness of God’s creation; Self-centeredness of man; Consequences of sin; Inevitability of death; Total depravity of the heart; Way of salvation; Necessity of faith.

SIMPLE TRUTHS from GENESIS Gen. 1-22 Last week, Joy and I had the privilege of hearing Marquis Laughlin quote the first 22 chapters of Genesis. These were all familiar stories about Creation, Adam & Eve, Cain & Abel, Noah, Abraham & Sarah, etc. But ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

"Born For Such A Time As This!"

Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on Feb 26, 2007

Living out God’s purposes for our lives is going to involve taking up the gaunlet and being prepared to stand up, serve others and sacrifice self, for Jesus sake.

Mark.15:42 -47. “Born for such a time as this” being born for uch a time - February 1980 the US Olympic ice hockey team slipped its foot into a glass slipper and walked away with a gold medal at Lake placid, New York. Beating The world best Russian team and then beating Finland in the final. ...read more

Scripture: Mark 15:42-47

Denomination: Baptist

Are You Just Going To Ignore That? Series

Contributed by Carl Willis on Mar 13, 2007

This is the first message in a series from the book of Haggai. Often times we become so self-absorbed that we miss the very needs God has put before us.

Time to Rebuild Part I Haggai 1:1-11 Background • The Jewish people had returned from Babylonian captivity in 538 B.C. • Work on the temple had not taken place in over 15 years Haggai 1:1-2 (NLT) On August 29 of the second year of King Darius’s reign, the Lord gave a message through the ...read more

Scripture: Haggai 1:1-11

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational