Sermons on Self Effort:

The Harvest Of The Broken Seed: The Paradox Of A Fruitful Life

Contributed by Paul Dayao on Sep 11, 2025

This sermon unpacks the powerful paradox of John 12:24-25, teaching that like a seed that must die to bear fruit, we must surrender our lives to find true fruitfulness and life eternal.

Introduction: The Unexpected King Let us transport ourselves to a moment thick with expectation. The city of Jerusalem is trembling with energy. Dust fills the air, mingling with the shouts of a jubilant crowd. The scent of crushed palm leaves is underfoot. It is the week of the Passover, and ...read more

Scripture: John 12:24-25

Denomination: Baptist

Perilous Times Shall Come

Contributed by Thomas Andrufski on Oct 1, 2025

This sermon explores Paul’s warning about the moral and spiritual decline in the last days and concludes with a call to Spirit-filled living, urging believers not only to hold the form of godliness but to walk in its power through the Holy Spirit.

Perilous Times Shall Come Text: 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (KJV) “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:1-5, Luke 12:16-21, Matthew 24:12

Denomination: Church Of God

Father Forgive Them Premium Sermon

Contributed by PRO Premium on Oct 9, 2023

The sermon explores the self-giving love and forgiveness of Jesus, demonstrated through his response to mockery and persecution during his crucifixion, as depicted in Luke 23:33-43, Psalm 22:7-8, 15, 18, 24, and Matthew 5:39, 44.

Welcome church! Today we’re going to look at a passage from the Gospel of Luke involving the crucifixion. We talk a lot about crucifixion as Christians because the cross is a central part of our faith. In 2004, the movie The Passion of the Christ was released. It’s a movie about the final hours of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 23:33-43

Topics: Forgiveness, Self-Giving Love, Crucifixion

God Values Humility Premium Sermon

Contributed by PRO Premium on Oct 9, 2023

This sermon will explore the importance of humility in God's eyes, the dangers of self-righteousness, and how we can strive to embody God's humble nature in our own lives.

Welcome church! I am excited about today’s message because we are going to learn something important about God and his eternal nature. The word “gospel” means good news, and today we’re going to discover some news that’s actually mind-blowing. To begin, I’d like to ask you a question. Some of you ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Topics: Humility, Self-Righteousness, God's Character

Take Up Your Cross Premium Sermon

Contributed by PRO Premium on Oct 9, 2023

This sermon explores the concept of metaphorically taking up our cross as Jesus did, understanding that it signifies enduring difficulties in life, and seeking strength from God to persevere.

Good morning church, it’s great to see you all again as we continue in our series ALL-IN. Last week we kicked things off talking about the first of Jesus’ 3 commandments in our main passage from Matthew 16:24. To “deny yourselves” is the first command. And today, we’re going to take it one step ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:24, John 16:33

Topics: Cross Bearing, Perseverance, Self-Denial

Sermon Series: All In

Free To Live The Life Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jul 1, 2004

Education, self-help books, and personal improvement efforts can make life richer and better. But nothing can do what God does when a person turns his or her life over to Jesus Christ. IN Jesus Christ, we can have victory in the fullest sense.

Free to Live the Life (Romans 8:1-4) 1. Once in a while you read a news story that makes you feel good: MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - A Mexican boxing champion beat up and hospitalized a gunman who shot at him outside a gym in a crime-plagued city on the U.S. border. Prosecutors in Ciudad ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:1-4

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Jehovah-M'kaddesh "The Eternally Self-Existent One Who Sanctifies" Series

Contributed by David Scudder on Jul 25, 2011

Have you tried and tried to be holy only to fail time and time again? If so, then the liberating truth that you need is found in God's Name Jehovah-M’Kaddesh (Jehovah Who Sanctifies).

Purpose: To define holiness and its importance. Aim: I want the listener to pursue holiness. INTRODUCTION: One Sunday on their way home from church, a little girl turned to her mother and said, "Mommy, the preacher's sermon this morning confused me." The mother said, "Oh? Why is that?" The little ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 31:12-18

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Last Three 'fruit Of The Spirit': Faithfulness, Gentleness And Self-Control

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Aug 5, 2023

How can we be more like God? By demonstrating God's character. We look at three more wonderful qualities of God that the Holy Spirit wants to produce in us.

INTRODUCTION Today, we’re having the last in our series on the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. We’re going to look at the last three fruit in Paul’s list: faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I thought I’d do something a bit different to usual today. I’m going to look at three true ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23

Denomination: Baptist

Anger Is A Threat To Self-Control (12th Sunday After Pentecost 2024)

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Aug 8, 2024

One of those weapons that Satan has used very well through all generations is “fits of anger” (see Galatians 5:20 ESV). I once read a sentence sermon that went like this: "He who angers you controls you".

ANGER IS A THREAT TO SELF-CONTROL Text: Ephesians 4:25-5:2 Ephesians 4:25-32  So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another.  (26)  Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:25-32, Ephesians 5:1-2

Denomination: United Methodist

Whole Life Stewardship Series

Contributed by Bruce Rzengota on Mar 3, 2017

IN A WORLD OF SELF-INDULGENCE, SELF-GRATIFICATION, SELF-ACTUALIZATION, WE VALUE LIFE STYLES REFLECTING WHOLE LIFE STEWARDSHIP ACTIVELY ADVANCING THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

Whole Life Stewardship 2/12/17 Colossians 3:17 INTRODUCTION Many of us, when we hear the word stewardship, instantly become uncomfortable. We hide that discomfort behind joke and cartoons. Here are couple. Our discomfort and our assumption that a sermon on stewardship is sermon on tithing could ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:17

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Remove The Roots Of Bitterness

Contributed by Dennis King on Feb 25, 2018

Most people think they are totally and unequivocally free of bitterness. However, that’s not necessarily the truth. You see, bitterness creeps in, slowly and is easier seen in other people rather than in yourself.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, and slander, along with every form of malice. That statement comes from Ephesians 4, verse 31. The Greek word for bitterness is “Pikria” which translates to “Sticky.” No matter what has been done to you, how bad, how often, or who from, bitterness ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:14-16

Denomination: Baptist

Healthy And Unhealthy Fear Youth Sermon

Contributed by Youth Sermons on Sep 5, 2023

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline. We can overcome unhealthy fear by relying on the Holy Spirit's power, focusing on God's love, and developing self-discipline.

Ever been scared out of your wits? Like, heart-pounding, palms-sweating scared? Did you know the phrase 'fear not' pops up 365 times in the Bible? That's one for every day of the year! God doesn't want us living in fear, so let's figure out how to kick it to the curb. Let's start with this: In 2 ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:7

Topics: Overcoming Fear, Power, Self-Discipline, Love

When Religion Collides With Revelation

Contributed by David Dunn on Dec 8, 2025

Cain and Abel reveal two spiritual systems: self-made religion or grace-filled revelation. God accepts only the worship shaped by surrender to His revealed way.

Some of the most defining moments in Scripture arrive without fanfare. No thunder. No angels. No miracles that split seas or shake mountains. Just a simple scene, described with almost startling brevity, that quietly reveals the inner architecture of the human heart. The story of Cain and Abel in ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 4:3-7, Hebrews 11:4, 1 John 3:12, Hebrews 12:24, John 14:6  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Little Things That Illustrate The Power Of The Tongue! Series

Contributed by John Wright on Feb 1, 2010

James teaches that a small briddle for a horese, a small rudder for a ship, a small tongue in comparrison to an out of control tongue warns us of the tremendous dangers of the tongue.

INTRODUCTION 1. Open your bible to James 3:3-6. 2. The title of our lesson: “Little things that illustrate the power of the tongue”! 3. James 3:3-6 is filled with visual images. 4. The three images that James uses illustrate the point that since they are small and yet control ...read more

Scripture: James 3:3-6

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Increased All The More In Strength!

Contributed by Bala Samson on Jul 6, 2015

Self-pity has sabotaged growth in many lives, many have acted so stupidly in the past that they have failed to manifest their potential to do something useful and wonderful with their lives .

Increased all the more in strength! Acts 9:22 ”Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.” When Apostle Paul was running from pillar to post and persecuted on all sides, the Bible says he increased all ...read more

Scripture: Acts 9:22

Denomination: Pentecostal