Sermons on Strive Lawfully:

The Lost Oil - Refilling What's Been Depleted Series

Contributed by Barry Tallis on May 3, 2025

This sermon addresses spiritual depletion and teaches believers how to be refilled with the Holy Spirit through surrender rather than striving, emphasizing the power that comes when divine presence is prioritized over performance.

INTRODUCTION Church! Last week we talked about the broken altar - that place of worship and surrender that many of us have neglected. Today, we're diving into something equally critical - THE LOST OIL! In Scripture, oil represents the Holy Spirit, the anointing, the presence of God. And let ...read more

Scripture: Zechariah 4:6, Psalm 46:10

The Tree Of Goodness Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Mar 12, 2006

The Bible tells us that we should strive for goodness in our lives... but Jesus said no one was good except God. How can we be asked to do something that only God can accomplish?

Open with audience reciting the following verse: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control...” Galatians 5:22-23a OPEN: A preacher once spoke of the fact that some of the people in his congregation had gotten in the ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Division For Righteousness

Contributed by Dana Visneskie on Aug 6, 2004

This message talks about how to maintain a Spirit of Unity in the marriage, home and churches. This message explains the difference between Physical unity and Spiritual unity and how we need to strive for Spiritual unity to be blessed.

Title: Division For Righteousness Text: II Chron 10:15 and II Chron 11:4; I Kings 11:29 Read Text!!! Pray!!! Introduction: Two men were riding a bicycle built for two when they came to a steep hill. It took a great deal of struggle for the men to complete what proved to be a very steep climb. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 10:15

Denomination: Pentecostal

It's Not Fair

Contributed by Carl Allen on Dec 6, 2007

Seeing the vision of God and hearing the voice of God made a tremendous difference in Habakkuk’s life. We also need to strive to see what it is that God has for us and listen for His guiding direction

It’s Not Fair Habakkuk 2 Intro This chapter reports an experience Habakkuk had that is similar to one recorded by the psalmist Asaph in Psalm 73. He was bewildered at the providential working of God in the world: he was disturbed because the wicked seemed to be prospering while the righteous ...read more

Scripture: Habakkuk 2:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

Yeast And The Narrow Way

Contributed by Richard Francis on May 19, 2007

This is about the yeast of the Holy Spirit working in us, making us more like Jesus, helping us to walk the narrow way between the kingdom of this earth and the kingdom of God as we strive to serve Jesus.

The woman and the yeast, the Kingdom of God is… Luke 13: verse 20 - 21 Again he asked, "What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.“ Yeast is also referred to as Leaven Leaven was a ...read more

Scripture: Luke 13:21-30

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

"The Big Game"

Contributed by Ben Randall on Feb 4, 2007

A coach wants from his football team, what God wants from His church team. - With one exception. – We aren’t striving for a trophy that lasts for a year, but for the trophy that will last for eternity.

THE BIG-GAME! I. Today at 6PM EST, the Indianapolis Colts will meet the Chicago Bears on a field of battle in Miami, Florida. They will be contending for a trophy that tells the world that they hold the title of Super Bowl champions. – It is the “big day” for football fans. – We will watch teams ...read more

Scripture: James 2:14

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Qualified

Contributed by Kenneth Trent on Nov 6, 2003

“Qualified” is a welcomed word for anyone who strives to reach a definite goal in any area of life (athletics; employment; academics, etc.). How infinitely more thrilling to be declared “qualified” for an eternal home in heaven!

QUALIFIED “Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:12-14

Denomination: Baptist

Lost Our First Love

Contributed by Mark Engler on Sep 28, 2017

The application to this is if we put Jesus first in our lives and if we continue to strive for Him, continue to draw ourselves close to Him, He will improve us and make us more like Him everyday.

Lost Our First Love ME I love Jesus and I love being a minister of Christ. I honestly believe being a minister is the most important thing I could do on the face of the earth. I love to preach and teach God’s word and I’m glad He led me here to MVC. Honestly though, He chose a tremendously ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 2:1-5

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

How To Endure Hardship

Contributed by Shawn Miller on Jul 10, 2014

The apostle Paul charges Timothy to endure hardship like a 1) Good Soldier 2) Striving Athlete & 3) Hard-working Farmer. And at the end of it all there will be a crown and a harvest if we do not give up.

How to Endure Hardship 2 Timothy 2:3-6 Introduction: Ill. The story is told of a king in Africa who had a close friend with whom he grew up. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) and remarking, "This is good!" One day the king ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:3-6

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

You Gotta Serve Somebody

Contributed by David Owens on Sep 9, 2019

When we become Christians, we are set free from our bondage to sin, but we must then strive to be slaves of righteousness. Everyone either serves sin or God. You gotta serve somebody!

Introduction: A. I always liked the Far Side cartoons, and so I begin with this cartoon because of the irony of it. 1. Here’s a man who is a slave on a Viking ship, and he thinks the slave driver will care that he is getting a blister. He was in for a rude awakening! 2. Slavery is an ugly subject ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:15-23

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Is Jesus Really The Only Way To Heaven? Series

Contributed by Scott Kircher on May 27, 2012

There are at least several dozen different religions in the world if not hundreds. There are many people in remote areas of the world. There are millions of people who are striving to live a good life, and there are many millions who do not believe in J

GodQuest - Is Jesus Really the ONLY way to Heaven? If Jesus is the only way… What about People who are Moral? What about people who are Other Religions? What about people who are Unreached? Slide Intro Good morning. This week we are finishing up our GodQuest series. We have been looking at some ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-6

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Provision & Presence Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on May 20, 2013

Our age and our culture teach us that we can never be satisfied, but must continually strive towards satisfaction by the things we amass. The Psalms have a different approach. In them we l

Psalm 67 is a little short psalm of just 7 verses, but they burst forth with praise just as we should knowing what God has done for us! 1 – 2 Notice that the psalmist wants the favor of God, not so he can be blessed primarily, but so that others will know God’s way of salvation. ...read more

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Unity Starts In The Heart Series

Contributed by David Owens on Jan 15, 2024

God desires unity in the body of Christ, but unity is not easy or automatic. God creates the unity, but it is something that we must strive to keep. Humility, gentleness, patience and forbearance help us to do just that.

A. I’m excited to begin a new sermon series this morning – a series that I am calling “7 Ones Equal Unity” and will be based on Ephesians 4:4-6. 1. Over the years, I have preached many sermons using verses from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, including a sermon series on the entire letter back in ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-6

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Abc - The Building Blocks Of Faith - Awareness #3 Series

Contributed by Robert Butler on Apr 8, 2024

We must strive to stay connected to His power in our lives because the world will pull us away. This awareness is our motivation to continually practice the Spiritual disciplines that draw us into His presence.

Today we continue a 12 week series entitled, The ABC’s of faith. The larger idea is based on the idea that we learn over time through an exploration process of success and failure. Everything we come to know and understand is built over time on the foundation of trial and error. We learned last ...read more

Scripture: Luke 21:1-4, Luke 20:47

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Ending Well PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 19, 2023

To inspire us to live our lives with a single passion for displaying God's excellence, as we strive to fight the good fight, finish our race, and keep the faith, just like Apostle Paul did.

Good morning, Church family! Today, we're going to delve into a powerful passage from 2 Timothy 4:7-8 where the Apostle Paul, nearing the end of his earthly journey, gives us some profound insights. Opening Scripture Reading – He says, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Topics: Ending The Year