Sermons on Struggle:

Part 1: The Hidden God (Deus Absconditus) Series

Contributed by Rev Emmanuel O. Adejugbe on Jan 20, 2026

Where is God when prayers go unanswered and suffering remains? This sermon walks through Job 23 to reveal what God is doing when He seems absent.

There is a particular kind of loneliness that comes not from isolation, but from silence in the midst of relationship. A spouse who refuses to speak. A parent who withholds explanation. A trusted friend who goes quiet when you need them most. And perhaps most troubling of all, a God who seems ...read more

Scripture: Job 23:10, Isaiah 55:8-9, Romans 5:3-4, Hebrews 5:8, Isaiah 53:5  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Hour Of The Power Of Darkness Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Oct 27, 2013

Life can get dark. And that darkness can create doubt and fear in our lives. What can we do when life gets hard and there doesn't seem to be anyway out of the difficulties we face?

OPEN: One woman told about her favorite spot at the local zoo. It was an exhibit called the House of Night. It was a place where you could see creatures of the night that would crawl and fly about, but because it held creatures of the night… it was nearly totally dark. She said that one very ...read more

Scripture: Luke 22:39-54

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Bad Judge Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Nov 2, 2014

God dedicated 57 verses to a wicked judge who ruled as king in Israel for about 3 years. Why would He do that? Is it possible the story of this evil man has something to us about how we should think as Christians?

OPEN: In Clay County, Kentucky there was a judge named R. Cletus Maricle. He was one of the rare judges I could find online who had been permanently disbarred. You might ask: “Jeff, why was he disbarred?” I’m glad you asked. R. Cletus Maricle was disbarred because he and 7 other ...read more

Scripture: Judges 9:1-6

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Journey To Joy Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Dec 11, 2017

The angel announced a message of "great joy". But the world often confuses Joy with Happiness and ends up being disappointed. What brings us joy and what difference does that make in our lives?

OPEN: I love to sing Christmas Carols, so this morning we’re going to start out the sermon with “Joy to the World”. If you would, stand and sing it with me. 1. Joy to the world the Lord has come, let earth receive her King Let every heart prepare him room And heaven and nature sing, and heaven and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:4-20

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

You Can't Fight With God PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Dec 14, 2023

This sermon encourages us to wrestle with God's Word, surrender our wills, and trust in His steadfast love, as exemplified by Jacob's encounter with God in Genesis 32.

Greetings, beloved, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, and Redeemer. It is always a joy to gather with you, to share in the fellowship of the Spirit, and to turn our hearts and minds toward the Word of God. We are here, not by accident, but by divine appointment. Our gracious God has called ...read more

Topics: Genesis, Jacob, Wrestling

Part 2: The Refiner's Fire (Divine Refinement And Trust) Series

Contributed by Rev Emmanuel O. Adejugbe on Jan 20, 2026

In the last sermon, we explored the mystery of God's hiddenness. We acknowledged that God is often silent and our hearts cry out for Him to speak. But silence, we learned, does not mean absence. God is hidden from our perception, but not withdrawn from His work.

Today, we turn to perhaps the most difficult question of all. If God is silent and yet still working, what exactly is He doing? What is the purpose of the silence? Why does God allow us to walk through seasons where prayer seems unanswered, where Scripture feels distant, where we cannot sense His ...read more

Scripture: Job 23:10, Isaiah 55:8-9, Romans 5:3-4, Hebrews 5:8, Isaiah 53:5  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

Where Is The Lamb? Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Feb 5, 2017

When John the Baptist declared that Jesus was the Lamb of God, he was answering a question from Genesis: "Where is the Lamb?" Do you know the importance of that question, and of the idea that Jesus was the Lamb of God?

OPEN: Back in 1970’s, I read about a 78 year old King of a small country in South Africa. What I found interesting was the titles this man had. He was called: • Ngwenyama, or the Lion. • He is also known as the Sun, • the Milky Way, • the Master in Weapons, • the Obstacle to the Enemy, ...read more

Scripture: John 1:29-37, John 1:29

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Blessing Was Already Given PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Sep 27, 2023

Explore the story of Jacob wrestling with God, emphasizing the relationship between obedience and blessing, and the promise that God's blessing is already bestowed upon us.

Good morning, family! In the spirit of warm fellowship, let's delve into the deep waters of God's Word today. We're going to wrestle with a familiar and powerful passage from Genesis 32:22-32, where our forefather Jacob, in the quiet of the night, wrestles with God Himself. This story is a vivid ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 32:22-32

Topics: Wrestling, God

Christmas Eve Candlelight

Contributed by Jamie Bogaard on Dec 28, 2020

Has this been a hard year? Almost all involved in the Christmas story had hardship. This is precisely why Jesus had to come.

Christmas Eve Candlelight Through Adversity Comes a Promise Prelude: Call to Worship: Rejoice, for God is with us — Emmanuel. In the darkness of our world shines God's holy light. Now there is reason to hope, to love, to laugh, to live. God is truly with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to ...read more

Denomination: Friends

This Is Us Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Sep 2, 2018

We have 2 advantages over non-Christians. Because of God's blessings in our lives, we are better off than many in this world, but we must be careful not to see ourselves as being "better" than others.

For the next few weeks we’re going to be focusing on what can we learn from Scripture as it applies to a popular new TV series (now entering its 3rd season) called “This Is Us”. It’s been nominated for 8 Emmys because of the power of its writing and its acting, and it has literally brought many of ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:19-26

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Keep Rowing!

Contributed by Bala Samson on Oct 9, 2014

May be you are in a situation like in the middle of the sea, fear not, you’re not alone – trust Him to come to your rescue! Keep rowing , keep rowing, keep rowing, until He comes to your rescue – don’t quit!

Keep rowing, keep rowing! Mark 6:48” And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea…” The above text says that Jesus saw the disciples struggle in the midst of the ...read more

Scripture: Mark 6:48

Denomination: Pentecostal

Are You A Grasshopper Or A Giant Warrior?

Contributed by Jennifer Casto on May 21, 2007

So many people in this life want everything but without putting forth any effort...nobody wants to sweat anymore...everyone wants things the easy way...they don’t want to fight their giants--- Yes God wants to prosper you and bless you, but sometimes you

So many people in this life want everything but without putting forth any effort...nobody wants to sweat anymore...everyone wants things the easy way...they don’t want to fight their giants---they just wanna lay down and let someone else do it...and then whine and complain about things the whole ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 13:25-33

Denomination: *other

The Anatomy Of Paul's Prayer Series

Contributed by David Taylor on Mar 17, 2016

The Supremacy and Sufficiency of Christ, part 8 The Anatomy of Paul's Prayer Colossians 2:1-5 David Taylor March 15, 2015

The Supremacy and Sufficiency of Christ, part 8 The Anatomy of Paul's Prayer Colossians 2:1-5 We are starting chapter two in Paul's letter to the Colossian church, in our series, “The Supremacy and Sufficiency of Christ.” Paul wrote this letter to help the Colossian church see ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 2:1-5

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Anatomy Of Paul's Prayer Series

Contributed by David Taylor on Mar 17, 2016

The Supremacy and Sufficiency of Christ, part 10 The Anatomy of Paul's Prayer Colossians 2:6-10 David Taylor 2015 The Intensity of Paul's Prayer (vs. 1 The Heart of Paul's Prayer (vs. 2-3) The Motivation Behind Paul's Prayer (vs. 4-5)

The Supremacy and Sufficiency of Christ, part 10 The Anatomy of Paul's Prayer We are starting chapter two in Paul's letter to the Colossians church, in our series, “The Supremacy and Sufficiency of Christ.” Paul wrote this letter to help the Colossian church see Christ as supreme ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 2:6-10

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Don’t Lose Your Grip SermonCentral

Contributed by SermonCentral on Oct 28, 2023

Holding on to God

Good morning, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ. I greet you with the love and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. As we gather here today, let us take a moment to pause, to breathe, and to center our hearts and minds on the presence of God. Let us remember that we are in the house of the Lord, ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 32:24-30

Topics: Keeping Our Faith In God