Sermons on Temporary Suffering:

Appointed To Affliction Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 7, 2021

As far as possible the Christian is to live peaceably with all men. The ideal is progress without persecution, but the world will not tolerate the Christian conviction, and so there will be tribulation, and we must be prepared to face it if we stand for the truth as we ought.

One of our neighbors had a common but nerve wracking experience. Her little girl did not come home from school at noon. She got worried and went out to look for her, but she was no where around. The mother was just sick with worry as the worst possible thoughts went through her mind. She sought ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 3:1-4

Week 2: Faith & Family Series

Contributed by Daniel Habben on May 23, 2021

God urges us to persevere in our faith, even as Job did.

Finish this sentence. “If you don’t succeed at first…try, try again.” Do you know who besides God best exemplifies that kind of perseverance? Satan. If there is one thing I admire about Satan, and I know that’s a shocking thing to say, but if there is something we can learn from him, it’s ...read more

Scripture: Job 2:1-10

Denomination: Lutheran

Week 3: Faith & Friends Series

Contributed by Daniel Habben on May 23, 2021

How can we encourage those who are suffering?

There was a study done in 2004 which found that the number of people without any close friends tripled since the last study in 1985. Nearly a quarter of the people surveyed said that they have no one in their life that they can confide in (America Sociological Review, June 1, 2006). We live in a ...read more

Scripture: Job 2:11-13, Job 4:4-9, Job 3:1-4, Job 3:11

Denomination: Lutheran

Week 4: Rethinking A Quid Pro Quo Kind Of Faith (Sermon Adapted From Pete Metzger) Series

Contributed by Daniel Habben on May 23, 2021

Do we think that goes owes us for what we do for him?

Quid pro quo. Do you know what that Latin phrase means? It translates literally as “this for that.” Conversationally, we might say, “I scratch your back, you scratch mine.” For example, if I head out on vacation and ask my neighbor to take my garbage to the curb while I’m away, it’s perfectly ...read more

Scripture: Job 21:7-9, Job 21:13-15, Job 21:17, Job 31:1-4, Job 31:7-8, Job 31:21-28, Job 13:19-25, Job 29:2-6  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Lutheran

Week 5: Trusting That Our Advocate And Redeemer Lives Series

Contributed by Daniel Habben on May 23, 2021

Even Job's faith suffered. What kept him going? God's grace.

The human body is amazing. Take your bones for example. Did you know that ounce for ounce human bone is stronger than steel? Apparently, one cubic inch of bone can withstand the weight of five standard pickup trucks! But if that’s the case, why can a simple fall from a bike or a stomp from a horse ...read more

Scripture: Job 3:23-26, Job 7:13-16, Job 16:18-21, Job 19:7-11, Job 19:13-14, Job 19:17, Job 19:21-27  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Lutheran

Week 6: Relax Under The Umbrella Of God’s Wisdom Series

Contributed by Daniel Habben on May 23, 2021

If you've ever travelled to a place where the culture was different than yours, you know how clueless you can feel. Job's "culture" was different than God's. It's no wonder he felt lost in the midst of his suffering...

How many of you have travelled to a place where the culture was noticeably different than yours? At times, didn’t you feel totally clueless? I’ve seen the bewildered look on American businessmen’s faces who came to Japan where I grew up. When meeting with a Japanese client for the first time, the ...read more

Scripture: Job 42:1-6, Job 41:1-5, Job 40:15-19, Job 40:2, Job 31:34-35, Job 31:21-22, Job 38:1-11, Job 41:7-11, Job 31:35-37  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Lutheran

Hope For Hard Times Series

Contributed by Scott Maze on May 24, 2021

Here’s a helpful way to remember the word providence: PRO is “before” and VIDEO is to “to see.” He’s seeing life happen in advance. You can even hear the word “provide” in the word Providence. Even in the worst of times, God is working for His children’s good and happiness.

Our nation’s first President had a different way of looking at life and you could see it in his very first inaugural address. Had you been in the relatively small crowd to hear Washington’s Inaugural address some 230 plus years ago, you would have been surprised at how visibly nervous Washington ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

The Paradox Of Burdens Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 19, 2021

Paul's apparently conspicuous contradictions, and puzzling paradoxes are the result of his God-given ability to see the whole of life, and not just some of its parts in isolation.

In South Dakota a man by the name of August had a clothing store he was going to close up. His was not one of those perpetual year around closing sales. He was actually intending to go out of business by July. So he hung a sign in his window which read, The First Of July Is The Last Of August. ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:1-10

How Can God Be Good? Series

Contributed by Sherm Nichols on Mar 31, 2021

First in a series based on questions that we received from people in the Church. This message deals with the question of the morality suffering

Question to be asked: I’m a bit confused. Why does everyone just say that God is good and ignore some of things He seems to approve? He lets evil and suffering go on in the world. He ordered a lot of people to be killed. And then there’s the whole concept of hell. Why would a God who is good ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Jumping To Conclusions Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 1, 2021

The friends of Job explained life's sufferings, and specifically Job's sufferings, as very simple and obvious. They said there is no mystery here at all. It is clear as a bell that suffering is God's judgment on the sinner. Job is suffering, therefore, Job is a sinner.

There is a poem that I have enjoyed for many years, but I could never see how it could be used in a sermon, until I began to study the friends of Job. I want to share it with you, for it both describes them, and gives us insight into why they could be so wrong when they were so often right. It is ...read more

Bouncing Back (Part Two)

Contributed by Derrick Tuper on May 30, 2021

Last week we looked at the story of Joseph. He bounced back from multiple situations: sold into slavery, a false accusation, betrayal, etc. But he wasn't the only one who bounced back from multiple hardships; Paul did too.

BOUNCING BACK (part two) There are many personal stories of people who bounced back from a bad situation. We're bouncing back from the pandemic with vaccinations and loosening COVID restrictions. People have bounced back from having COVID. Churches have bounced back from having to shut down ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, 2 Corinthians 6:3-10, 2 Corinthians 11:24-27, 2 Timothy 3:10-11

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Sermon On Compassion

Contributed by William Meakin on Jun 10, 2021

Compassion is defined as: “Sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.”

Linda Diane Thompson, an American songwriter/lyricist, former actress and beauty pageant winner once remarked: “Our uniqueness, our individuality, and our life experience moulds us into fascinating beings. I hope we can embrace that. I pray we may all challenge ourselves to delve into the deepest ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:12-13, Galatians 6:2, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

To The Afflicted And Wounded

Contributed by Dove Inspirations on Jun 24, 2021

To you who is really suffering

Some people breeze through life without a care in the world. But others, trouble after trouble, disaster after disaster, failure after failure. They do everything that can be done, to no avail. They have been rained upon by life, to the extent that if you squeeze them, its double trouble upon ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 54:11

Fourteenth Sunday Ordinary Time, B— Thorn Of Paul: His Faith Narrative

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Jul 2, 2021

Application about Paul’s teaching about his thorn: He was active in interpreting his life experience to himself and others

Paul Powell said, “Troubles knock a lot of nonsense out of us.” Like Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” from our Second Reading taken from 2 Corinthians, chapter 12 , which he says was given to him by “an angel of Satan.” It was not a sin problem. e.g. Winne-the-Pooh comes downstairs, bump, bump, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Denomination: Catholic

God Makes A Way Series

Contributed by John Bright on Nov 21, 2019

Working through the book of Exodus using consecutive expository preaching. Exodus 2:11-2:25. Teaching Sheet for the bulletin included at end of text

Exodus 2 “15 When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well.16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 2:15-17

Denomination: Methodist