Sermons on Try Harder:

Jephthah: The Dangers Of Designer Dog Faith Series

Contributed by James Jackson on Jun 26, 2021

The tragic, awful story of Jephthah shows us what happens when we try to piece together our own version of what it means to follow God.

Jephthah: The Danger of Designer Dog Faith Judges 10-12 Please open your Bibles to Judges 10. Happy Father’s day. The stereotype with going to church on mothers day and fathers day s that on mother’s day, mothers get built up, and on fathers day, fathers get beat up. But today, I guarantee ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Christian Confession Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 25, 2021

John says that if we try and live on the hypocritical level of non-admission to guilt and sin, then we are self-deceived. The truth is not in us, and in such a state we cannot be forgiven.

The one thing all people have in common is guilt. Ever since Adam and Eve hid from God, because they were afraid, out of a sense of guilt, man has had to bear the burden, and suffer the effects of guilt, and these effects are enormous. Modern psychiatry is discovering that guilt is enemy number ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:8-9

The Gift Of Wisdom And Knowledge Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 29, 2021

We will almost always miss out on something that God has for us if we try to limit the Holy Spirit, and fail to stress His love for infinite variety.

When Abraham Lincoln was a young lawyer in Springfield, he was approached by a man of wealth, who wanted to hire him to collect a debt. It seems that the poor man who owed him the two dollars and fifty cents denied the debt and refused to pay. Lincoln did not like the job, but after much ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:8

What Standard? Series

Contributed by Steve Ely on May 13, 2020

Holiness is often misunderstood. It has been abused to try to enforce rules. So, what is Holiness? Is it possible? Why is it so difficult? Why does it seem to be such a mess?

Pt. 1 - What Standard? I. Introduction You can just say the name of the city and most people instantly, without any additional information, recognize what you are talking about. Canton, OH, Springfield, MA, Cooperstown, NY. Hall of Fame for football, basketball and baseball. These special places ...read more

Scripture: Leviticus 11:44

Denomination: Pentecostal

A Team Sport Series

Contributed by Steve Ely on May 13, 2020

Holiness is often misunderstood. It has been abused to try to enforce rules. So, what is Holiness? Is it possible? Why is it so difficult? Why does it seem to be such a mess?

Pt. 2 - A Team Sport I. Introduction Last week we talked about the Hall of Fames that over 200,000 people visit annually to catch a glimpse of a glove or a helmet. Have you ever watched one of the induction ceremonies? Individuals stand on a stage receiving the honor of a lifetime and they spend ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:9

Denomination: Pentecostal

Keep God In The Calculations

Contributed by David Nolte on Jul 18, 2022

People often figure out what to add to, or subtract from, their lives. They try to multiply, or divide, pursuits in life. They often leave God out of the calculations.

Perhaps it began with marks in the dirt, then progressed to piles of stones, and then somewhere along the line came the abacus, but men have always had a means of calculating debts, payments and other quantities. These days we have desk calculators, computers, smart phones and even watches that ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:16-21

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Men Like Trees Walking - Mark 7:24-8:26 Series

Contributed by Darrell Ferguson on Nov 6, 2023

Did Jesus have to try twice to heal the blind man? Or was the two-stage healing a profound lesson for how we understand God's Word?

Introduction: Perception The Mexican cave fish has eye sockets but no eyes. Where they live, it’s so dark, eyes are useless and so they lost them. Biologists have discovered that same species of fish who live in waters that have some light, and they do have eyes. Stay too long in the dark and your ...read more

Looking For A Perfect Christmas

Contributed by Dr. Madana Kumar, Phd on Feb 26, 2018

We cannot try to make Christmas Perfect with our own efforts. There is one thing that is perfect in Christmas. We got to be able to focus on that perfect thing in Christmas.

We are into yet another Christmas Season. And immaterial of the number of times we have done Christmas before, and have failed, we still want to do things right. We want to make all possible efforts to make things as perfect as possible. We buy the perfect clothes, we look for the perfect gifts for ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:19-25, Romans 13:11-14, Isaiah 30:9-10

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

World Views Series

Contributed by Paul Clemente on Sep 18, 2017

Does God’s schedule drive our life schedules or do we live our own personal schedules and then somehow try to drive God into it?

I hope you have been learning much and thrilled about learning from the Gospel of Mark as I have been. Praise God for this Gospel. There is so much to learn and I pray you are as challenged and determined as I am to follow our Lord Jesus Christ more and more. We are now in Mark 13; as we will note, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 13:1-3

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Fighting God

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Aug 15, 2020

When you read prophecy we may be trying to stop what God has planned for our time thus all of our angst may be in vain.

Acts 5:38 And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: 39 But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God. KJV As I watch the various postings fly back and forth ...read more

Scripture: Acts 5:38-39

Denomination: Baptist

The Last Days: Pestilence

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on May 22, 2019

We continue to study the signs of the second coming of Jesus. Today we look at the role of PESTILENCES and PLAGUES. God is trying to wake us to be prepared for the second coming.

LAST DAYS: PESTILENCE Series on the Second Coming By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com THE HORSES ARE COMING… WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? Don’t be derailed! Jeremiah 12:5 If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 12:5, Luke 21:11, Matthew 24:7

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Forcing People To Be Good, Can It Happen? Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Oct 15, 2021

It’s alien to Christ’s life and law of love to force compliance. One cannot and may not try to force sanctity or even basic justice on another.

Sophomore year in high school. We were assigned to study world history at that time, and we were using a Christian textbook, which rightly saw Jesus Christ as the center of all history. We even date years before and after the birth of Christ, even though the time line is about 3 years off what was ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:5-15, Mark 12:30-31, Matthew 19:20-22, 1 Timothy 6:8, Genesis 1:25-27  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Catholic

Cut It Out

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jul 21, 2023

We are always trying to blame our sin on something else - on someone else, on society, on circumstances. But Jesus says that what makes us sin is part of ourselves.

I stopped watching TV news three or four years ago. But you have to know what's going on, somehow, so there are a few sources I've come to trust. But guess what? They're just as depressing as TV news. Because what is actually happening is worse than what you might imagine if you stayed ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:38-50

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Love Your Loserness - James 1:9-11 Series

Contributed by Darrell Ferguson on Feb 12, 2021

We all have those areas in our lives where we feel like … losers. Most people respond by trying to feel good about themselves, but there’s a better way.

James 1:9 The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. 10 But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty ...read more

Scripture: James 1:9-11

Faith Series

Contributed by Rick Thiessen on Mar 4, 2003

Faith is the essential character trait God wants to work into your life, for it connects you to God in ways that change you from the inside into a different person.

SE112402 CHARACTER UNDER CONSTRUCTION 4. Faith In CS Lewis’s book, Mere Christianity, a classic work on Christian basics, he spells out the fact that when the Bible mentions faith it talks about it on two levels. BELIEF What faith means in the first sense is what most people who are not ...read more

Scripture: John 3:22-36, Mark 10:17-23

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational