Sermons on Try Harder:

Faith: A Spiritual Progress

Contributed by Richard White on Aug 15, 2009

WE do not question our humanity or our birth when we fall physically, why do we question our spiritual birth when we sin?

Faith: A spiritual progress report Eph 1:15-23 Let me start by raising a hypothetical question. In a hundred years when people look back to this period of church history in America, how will it be classified? Will it be classed as a dismal time? Or will people say ours was a time of real impact? ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Me Almighty

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Feb 1, 2004

When you think you could do a better job than God, You need to remember: 1. There is one God, and you are not him. 2. God’s job is harder than you think. 3. Our goal should be to be like God, not to be God.

On our plane trip out to San Diego this summer they showed the film Bruce Almighty with Jim Carey. Besides being hilarious, it had a real message behind it. Carey plays Bruce Nolan, a local Eyewitness News TV reporter in Buffalo, New York. He is discontented with almost everything in his life, ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:18-25

Denomination: Methodist

God, Are You Really Sure About This? Series

Contributed by Scott Chambers on Apr 9, 2013

This is the sixth message in a series on the life of Moses that shows that being God's man is never easy. This message examines how God often calls us to do things that make absolutely no sense.

Listen to this powerful but short story. “God decided to reduce the weapons in the devil's armory to one. Satan could choose which 'fiery dart' he would keep. He chose the power of discouragement. 'If only I can persuade Christians to be thoroughly discouraged', he reasoned, 'they will make ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Grace For Les Miserables

Contributed by Vic Folkert on Dec 31, 2012

Sermon related to Les Miserables. Originally written to relate to musical being presented at our high school, it uses clips from the 1998 movie. Content would be applicable to the 2012 movie

GRACE for LES MISERABLES—selected Les Miz is remarkable story of people living in misery of sin: personal, social, government Finale: “They will live again in freedom in the garden of the Lord.” How will that happen? Revolution? Love? Grace and redemption This is what Jesus said he was ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

"Do You Wanna Get Well?

Contributed by David Henderson on Aug 28, 2018

In this message we look at a question that on the surface is quite odd. I mean if you had been lame for 38 years and someone asked you if you wanted to be well, would that be a difficult question? Perhaps it is harder than we first realize.

“Do you want to be well? John 5:1-17 In our recent study in Nehemiah I showed you this picture of what the wall looked like that Nehemiah and the builders constructed around Jerusalem. This picture shows 10 gates that were used to gain entrance to the city. Each gate had a specific ...read more

Scripture: John 5:1-17

Denomination: Baptist

Go! And Embrace The Trinity: Knowing The Triune God Changes Everything Series

Contributed by Dean Courtier on Aug 7, 2025

What if… the Trinity was not a puzzle to solve, but a Person to know? What if understanding God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit wasn’t just theological doctrine, but a doorway to deeper intimacy with God, powerful prayer, richer Bible reading, and a renewed spiritual life?

Go! And Embrace the Trinity: Knowing the Triune God Changes Everything Main Idea: Understanding the Trinity isn't a puzzle to solve—it’s the very foundation of a transformed life in Christ. INTRODUCTION: THE MYSTERY THAT TRANSFORMS Imagine a young boy standing at the edge of the ocean with a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:16-17, Genesis 1:26, Romans 8:26-27, Romans 8:34, John 14:26, Ephesians 1:3-14, John 3:16, Matthew 6:6  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Enemy's Plan To Stop You

Contributed by Richard Papafio on May 10, 2018

The devil will never try to stop you by force so you fight back strongly in the name of Jesus. He will use cunning and deceptive means to try to outwit you but our Jesus is greater.

May the peace of the Lord be with you. Topic: THE ENEMY'S PLAN TO STOP YOU Acts 4:15-17 King James Version (KJV) 15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16 Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath ...read more

Scripture: Acts 4:15-17

Denomination: Charismatic

Justifiable Complaint Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 1, 2021

There was no escapism with Job. He got no comfort by trying to deny the reality of evil. Many believers often try to pretend that there is no evil. This is not healthy at all. Job is healthy, for he condemns evil for what it is.

Disraeli, as the Prime Minister of England, was once walking with a friend. As they went along the street in London, they met a distinguished looking gentleman. Disraeli greeted him, and asked, "How is your old complaint?" The man responded that it was getting worse, and he was sure it ...read more

How To Be Good Without Being A Hypocrite Series

Contributed by Art Campbell on Aug 8, 2022

It seems that the more strongly we hold moral views the more we insist others hold them as well, and the harder it is to live by them, and we get into this cycle of bullying, hypocrisy and moral failure. So how can we be good without being a hypocrite?

HYPOCRISY IN THE CHURCH When I was younger, the church pretty much had the corner on hypocrisy, at least as society told the story. People didn’t want to go to church because it was full of hypocrites. To which we sometimes replied, come on in then, we’ve room for more. And that’s not an unfair ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:11-21

Denomination: Baptist

Fatal Distraction

Contributed by Joe Burke on Jan 16, 2007

Jesus must be our whole life.

Fatal Distraction It’s a beautiful summer afternoon some years ago at the Naval Air Test Center in Patuxent River, Maryland. The U.S. Navy’s newest jet fighter, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat with both afterburners blazing soars from the runway for a test flight. The first portion of the flight is a ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:17

Denomination: Catholic

God Is Light, God Is Love, & God Is Life Series

Contributed by Melvin Amos on Aug 20, 2011

In this series I am going to attempt to teach who God really is. Christians, and those in the world get this view of who they think God is, yet it does not quite show the whole image of who God is.

Who is God? Most people today begin to form their own personal opinion on what they think God is like or what He should be like. This, my friends, is the beginning of idoltry. We all have done it. We say, "well if God is so loving, why is there so much cruelty in the world?" Let’s not make ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Standing Firm In Our Freedom Series

Contributed by Patrick O'loughlin on Jul 15, 2010

Christ has set us free. How to stand firm in that freedom.

Text: Galatians 5:1-6 Title: Standing firm in our Freedom Introduction Since today is the 4th of July we are going to jump ahead in our study of Galatians to Galatians chapter 5- because Galatians chapter 5 is all about the subject of Freedom –The freedom we have in Christ. “It is ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:1-6

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Go! And Stop Trusting In Yourself – Trust Christ Alone Series

Contributed by Dean Courtier on Aug 25, 2025

Most people in our culture assume that Heaven is a reward for the good. But the Bible says something very different: Heaven is not for the good—it is for the forgiven.

Go! And Stop Trusting in Yourself – Trust Christ Alone Romans 3:23 (NLT): “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Romans 6:23 (NLT): “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Introduction – The ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Isaiah 64:6, James 1:15, Ephesians 2:8-9, John 14:6, Acts 4:12, Hebrews 9:27, John 19:30  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

Are We Sharing In The Lord's Supper Without Meaning To Our Spiritual Being?

Contributed by Dennis Selfridge on Nov 1, 2002

How to prepare in taking the Lord’s Supper.

Introduction: HOW TO CATCH A MONKEY------ Native hunters in the jungles of Africa; have a clever way of trapping monkeys. They slice a coconut in two, hollow it out, and in one half of the shell cut a hole just big enough for a monkey’s hand to pass through. Then they place an orange in the other ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:28-29

Denomination: Wesleyan

Our Battle Cry

Contributed by David Slone on Apr 17, 2007

This was a followup to the ressurection story the week after easter. A different look at the great commission. Powerpoint is available. email me.

Battle Cry Matthew 28:19-20 I started the morning off by saying the slogan and having the congregation guess out loud who the company was. The ones in red, I played the actual commercial on the big screen. I got the commercials at http://www.adslogans.co.uk/hof/ The congregation loved ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20

Denomination: Baptist