Sermons on Try Harder:

New

Contributed by David Hicks on Nov 15, 2006

God isn’t interested in patching up your old life. He wants to make a new creation out of you.

New Matthew 9:14-17 This week I had breakfast with our youth intern. Joe proudly announced that he and Cheryl are expecting their first child and that the due date is in February. As we talked, our conversation turned to all of the new things that will be happening in their lives over the next ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:14-17

Denomination: Holiness

When You’re Down Series

Contributed by John Lowe on Sep 24, 2018

Have you ever had one of those days when everything goes wrong? It doesn’t make any difference how hard you try; it just seems that everything backfires on you?

5 November 2005 When You’re Down John 14:1-14:6 1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-6

Denomination: Baptist

Surviving Your Marriage Series

Contributed by Alan Perkins on Mar 27, 2001

In order to survive your marriage, you need to: (1) seek to serve rather than be served, and (2) stop trying to change each other

When a man and woman are first married, they typically share a dream of having a wonderful, loving, life together. But too often, after a few years their marriage resembles a field of battle more than a field of dreams. It may not be all-out warfare; the combatants may be able to put up a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:28, Matthew 7:3-5

Denomination: Baptist

Only Human....no Excuse For Sinning!

Contributed by Kenneth Trent on Nov 19, 2002

We often hear folks try to justify or minimize their sins by declaring: "I’m only human!" This outline seeks to expose the flimsiness of excuse making.

ONLY HUMAN…NO EXCUSE FOR SINNING! “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’ So God ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:26-27

Denomination: Baptist

The Two Wisdoms- James 3:13-18 Series

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Nov 22, 2002

James tells us that there are two different wisdoms trying to control our lives one originates from Heaven above and the other is an earthly unspiritual wisdom.

The Two Wisdoms in the World- Which one do you follow? Thesis: James tells us that there are two different wisdoms trying to control our lives one originates from Heaven above and the other is an earthly unspiritual wisdom. Texts: James 3: 13-18 (NIV) 13Who is wise and understanding among you? ...read more

Scripture: James 3:13-18, Proverbs 1:1-7

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Power Of Prayer

Contributed by Patrick O'loughlin on Nov 24, 2002

Do you ever feel like you are constantly defeated in your spiritual life? Have you tried everything but found no success? Try Prayer!

Text: Mark 9:14-29 Title: The power of prayer. “ He replied,” This kind can come out only by prayer.” (Mark 9:29) Introduction Do you ever, like me, often feel defeated in your walk with God? Can you identify with the father in our scripture passage who over the years saw things go from bad to ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:14-29

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Just One Touch Of Jesus

Contributed by Bramwell Hayes on Oct 20, 2006

Two people who were changed by one contact with Jesus, after trying to avoid meeting him tell their stories. Zacceus and the woman who bled.

Mark 5:25-34 Unclean! Unclean! Unclean! That was me It was not really a life, more an existence, and a miserable existence at that. I was tired all the time and I was getting weaker, and weaker, and weaker. I had no energy, no joy or zest for life. Some days I could only lie on my bed all day. ...read more

Scripture: Mark 5:25-34

Denomination: Salvation Army

Loving Each Other Sincerely

Contributed by Vinnie Cappetta on Mar 4, 2006

We know we are supposed to love. We want to love, but it doesn’t always come naturally, so we often try to manufacture it.

Loving Each Other Sincerely 1 Peter 1:21-2:3 Love is a commandment from the beginning. We know we are supposed to love. We want to love, but it doesn’t always come naturally. So we often try to manufacture love. How is it possible to love our brothers and sisters sincerely? v.22 ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Unstrained Mercy Series

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jun 27, 2006

Unstrained mercy needs to be constrained by the same constraints that God himself recognizes: by wisdom, by justice, by the long-term, eternal good of the person you are trying to help.

Every week it seems like there’s another new disaster. Wasn’t Hurricane Katrina enough, without adding Hurricane Rita to it? We were all so overwhelmed by the magnitude of those twin crises that many of us probably didn’t even pay much attention to the fires in California. After all, they ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:7

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Jonah And The Whale Series

Contributed by Don Hawks on Jun 22, 2007

Despite his tendency to do all those human things—to run away, to try to avoid responsibility—eventually he gets a new life.

Read Jonah 1:1-17; 2:1, 9-10 from "The Message" God says GO! Jonah says NO! God sends a storm to remind Jonah who is in charge. Jonah is thrown overboard by the others on the ship. Jonah makes the choice to keep trying to run from God. And you know what happens when Jonah is thrown ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

Conspiracy Against God

Contributed by Michael Sanes on Oct 14, 2003

Imagine the absurdity of conspiring against God, yet there are those who are willing to try. Ananias and his wife Sapphira agreed together to conspire against God.

Conspiracy Against God Text Acts 5:1-11 Intro: Illustration of botched conspiracies ·Conspiracy literally means to plot or scheme, to connive or work against Trans: Let us consider the "steps" of their conspiracy against God I. The Conspirators’ Plan 1. To deceive the church - for they ...read more

Scripture: Acts 5:1-11

Denomination: Church Of God

The Pitch

Contributed by Richie Oswald on Jan 1, 2003

I am not a salesman trying to sell you a new way of life. I am a spokesman telling you the truth about the life available to you.

(NKJV) Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." I do not write sermons nor do I preach sermons under the pretext of being a salesman trying to sell you a better way of life. That would lessen the quality of the ...read more

Scripture: John 3:3

Denomination: Baptist

When Jesus Pray For Us

Contributed by Priscilla Haselrig on Sep 18, 2002

HOW SATAN IS STILL TRYING TO SIFT GOD PEOPLE, BUT JESUS IS STILL SAYING , NO SATAN, I AM STILL PRAYING AND WATCHING OVER MY PEOPLE.

I AM GLAD JESUS PRAYED I am so glad that Jesus took the time and got down on His bended knees and prayed to GOD on our behalf. And it is when we pray for somebody else, we let God know that it¡¦s not all about ourselves, and that what Jesus did, He let us know, it was not just about Himself, but ...read more

Scripture: Luke 22:31-32

Denomination: Holiness

Making God Smile - Purpose Driven Life Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Oct 18, 2004

Not all gifts bring God delight. What could possibly make it so that God would not take pleasure in what I try to do for Him?

OPEN: (I went up on podium with t-shirt and tie that my two children had bought me for my birthday) A week ago last Wednesday was my birthday. My daughter bought me this tie (with Jesus on a blue background), and my son picked out this t-shirt (with a lion and Jesus and the message: "King of ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 51:15-19

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Get Out Of The Boat

Contributed by Ryan Akers on Sep 23, 2005

Message on trying to have faith to get out of the boat and keep our eyes on Christ even when the storm of life is crashing all around us.

Getting out of the boat Right after the feeding of the 5,000 Matthew 14:22-32 1. Get out of the boat(26-29) • Waves are crashing and the boat is in danger of sinking. The disciples are scared it is a ghost but Peter took a leap of faith and trusted God in protecting him. • We all face ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:22-32

Denomination: Wesleyan