encouraging sermons for difficult times encouraging sermons for difficult times
INTRODUCTION A common struggle in difficult times is feelings of helplessness and worry about an unknown future. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and therefore is worthy of your trust. You can read the morning paper and Difficult situations are not new. Here is how we live with joy in the hard things. Genesis 18:1-15, Denomination: Faith in Gods Powerthat he can deliver us from every temptation. These were tough consequences, for sure. Sermon: Persevere in Obedience - Jeremiah 37, 38; Scriptures: Jeremiah 20:1-13. Equipping families with practical approaches to parenting and marriage. Thats what Paul feared for the Thessalonians. Know that you are not alone even though things may seem dark and overwhelming right now, and you may feel unsure of whats coming next. Gods mercy is limitless. It is hardest to trust God during times of conflict, uncertainty, and 2. He wants to help you grow your faith. Thats the true Christian position. I am talking today of working hard for the Lord! I will visit on the right time, Then you will have a blessing which cannot be destroyed read more, Scripture: Advent 2022, week 1: During this series, we will look at how hope, peace, joy and love are at the heart of Christmas. If we need love, we will have it. This is how he handles verse 2: When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, my brothers, dont resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends! Even as I type these words, there is a rueful smile on my face. Advent 2022, week 4: During this series, we are looking at how hope, peace, joy and love are at the heart of Christmas. WebPsalm 4:1 Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Life is like that for all of us. God is present amid the bad times as well as the good. Find out how much God loves you and wants to help you right now. He always sees them and is always working for their good. A Christmas sermon describing how Christ can be born into the most difficult of circumstances. The car hit a massive pothole and suddenly the happy journey is over. We need you. Lets BE DELIGENT. Although he had come to minister to them, by standing firm in hard times they were ministering to him. You can agree with Him that all He says is true. Choose to embrace the hope that is offered to you in Jesus. But given the instability of our world, a question comes to mind: Where can you go where you arent in harms way? Mercy or revenge. According to Mark 9, a man brought his son to Jesus for healing from being possessed by a demon. Have great dreams and dare to live them. God is able to do what he promised. Remember the shepherd and the shepherds tools. Faith or fear. read more, Scripture: Trusting in Him means believing what He says about Himself, about the world and about you is true. The tools of the shepherd are the rod and staff. Read His Word. I will share common types of difficult behavior in a few minutes, but I want to lay a proper foundation first. 52-week preaching calendar to help you plan your sermons, Customizable sermon manuscripts for verse-by-verse preaching, Preach with creativity and impact throughout the year, Help your church understand God's plan in pain, Call your people to experience a higher freedom, Proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth. Colossians 1:9-14: Are you living worthy of the Lord? No one, not a single person in this story expects Peter to be released. The message shares despite all the problems of life or that life is difficult that God remains good. What was her testimony? Pretty simple. Proverbs 20:29 puts it this way: The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old, and Proverbs 16:31 adds this insight, Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life (NLT). Dont let your emotions rule your life; bring them to God so He can help you address them. Many of us want to trust God. Trusting God is more than a feeling; its a choice to have faith in what He says even when your feelings or circumstances would have you believe something different. We are all in harms way. But perpetual victimhood dooms you to a life of self-centered misery because you learn nothing from your trials. When you are feeling down or depressed, look up and call out to Jesus. Nothing is too hard: You can also tell Him when its difficult for you to believe. It seems that this is the deep theological response to all calamity. Someone who takes his/her work seriously and who does it well and rapidly It reads like a sermon or perhaps even more like a pep talk from a football coach. read more, Scripture: I will hold on because I promised and because I believe the Lord has something in store for me. That sort of gritty stubbornness produces genuine spiritual maturity. My friend has decided to count it all joy in the midst of his cancer. The document with the active links can be found in PDF form at this web address: http://www.firstpresanchorage.org/Sermons.htm (The sermon is titled the same: "King Herods Early Release Program") The links are not active in this * The Trusting God is not about ignoring your feelings or reality. James offers what appears to be a strange piece of advice: Consider it pure joy or Count it all joy (KJV). The shepherd is always looking to protect his sheep. So, what do you do then? A woman sat in my office and told me a very sad story. Without warning there is a sudden jolt, the car swerves to the right and comes to a halt. What do you do when your world caves in? read more, Scripture: Will you choose to live Gods best for you, no matter the circumstances? Text: Galatians 6.4-10 THE SCHOOL OF HARD "NOTS" Thank you! We believe so much in the sovereignty of God that when hard times come, we know that God is at work for our good and his glory. read more, Scripture: You never know what you believe until hard times come. Strategies From Genesis Psalm 23:4: Feel Alone? We are a When those you love are in great pain or when you face senseless tragedy or when friends turn against you or when life tumbles in around you, your feelings wont be an accurate guide. They can remind you of the truth when youre struggling. Advent 2022, week 5: During this series, we are looking at how hope, peace, joy and love are at the heart of Christmas. When you cannot see a resolution? Acts 20:22-31. Faith in Gods Presencethat he is with us in the darkest moments of life. My What does it take to begin a relationship with God? Heres a practical hint. He worried that under pressure these new Christians would crumble and give up on God. This message reminds us that were never alone offers advice for what to focus on and how to confront Satan. And for the most part, we cant choose our trials nor can we avoid most of them. Thanks for your interest! You may feel alone. But if you shift your focus to God, then you can find joy even in the worst moments of life. Faith in Gods Wordthat it is true no matter what happens to us. For the believer, the rod is like the word of God and the staff is the Holy Spirit. There is a fourth truth we need to remember when hard times come. He does not always give you the big picture, but He will show you the next step. This message explores important questions about your faith and commitment to God. He also gives you other believers to walk with. Many people in Scripture even reference other parts of Scripture to encourage themselves and those around them. Or perhaps weve just gone through a divorce and we feel rejected and alone. So many believers struggle because they try to handle their problems alone. Various Scriptures On our journey from earth to glory, we will face many difficult situations. Colossians 2:6-8: Do you know how to avoid deception stay connected securely to Christ? Because we live in a fallen world, nothing works the way its supposed to. Answers to questions on donations, financial policies, Crus annual report and more. When a friend wrote to say that his daughter was leaving to serve in the Armed Forces in Afghanistan, he asked special prayer because she would be in harms way. I prayed for his daughter and am happy to report that she made it back safely. We all need to live each day fully for Him. James 1:2-11, Nothing is too Hard for YHWH, at the right time he answers our prayers, Promise Genesis 18:14 - is there anything too hard for the Lord? And we will rejoice if we believe what God has said. He will bring direction to you. You can get to know God through personal time with Him and through His Word. James was evidently the half-brother of Jesus, meaning that he was the biological son of Joseph and Mary. They want to know if what we say we believe is really enough for us in the hard times. If you and I have been in the world very long, we've learned there are Even in doubt and uncertainty, if you keep going to Him, He will continually show Himself to be trustworthy. I confess to be being bothered by this so I decided to check it out in the Greek. They can change at any moment, even in an instant. Take the next step in your faith journey with resources on prayer, devotionals and other tools for personal and spiritual growth. At the moment my friend is currently in treatment for his cancer. WebIn stormy seasons like this, it can be hard to maintain hope. Ecclesiastes 1:9, Denomination: (part 6), - Series: Inspire! It seems to be the deep theological response to all calamity. Wait on Him to act on your behalf. My parting words were the words of Jesus, Go and sin no more. She smiled and thanked me and said she needed to go and get some heroin or she wouldnt make it through the day. 1. Psalm 1:1-6: Are you going the wrong way? It reminds us again that we grow stronger as we lean on each other. read more, Scripture: Life is unpredictable and difficult at times, and that difficulty may persist for longer than you had hoped. God is present and is making Himself known. It isnt so hard to love a God who is good, and values us so highly. What kinds of questions do hard times make you ask? Daniel 2:1-23, Denomination: He believes that his gods are trying to tell him something about his powerful If I truly believe that, then I can move to the second statement and begin to look for ways to grow spiritually. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you (v. 6). You can tell God how you feel and in what areas of your life you are struggling to trust Him. For the non-believer, the shepherd is looking for you and desires for the two of you to be reunited. It is the in-between times when faith grows, and God brings life to the dead. (Cited by James Montgomery Boice in his Romans series.). We live in dangerous times. Gen 35: 15 -20 God cares about them both. James begins by reminding us that sooner or later (probably sooner) we will all face trials of various sorts. Internship opportunities with Cru's ministries. You may not see a way out of the situation you find yourself walking in today; but know this, you are not alone. But accidents? Perseverance says, I will not give up no matter what happens or how bad life may be. When your trials are over, you will come forth as gold. Here Paul plainly says that we can overcome our trials by faith. I wish it were not so, but it is true. We need to know how to survive as the culture turns against us. We prayed, and I know it was a divine appointment. ISIS Threatens to Kill Families of US Soldiers. You need only to look. Hard times can confuse us and make us ask the wrong questions or expect wrong And those who are following ever so close to him. He is not disappointed or frustrated by your struggles, doubts or pain. Genesis 21:8-21, The book of Jude has for us a message about perseverance in the faith, CALL TO PERSEVERE: NATURAL INSTINCTS Until then, your faith is speculative because it is untested. Knowing that God is for you will strengthen your trust in Him during times of hardship and the unknown. Here is part of what my friend wrote as he looked back on the upheaval: Now that I am on the other side of those two years, I can see quite clearly what the Lord has had in mind, and I rejoice in it and praise him for the time in the cruciblehow it has sharpened me, further deepened my faith in him and love for him, and multiplied my opportunities to serve him. These simple practices will help you see God outside of difficult things, which will establish trust in your heart that He will move in your circumstances. Learn how you can know God personally. A) I read about a man that was sitting at home one evening when the doorbell rang! Not Herod, not the guards, not the people of the church, not even Peter himself. That He loves you and has good in store for you. All things do not work for the good for all people. Write out your question. Now, it is not because we disagree with anything that it says, its just that the book is so short that when you blink as you turn the pages in your Bible you miss it. After 2000 years, his words still ring true today. This isnt like Paul in Romans with his intricate theological arguments. Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance (v. 3). Hard times are nothing new. Today well learn about the remarkable offer of peace: Who is it for? When things feel difficult, He doesnt ask you to keep those feelings to yourself. A Mighty Fortress Is Our God Under pressure we begin to give in to bad habits, wrong attitudes, and then we begin the long slide in the wrong direction. 1-3a). The Final Judgment Matthew 25: 31-46 25:40 In times of doubt, remember His promises. SURVIVING DIFFICULT TIMES Learn how to hold onto joy no matter the situation youre in with this weeks encouraging message. This helps you accept that God is bigger than you could ever understand. Pope Francis: World War III Is Already Here.. Your job is satisfying. If you know that God is in control, you can be satisfied at a very deep level even while you weep over what is happening around you and to you. The Bible records ways God has responded in difficult times in the past. read more, Scripture: His name was Andy. In a few months Ill teach Ezra in South Korea and then Galatians in New York. Youve got cancer. Or the voice may inform you that your daughter has just been arrested. Trusting God is living a life of belief in and obedience to God even when its difficult. Romans 5:3-4 spells out how this process works: We also rejoice in our afflictions,because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character,and proven character produces hope. We all want hope, but we dont want affliction. Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, Just as practically no one will tell you to go away if you ask them how you can pray for them, there is a tremendous openness to discussions with others of matters of life and faith when you have just told them you have cancer. Becky Dvorak is the host of the dynamic teaching program, Empowered for Healing and Miracles, featured globally on the Its Supernatural! As Tony Evans has pointed out, everything that happens in the world is either caused by God or allowed by God, and there is no third category. COVID-19 has caused a great deal of concern, anxiety, fear, and worry throughout our world. The Passage: Job Did Not Sin with His Lips (2:9-10) As we enter this book 30 verses in, it's critical that we review what's happened up to this point. Satan tempts us to fall away during our trials. Community Who is the Holy Spirit and What Does He Do. Serve those around you. View our top Cru resources in more than 20 languages. Perhaps weve lost a job and feel that were not qualified to do anything. Copyright 2003-2023 | Outreach, Inc., All rights reserved. In my office we quoted Bible verses together. Daniel Speaks to Us Today Series In a sunny day. Heres a working definition: Joy is deep satisfaction that comes from knowing that God is in control even when my circumstances seem to be out of control. People kill each other. WebWe need to not moan in a trial but to learn the lessons of that trial. We are to neither run wild without direction, like a man running with poor eyesight, nor are we to look back at a past we cannot change, instead we are to live our life forward. Partnering with urban churches to meet physical and spiritual needs. Faith in Gods Promisethat he will never leave us or forsake us. Day 5 of 40 days of fasting! Marriages break up. 1 Kings 19:19-21: What is God calling you to do? 1. He hears your requests and answers them. Psalm 23: God, Jehova-Rohithe Lord is my shepherd, knows where you are, and he will answer you. Then, all of a sudden, life throws a curveball. I see no way to deny that statement. By not running away from the trials that come your way. There are no shortcuts to spiritual maturity. Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise To all, life Thou givest, to both great and small, In all life Thou livest, the true life of all; We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree, And wither and perishbut naught changeth Thee. (Walter C. Smith, 1867) 2. There is no gold without the fiery furnace. Be encouraged because God is a God of mercy and comfort. Colossians 3:12-17: Got peace? In Hard Times, God plots for your Victory : Biblical response to COVID 19 Your goals, finances, health and outlook seem bright. The list is endless because our trials are multi-colored and variegated (the phrase many kinds has this idea behind it). A victim says Why did this happen to me? while a student asks, What can I learn from this?. When Jesus was telling His followers that He was going to be killed, He knew that they would be worried.
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