encouraging sermons for difficult times

to our ministers who preached and taught in my absence. He wants you to learn to trust Him as you get to know Him. Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. read more, Scripture: But thats the whole point. 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. This message digs deep into the character of each Beatitude. They dont know, they arent sure, maybe theyve read the Bible, maybe they havent, but theyre watching how we respond to mistreatment, malicious accusations, sickness, the loss of a job, the end of our marriage, a career setback, or a financial collapse. A victim says Why did this happen to me? while a student asks, What can I learn from this?. Hard times eventually wear us down. Joy or bitterness. Why? When I told my brothera medical doctorof my diagnosis, he was almost giddy with excitement, proclaiming, Great, God has given you a wonderful new platform to tell others about him! And he has been right, it is a great platform. Have you ever had a person in your life that was difficult to impossible to deal with? If you and I have been in the world very long, we've learned there are Psalm 62:1-12, Denomination: I dont know what the future holds for Nabeel, but as I pray for his healing, I also pray that his faith might remain strong. But we can choose how we respond. Faith in Gods Promisethat he will never leave us or forsake us. Winning in Difficult Situations 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. WebLife can be scary, especially during hard times.Maybe you've lost your job, are battling a chronic illness or your marriage is falling apart. And further in the distance, others watch what we go through. If you dont need this sermon today, put it in your back pocket because you will definitely need it tomorrow! CT: Gods way is often the Hard Way. Giving thanks fights the lie that everything is horrible. read more, Scripture: Idolatry is the worship of a false God. The greater the tragedy, the greater will be the mystery. Hard times, times of trials and tribulations, seem to be as constant as the sunrise. Joy grows best in the deep soil of the sovereignty of God. Take the next step in your faith journey with resources on prayer, devotionals and other tools for personal and spiritual growth. Genesis 18:14, Dont allow any hard time to break you, to cause you to quit, give up and lose hope. When no one seems to care about you, self-love can make you stronger. Help others in their faith journey through discipleship and mentoring. Is it important? He is making a way for you. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (v. 4). - Resurrecting Hope, part 2, Easter Brings Resurrection Hope - Resurrecting Hope, part 1, Consider Your Ways to Experience the Presence of God Life Is a Journey, part 43, God Is Your Shepherd, Comforter, Defender Life Is a Journey, part 36, God Is Your Shepherd, Leader, Protector Life Is a Journey, part 35, Be Ready Like Elisha & Find Your Calling Life Is a Journey, part 34. Psalm 1: Want a blessed life of meaning and fulfillment? Instead learn the principles that will make you harder than your hard time. 3:12). In my office we quoted Bible verses together. Matthew 22:15-22, Denomination: Hard times are real for everyone regardless of who we are or where we are. But those good times often get overshadowed by other more complicated things going on. Because his death happened right before Christmas it was the first time that I had ever missed any events of my churchs Christmas season. No one, not a single person in this story expects Peter to be released. She then adds this P.S. He also gives you other believers to walk with. Allow God to remind you who He is and what He promises, and then be honest with Him. 2. I sure hope attendance at your church was better than my church. A sermon examining the fact that God is all powerful. Illus. WebThank God for those who touch your life. No need to worry because the Lord is with you. No theory here. Verse 3. Some people may regard this as a negative, but to me it is a positive. Your friends and family are enjoyable. Then, all of a sudden, life throws a curveball. Does anyone doubt it? Free Sermons and Sermon Outlines for Preaching : The Finish Line - Running The Race Of Life, In Times Like These (A Message Of Encouragement), If The Preacher Is Dead, The Sermon Will Be Dead, Chasing The Dream, Preaching Greatness, And Knowing Your Audience. He cares for your hurts. Hard work! Gen 35: 15 -20 But when times feel difficult, it is even more important to trust God. Difficult situations are not new. But as xtians we have antidotes against hard Our trials often come with very little warning. This and other sermons brought to you by Faith Chapel, an Assemblies of God church in Pleasanton, CA. Mystery Virus Causes Paralysis. Establishing a consistent time with the Lord when things feel good will help you to continue to go to Him when things feel rough. John 11:1-45: Ever wondered, God, where are you? This message helps us understand that the power of God is revealed in difficult situations. You can tell God how you feel and in what areas of your life you are struggling to trust Him. Now that you know what it means to trust God, how exactly can you do that in your everyday life? read more, Scripture: Colossians 3:12-17: Got peace? We should rejoice. All of us shall encounter loss, sorrow, disappointment, and disillusionment, And for the most part, we cant choose our trials nor can we avoid most of them. When you are feeling down or depressed, look up and call out to Jesus. Most often they come through and with and alongside our trials. If you want hope to flood your heart, it starts with affliction that leads to endurance that produces proven character that results in the Holy Spirit filling us with hope. We need you. Sermons for Difficult Times, New Beginnings Encourage your members to keep looking forward; to not get so discouraged with the state of the world, but to see that there is still hope for the future. Sermons for difficult times that center around these realities are often effective. So dont judge your circumstances by your feelings. Trusting God is not about ignoring your feelings or reality. When you find yourself in a valley or some dark place, such as a sickness or feeling depressed, a spiritual attack or a loss of some kind, its not the place you find yourself in that is important so much as the one who is with you. Thomas Constable has a very helpful word at this point: When trouble comes, Christians often react by doubting that they are where God wants them to be; they often think that they have done something wrong and that God must be displeased with them. Because most of the time you dont have a choice about the bad things that happen to you. To say that is to say nothing more than the words of Romans 8:28. The Spirit will also lead you in obedience. But the result is the pure gold of Christlike character. Network on ISN. God is with you, wherever you wander. There are two ways of life. We need to know how to survive as the culture turns against us. We grow old and die. A student has no time to complain because he is busy making the best of his situation. I would submit to you that the answer is no! read more, Scripture: WebPsalm 4:1 Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Acts 9:32-43. That was on Thursday. Thanks for your love and your 2 Cor. The Spirit comforts and reminds you of the truth. 3. Hard times are difficult times of life, a time that you hate to experience, not palatable with the flesh. Truthfully, its probably a choice well have to make again and again and again. The Holy Spirit lives in anyone who trusts in Jesus. I am glad to share it because it is truly encouraging. 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. Until your faith is put to the test, it remains theoretical. Be blessed? Genesis 18:1-14 Nothing will be left out; nothing will be left behind. You dont get it in the good times. And hard times can come as a result of our own sin, natural catastrophe, economic For the children of God, all things do indeed work together for good. 1 Samuel 17:40-54: Need to experience victory? Picture someone driving down the highway in a convertible. It also reminds us of His presence. In many parts of the world it is dangerous even to be a Troublesyes. 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. The book of Jude is one of those that we skip over most of the time. WebFree Access to Sermons on Revelation End Times, Church Sermons, Illustrations on Revelation End Times, and Preaching Slides on Revelation End Times. Incidentsyes. The Psalmist David gives us some good instructions on how to handle hard times when they come. What about joy? When Jesus was telling His followers that He was going to be killed, He knew that they would be worried. There are no shortcuts to spiritual maturity. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds (v. 1). When you are feeling down or depressed, look up and call out to Jesus. Trusting God is living a life of belief in and obedience to God even when its difficult. WE have seen some athletes who have figuratively blown up locker Trials will come but they are never to hurt you; rather they are to build you up. Christian Church. Sometimes we get caught up in our sin. Peace or worry. Until then, your faith is speculative because it is untested. The Christian way is not an easy way and any representations to the contrary are false. Learn how you can know God personally. The tools of the shepherd are the rod and staff. Jim and his four co-workers were speared to death by the Indians. Its not just welcome them as friends, which would be hard enough, but welcome them as friends! which to me sounds positively giddy, like Im welcoming long-lost friends to my home. By Greg Johnson James tells us that God does good things for the Christian during the bad times of life. 1 Kings 19:3-18, Psalm 22: Are you burdened by feeling alone? They want to know if what we say we believe is really enough for us in the hard times. Would you like to give your time to work with Cru? As I am making notes to share with you, I received a call from a dear friend and it was a call of rejoicing even as someone we both know is walking through a valley. No one is exempt, no one gets a trouble-free ride to heaven. A few days ago we interviewed Nabeel Qureshi on American Family Radio about his new book No God But One: Allah or Jesus?. Genesis 18:1-15, Denomination: WebSermons: TRUSTING GOD IN DIFFICULT TIMES. Job 5:7 reminds us that man is born for trouble as surely as the sparks fly upward. I see no way to deny that statement. But as xtians we have antidotes against har. When the global church comes together then powerful things can happen. But as xtians we have antidotes against har, Surviving Hard times Find resources for personal or group Bible study. This is not news to you, but Im Hard times make us seek answers. He is present in your situation. Look up and call out to Jesus. Your privacy is important to us; well keep your email to ourselves. We live in dangerous times. As I survey the New Testament teaching regarding trials, two truths stand out. (From the Bible Knowledge Commentary). The Holy Spirit is your constant helper, pointing you to Jesus. It was not to be. During these troubling times let us turn to the promises of God, read and study them, ponder upon them and apply their wisdom to our lives. THE SCHOOL OF HARD "NOTS" Look for Things to Be Grateful For. Use your hobbies and interests to find the best place for you to serve. Psalm 23:4: Feel Alone? What kinds of questions do hard times make you ask? When that happens, everything we believe will be put on the firing line. The Bibles Answer to difficult people. Dealing With Difficult People Genesis 16:1-10 Jesus reduced the ten commandments down to just two. We are love God with all of our heart, and our neighbor as ourselves. It isnt so hard to love a God who is good, and values us so highly. I am talking today of working hard for the Lord! When your trials are over, you will come forth as gold. He is always faithful. This message helps us understand how and why we should live worthy of the Lord; plus, learn how to push back spiritual darkness and what brings endurance and strength. Help families pursue the relationships that matter most. Baptist. James begins by reminding us that sooner or later (probably sooner) we will all face trials of various sorts. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and therefore is worthy of your trust. Advent 2022, week 5: During this series, we are looking at how hope, peace, joy and love are at the heart of Christmas. Contributed by Jeffery Anselmi on Apr 29, 2010. based I think its the exclamation point at the end that does it for me. No matter how hard we try to figure things out, there will always be many mysteries in life. And get 5 action steps for enduring How does the devil tempt us in hard times? The Greek word for unsettled actually means to wag the tail. It has the idea of being shaken by circumstances so that you fall away from the right path in life. Text: Galatians 6.4-10 Disappointmentyes. He always sees them and is always working for their good. 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. When we obey line upon line and precept upon precept, we will Scripture: After several promising attempts at first contact, a team of five missionaries flew to a jungle landing strip, hoping to establish friendly relations. B. Phillips, hoping for some light (if not a way of escape). To help the weak is not too hard 2 Chronicles 20:12 Heres what we need to know about the book. Evangelical Free. Life is difficult, but God is good. God does not explain himself to us. Are you open to what the Lord wants to do in your life? But God never intended that you should walk through the lonely valley by yourself. Im glad to invest in them because the future belongs to the young. Norman Vincent Peale Dealing With Difficult People In You, O Lord, I put my trust; let me never be put to shameDeliver me, O my God, out of the For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. of Patricia Christy. Thats a revolutionary thought to some people. We have been looking this month at the book of Philippians. All these things lead to the ultimate act of desperation where we give up our faith in God altogether. Second, your particular trial doesnt matter as much as how you respond to it. Difficult situations are not new to any generation. Thanks However, when we begin to love others as we love ourselves Will you say yes today? Here are seven practical ways to trust God in your everyday life: Scripture, or the Bible, is Gods Word. 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? Hard times are nothing new. You can watch the news on any given day and hear of the hard times of those around our country. Some people go through life as professional victims, always talking about how they have been mistreated. You are not alone. When you cannot see a resolution? No matter who we are or where we live, trouble is just a phone call away. # GOD John 20:11-18: Are you in a hopeless situation? Everything that happens to us is either caused by God or allowed by God. He is in all of it. read more, Scripture: But given the instability of our world, a question comes to mind: Where can you go where you arent in harms way? The great danger is that we will try to short-circuit the process by running away from our problems. The word trial comes from a Greek word that has the idea of being under the thumb because of pressure from above. You will know beyond a doubt, Jesus is present in your situation and that you are not alone no matter how dark the valley or how lonely you may feel. Life is Difficult, But God is Good Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 It seems that this is the deep theological response to all calamity. Discouragement comes most often when you do right things but experience poor results. You need a strong foundation of Scripture to stand on, especially when you feel uncertain. What happened to her can happen to any of us if we respond wrongly to hard times. read more, Scripture: "Equipping and encouraging people to keep believing in Jesus", Copyright 2020 Keep Believing Ministries. A student understands that God allows hard times in order to help him grow. Introduction: Hard times are real for everyone regardless of who we are or where we are. spiritual health, strength, faith, difficult situations, courage, mature christian, obedience, trials, - Series: Lesson's From Revelation's Seven Churches, integrity, holy spirit, victory, encouragement, hope, fear, stress, promises, spiritual health, strength, faith, difficult situations, courage, mature christian, obedience, trials, - Series: Lesson's From Revelation's Seven Churches, integrity, holy spirit, good & evil, How to Avoid Spiritual Distractions Consider Your Ways, part 1, Cling To Jesus Always, Even in Times of Trouble, A Song of Single-Mindedness: How to Have a Blessed Life, How to Live with The Peace of God in Your Heart (continued) Live in Christ, part 6, How to Live with The Peace of God in Your Heart Live in Christ, part 5, How to Live Rooted in The Lord Live in Christ, part 3, How to Live Worthy of The Lord Live in Christ, part 2, Cultivating Your Heart: Finding Abundance Living an Abundant Life, part 1, With You in The Battle: Victory Brings Glory to God 5 Smooth Stones, part 4, How to Live in Christ in a Fallen World - Live in Christ, part 1, Jesus Is at The Heart of Christmas The Heart of Christmas, part 5, Love Is at The Heart of Christmas The Heart of Christmas, part 4, True Joy Is at The Heart of Christmas The Heart of Christmas, part 3, Peace Is at The Heart of Christmas The Heart of Christmas, part 2, Hope Begins with Christmas The Heart of Christmas, part 1, What voice are you focused on? She was raised as a Christian and at one time had a strong faith in Jesus Christ. On our journey from earth to glory, we will face many difficult situations. Whenever I tell others about my rough road back to Christ from non-Christian relationships, the one question I am always asked is, What would have helped make my road back a little easier? My answer is, during my time of spiritual loneliness, if I had had a sister in Christ seek me out and tell me, Ive been there, I love you, and I can help you find your way back to Jesus, perhaps I could have been spared a lot more pain than having to discover the answers on my own. Gentleness or stubbornness. Although he had come to minister to them, by standing firm in hard times they were ministering to him. Faith in Gods Wordthat it is true no matter what happens to us. WebWe need to continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel (Colossians 1:23). If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today. And it turned out that way, as you well know (v. 4). read more, Scripture: You may have heard of people coming through the school of hard Knocks, but as I look through the word of God, I find some NOTs that are hard for some people to swallow. Or your husband may decide he doesnt want to be married anymore. TITUS 3:3-8 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. Waiting on the Lord reminds you that you are not in control. Our bodies wear out. As we go through life, we can look back and see many blanks that we wish God would fill in for us. If you dont run to the Word to remind you of truth in difficult times, it is easier for you to be led into lies about your life and who God is. Trust grows as you look for Gods presence in what feels dark and heavy. You know quite well that we were destined for them (v. 3b). Thats a picture of what God is up to in our fiery trials. We all have to undergo some furnace time sooner or later. Are your priorities right? God is present and is making Himself known. Do you have any idea what Ive just been through? It does sound rather idealistic, if not downright impossible. Now, in the difficult times of their life, Paul gives advice for believers in difficult times. Thank you! He is always working in your life and in the world. A rod is a sign of power and strength to defend against attacks. Difficult situations are not new to any generation. So in these difficult days, God tells us here in Philippians, stand firm. Stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. He starts off this passage with the word Therefore. Learn the prescription for joy and success. A victim would rather complain than find a solution. Its meant to help you grow in faith and prepare your heart to focus on the real reason for the season: Jesus! SLIDE #1 Daivd shows us how to deal with difficult people as we see how he deals with Saul. My message will be rather brief this morning (no cheering, please! WebEncouragement in Difficult Times. Just straight talk from Jesus brother about what works and what doesnt work in the Christian life. Learn how to hold onto joy no matter the situation youre in with this weeks encouraging message. As I thought about the matter, I concluded that even if I had the power (which I dont), I wouldnt take the pain away or make the hard times disappear. The phrase you know refers not to head knowledge (what we sometimes call book learning) but to heart knowledge, the kind gained by years of experience. Learn how Jesus life, death, and resurrection can help you have unity and love with others. Questions, questions, questions! We live in a madcap world that work the whole night and sleep the whole day with no time for self God, on the other hand, does not change. Dont let your emotions rule your life; bring them to God so He can help you address them. * The cockroach immediately punched him between the eyes and scampered off. Things break. God is Omnipresent, which means that He is everywhere Please try again or contact website administrator. Helping students know Jesus, grow in their faith and go to the world to tell others. Answers to questions on donations, financial policies, Crus annual report and more. James offers what appears to be a strange piece of advice: Consider it pure joy or Count it all joy (KJV). Meet with other believers and set your eyes on things that are bigger than your circumstances.

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