encouraging sermons for difficult times

Jesus loves you back to wholeness. This message explores keys to a victorious life and how God is with you in the battle. In Daniel chapter two, King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream that is very troubling to him. Look up and call out to Jesus - Psalm 23:4: Even though I walk through the darkest valleyyou are with me.. 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? Her story demonstrates that simply having Bible knowledge cannot save you from the consequences of wrong decisions. read more, Scripture: ISIS Threatens to Kill Families of US Soldiers. Find out how much God loves you and wants to help you right now. 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. - 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. Recently I spent a week teaching the book of James at Word of Life Bible Institute in Hudson, Florida. Trusting God is not about ignoring your feelings or reality. Second, your particular trial doesnt matter as much as how you respond to it. Many of us want to trust God. Acts 9:32-43. Years later Elisabeth married Addison Leitch, former president of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Free Sermons and Sermon Outlines for Preaching : Instructions On How To Handle Difficult Times, If The Preacher Is Dead, The Sermon Will Be Dead, Chasing The Dream, Preaching Greatness, And Knowing Your Audience. Thank goodness! Here is how we live with joy in the hard things. Many of them are unbelievers who wonder if Christ is real. Anyone who has ever interacted with children knows they can ask very difficult questions, questions that are not always easy to answer because difficult questions often have difficult answers. I confess to be being bothered by this so I decided to check it out in the Greek. That sounds so odd that one wonders if he is serious. read more, Scripture: Christian/Church Of Christ. He worried that under pressure these new Christians would crumble and give up on God. He cares about you, and you can trust Him with those things. Live in another country building relationships and ministries with eternal impact. So dont judge your circumstances by your feelings. Trust in God with Sermons in Difficult Times. If you have not established that, it is never too late to start. This is not news to you, but Im Scripture: Sermons If you're looking for the best Christian jobs and careers, check out Cru's ministry job openings for full- and part-time missionaries and professionals. But we can choose how we respond. From this passage I want to share with you five truths about hard times. Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance (v. 3). Spend time in prayer acknowledging who He is. 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. Are your priorities right? Baptist. Seeing things Gods way doesnt cancel your trials and it doesnt turn them into non-trials, but it does transform your evaluation of those trials. If you dont need this sermon today, put it in your back pocket because you will definitely need it tomorrow! SLIDE #1 Maybe its not always about trying to fix whats broken. Daniel Speaks to Us Today Series Here are seven practical ways to trust God in your everyday life: Scripture, or the Bible, is Gods Word. In the moments when everything appears to be falling apart, it can be hard to see how the Good Father is at work, but know His mercy is consistent. Colossians 1:1-8: What choices are you making this year? Explore answers to life's biggest questions. I was able to share that no matter how things may look, we can know that God is looking out for His children. There is no gold without the fiery furnace. Thats what perseverance looks like. Nothing ever just happens and nothing is caused by someone or something outside of Gods control. When no one seems to care about you, self-love can make you stronger. Matthew 22: 15 22 / Why Is The Sky Blue? The word face has the idea of falling or stumbling over a problem. Serve those around you. He is making a way for you. Daniel 2:1-23, Denomination: 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. Incidentsyes. The rod is used to protect and drive the enemy away. read more, Scripture: How do you trust Him when you do not understand what is happening? 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. A victim believes his hard times have come because God is trying to punish him. Walking closely with the Spirit will not only give you direction but will remind you that you are not alone. God is Omnipresent, which means that He is everywhere Sometimes He pays attention. It is by faith. In various ways we will all struggle every day as we make our earthly pilgrimage. Introduction: Hard times are real for everyone regardless of who we are or where we are. James 1:1-4: Did you know that trials have a purpose? Until then, your faith is speculative because it is untested. Encouragement in Difficult Times | Joyce Meyer - YouTube 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). This is battle-tested faith that stands up under withering fire from the enemy and does not cut and run. TRUST GOD IN UNCERTAIN TIMES | Hope In Hard Times Note to reader: I have hot-links to various subjects in this sermon. If youre struggling, this short message from the heart is for you. Judge your circumstances by the Holy Spirit and by the Word of God. 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). Acts 9:32-43, Denomination: 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. In my office we quoted Bible verses together. During our interview with him, he sounded very strong and confident in all his answers. After Davids initial prayer (25:1-7), he pauses to review who the Lord is. How comforting it is to know that the God of the universe is also paying attention to you. But as xtians we have antidotes against hard Still, God answers the prayer. Here Paul plainly says that we can overcome our trials by faith. Usually they just happen without any rhyme or reason. If youre having a hard time keeping your head above water, tell someone else. We are a troubled people living on a troubled planet. A victim believes his hard times have come because God is trying to punish him. 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 doctors are hopeful but there are no guarantees. This message tells us how to avoid distractions. INTRODUCTION If I truly believe that, then I can move to the second statement and begin to look for ways to grow spiritually. 1-3a). Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds (v. 1). THE SCHOOL OF HARD "NOTS" We cant always know why things happen the way they do. Psalm 1:1-6: Are you going the wrong way? At one point I told her that if she didnt make the decision to come clean, it wouldnt be long before I spoke at her funeral. A touch from the shepherds staff and the presence of his rod is reassuring to the heart. Handbook for Hard Times | Keep Believing Ministries You show up to practice every day, giving it your all, but you lose every game. Life is difficult, but God is good. Giving thanks fights the lie that everything is horrible. Difficult circumstances feel all-consuming Psalm 71 for When You Feel Like Everyone Is Against You. I wish it were not so, but it is true. You wont do this perfectly, but God is kind and patient with you while you learn to trust Him. And get 5 action steps for enduring trials, tests, and persecution. Ecclesiastes 1:9, Denomination: Faith in Gods Purposethat he is conforming us to the image of Jesus Christ. How we seek to journey together with everyone towards a relationship with Jesus. Love or hatred. I can think of three obvious answers to that question. The word trial comes from a Greek word that has the idea of being under the thumb because of pressure from above. Striving to see Christ-followers on every team, in every sport and in every nation. Job spoke of this experience when he declared of the Lord, He knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold (Job 23:10). This short message helps us look at how our choices matter each day because they add up to the direction were headed. Some people go through life as professional victims, always talking about how they have been mistreated. Therefore, we should not complain when hard times come. If we can make the choice to view life that way, then we can make the following statements about our struggles and our trials: 1) This is sent from the Lord. SURVIVING DIFFICULT TIMES I will share common types of difficult behavior in a few minutes, but I want to lay a proper foundation first. Nothing is Too Difficult for God Sermon In your waking up. You may not see a way out of the situation you find yourself walking in today; but know this, you are not alone. And further in the distance, others watch what we go through. Everybody in life is bound to pass thru hard time. If we need any of the nine-fold fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), it will be produced in us. Paul is saying, I can face my trials because I see how well you are facing yours.. We often see the full flowering of this process in the life of an older saint of God. Gen 35: 15 -20 (From the Bible Knowledge Commentary). 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. Yet storms often come to believers to make them able to stand firm, rather than to blow them away (cf. When things in life get in the way and draw you away spiritually from the will of God, he will do whatever it takes to bring you close to him. It is the in-between times when faith grows, and God brings life to the dead. What will life look like in a month, in six months, in a year. You never know what you believe until hard times come. Or perhaps weve just gone through a divorce and we feel rejected and alone. Acts 20:22-31. Jesus is the answer! It is understandable as this is a hugely unknown situation for all of us. Gods Help for Hard Times The Psalmist David gives us some good instructions on how to handle hard times when they come. Contributed by Jeffery Anselmi on Apr 29, 2010. based Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (v. 4). WebThank God for those who touch your life. Write out your question. Faith allows us to find our way through struggle the It is unchanging and completely trustworthy. B. Phillips, hoping for some light (if not a way of escape). God cares about them both. I missed the Childrens You probably wont feel joyful or grateful or full of trust. (John 14:26, NIV). You seek to live a godly life, but you suffer one health problem after another, while you know many who abuse their bodies with a life of dissipation and are never sick for a day. Genesis 18:14 poses an important question "Is there anything too hard for the Lord?" Haggai 1:1-15: Distracted? You are not facing these difficult times alone. Here are a few recent headlines: Woman beheaded in Oklahoma. Text: Romans 8 : 28 Note two key words in the last phrase. The Holy Spirit will lead you to what you should do. Norman Vincent Peale The Lord is walking with you every step of the way. Hard Times Learn how you can know God personally. Mystery Virus Causes Paralysis. It is hardest to trust God during times of conflict, uncertainty, and 2. Hebrews 11: Where do we find strong faith? The issue is really how the sheep (you) choose to respond to the shepherd. Perhaps were sick and feel as if well never get better again. The Strong Power in Every Woman I think its the exclamation point at the end that does it for me. Jesus guaranteed His followers that they would face hard times (John 16:33), but He promised that He would always be with them (Matthew 28:20). Every hard trial is another step on the stairway that leads from earth to heaven. Mercy, pastoring aint always easy, now is it? Psalm 23:4: Feel Alone? Because we live in a fallen world, nothing works the way its supposed to. Thanks for your interest! What can we do to keep our faith strong? Community reminds you that you are never alone, even in hard times. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today. I want to begin this message by giving you some common contemporary types of difficult people you may encounter. Gods Encouragement in Tough Times to our ministers who preached and taught in my absence. Faith in Gods Characterthat he is good and makes no mistake. 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. My Lossyes. In order to separate the gold from the dross, the ore was placed in a furnace and heated until it melted. This weeks message teaches us how to live for Christ in a fallen world. It isnt so hard to love a God who is good, and values us so highly. If we need hope, we will have it. God is much more concerned with how you respond than with the trial itself. God has ordained that your trials are part of his plan to make you like Jesus. The message shares despite all the problems of life or that life is difficult that God remains good. You need only to look. Trust or unbelief. By Greg Johnson One of the great assets we had was in the 100 yard dash, we had the kid that was the fastest kid in the whole league. Psalm 34:19, Acts 14:22, Denomination: So I decided to check out some other translations. As I have pondered the matter, and considered my own difficulties with this concept, the thought occurs that counting it all joy when troubles come is not a natural response. A student asks, How much of this did I bring on myself?, A victim looks at everyone else and cries out, Life isnt fair. A student looks at life and says, What happened to me could have happened to anyone.. Little by little we lose the joy we once had. No matter how things might appear immpossible to ue, there is nothing too hard for the Lord. He asked Jesus to heal him if you can. Jesus asked the man if he did not believe that Jesus could heal, and this was his reply. Learn the basics of what Christians believe. Learn how Jesus life, death, and resurrection can help you have unity and love with others. "Equipping and encouraging people to keep believing in Jesus", Copyright 2020 Keep Believing Ministries. Strategies From Genesis We are love God with all of our heart, and our neighbor as ourselves. Try our selection of worship songs and sing along! It may even bring you to the end of your strength. Have you ever had a person in your life that was difficult to impossible to deal with? PSALM 62:1-12 INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO HANDLE HARD TIMES If you and I have been in the world very long, we've learned there are Methodist. This is cut-to-the-chase, heres-the-bottom-line talk from a man who knew his readers needed encouragement to stand strong in hard times. When trials have finished their work in us, we will not lack anything the Lord wants us to have. We need to know how to survive as the culture turns against us. So He shared this with them to give them comfort. Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, He does not always give you the big picture, but He will show you the next step. Equipping families with practical approaches to parenting and marriage. Jude 1:17-21, Denomination:

Bj's Membership Renewal, Articles E

encouraging sermons for difficult times

encouraging sermons for difficult times