Sermons About Struggle
The Psalms and Our Negative Emotions
The Psalms are a window into the soul in all its complexity and variety. Christians often think the negative or dark emotions are sign of immaturity or a lack of faith. But, in fact, all our emotions reveal our deepest questions about God and our invitations to a greater faith.
0 Amens
The Psalms and Our Negative Emotions
The Psalms are a window into the soul in all its complexity and variety. Christians often think the negative or dark emotions are sign of immaturity or a lack of faith. But, in fact, all our emotions reveal our deepest questions about God and our invitations to a greater faith.
0 Amens
The Purpose of Suffering
It is Gods will to shape us into the image of His son, Jesus Christ. But, how does he accomplish this? James tells us that it begins with the testing of our faith, leads us towards patience, and ultimately brings us to maturity. There are many reasons that we resist such tests and trials, but the bottom line is this: trials are the very things God uses to mold us into the image of Christ—and there is no shortcut. Key Verses: Rom 8:28-29, Php 2:1-8, James 1:2-4, Php 4:11-13, 2Cor 11:23ff, 2Tim 4:6-8
0 Amens
Christian Doubt
We all doubt in some way. It's harmful to withdraw asking the tough questions. If God is real & true, and we believe He is, then He should be able to handle the real us. Real struggles; real questions.
1 Amens
The Problem with Settling for Less than God's Best
When we leave God out of our days, we try to bear more weight that we can handle. We may begin by making minor compromises, but eventually we are headed for a collapse. Listen as we explore a better plan to design our days with God as a part of our lives.
0 Amens
The Mysterious Comfort of a God Who Fights Against Us
This sermon unpacks one of the strangest stories of the Bible: Jacob's wrestling with God. Join us as we explore the mystery of confronting the Terrible-Beautiful God. God sometimes comes as an adversary, but broken and sinful people who surrender to Him find new life and blessing. As C. S. Lewis once portrayed Him: "He's good, but not safe."
0 Amens
What to Do When You Face Mission:Impossible
When life feels like "Mission:Impossible," it's time to call for outside help. With God on our side, we can walk through life's challenges rather than running away from them. In this sermon, we explore Jacob's prayer for God's help as he faced the seemingly impossible reunion with his brother Esau.
0 Amens
Temptation - Getting to the Bottom of it all
Today’s lectionary texts are fitting because they have to do with something common to all of us: temptation. Even the Apostle Paul confessed his struggle with temptation and sin when he said, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it,” Romans 7:15-20. The Lenten season serves to remind us that we are mortal and that we are sinners in need of a Savior. There is good news in knowing that the great Apostle struggled with temptation just as we do. There is even better news in knowing that we “do not have a high priest (Jesus) who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need,” Hebrews 4:15-16. We hope that this will be your experience as you worship with us today.
0 Amens
Grace + Truth + Time = Life Change
We all want to change. Oprah wants you to change. Dr. Phil wants you to change. The bookstores offer us 365 Daily Secrets to Change. Your spouse wants you to change. Your kids want you to change. You want to change. We want to change our clothes, our hair, our waistsize, our breath, our love life, our cholesterol, our carpet, our car, and our iPod version. We also want to change our tempers, our greed, our laziness, our giving, our attitudes, our service, our selfishness, our habits, our sanctification, our worship, our faithfulness, our devotion, our love. So, how do you change? The answer: GRACE + TRUTH + TIME = LIFE CHANGE
0 Amens
The Struggle of Faith
To obey Christ in faith is often a battle. Our emotions of fear and doubt struggle against the reality of the Word of God. The struggle is not sin. Victory comes through yielding to God's plan.
0 Amens
Growing through Hardship
Every life has hardship. Some hardships we bring on ourselves. Some are simply a result of life in a fallen world. Some are caused by those around us. How should we respond when hardship comes? We continue our series with this sometimes humorous look the ups and downs in the life of Jacob.
0 Amens
God Is More Than Enough
As we follow Jesus, we will experience the fact that God is more than enough. Elijah knew this and demonstrated to Israel that the gods they had chosen to follow were false and powerless. We, too, face a power struggle as we decide who to follow. We need to remember that God has the ability to handle circumstances which seem unmanageable to us.
1 Amens
Lessons Learned
With all the pressures of this life, marriages are under fire today. Listen to the top 10 mistakes married people make, and how to avoid them. Join David and Teresa Hillis in hearing their story of reconciliation and God's love. 9) Staying in the shadows about your marriage problems.
0 Amens
Overflowing Joy
Having accepted the call of God on her life in bearing God's son Jesus, Mary hurries to her cousin Elizabeth's house--a difficult 80-mile journey, perhaps a journey made alone. In her determination, she wrestles with the idea of society's opinion of her as an unwed mother, even though she knows the truth of the conception. Upon her arrival at Elizabeth's house, joy overflows between these two women and Mary finds refuge there for three months. Can we experience this overflowing joy in our lives today? After a time of deep struggling and questioning, God often brings an exuberant, transforming joy to us that boils over to those we encounter.
0 Amens
