Playlist: Hardship (topic)
Days of Trials
Sermonette by James BeaubelleThe conversion process resembles a battle, requiring that we must put on armor, expecting continuous skirmishes to enter God's Kingdom victoriously.
Psalm Genres (Part Four): Laments
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughLife on this earth is marked by relentless hardship and sorrow. Nobody escapes troubles and trials as they navigate existence among billions of others, often complicating each other's lives and multiplying tribulations. Storms of difficulty strike repeatedly, far beyond mere rain, shaping life as a long lesson in humility, a …
Job: Things Left Unsaid
Sermon by David C. GrabbeGod's children are assured of facing trials, tests, hardship, and suffering, often even before coming under the blood of Christ. Yet, He oversees all that we endure, ensuring that our hardship will not exceed what we can bear and that it will yield good fruit as we submit to Him. In the book of Job, we encounter a righteous man …
Persistence
Sermon by John O. ReidPersistence is impossible without a transcendent and ardent vision, which prevents us from casting off restraint and gives us the will to keep on.
Why Does God Allow Us to Be Afflicted?
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsSuffering and affliction pervade the world and even the church, presenting persistent anguish that, while negative in perception, serves a vital purpose in life with positive outcomes. Afflictions are not unexpected for those devoted to God, much like labors are familiar to a farmer or storms to a sailor. Yet, many question why …
Trial by Fire
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughLike a loving parent, God brings just the right pressures to bear to bring about necessary change in His children. Each trial has a place in His purpose.
The Convicted Soldier
Sermonette by Ted E. BowlingA good soldier must exemplify honesty and self-control, qualities God desires in us. Uriah demonstrated this high standard by refusing to violate his code of honor.
The Virtues of Patience, Endurance, and Longsuffering
Sermon by Ted E. BowlingRooted in love and produced by God's Spirit, patience, longsuffering, and endurance enable believers to respond to difficulties of all kinds with grace.
God's Perspective
Sermonette byHuman nature skews our view of reality; there is always more than meets the eye. We would do well to adopt the approach of 'Good or bad, it is hard to say.'
Strategies for Interfacing with Babylon Without Becoming Assimilated (Part Six)
Sermon by David F. MaasWe must embrace failure as a tool for spiritual growth. Trials are essential in shaping character, building faith, and reinforcing dependence on God.
Lonely, But Not Forsaken
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsEven Jesus had to cope with feelings of anxiety and loneliness in Gethsemane before His crucifixion, a time when He experienced separation from His Father.
Finishing Your Gun Lap
Sermon by John O. ReidThe most dangerous lap we encounter is when everyone around us tends to be compromising. Today, what was once aberrant behavior is now considered normal.
Don't Grow Weary While Doing Good
Sermonette by Ryan McClureWhen facing the character-building tests God provides, we may become weary, forgetting that these trials are necessary for God to test what is in our hearts.
Enduring as a Good Soldier
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)To wage spiritual warfare, we must endure hardship, not entangling ourselves in the affairs of the world, being single-minded in pleasing our Captain.
The Gun Lap Is Looming
Sermon by John O. ReidAs we near the conclusion of our spiritual journey, the more dangerous obstacles we will face. Satan will pull out all stops to destroy us.
Faithful Travelers on a Spiritual Journey
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsOur struggles are not meaningless; they are shaping us. The journey to the Promised Land that is God's Kingdom for us is filled with difficult times of struggle and tears that people must face on their way to meet God in His temple. Becoming stronger in God's presence is often preceded by our journey through futile places in our …
Confidence at Christ's Appearance
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsHardship forms an integral part of commitment to the gospel of Christ, as those who follow Him must anticipate and prepare for suffering rather than avoid it. The apostles experienced constant hardship including hunger, thirst, inadequate clothing, beatings, homelessness, and exhausting labor, yet they responded to insults, …
How Does God Help Us? (Part 2)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe trials we go through are part of His providence, putting us into humility and determining what really motivates us.
Two Realities
Sermon by David C. GrabbeAt baptism, we begin living in two realities simultaneously, one identified by the physical senses and the other discerned by the eyes of faith.
Those Who Mourn
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughWorldly sorrow leads to death while godly sorrow leads to repentance and life. After godly repentance, sorrow is swallowed up in profound joy.
God Expects a Return on His Investment (Part Six)
Sermon by David F. MaasWhen we find our proper niche of service in the body of Christ, we will experience more joy and fun than a human being ought to be allowed.
Are You Living an Abundant Life?
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughIf Christianity is lived the way Christ intended, rather than as represented by media caricatures, it is one of the most exhilarating and abundant lifestyles.
From Both Sides Now and the Feast of Tabernacles
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Mark SchindlerThe disillusionment experienced by all living under the sun can only be cleared up under the perfect government of Jesus Christ.
Caleb: Wholeheartedly Following God Exemplified
Sermon by Ted E. BowlingThe life of Caleb illustrates how hardship can be endured faithfully when one's trust rests entirely in God rather than in circumstances. Caleb's early suffering is suggested even by his name, meaning "dog," a term associated at that time with evil or low stature. Though Scripture does not detail the specifics of his upbringing, …
For Love of Family
Sermonette by Austin Del CastilloGod's saints, as both kings and priests, will both teach God's law as well as maintain civic governmental functions, needing to exercise patience.
Highly Skilled Overcomers
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughFollowing our passions only applies if we invest the career capital to perfect our craft, honing our skills so that other people will pay for what we have to offer.
Joy in Our Time?
Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)We are undergoing the worst of times, but coming into the best of times because the Kingdom of God is in the ascendancy.
What Is the Work of God Now? (Part Three)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughTo preach to the world and ignore a disintegrating flock is like a husband and wife paying attention to other people while the family is falling apart.
The Laborers: Matthew 20:1-16
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughBecause God is completely just, we have an obligation to be content with what He has given us, to allow Him to use us for whatever purpose He desires.