Playlist: Character, Built by Trials (topic)
Trial by Fire
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughTrials are an essential part of our journey, shaping and refining our character as we progress toward the Kingdom of God. They are not merely obstacles but necessary experiences that build strength and understanding through practical, lived encounters with His purpose. As seen with Israel in the wilderness, trials were the very …
Facing Times of Stress: Grieved by Various Trials
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsUnder the same influence of circumstance and environment, individuals react differently, just as various materials respond uniquely to fire. One person is made better and stronger by trials, while another weakens or withers away. It is not merely what happens to us or what God allows, but how we have prepared and developed …
Defining Trials
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John O. ReidThe trials and tests we endure are a vital, though less discussed, aspect of our Christian calling, defining who we are before God. These trials are designed to change our very mind and nature into those of God and Jesus Christ through obedience to His laws. The testing of our faith holds tremendous value, proving if it is pure …
Trials Are a Gift From God
Sermon by Mark SchindlerTrials in life, whether they stem from day-to-day struggles or severe physical and emotional challenges, are profound opportunities for growth. They are not merely obstacles but gifts from God, designed to awaken dormant powers and focus energies that might otherwise remain untapped. Just as Alexander de Seversky discovered that …
Testing Spiritual Character
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsWe live in a society that thrives on illusions, often obscuring the truth about ourselves. God seeks to know what we are truly like and reveals our standing in relation to Him by constantly testing our spiritual character. A Christian's life is a time of reality building, not illusion, with the purpose of building character akin …
Trials: Much Needed Experiences
Sermon by John O. ReidAs the Passover season nears, an expectation of trials often emerges among God's people, a pattern observed over many years where challenges intensify around the spring holy days. This year, the trials have not abated after Passover as they typically do; instead, they persist and even grow stronger, prompting questions about …
Temptations: Trials and Tests
Sermonette by Ted E. BowlingThe examination of Matthew 6:13, within the Model Prayer, reveals that the Greek word for temptation, peirasmos , fundamentally means a testing or proving of character rather than an enticement to sin. God does lead believers into trials, but He does not tempt anyone toward evil; His purpose is to test and develop character so …
No Longer Brain Dead
Sermon by Mark SchindlerTrials and testing form part of life for every person. God designs specific trials and tests that are custom made for each individual. God continues the molding and shaping of each person so that each will fit exactly into the Family in the way that He sees fit. God expects maturing and thoughtful responses from His beloved …
God Is Preparing Us For the Kingdom
Sermon by Kim MyersTrials build character by testing the quality of faith and revealing whether a person will obey God regardless of circumstances. Such testing occurs because God loves His people and is preparing them for the Kingdom, much as He prepared David, a man after His own heart, through one difficulty after another. David faced exile, …
Hope in a Turbulent World
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Trials test the genuineness of faith and produce perseverance when met with the faith, hope, and love that God supplies. God deliberately arranges such pressures, as He did with the Israelites in the wilderness, to humble people, reveal what is in their hearts, and determine whether they will continue to obey His commands …
'Have You Considered My Servant [Insert Your Name]?'
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Ted E. BowlingJob's story invites individuals to stand firm in the knowledge that every hardship is part of a larger spiritual reality, governed by a compassionate God.
Trust in God and Stand in Awe
Sermonette by Clyde FinkleaThe Christian life is faith intertwined with pain. Suffering is a divine tool for growth; God ordains both prosperity and adversity to keep us humble (Eccl 7:13-14). Paul's affliction illustrates this: crushed beyond his strength, he learned trust lies not in self-reliance but in God, who raises the dead. This crucible yields …
Motivation to Endure
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John O. ReidTrials develop character as individuals persevere through the afflictions and calamities foretold in Luke 21. Jesus instructs His followers to bear up under persecution, betrayal, wars, earthquakes, famines, and pestilences without yielding, for such endurance preserves life and leads to salvation. God permits these events so …
Faithful Minister in Perilous Times
Sermon by David F. MaasThe material does not address the topic of character built by trials. Instead it develops the theme of not neglecting spiritual gifts by showing how such gifts, given by God through prophecy and the laying on of hands, can become dormant through fear, distraction, discouragement, or busyness, and how believers must fan them into …
Are You Sure You Believe in God? (Part Three)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsReal saving faith is a gift from God, but we are obligated to walk by this faith, developing incremental levels of faith through obedience.
The Most Dangerous Battlefront
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David F. MaasThe most dangerous battle at hand is against our own flesh, where we least expect treachery and where we have become the most complacent.
Our Part in the Sanctification Process (Part Five): Cultivating Patience
Sermon by David F. MaasNumerous scriptures show the bad effects of impatience committed by ancient Israel, while the patriarchs, Jesus Christ, and the Father set examples of true patience.