Playlist: Paul, Suffering of (topic)
Lamentations (Part One; 1989)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughThe apostle Paul endured immense hardships in his dedication to serving Jesus Christ, as cataloged in II Corinthians 11, beginning in verse 26. His travels were marked by physical challenges and perils that highlight his unwavering commitment to the ministry. Paul faced dangers from rivers, robbers, and harsh weather, often …
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.
Day By Day
Sermonette by Clyde FinkleaEcclesiastes teaches us to rejoice when times are good and to reflect soberly when times are bad. Adversity is a tool God uses to create something beautiful.
Why Are We Afflicted?
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsPaul's suffering serves as the paramount biblical illustration of affliction's purpose and value, anchored in his declaration that "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." The extent of what lay behind this statement becomes clear through Paul's six …
Why Does God Allow Us to Be Afflicted?
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsPaul's suffering serves as the central biblical illustration of how affliction, though severe and extensive, produces spiritual glory when properly understood and endured. His declaration in Romans 8:18—that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in …
Assurance (Part Three): Glory and Hope
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsPaul's teachings in Romans 8 and other epistles emphasize the profound connection between suffering and the future glory awaiting God's people. He asserts that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us, highlighting a vast disparity in weight and significance. …
Soldiers of Christ
Sermonette by Ryan McClurePaul enjoins God's people to enlist as soldiers of Christ, enduring hardship, keeping themselves from the world, and putting on armor for spiritual battle.
Facing Times of Stress: When God Is Silent (Part One)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsPaul's suffering forms the backdrop for a broader lesson on how believers face hardship when God seems silent. Hardship is presented as a normal part of life, as Job 5:7 declares that man is born to trouble, and Paul's experience illustrates this truth vividly. Even before his imprisonment, Paul endured beatings, stoning, and …
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Twenty-Seven)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Solomon exercised a lifetime of hard work trying to find answers, but fell short because some things are discoverable only through God's revelation.
Trials: Much Needed Experiences
Sermon by John O. ReidPaul's suffering serves as a central biblical illustration of the third category of trials—those specifically designed by God for an individual's spiritual development. His experience begins dramatically on the road to Damascus, where, as Saul, a zealous Pharisee determined to destroy the Way, he is confronted by a …
Acts (Part Ten)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughPaul's suffering enters the narrative at the very moment of his commissioning, forming a striking contrast to what one might expect for a man chosen for such a monumental task. When Christ speaks to Ananias about Saul's conversion, He does not promise Paul exaltation, glory, or an easy path; instead He declares, "I will show him …
Don't Give Up (2015)!
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsHave you ever wanted to just give up? Have trials weighed you down to the point of despair? Is old age sapping the strength and determination?
We Can Make It!
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)A disciple cannot escape the kind of persecution directed against his teacher. In the wake of this kind of abuse, people can succumb to depression.
According to My Gospel
Sermonette byPaul's believed that there is only one gospel and used the terms 'gospel of God' and 'gospel of Jesus Christ,' teaching the same things as Jesus Christ.
The Father-Son Relationship (Part Six)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe Father and the Son are two distinct beings, not co-equal as the trinity doctrine proclaims, but with the Son deferring to the Father in all things.
Unity (Part 8): Ephesians 4 (E)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe group that one fellowships with is less important than the understanding that there is one true church, bound by a spiritual, not a physical unity.
Magic Doesn't Work (Part Two)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughPeople are attracted to magic because they think it brings quick results, bringing them their desires, erasing their fears and providing for their needs.
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Nineteen)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Ecclesiastes 7 contains a series of 'this is better than that' observations. Wisdom seems to carry more sadness and sorrow than mirth or foolishness.
Power Belongs to God (Part 1)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughPaul knew that only through strengthening his relationship with God was he able to both abound and be abased. When we are in trouble, we need to contact God first.
Is God a Magician?
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughTechnology makes us susceptible to the 'quick fix' mentality, expecting miraculous solutions to all problems, making us susceptible to false miracles.
Acts (Part Nineteen)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughPaul encountered persecution but also saw his work bear fruit. He was driven from the synagogue, but paradoxically won over its leader, Crispus.
Keep Your Heart With All Diligence!
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsChrist does not remove His people's trials, but He provides help for those going through them, using the cleansing power of the trial to heal their minds.
Numbers (Part Three): Poised at the Jordan
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe last chapters in Numbers describe a lengthy holding pattern in which not much seemed to happen. We must have patience as we wait for the Kingdom of God.
Contentment is Learned
Sermonette by Martin G. CollinsPaul endured an extraordinary list of trials as a minister of God. Five times the Jews gave him 39 lashes, three times he was beaten with rods, once he was stoned, and three times he was shipwrecked. His constant travel kept him from home, and he faced perils from waters, robbers, his own countrymen, Gentiles, the wilderness, …
Preparing for Bad Times (Part 1)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughBoth the watchman and the one who hears have a responsibility to make preparations for bad times, helping themselves and others through the tough times.
Abraham (Part Five)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughWe learn from Abraham's experience to trust God even when we have incomplete information. When we attempt to take the expedient way out, we will run into trouble.
Facing Times of Stress: Persecution
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsPersecution involves a wide spectrum, ranging from torture, physical beating, social excommunication, imprisonment and death. Our boldness should match Paul's.
Acts (Part Seventeen)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughPaul, by circumcising Timothy, demonstrates a reluctance to flaunt his religious liberty, preferring instead to exercise cautious conservative expediency.
Titus (Part One): Introduction
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Cretan people had earned the reputation of duplicity. Church members faced the consequences of being tarred with the same brush—sometimes deservedly.
Jesus the Door
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughJohn 10:7-10 proclaims that Jesus is the door of the sheepfold or corral. If we follow Him in and out, we will have abundant life, now and in the Kingdom.
Faith (Part Seven)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughPride is a perverted comparison that elevates one above another. Because of its arrogant self-sufficiency, it hinders our faith. Faith depends on humility.
Defining Grace
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe entire life of Christ was a manifestation of God's grace, revealing the nature of God by means of a life lived to give us an example to follow.
Matthew (Part Twenty-One)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughThe Pharisees and Sadducees, who normally opposed each other, joined forces against their common enemy, Jesus. They should have recognized Him as the Messiah.
Church Unity Despite the Spirit of the World
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsThe unity of God's church does not derive from organizational expertise, the conformity of ecumenism, or the tolerance for evil, but from the family model.
The Joy of the Lord Is Our Strength!
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Martin G. CollinsThe true source of joy does not consist on any worldly commodity, or any self-centered, hedonistic pursuit, but instead a spiritual gift, bestowed by God.
John (Part Eleven)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughThe storm on the Sea of Galilee instructs us that when we are in a trial and getting nowhere, if we invite Christ into the situation, we will have peace.