Playlist: Trials and Tests (topic)
Defining Trials
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John O. ReidTrials define who we are by placing choices before us, forcing us to have faith in God. Character is built by making right, though difficult, choices.
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.
Trials: Much Needed Experiences
Sermon by John O. ReidGod uses trials to test our hearts, but He never places a trial before us to tempt us. God uses trials we bring on ourselves to draw us closer to Him.
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 Continuous Testing of Our Faith
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsThe constant tests to which God submits His people enable them to build character by responding in faith. God perfected Abraham's faith through difficult trials.
Walking With God Through Trials
Sermonette by Craig SablichTrials, instead of prompting a 'woe is me' attitude, should be re-evaluated as valuable experiences, nudging us into God's divine purpose for us.
Testing Spiritual Character
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsAn outward trial can be a catalyst for character development. By testing ourselves, we can take the edge off the pressure of God testing us.
Facing Times of Stress: Grieved by Various Trials
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsFaith from God will be required to endure and profit from trials, bringing about character and genuineness of faith, as well as patience and trust in God.
Tested: Our Trust in God's Promises
Sermonette by Austin Del CastilloThere is an apparent contradiction between God's promises to protect and heal, and the persecution, health crises, and death that we all experience.
Trials Are a Gift From God
Sermon by Mark SchindlerGod is able to allow a setback or a handicap to help us transcend our trials, building sterling character. The weaknesses we live through make us strong.
Lead Us Not Into Temptation
Sermon by Ryan McClureIt is solely God's prerogative to test and to prove, while Satan's function is to tempt, to trip up, and to destroy. God tests but does not tempt.
Enduring to the End of What?
Sermonette by Craig SablichEvery previous event and decision in our lives has shaped our resultant character, including the bad decisions that led us down a wrong path.
In the Hands of the Potter
Sermonette by Ted E. BowlingAs the Master Potter, God will apply the water of His Holy Spirit to make us more malleable, enabling Him to turn the lump of clay into a flawless work.
Hope in a Turbulent World
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Greek and Roman myths have shaped the world view of Western culture, including our attitude toward hope, a concept which is often abused and distorted.
Firstfruits and the Master Potter
Sermon by Clyde FinkleaThe Potter and Clay analogy provides instructions for understanding character-building tests and trials in the life-long sanctification process.
Running God's Marathon With Christ
Sermon by Mark SchindlerChrist endured many more than three temptations; rather, He was tested continuously, and perhaps the intensity increased as He neared the end of His life.
God's Good Work in Us
Sermon by John O. ReidDespite the privileged position of our calling, God does not cut us any slack in terms of trials and tests to perfect us. We must accept God's sovereignty.
From Pilgrims to Pillars (Part Two)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David F. MaasThe intensity of the heat in both the refiner's furnace and the potter's kiln resembles the fiery trials we must endure for the Refiner to remove the dross.
God Is Preparing Us For the Kingdom
Sermon by Kim MyersToday, the church is experiencing more overwhelming trials than ever before, indicating that God is preparing His people for the end time.
Keep Walking
Sermonette by Ryan McClureGod uses trials to test and humble us, but He never impedes our ability to move forward toward His goal of creating us as a family in His image.
The Miracle of God's Calling
Sermon by Kim MyersDo we appreciate the miracle of our calling, an event which changed our orientation regarding our belief structure, diet, and moral behavior?
The Providence of God (Part One)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughCalamities, trials, anxiety, evil, and calamities, as well as blessings, happen to Christians in order to become fashioned and molded into God's image.
Job: Things Left Unsaid
Sermon by David C. GrabbeEven the accuser of the brethren made no accusations against Job, the first of several curious absences—things left unsaid—in the book of Job.
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Twenty-Two)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Trials are a means to produce spiritual growth, unless we resort to super-righteousness, straining to please God by exalting our works.
Spiritual Heat Treatment
Sermonette by Christian D. HunterAfter metal has endured its prescribed heat treatment, it glows brightly. Our job, as God's metaphorical metal, is to endure the trials of heat treatments.
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.
Are You Worthy of Your Calling?
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsPaul encourages the Thessalonians to thank God for their salvation, surrender without complaint, ask God for wisdom, and look for opportunities to serve.
No Longer Brain Dead
Sermon by Mark SchindlerAs God teaches us spiritual things, He expects us to act less like blockheads and more like adults, making the truth of God the bedrock of our lives.
Why Does God Allow Us to Be Afflicted?
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsIn God's hands, trials and afflictions are tools to produce refined character and joy, and to move us away from worldly choices and back to His purpose.
The More Things Change
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughWe tend to think of the early Church as a 'golden age' of unity and momentum. But early church members experienced problems similar to what we face today.
Whom the Lord Loves He Chastens (Part Two)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsIf we endure chastisement and discipline from God, we prove we are His children. Sanctification is an incremental process, requiring trials and chastening.
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.
Our Spiritual Wilderness
Sermonette by Ryan McClureTime after time, the children of Israel accused Moses of leading them to their deaths, failing to trust God in spite of His track record of provision.
The Healing of a Man Born Blind (Part One)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsIronically, the blind man who could not see physically eventually sees spiritually, but the Pharisees, who could see physically, could not see spiritually.
Lacking Nothing (Part One)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsScarcity seems to redefine the value of everything, including tools, food, or sentimental objects. Utility trumps every other consideration.
Hebrews (Part Fourteen)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughLike Jesus and other heroes of faith, we need to look beyond the present to the long term effects of the trials and tests we go though, seeing their value.
Becoming Fearless
Sermon by Mark SchindlerWhen Job was afflicted with physical problems, he learned that God was using them to perfect him. Afflictions are intended to bind us together.
Wilderness Wandering (Part Five)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Christ's suffering was not confined to crucifixion, but also consisted of rejection, humiliation, and the duress of persecution. Glory follows suffering.
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.
Answered Prayer Through Faith
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsFor prayer to be successful, our petitions must be specific and synchronized to God's will, but we must patiently and humbly accept God's timetable.
Labor Pains
Sermonette by Ryan McClureDuring the past century, the world has experienced 'practice contractions.' These birth pangs will increase until Christ returns to establish the Kingdom.
Our Hope
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Our hope is based on having a living Savior. At times we are discouraged and overwhelmed, but God has not left us—though unseen, He is in the trials with us.
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.
Psalm 23 (Part Three)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughThe valley-of-shadow imagery symbolizes the fears, trials, and tests needed to produce character, quality fruit, and an intimate trust in the shepherd.
Fear of the Unknown
Sermonette by Craig SablichGod wants us to live in day-tight compartments, trusting that He protects us from the fear of the unknown and all the things that go bump in the night.
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.
Many Are Called, But Few Are Chosen (Part Six)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsLike the four groups of seeds exposed to various qualities of soil, many have heard the true gospel, but few have remained faithful after the onslaught of hardship.
Psalms: Book One (Part Four)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughDavid reminds us in Psalm 37 that we should not be concerned about the wicked, whose destiny is to perish, and that the righteous are infinitely better off.
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Twenty-Four)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)The paradox of Ecclesiastes 7 shows an unrighteous man flourishing and a righteous man suffering. The solution to this conundrum is found in Psalm 73.
Rejoice in What We Are (2011)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Because we have been given revelation, we should have peace and a sense of well-being about life that would make the high-achievers of this world envious.
Christianity Is a Fight! (Part 2)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe most formidable foe in our spiritual battle is the flesh. We must mortify, slay, and crucify the flesh, enduring suffering as Jesus Christ exemplified.
Sovereignty, Election, and Grace (Part Seven)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughIn terms of building character, God does the creating, assaying, testing, and proving; we do the yielding and walking in the pathway He has set for us.
Amos (Part Twelve)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughGod will do what He must to bring Abraham's seed to repentance and salvation, including allowing crisis, hardship, humiliation, and calamity.
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Twenty-Three)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Psalm 73 describes someone seeing the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer, but it is not true that people in the world are leading superior lives.
James and Unleavened Bread (Part One)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe book of James applies to us after the sanctification process has begun. The most effective way of eliminating sin is to do righteousness.
Faith (Part One)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe would like God to instantly gratify our desires. Consequently, we find living by faith difficult; we do not trust that He has things under control.
Seeking God's Will (Part Seven): Conclusion
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughAs we walk in the light, we will prove to ourselves and others that God's way is best. Wisdom and understanding will accrue by keeping God's commandments.
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.
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.
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Twenty-Five)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Gossip about us from someone we may have trusted can be painful, yet our tongue has likely been just as detrimental against someone who may have trusted us.
Wilderness Wandering (Part Two)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)If we yield to God's manipulation of our lives, we will handle stress constructively, developing a relationship with Him, bearing spiritual fruit.
He Who Overcomes
Sermon by John O. ReidJust as fighting to escape its cocoon strengthens the butterfly, our calling requires effort above what the world has to endure to become free of Satan's cocoon.
Looking Back to the Future
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe dwelling in booths and the sacrifices were the context for rejoicing at the Feast of Tabernacles. The booths depict our current lives as pilgrims.
Freedom, Liberty, and Bondage
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Grace places limits on our freedom, training us for the Kingdom of God. Our behavior must be clearly distinguishable from the non-believers in society.
Self Control
Sermonette by James BeaubelleSelf-control helps us to restrain ourselves from harmful lusts of the flesh, including gluttony, intoxication, sex outside of marriage, and drug abuse.
Among the Few
Sermon by Mark SchindlerInitially, the primary motivation for responding to God's call may be a panicky desire to save our skin, gloming onto a place of safety like Petra.
The Unshakable Kingdom!
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsBecause all things will be violently shaken, God commands His people to place their trust in the unshakeable Kingdom of God which will displace all empires.
Leadership and the Covenants (Part Five)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Becoming equipped for leadership requires that we discipline ourselves in following God's way of life, allowing the mind of Jesus Christ to be in us in.
Spiritual Fine Tuning
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David F. MaasAs maturing Christians, we are called to lay aside the childlike tendency to over-correct, violently and impulsively moving from one ditch to the other.
The Conquering Offensive!
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsOur Christian warfare cannot merely consist in maintaining a defensive holding pattern, but instead we must go on the conquering offensive, using the sword.
The Spirit and the Way
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughWe are being judged by our works, based upon what we know and what we are doing with this knowledge. The more we know, the more God expects from us.
God's Investment in You
Sermon by Mark SchindlerGod wants to protect His investment in us, calling those whom He knows will exercise the zeal, and willingness to sacrifice, to complete the project.
Antichrist Deceptions
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsAntichrists manifest several characteristics, including fostering deception and confusion, preventing fellowship, and creating intense spiritual conflict.
Facing Times of Stress: Controlled by Doubts
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsWe dare not equate can-do enthusiasm with genuine faith, as Peter did as he attempted to walk on water. Human faith or zeal is not godly, saving faith.
Spiritual Maturity
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Kingdom parables allude to the process of spiritual maturity, depicting a planted and cultivated seed becoming a sprout, eventually bearing fruit.
Whatever We Ask
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsPrayer comes under attack if we live double-lives, giving us a guilty conscience, not practicing what we have been taught, allowing our hearts to condemn us.
Principled Living (Part Six): Becoming Holy
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughPentecost forces us to stand out from the crowd, separated as firstfruits for sanctification and holiness. God has called us to be different.
Conviction, Moses, and Us
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughLike Moses, we have to develop conviction, a product of a relationship of God, established by being faithful day by day in the little things of life.