Sermon Resources on Wrestling With God

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Wrestling with the Devil or God?

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Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 32:24-28, Genesis 32:30, Hosea 12:3-4, Hebrews 5:12-14, 1 Corinthians 3:1-2, Romans 5:3-5, James 1:2-4, Luke 9:23-24, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Maturation is a lifelong journey with different phases, human and spiritual. And it has many setbacks. What can be helpful is to have a grasp of the natural seasons of our lives and how these interfac...

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Author

Abraham J. Heschel

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We are closer to God when we are asking questions than when we think we have the answers.

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Author

Oswald Chambers

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The battle is won in the secret places of the will before God, never first in the external world… Nothing has power over the [person] who has fought out the battle before God and won there.

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True Christianity is a Fight

Author

Timothy Keller

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Scripture

Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Joshua 1:8, 2 Chronicles 34:29-33, Matthew 4:1-11, Ephesians 6:10-17, Psalm 119:11

Now I have to ask you: If Jesus Christ, the Son of God, did not presume to face the forces of evil in the world without a profound knowledge of the Bible in mind and heart, how could we try to face li...

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Forever Wrestling with Belief

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Judges 6:null, Judges 7:null, John 20:24-29, Mark 9:24, Isaiah 40:31, Mark 9:24

Lauren F. Winner tells a story about her friend Julian. When she was 12 and going to be confirmed, she had a crisis. She told her father, the pastor, that she wasn’t sure she could tell the church tha...

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Lacking a Clear Path to Faith

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Scripture

1 Kings 20:40, Matthew 6:34, Romans 7:19, Romans 8:11-14

One common mistake is assuming that everyone else finds faith easy, while we alone struggle. Yet there is comfort in recognizing that we are not alone in our pursuit of Christ in the midst of a broken...

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Author

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

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Scripture

1 Peter 3:13:22, Psalm 44:24

There is in the psalms no quick and easy resignation to suffering. There is always struggle, anxiety, and doubt. God’s righteousness, which allows the pious to be met by misfortune but the godless to...

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The Maturation Process of the Soul

Author

Ronald Rohlheiser

Keywords

Scripture

Malachi 3:2-3, 1 Peter 1:6-7, Proverbs 17:3, Psalm 66:10-12, Isaiah 48:10, John 15:1-2

The human soul is like a fine wine that needs to ferment in various barrels as it ages and mellows. The wisdom for this is written everywhere, in nature, in scripture, in spiritual traditions, and in ...

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The Greatest Subject in Human History

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 22:36-38, Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Have you ever heard of the Greatest Books of the Western World collection? Published by Encyclopedia Britannica in 1954, this comprehensive series was edited by Robert Hutchins and Mortimer J. A...

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Author

Rainer Maria Rilke

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What we choose to fight is so tiny! What fights with us is so great! If only we would let ourselves be dominated as things do by some immense storm, we would become strong too, and not need...

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Author

Northrop Frye

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Scripture

Exodus 17:8-16, Joshua 6:1-20, 1 Samuel 17:45-47, Ephesians 6:10-18, 2 Timothy 4:7-8, Psalm 144:1-2

The style [of the Bible] is of the battlefield rather than the cloister.

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Author

Abraham Lincoln

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I don't like to hear cut and dried sermons. No—when I hear a man preach, I like to see him act as if he were fighting bees.

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Author

Elie Wiesel

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Scripture

2 Corinthians 4:8-10, Isaiah 61:1, Psalm 143:3, 1 Peter 1:6-7, Romans 5:3-5

My tradition teaches that no heart is as whole as a broken heart, and I would say that no faith is as solid as a wounded faith.

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Evangelism on a Wrestling Mat

Author

Don Everts and Doug Schaupp

Keywords

Scripture

1 Corinthians 9:22, Luke 7:34, 1 Thessalonians 2:8, Matthew 5:16, 2 Corinthians 5:20

It was impossible for me (Doug) to become Mark’s friend. He always avoided eye contact with me though I would smile and say hi as I passed him in the dorm. I had no idea what was going on in his heart...

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Different Seasons, Different Challenges

Author

Ronald Rohlheiser

Keywords

Scripture

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Ecclesiastes 3:11, Luke 15:11-32, Proverbs 20:29, Psalm 90:10-12

Someone once quipped that we spend the first half of our lives struggling with the sixth commandment ( Thou shalt not commit adultery ) and the second half of our lives struggling with the fifth comma...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Mark 7:24-37

Author

Darren Pollock

Keywords

Scripture

Mark 7:24-37, 1 Kings 17:, Mark 16:15

Context This week’s lectionary text from Mark encompasses two distinct healing narratives, each of which has plenty of material for its own sermon. So the first decision for the preacher should be wh...

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16th Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Darren Pollock

Keywords

Scripture

Mark 7:24-37

Context This week’s lectionary text from Mark encompasses two distinct healing narratives, each of which has plenty of material for its own sermon. So the first decision for the preacher should be wh...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Isaiah 60:1-6

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 60:1-6, Genesis 32:30, John 2:1-12, Isaiah 9:2, Matthew 4:16, Ephesians 5:8, Luke 1:78, Titus 2:11, Isaiah 49:6, John 1:5, Isaiah 60:19, Revelation 22:5

Word Study Ἐπιφάνεια: The Greek word from which the English transliterates Epiphany is a combination of a preposition and a verbal idea. Epi -upon and fainō -to shine, illuminate. An epiphany is li...

lectionary

Epiphany of the Lord

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 60:1-6, Genesis 32:30, John 2:1-12, Isaiah 9:2, Matthew 4:16, Ephesians 5:8, Luke 1:78, Titus 2:11, Isaiah 49:6, John 1:5, Isaiah 60:19, Revelation 22:5

Preaching Commentary Word Study Ἐπιφάνεια: The Greek word from which the English transliterates Epiphany is a combination of a preposition and a verbal idea. Epi -upon and fainō -to shine, illumi...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide Ephesians 6:10-20

Author

Gabe Fung

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 6:10-20, John 8:44, 2 Corinthians 11:14, 1 Peter 5:8, Colossians 2:15, Ephesians 1:19-20, John 4:4, Matthew 16:18, Romans 16:20

Audience Paul’s letter to the Ephesians was probably intended for wider distribution and use among the various churches around Ephesus. As such, there is no particular crisis or pressing issue being ...

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What Pastors Need When Ministry Gets Hard

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Being a pastor can be a lonely and exhausting job. We’ve all had friends burn out, break down, mess up, or just barely survive in their ministries. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking ministry—answer...

lectionary

13th Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Gabe Fung

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 6:10-20, John 8:44, John 10:10, 2 Corinthians 11:14, 1 Peter 5:8, Colossians 2:15, Ephesians 1:19-20, Ephesians 3:16, John 4:4, Matthew 16:18, Romans 16:20

Preaching Commentary Audience Paul’s letter to the Ephesians was probably intended for wider distribution and use among the various churches around Ephesus. As such, there is no particular crisis o...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Hosea 11:1-11

Author

Allen Thompson

Keywords

Scripture

Hosea 11:1-11, Hosea 11:1-11, Romans 11:null, Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14, Psalm 49:1-12, Luke 12:13-21, Ecclesiastes 2:18-23

Lamenting a Living Son This is God’s own lament: a brokenhearted father mourning the loss of a still-living son. Throughout the book, God has led Hosea to draw from moments of Israel’s past. Here, ...

lectionary

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Allen Thompson

Keywords

Scripture

Hosea 11:1-11, Romans 11:null, Hosea 11:null, Psalm 49:1-12, Ephesians 3:17-19, Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14, Ecclesiastes 2:18-23

Preaching Commentary Lamenting a Living Son This is God’s own lament: a brokenhearted father mourning the loss of a still-living son. Throughout the book, God has led Hosea to draw from moments of...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Matthew 2:1-12 (Guide C)

Author

Ryan Bundrick

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 2:1-12, James 2:1-13

Ancient Lens How can we learn from the historical context? The Purpose of Matthew's Gospel Matthew didn’t write his Gospel merely to record facts about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. H...

lectionary

Epiphany of the Lord

Author

Ryan Bundrick

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 2:1-12, James 2:1-13

Ancient Lens How can we learn from the historical context? The Purpose of Matthew's Gospel Matthew didn’t write his Gospel merely to record facts about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. H...

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Overcoming Sermon Writer's Block: 5 Proven Strategies for Pastors

Author

William Rowley

Keywords

That little vertical bar on the white screen at the beginning of the blank line just keeps blinking. It flashes over and over. Is it mocking you , or is the late hour finally getting to you? Chance...

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4 Strategic Questions Every Church Leader Should Ask to Navigate Change

Author

Aaron Abramson

We live in a time marked by volatility and rapid change. Five-year plans can feel unrealistic when technological growth, societal upheaval, economic instability, and unprecedented access to informatio...

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Reading Genesis by Marilynne Robinson | A Review

Author

Paul Koptak

Keywords

Robinson's Winsome Faith I’ve been reading Marilynne Robinson's novels and essays for some time now. Of her fiction, I’ve read Gilead , reflections of a retired minister written for his ...

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Three Things Deconstruction is Not

Author

Ian Harber

Keywords

Scripture

Jude 1:22, Mark 9:24, Hebrews 11:1, John 20:29, James 1:6, Romans 10:17

What is "Deconstruction"? What is it Not? Many pastors I know have told me that one of their most pressing pastoral concerns right now is knowing how to minister to people who are decons...

Sermon Resources on wrestling with god

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