Suffering – Page 2 – Sermon Illustration Ideas

Tension

Already And Not Yet, Grief, Hope, Joy, Perseverance, Perspective, Suffering, Tension, Trials

Living with joy and hope amid pain requires an ability to live in tension. We can’t just deny the pain and pretend like all…

The Power of Confession

1 John 1:9, Acts 3:19, Confessing Sin, Confession, Faith, Hardship, Humble Ourselves, James 4:8, James 5:16, Perseverance, Proverbs 28:13, Psalm 32:5, Romans 10:10, Submit to God, Suffering, Trials

“Confession is a powerful spiritual practice in our lives. However, when we hear or think about the word confession, we might have a negative…

A Worthwhile Suffering

1 Peter 4:12-19, 1 Peter 5:10, 2 Corinthians 4:17, 2 Corinthians 4:8-10, Endurance, Eternity, Glory, Pain, Patience, Priceless, Revelation 21:4, Reward, Romans 5:3-5, Romans 8:18, Romans 8:28, Suffering, Trials, Value, Worth

“Would you go through all the pain of childbirth again, just to be able to have that beautiful child of yours?” For most mothers,…

Tested And Proven

1 Peter 3:7, 1 Peter 4:12, 1 Peter 5:10, Attitude, Challenges, Endurance, Faith, Fire, genuine, Hope, James 1:12, James 1:2-3, James 5:10, Job 23:10, Persecution, Purity, Refinement, Refining, Romans 5:3-5, Romans 8:18, Suffering, Tests, Trial

Our faith is not only tested, but it is tested to the point of being proven genuine. Persecution and suffering may feel like they…

Christ’s Humanity

1 John 4:2, 1 Timothy 2:5, Christ's Humanity, Easter, Galatians 4:4, Good Friday, Hebrews 2:9, Hebrews 4:15, Incarnation, Jesus' Humanity, John 1:14, John 19:28, Philippians 2:7, Suffering, Vulnerability

Have you ever been in a group of people who are traveling or stuck somewhere when meal time rolls around? What happens to those…

Calling Out

Cross, Easter, Emotional Pain, Good Friday, Hurt, Jesus' Death, John 19:17, John 19:18, John 19:32-33, Luke 23:33, Luke 23:47, Mark 15:24, Matthew 27:54, Pain, Physical Suffering, Suffering

This account from a medical doctor details the physical suffering of crucifixion: “The legionnaire … drives a heavy, square, wrought-iron nail through the wrist…

Dedication

1 John 3:13, 1 Peter 5:8, Acts 14:22, Acts 4:27-29, Advocacy, Civil Rights, Conviction, Dedication, Freedom, Imprisonment, Jail, John 15:18, Persecution, Protest, Suffering

When Martin Luther King Jr. was imprisoned in Birmingham for non-violent protests, he wrote the famous “Letter From Birmingham Jail” in reply to southern…

Confidence In Christ

Behalf, Christ, Christ's Work, Confidence, Deserve, Faith, Genesis 15:6, Grace, Habakkuk 2:4, Justification, Romans 4:5, Romans 5:1, Romans 8:28, Satisfaction, Suffering

“So when the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him this: ‘I admit that…

Blessed Are The Persecuted

1 Peter 4:12-14, 2 Timothy 3:12, Church, Eternity, Faith, John 15:18, Love, Luke 6:22, Matthew 5:10, Persecution, Perseverance, Religious Freedom, Remembrance, Shelter, Suffering

In a review from Christianity Today on the book They Say We Are Infidels: On the Run from ISIS with Persecuted Christians in the…

The Teeth of Suffering

1 Peter 5:10, 2 Corinthians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 4:17, Discipleship, God's Love, Love, Nature, Presence, Protection, Romans 5:3-4, Romans 8:18, Sovereignty, Suffering, Tragedy, Vision

“Our vision is so limited we can hardly imagine a love that does not show itself in protection from suffering. The love of God…

God’s Suffering

1 Corinthians 15:3, Acts 3:18, Hebrews 13:11-12, Isaiah 53:3-12, Love, Luke 17:25, Omnipotence, Power, Powerlessness, Sovereignty, Strength, Suffering, Support, Sympathy, Weakness

One of the 20th century heroes of our faith is Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He was a German pastor who led several efforts to condemn, resist,…

Spoiler Alert

1 Corinthians 15:52, Conflict, Excitement, Film, Hollywood, Luke 21:25-28, Matthew 24:44, Prequel, Present, Revelation 11:19, Revelation 22:12, Reward, Stress, Suffering, Tension

The problem with Hollywood putting out a prequel to one of your favorite films is that it loses a sense of tension for the…

Safety First

1 Peter 5:7, Accident, Avoidance, Feature, James 1:12, James 1:2-4, Perseverance, Romans 12:1-2, Romans 5:3-5, Safety, Suffering, Survival, Tragedy, Trial, Wisdom

Most safety features in your car are not meant to prevent an accident, but instead are there to make sure you survive through the…

On The Other Side

2 Corinthians 4:8-10, Comfort, God's Healing, God's Love, God's power, James 1:2-4, John 16:33, Loss, Preaching, Revelation 21:4, Romans 5:3-5, Suffering, Suicide, Sustain, Tragedy

When Rick Warren preached his first sermon after the suicide of his son, Matthew, the world was watching. Hearing how the pastor talked about…

Things In Common

Asylum, Brokenness, Communion, Community, Hebrews 13:2, Home, Isaiah 58:6-7, Matthew 25:35, Refugee, Revival, Romans 12:13, Shared Faith, Suffering, Titus 1:8, Unity

The refugee crisis is affecting the entire world as displaced people seek asylum and a permanent home after being driven away from their home…

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

1 Thessalonians 4:13, Blessed, Evil, Grieve, Injustice, John 11:25-26, John 11:35-36, Luke 19:41-44, Matthew 5:4, Mourn, Pain, Psalm 119:136, Restoration, Revelation 21:4, Sin, Suffering

When you see sin in a blatant form it is easy to react. We can become sad, angry, confused, and display a variety of…

A Doubting Faith

1 Corinthians 15:5-8, Acts 14:15-18, Atheism, Doubt, Faith, James 1:5-8, John 20:24-29, Justice, Matthew 11:4-6, Right, Rules, Suffering, Unjust, Worldview, Wrong

“You have to show people that it takes faith to doubt Christianity. C. S. Lewis argued with God before his conversion that the universe…

The Stockdale Paradox

2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Comfort, Confidence, Endurance, Isaiah 40:29-31, Joy, Perseverance, Psalm 119:50, Psalm 22:24, Psalm 23:4, Running The Race, Seeking Truth, Suffering, Trust

In this video (3 minute mark), Dr. Dennis Charney explains the “Stockdale Paradox,” a way of thinking that acknowledges the challenge being faced while…

Adversity

2 Timothy 3:12, Acts 4:20, Adversity, Comfort, Isaiah 43:2, James 1:12, Joy, Luke 9:23-25, Overcoming, Redemption, Suffering, Trial, Trusting God, Victory, Witness

“Comfort and prosperity have never enriched the world as much as adversity has.” – Billy Graham The Lord is able to redeem difficult situations…

God Is Worthy

1 Thessalonians 5:18, 2 John 1:6, Faith, God's Will, Holiness, James 1:5, John 15:9, Missions, Obedience, Proverbs 16:4, Sanctification, Suffering, Trial, Trusting God, Unlimited Grace

Elisabeth Elliot was considered one of the most influential Christian women in the 20th century. She was the wife of martyred missionary Jim Elliot…