Sermons found for the topic Disappointment

The Blessing of a Believing Spouse - Hebrews 11:8-10

God may arrange things so that your faith bears vast fruit in the years to come. Your legacy will be most clearly seen after you have gone to heaven. Sarah never lived to see the world-changing impact of her faith in God, but we still remember her 4000 years later and honor her example. More

The Blessed Benefits - Psalm 103:1-5

Many of us need to give God a “one-minute praising” for all his blessings. We’re sure good at telling the Lord what we want him to do for us. We need a good dose of Psalm 103 to wash out that complaining spirit and replace it with a heart of gratitude to the Lord. More

Why You Need Your Enemies and Your Enemies Need You—Part Two - Jeremiah 29:7

Our enemies are a gift from God. If we didn’t need them He wouldn’t send them. God has a beneficial purpose in sending enemies our way - to make us more like Christ. Therefore, the person we might consider an enemy is, in reality, our best friend. More

God Has a Bigger Plan - Jeremiah 29:10

We serve a trans-generational God whose purposes span the centuries. He does not confine himself to our timetable or limit himself to our puny understanding of what he intends to do. If you have eyes to see beyond your own problems, look up and you will see the hand of God at work. More

Trapped! - Jeremiah 29:1-4

What do you do when you don’t like the circumstances of your life and it seems as if those circumstances aren’t going to change anytime soon?When I asked that question to a group of friends, a man looked u More

What You Seek, You Find - Jeremiah 29:12-14

God uses the hard experiences of life to bring us to the place where our trust will be in him alone. Through those hard times, we learn to seek him and to rejoice even when life doesn’t make sense. More

Strength for the Journey - 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

In this message Pastor Ray reminds us everything we believe rests on the sovereignty of God. Salvation starts with God, not with us. Because he has chosen us, we can stand firm amid the trials of life. By standing firm we prove to ourselves and to the watching world what we truly believe. More

Rock Bottom Truth - Jeremiah 29:11

When we find ourselves struggling with discouragement, we need to be reminded that God is thinking about us, and his thoughts toward us are good and not evil. When we hope in God, we can be happy even though we find ourselves in Babylon. More

Peace, Be Still!A Short Sermon from the Sea of Galilee - Mark 4:35-41

Lord, don’t you care - that my child is sick, my marriage is falling apart, I have no money, I feel so alone? All of us have moments when life tumbles in around us, when we feel utterly alone and forgotten by God. In those moments we have a choice to make. More

A Silly Bunch of Dreamers and Children

A Silly Bunch of Dreamers and Children by Ray Pritchard In a recent sermon, Brian Bill used the following quote from a blogger who calls himself Real Live Preacher: I keep getting emails from people who say, “Your church sounds nice. I wish I could find one like that.” Listen to how he responds: “Let me gue… More

In His Steps - I Peter 2:21-25

The Christian walk is synonymous with innocent suffering and pain, through which Christ our Lord suffered and died. He left us all an example of how to follow him in this. A Christian’s call to this behavior goes against the grain of his human tendencies: to suffer unjust treatment without retaliation, trusting only that God would be the judge of things ultimately. Jesus lived the sacrificial life to which he calls all his believers. It is a life that leads to the cross, and he has modeled how to live this sacrificial life for us. When we suffer unjustly, we share in a tiny portion of what happened to him. When we are mistreated, we are to turn the other check, bless those who curse us, and return good for evil. We are not to retaliate, not to threaten, not to get even. Jesus showed us how to live, and he showed us how to die. This response is a miracle in itself and is under girded and made possible only by the gift of grace from God. More

He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands - Daniel 4

The sovereignty of God is a mysterious doctrine because it brings us face to face with the problem of evil and free will. If God is sovereign, why is there evil in the universe? If man has free will, how can God be sovereign? Christians have debated these questions for centuries. Suffice it to say that God is sovereign and you are truly responsible for all the choices you make. Often we won’t understand how they work together, but they do. When we embrace this truth, we have the true freedom—and peace that comes with it—to stop trying to be God and let Him direct our lives. More

Overcoming Disappointment - Ezra 3

The year is 537 B.C. The place is Jerusalem. The Jews have just returned from a long captivity in Babylon. Some have been gone from their homeland for 70 years. Others have been gone for 50 years. They were sent into More

The Sensitivity of Jesus - Luke 8:42-48

This is how Luke tells the story: As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and More

How to Overcome Disappointment - Haggai 2:1-9

On September 5, 1886, Charles Spurgeon began his sermon on our text with these incisive words: Satan is always doing his utmost to stay the work of God. He hindered these Jews from building the temple; and today he en More

God's Good vs. God's Best - Genesis 21:1-21

Have you every wanted something very badly and waited a long time for it to happen, only to discover that when it did, things didn't work out the way you thought they would? Most of us have had that kind of experienc More

The Comeback Kid: Christ Speaks to the Problem of Personal Failure - John 21

Have you ever done something or said something that disappointed someone you loved? I suppose all of us, if we were honest, would have to answer "yes" to that question. Perhaps we promised to be somewhere, but when th More

Nothing Shall Offend Them: A Message for Unhappy, Irritated, and Bent-Out-of-Shape Christians - Psalm 119:165

For our final message in this short series from Psalm 119, I want to look at a verse I first learned in Mrs. Sandberg's British Literature class 30 years ago. As she began class one day, she read a verse of Scripture More

How to Help a Caveman - 1 Kings 19

We do live in strange times. Someone has called this the Age of Anxiety, and it seems appropriate enough. All week long I've been watching those "2005 Year in Review" specials. We have just finished twelve months that More

God's Word Has Not Failed - Romans 9:6-18

For many people no question seems as puzzling as the problem of unanswered prayer. Why is it that some things we pray about are never answered? We could all spend hours remembering times when we prayed and prayed, o More

How to Help a Caveman - 1 Kings 19

We do live in strange times. Someone has called this the Age of Anxiety, and it seems appropriate enough. Not long ago I found this headline: "Most Think Country Headed in Wrong Direction." Those words could be sligh More

What Happened to Judas? The Man Who Kissed the Door of Heaven But Went to Hell - Acts 1:15-26

"Woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born." Mark 14:21b"If you are not born again, the day will come when you will wish you had never been born at all." Warren Wie More

Heavenly Rewards - 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20

Not long ago I received the following letter. It came as a total surprise from a person living in another state: Dear Pastor Ray,I don't think you would expect a message from me, but I felt God directing me to. It More

His Eye Is on the Sparrow

HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW by Ray Pritchard It has been well said that God's omniscience is a comfort to believers and a terror to unbelievers. The comfort is easy to see. If he truly knows all things and if he ordains all things, then everything that happens to me or to those I love must happen as part of his plan. F. B Mey… More

The Overcoming Series

THE OVERCOMING SERIES by Ray Pritchard Everyone has a story to tell, even the people who seem to smile all the time. This is one of the first things a young pastor learns when he graduates from seminary and begins his ministry. Some people look so well-adjusted and happy that you think they don’t have a care in the wor… More

"Everything Comes from You": The Forgotten Secret of Christian Giving - I Chronicles 29:14

When Dusty Baker became the manager of the Chicago Cubs last November, he was asked about the team's long history of post-season futility. Upon being told that the Cubs had not won a playoff series in 94 years (now 95 More

How to be Happy in Babylon - Jeremiah 29:8-10

Life constantly presents us with the choice of the hard way versus the easy way. Suriving difficult times requires that we reject short cuts, embrace God’s promises, and trust completely in his goodness. More

Take Me to Your Leaders - I Peter 5:1-4

In early March I preached on "Are You Prepared to Suffer for Christ?" from I Peter 3:13-17. After the final service that morning, a first-time visitor came up and thanked me for my sermon. In the course of the convers More

Asymmetric Spiritual Warfare

Are you familiar with term asymmetric warfare? It's a concept that has received lots of news coverage in the recent years as a result of the war on terrorism. The word asymmetric refers to something that is out of bal More

Grow Up! - 1 Corinthians 13:7

Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you weren't married? If somehow you were suddenly single again? No matter how happy your marriage is, every honest person would have to answer yes to those questions More

God's Freedom - Romans 9:6-18

While studying Romans 9, I was struck by Paul's question in verse 14: "Is God unjust?" In our hearts we already know the answer. God is not unjust. But oftentimes he seems inconsistent. The very examples Paul chooses More

When God Prays for You - Romans 8:26-27

With this message we come to the final installment in the series called Adventures in Prayer. When we started I said that I wanted to encourage you about the boundless possibilities of prayer. It's easy to feel guilty More

Stumbling Stone or Cornerstone? - Romans 9:30-33

Last week's sermon was called Straight Talk About Predestination. If I were giving someone else advice, I would say that a title like that is just asking for trouble. I think it's called leading with your chin. It's h More

Praying for Your Prodigal - Ephesians 1:18

I received an email with a heartrending question:I have a daughter that I don't believe is saved. I pray for her but often times I can't. I suppose that I'm angry she isn't responding and feel incapable of helping her More

God's Freedom - Romans 9:6-18

While studying Romans 9, I was struck by Paul's question in verse 14: "Is God unjust?" In our hearts we already know the answer. God is not unjust. But oftentimes he seems inconsistent. The very examples Paul chooses More

When Christians Disagree - Acts 16:36-41

Christians disagree about almost everything. And when we disagree, we usually start a new church. Which reminds me of a story I heard a few years ago. A Scottish Presbyterian is rescued after many years of living alon More

Grumblers Anonymous - Matthew 20:1-16

This parable is not just teaching us about final rewards. It is also probing at the level of our motives. Why are we doing what we do? If it’s a straight reward you want, fine, you’ll get it. God will never cheat you. But that’s all you’ll get. And you’ll go to heaven grumbling all the way, always checking to see how you are doing compared with someone else - overestimating your own importance and underestimating the grace of God. But if you decide to do your work for the Lord’s sake alone, you will never be disappointed. More

The Incredible Journey - Hebrews 11:8-10

Our focus in this message is on the man we often call “Father Abraham.” Hebrews 11:8-10 tells how he obeyed God’s call at great personal sacrifice. It tells us what he did; more importantly, it tells us why he did it. And it clearly shows us that obeying God doesn’t always work out the way we think it will. More

I Am a Sinner Too: What Pastors Need to Remember

My text is Ecclesiastes 7:19-22: "Wisdom makes one wise man more powerful than ten rulers in a city. There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins. Do not pay attention to every word peop More

When God Prays for You

Many years ago when I pastored a church in suburban Los Angeles, I attended a weekend youth leaders' conference featuring messages by a pastor from a large church in a nearby city. The night I attended the pastor prea More

Overcoming Loneliness - Isaiah 7:14 & Matthew 1:22-23

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14)."All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through th More

WMBI Commentaries - Various

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God Has a Big Family—Part 2 "I Believe in the Holy Catholic Church" - Ephesians 4:1-6

"I believe in the holy catholic church." The Apostles' CreedLet's begin at the most basic point. What does the word "church" mean? In the New Testament the word "church" translates the Greek word ekklesia, which itsel More

Things I've Learned

This week my cousin Barbara sent me an e·mail containing a list of aphorisms called "Things I've Learned." She got it from a friend in Florida who got it from somewhere else. I've taken a few from the list I received and I've added a few of my own. I've learned that ·You can do something in an instant that will give you… More

One Word You Shouldn't Say In 1993 - Philippians 4:13

Happy New Year! I trust that you had a wonderful Christmas season and a grand New Year's Day. I hope that you are as excited about 1993 as I am. Last night when we got home from our trip to Florida—we arrived More

The Incredible Adventure Begins - Genesis 12:1-9

This morning we are beginning a brand-new sermon series. This series is brand-new in two ways. It is new to us as a congregation and it is new to me personally. Although I have been your pastor for nearly seven yea More

From Sodom to Oak Park - Genesis 19

Genesis 19 tells one of the most dramatic stories in all the Bible. Even people who never go to church know that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with a flood of burning sulphur. They have heard about Lot's encounte More

How God Uses Bad People to Do His Will: Another Look at God's Providence - Acts 1:15-26

Two questions confront us as we consider the story of Judas: 1. Why did he do it? 2. Why did God allow it?Last week's sermon dealt with the first question. We concluded that the Bible doesn't give us a final answer r More

Dice in the Prayer Meeting: Making Tough Decisions with God's Help - Acts 1:21-26

4 … 9 … 30 … 34 … 48 … 8. Do you know what those numbers mean? Frank and Shirley Capaci of Streamwood know because those numbers won them $104 million this week in the largest lott More

The Lord Who is Faithful - Deuteronomy 7:9

Today we are beginning a new sermon series entitled “The God You Can Trust.” For the next six Sundays we will be looking at what the Bible says about the faithfulness of God. In order to orient our thinkin More