Despair on SermonAudio

This message was preached to those gathered at Sunnyhill Nursing Home in Tama, Iowa. We should pray when we are in great need and not despair.

This sermon explores Hebrews 12:4-13, arguing that divine chastening is evidence of God's fatherly love rather than abandonment. The text emphasizes that while discipline is often grievous in the moment, it serves the purpose of training believers in holiness and producing the peaceable fruit of righteousness. By contrasting earthly fathers with the Heavenly Father, the message highlights that God...

The sermon explores the resurrection of Jairus' daughter to demonstrate that God's timing often confounds human understanding while serving to deepen faith. It highlights Jesus' command to "do not fear, only believe" as a counter to despair, illustrating that divine delays are not neglect but opportunities for spiritual growth. The text emphasizes that Christ's power extends over death itself, off...

The sermon explores the theme of finding true refuge in God during times of persecution and despair, drawing a parallel between the Israelites' deliverance at the Red Sea and David's prayer from a cave. It argues that while humans often seek safety in familiar places or other people, these sources of comfort ultimately fail, leaving the believer in a state of spiritual imprisonment. The central me...

This sermon examines the divergent reactions of the returned exiles in Ezra 3, contrasting the joy of the younger generation with the weeping of the elders who mourned the loss of Solomon's temple glory. The central argument challenges the tendency toward discouraging comparisons with the past, urging believers to recognize God's active work in the 'small things' of church life, such as laying fou...

This sermon addresses the doctrine of assurance of salvation, emphasizing that true confidence in one's eternal security is found exclusively in Christ rather than in self-examination or personal performance. The speaker argues that looking inward leads to either self-righteousness or despair, whereas saving faith looks outward to the perfect work of Jesus, including His death, burial, and resurre...

This sermon explores the account of Jesus raising the daughter of a synagogue ruler, emphasizing that death is an unnatural enemy that only Christ can defeat. The preacher highlights the contrast between human pride and the humility required to approach God, using the ruler's desperate worship as a model for surrendering self-reliance. By illustrating the impossibility of meeting God's perfect sta...

How can we face the uncertainty, suffering, and immortality of this present life with eternity in view? Because God has prepared an eternal dwelling for us, and given us his spirit as the guarantee we can face this temporary life with a certainty of everlasting life.

This sermon explores the vision in Revelation 5, where the Apostle John weeps because no one is found worthy to open the sealed scroll representing God's complete and sovereign plan for history and the Church. The message identifies the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Lamb who was slain as the only one qualified to execute this divine purpose, emphasizing that Christ alone has overcome sin and...

This lesson examines the stark contrast between Jeremiah's steadfast trust in God and the fearful rebellion of the remaining Israelites in Judah. Drawing from Jeremiah chapters 42 and 43, the lesson highlights how the people feigned repentance while secretly plotting to flee to Egypt, thereby rejecting God's clear command to stay and trust in His protection. The central theme asserts that the safe...

The sermon explores Psalm 130 as a journey from personal despair to communal hope, structured around four directional gazes: inward, upward, forward, and around. It begins with the recognition of one's own sin and the resulting 'depths,' urging believers to cry out to God rather than hide. The message emphasizes that while God sees all iniquity, He is a forgiving God who offers plenteous redemptio...

The sermon examines the narrative of Paul's journey to Rome in Acts 27, using the shipwreck as a central metaphor for the spiritual condition of the sinner. It highlights the danger of ignoring godly counsel in favor of personal comfort or worldly ambition, illustrating how such decisions lead to chaos and despair. The text contrasts the futile attempt to control circumstances with the assurance f...

This sermon addresses the human tendency to either despair under the weight of sin or rely on self-righteousness, using Ezekiel 33 to demonstrate that God's justice demands repentance rather than excuse. The central message emphasizes that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked but urgently calls them to turn from their evil ways, a call grounded in His sovereign oath and covenant faithf...

This message opens a study of Ecclesiastes, written near the end of Solomon's life, a book Kent calls most unusual and often misunderstood. Solomon wants us to understand the obvious: how fast life passes and how we should live in light of it. Kent explains that the Hebrew word hebel means vapor, not "meaningless," and walks through three pictures in Ecclesiastes 1:2–11: our life is like the steam...

This sermon explores the duality of the Christian experience by contrasting David's confident confrontation of Goliath with his later psalms of distress. The speaker argues that feeling overwhelmed is not a sign of weak faith but a common reality for God's people, citing multiple instances where David cried out to the Lord in despair. By examining 1 Samuel 17 and various Psalms, the message emphas...

This sermon concludes a study of the book of Habakkuk by focusing on the prophet's final prayer, which centers on the themes of remembering God's past faithfulness and rejoicing in His character despite impending judgment. The preacher explains that Habakkuk looks back to God's actions in the Exodus and the conquest of Canaan to find perspective, acknowledging that God is just in bringing the Baby...

This sermon explores the nature of an evangelizing church by examining the early believers' response to the martyrdom of Stephen and the subsequent persecution in Jerusalem. It argues against a pessimistic worldview that views the world as a sinking ship destined for failure, instead advocating for a realistic optimism grounded in the Great Commission. The central theme is that a true church is 'i...

We do not lose heart: how do we keep from losing heart? How do we persevere when we are weak, afflicted and dying? Because God preserves His saints; therefore, His saints persecute in faith until resurrection and glory

This sermon examines Jesus' Olivet Discourse in Luke 21, focusing on the impending destruction of the Jerusalem temple and the subsequent return of the Son of Man. The speaker argues that Jesus distinguishes between the historical judgment of 70 AD and the future eschatological events, urging believers to recognize the signs of God's vengeance against a rebellious people. The central message calls...

The Tenth Commandment reaches beyond your actions to the desires of your heart, challenging you to be content with God's providence rather than coveting what He has given to others. Your continuing struggle with sinful desires should drive you to Christ, not to despair or self-reliance. In fact, your grief over sin and desire for holiness are signs of the Spirit's work within you. You will always...

The sermon explores the concept of "holy optimism," arguing that Jesus consistently disciplined the twelve disciples to shift their focus from immediate circumstances to the eternal character and promises of God. By examining passages in Matthew and John, the message highlights how Jesus used metaphors, such as birds, lilies, and the mustard seed, to correct spiritual myopia and anxiety. The centr...