"God Never Said Things Will Be Easy” | Rev. Vicki Harrison

Sunday Worship
Written By New Hope

In God Never Said Things Will Be Easy, Rev. Vicki Harrison unpacks Jesus’ words in John 16:33, reminding us that the Christian life is not a path of comfort, but a journey of faith, endurance, and trust. Bad theology can lead to poor decisions and wrong assumptions about God, causing us to believe that faith guarantees a trouble-free life. Instead, Jesus calls us to follow in His footsteps—even when it means facing pain, challenges, and sacrifice. Drawing on the Apostle Paul’s trials, Rev. Vicki reassures us that God will give us all the grace we need for every situation, abundant life in Him, and the promise that we will never fight alone. This message calls us to be rooted in God’s Word, renewed daily by His Spirit, and committed to reaching the world for Jesus Christ—even when the journey is hard.
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More Sermons in this Series

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"God Never Said When He Will Return” | Rev. Roberto Chaple
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“God Never Said There Are Many Ways to Heaven” | Rev. Dr. Vicki Harrison
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In this powerful message, Pastor Vicki Harrison addresses the popular belief that all paths lead to God. Using John 14:6 and other key scriptures, she challenges universalism and affirms the exclusive claim of Jesus as the way to salvation. This sermon invites us to wrestle with hard questions, trust God's justice, and live out our calling to share the Gospel.

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"God Never Said Things Will Be Easy” | Rev. Vicki Harrison
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"God Never Said Things Will Be Easy” | Rev. Vicki Harrison
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Following Jesus doesn’t mean life will be easy. In John 16:33, Jesus promises both trouble and victory. Discover how God gives grace, strength, and abundant life—even on the hardest roads.

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"God Never Said Follow Your Heart” | Rev. Vicki Harrison
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Other Sermons from Pastor Vicki

Worship & Sermons Archive
"Learning from Jesus: What is truth?” | Rev. Vicki Harrison
"Learning from Jesus: What is truth?” | Rev. Vicki Harrison

Vicki Harrison closes Learning from Jesus with the end of the Sermon on the Mount — false prophets known by their fruit, the warning that words alone are not enough, and two houses built by the same builder on different ground.

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"Learning From Jesus: Hope: Where Is Your Hope and Security?” | Rev. Vicki Harrison
"Learning From Jesus: Hope: Where Is Your Hope and Security?” | Rev. Vicki Harrison

Vicki Harrison opens Matthew 6:19-24 and makes the case that this passage is not really about money — it is about treasure, the thing we have the hardest time letting go of, and the direction our hearts travel once we have chosen one.

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"Learning From Jesus: Identity” | Rev. Vicki Harrison
"Learning From Jesus: Identity” | Rev. Vicki Harrison

Pastor Vicki Harrison opens Matthew 5:13-16 and shows us that being salt and light isn't something we do — it's who we already are as followers of Jesus.

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"Learning From Jesus: The World According to Jesus” | Rev. Vicki Harrison
"Learning From Jesus: The World According to Jesus” | Rev. Vicki Harrison

Jesus opens the most famous sermon in history by calling the poorest people in the room blessed. Pastor Vicki Harrison launches New Hope Church's fall series in Matthew 5, and the Beatitudes turn every rule about who counts upside down.

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"We Are Family” | Rev. Vicki Harrison
"We Are Family” | Rev. Vicki Harrison

Rev. Vicki Harrison opened Matthew 12 with a question that would have stunned the room in Jesus' day: "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" Jesus points to the people around him and redefines family for good. "The church is not like a family," Vicki said. "The church is a family." On Promotion Sunday and the day before school started back, she showed what that means at New Hope Church — a household of households, led by Jesus, where the mask comes off and we actually learn to love each other. Then the whole church gathered for a family photo and prayed over its teachers.

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"At The Table: Holy Communion” | Rev. Vicki Harrison
"At The Table: Holy Communion” | Rev. Vicki Harrison

On Communion Sunday, Rev. Vicki Harrison opens Matthew 26 — the night before the cross, where Jesus takes the oldest meal of God's people and fills it with new meaning. "This is my body… this is my blood of the covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." The message walks through what actually happens when we come to the Lord's Table: we experience the grace of Jesus, we come together as one body, all people are welcome, and we return to it again and again. It is not a ritual to observe from a distance — it is grace we receive with open hands.

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"Made New” Baptism Sunday | Rev. Vicki Harrison
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The water was at the front of the room, and one by one people stepped in to say it out loud: I belong to Jesus. Here's what Pastor Vicki Harrison taught about baptism on Sunday — and why the old really is gone.

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"Words Matter: Wise Speech” | Rev. Vicki Harrison
"Words Matter: Wise Speech” | Rev. Vicki Harrison

James 1:19 is one of those verses that's easy to memorize and hard to live: "Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry." In this message from the Words Matter series, Rev. Vicki Harrison pairs that command with James 3:13-18 — where James contrasts earthly wisdom (bitter jealousy, selfish ambition, disorder) with wisdom from above (pure, peaceable, gentle, full of mercy). The result is a conviction not just about the tongue, but about the heart posture underneath it.

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"Words Matter: Taming the Tongue” | Rev. Vicki Harrison
"Words Matter: Taming the Tongue” | Rev. Vicki Harrison

James 3 opens with one of the most arresting images in the New Testament: a small rudder steering a great ship. A tiny spark setting an entire forest ablaze. The tongue. In this message from the Words Matter series, Rev. Vicki Harrison opens James 3 to explore why the words we speak are not a minor issue — they reveal the state of our hearts, they wound or they heal, and they cannot be tamed by willpower alone. Only the gospel reaches deep enough.

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"Let The Lion Roar: Reclaimed and Renewed” | Rev. Vicki Harrison
"Let The Lion Roar: Reclaimed and Renewed” | Rev. Vicki Harrison

Amos 9 brings the Let the Lion Roar series to a close with a hard word and a hopeful one: judgment is real, but God is not finished. Next Sunday, Pastor Vicki Harrison opens the final chapter of Amos with a message about rebuilding, restoration, and the kind of renewal that reaches all the way into the future.

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