Sermons on Close Encounter:

The Main Thing Series

Contributed by Brian Bill on Oct 13, 2017

The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing because only God is everything.

A week ago, after watching Wisconsin beat Nebraska in football, I was thrilled to hear that Michigan lost to Michigan State. During a commercial break, a promo for Michigan came on the screen. The voiceover described a wounded wolverine and then showed clips of players tackling, running, passing ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:28-32

Denomination: Baptist

Kreegah, Tarzan, Bundalo !!!-Part 1 Series

Contributed by Suresh Manoharan on Sep 3, 2012

Admittedly a bit weird...the title of my latest Sermon? Well when some things are not heard if reported gently, then they have to be proclaimed like a herald to draw public attention. WHAT THINGS? Fulfillment of all Biblical Prophecies vis-a-vis imminent

KREEGAH, TARZAN, BUNDALO!!! ACTION: Animation of a Tarzan chest-thumbing primitive cry Let me begin with a Tarzan story! Well, this is as real as it is surreal. Johnny Weissmuller, the Champion Olympic swimmer who donned the role of Tarzan the ape man in the Silver ...read more

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 2:7

Denomination: *other

Not In My House!

Contributed by Wayne Lawson on Mar 10, 2015

I have often wondered just what Jesus would have seen that day that caused so much righteous anger to rise up within him? Surely these Moneychangers and Shopkeepers were no more frustrating to Jesus than so many of the religious leaders he had encountered throughout His ministry!

TITLE: NOT IN MY HOUSE! SCRIPTURE: ST. MATTHEW 21:10-14 / I PETER 4:17 We have entered into our Third Sunday of Lenten season and preaching around the central theme – “MARCHING TOWARDS CALVARY.” When I read this text a few weeks ago in preparation of this morning’s ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:10-14

Denomination: Baptist

33) How Do We Share The Gospel? Series

Contributed by Brandon Max on Feb 27, 2022

How do we effectively share the Gospel of Jesus Christ? In the Bible we are able to learn from other devout disciples like the Apostle Paul who came before us. Paul preached the Gospel: 1) Using The Word of God; and 2) getting close to people any way he could.

33) HOW DO WE SHARE THE GOSPEL? Let’s learn from the example of the Apostle Paul by: 1) Sharing the Word, 2) Any Way we Can! Text: Romans 10:13-17 / 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 RECAP As we again open the Scriptures today to continue our study of... “Those things most surely believed among us” (Luke ...read more

Scripture: Romans 10:13-17, 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

Denomination: Baptist

Right Side Up (Acts 17:1-9) Series

Contributed by Bobby Brewer on Jan 22, 2021

After enough news and encounters with haters you'd be prone to think that no one really cares to know about God, but you'd be wrong. There's always someone out there, someone within your circles, who truly wants to know more about God.

Series: We’re on a Mission from God Message: This Side Up Text: Acts 17:1-9 Date: Jan 24, 2020 Big Idea: After watching enough news and having personal encounters with haters, you'd be prone to think that no one could care less about Jesus, but you'd be wrong. Allowing this negative view ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:1-9

If You Knew The Gift Of God

Contributed by John Gaston on May 4, 2022

We’re looking at a woman who encountered Jesus unexpectedly. At first she thought He was just another Jew, but before long she found herself face to face with God. He offered her the answer to her heart's greatest need -- God's inner presence.

IF YOU KNEW THE GIFT OF GOD! JOHN 4:10 INTRODUCTION A. HUMOR 1. Did you hear about the man who had emergency surgery on his hand and lost 3 fingers? The man asked the man if he could still write. 2. The doctor answered, “Maybe, but don’t count on it.” B. TEXT 5 So he came to a town in ...read more

Scripture: John 4:5-26

Denomination: Assembly Of God

When You Pray - Do You Pass This Prayer Test? Series

Contributed by Carlton Berry on Aug 11, 2022

What’s your prayer life like? Have you seen mountains moved in your life? We see little when we ask little. As James closes his writing He challenges the scattered church to pray in faith. Share a personal story of answered pray or one from history.

When you Pray - Do you pass this prayer test? James 5.13-20 What’s your prayer life like? Have you seen mountains moved in your life? We see little when we ask little. As James closes hi writing He challenges the scattered church to pray in faith. Share a personal story of answered pray or one ...read more

Scripture: James 5:13-20

Denomination: Baptist

Trusting God's Timing: Hezekiah's Patience For The Sign

Contributed by Christian Jones on Jul 18, 2023

In our journey of faith, we often encounter moments when we must wait on the Lord's timing. Just as Hezekiah displayed unwavering patience and trust in God's promises, we too can find inspiration from his story in 2 Kings 20:8-13.

1. God's Assurance in the Midst of Adversity (Isaiah 41:10) During times of trial, God assures us that He is with us, strengthening us and upholding us with His righteous hand. Like Hezekiah, we must find comfort in God's presence, trusting that His plan is greater than our ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 20:8-13, Isaiah 41:10, 2 Chronicles 32:20-21, Psalm 27:14, Ecclesiastes 3:11, Mark 11:24, Hebrews 6:15, Proverbs 16:9, Psalm 31:15  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

Face-Off With The Bullies Of Nazareth

Contributed by Randy Bataanon on Oct 19, 2022

Are you suffering from low self esteem? Are you experiencing bullying from the very same people that should be supporting you? Are you ready to give up your dream due to the rejection of people who are close to you? Jesus has been on that same road and he has a message of hope for you!

THE BULLIES OF NAZARETH: (A Case Study on Dealing with Rejection) Afterward, Jesus left Capernaum and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. Mark 6:1TPT INTRODUCTION: During His first preaching mission to Nazareth recorded in the book of Luke Chapter 4, Nazareth was impressed ...read more

Scripture: Mark 6:16

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Advocate Of Redemption (1 John 2:1-2) Series

Contributed by Dean Courtier on Mar 14, 2024

1 John 2:1-2, which reveals the heart of God's redemptive plan for humanity. We encounter the role of Jesus Christ as our Advocate and the sacrifice He made for our sins. Discover the transformative power of Christ's atonement and the assurance it brings to believers of all ages.

Advocate of Redemption (1 John 2:1-2) 1 John 2:1-2 (NLT): My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:1-2, Hebrews 7:25, Romans 8:34, 1 John 2:2, 1 John 2:1, John 3:16, Hebrews 2:17  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

Nine Errors To Avoid In Our Thinking- Matt. 19:16-30

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Sep 21, 2002

Many people are unaware of terrible consequences of wrong thinking. One man told me, "I haven’t committed any crimes and I go to church and try to follow the golden rule therefore God can’t think I am that bad." He reminded me of the poignant encounter th

Eight Errors to Avoid - Matt. 19:16-30 Introduction:Elisabeth Elliot, at Urbana 76, told of her brother Thomas Howard. Their mother let him play with paper bags she’d saved if he put them away afterwards. One day she walked into the kitchen to find them strewn all over the floor. Tom was out at ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:16-30

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Is Jesus Like

Contributed by Steven Chapman on Feb 6, 2007

. What a man is like stems from his character. And here the Gospels are eloquent. What would I have noticed had I spent time with Christ? What impression would He have made on me? As we walk through these verses in Mark 1 and 2, we will get close eno

What Is Jesus Like Mark 1:35-2:17 What was Jesus like? A very fair question. But how impossibly difficult to answer! One thing, though, is certain. The Jesus who meets us in the pages of the four Gospels is very different from the picture many have of Him. He is nothing like the “gentle Jesus ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Who Do You Believe? Who Is Driving Your Car? (Session 1) Series

Contributed by Dean Courtier on Jan 23, 2010

As humans, we function best when we let God be in the driving seat. Maybe our pride does not like it, but we need to be led and directed in life by having a close connection with our Lord. Every one of us at some time of our life has chosen to shove God o

Who is driving your car? Imagine for a moment that you have decided to buy a car. Rather than head off down the London Road to one of the many car dealers, or one of the used car supermarkets at Lakeside, you decide to visit the massive Toomey dealership on Cherry Orchard Way to look at new cars. ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11

Denomination: Pentecostal

Why Would We Want To Settle For Less Than The Best?

Contributed by Chad Bolfa on Apr 14, 2009

And so today I want us to see how sometimes we do indeed settle for less the best. I want to know, given where we are in life and the struggles we encounter, how we could ever allow ourselves to settle for anything less than the best – anything less than

Why Would We want to Settle for less than the Best? Am service March 8th 2009 Hebrews 1:1-4 Introduction The other day someone told me about the movie “City of Angels?” In the movie, an angel longs to become human so that he can experience the relationship between a man and a woman. My thought as I ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 1:1-4

Denomination: Baptist

Harassed And Helpless Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Nov 8, 2009

How many times do we go through our lives thinking we have it all together, only to encounter a crisis that blows us away? Life is a lot more tenuous that we like to think. But into that crisis comes One who says "do not fear, only believe." Are you willi

Think for a moment about a time of crisis on your life—a time when something significant went wrong and you really didn’t know how you were going to come out of it whole. It might be violence, sickness, accident, financial burden, relationship gone very bad—something that tore a hole in your ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:18-38

Denomination: Calvary Chapel