Sermons on Close Encounter:

A Doctrine Of Time

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jan 2, 2024

1) God as Lord over Time, 2) Humanity as Subject to Time, 3) Time as Redemptive History, 4) Time is meaningfully forward moving. 5) The Present as the Time of Salvation 6) The End-Times and finally: 7) Time and Eternity.

As we come to the close of the first month of a new year, we’ve had to adjust. We’ve had a month to write 2024 instead of 2023. Most have taken down their Christmas trees, put away all the decorations and have got used to any new presents that you got. We’ve received the bills for all the Christmas ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 41:1-4, Acts 17:24-31, 1 Timothy 4:1-10

Denomination: Other

Look For Good News

Contributed by Roger Hasselquist on Jan 8, 2024

Don't you get tired of all the negative news? There is good news if we will look for it. The apostle Paul was hoping to find some good news, and he found it in Timothy's report on how the church in Thessalonica was doing.

Alba 1-7-2024 LOOK FOR GOOD NEWS I Thessalonians 3:6-13 Have you noticed that newspapers and TV news casts give mostly negative news? I have read that positive new doesn't sell. But don't you get tired of all the negative news? Well amazingly, I found a website called “Good News ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Seeking The World

Contributed by D. Dewaine Phillips on Jan 30, 2022

Some of us are lost in a sea of material things, and bills, and debt, feeling like we’re drowning and that the very life is being sucked right out of us. In order to have abundant life, we must seek life in Jesus instead of life in the world.

Eddie Rickenbacker was America’s most famous army aviator during World War I. During World War II he was appointed special consultant to Secretary of War, Henry L. Stimson; and it was Rickenbacker’s task to inspect the various aspects of war. During one tour in 1942, Eddie and seven companions ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:34-37

Denomination: Baptist

Beware Of The Bad Dogs

Contributed by Dr. Odell Belger on Feb 3, 2022

Anyone such as a ….Mail man, Insurance salesman, Paper boy, UPS Delivery person, Milk man…

knows when they pull up in front of a house and see a sign on the fence that says, “Beware of the bad dog”, that sign means “BEWARE OF THE BAD DOG!” The background for this Psalm is found in that passage of scripture known as 1 Samuel 19:8-17. There are many things about this passage that are ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

What The Bible Teaches About Heaven

Contributed by Dr. Odell Belger on Feb 7, 2022

It is an exciting time when a married couple decides to build a house for their family.

Generally, before they take on a project like this, they study the proposed plans carefully because they want to make sure that every little detail is considered so that they will have a wonderful place to live the rest of their lives on this earth. Yes, planning a family house is exciting, but ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 22:1-5

Denomination: Baptist

Transformation Or Sin Management???

Contributed by Samuel Perkins on Feb 18, 2022

HOW MANY OF YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT NOW YOU WISH YOU COULD STOP DOING? HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW SOMEBODY WHO IS DOING SOMETHING THEY OUGHT TO STOP DOING? HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE TOLD THEM TO STOP DOING IT? HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN DOING SOMETHING FOR A LONG TIME YOU WISH YOU COULD STOP DOING?

Transformation or Sin Management??? HOW MANY OF YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT NOW YOU WISH YOU COULD STOP DOING? HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW SOMEBODY WHO IS DOING SOMETHING THEY OUGHT TO STOP DOING? HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE TOLD THEM TO STOP DOING IT? HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN DOING SOMETHING FOR A LONG ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:2, Romans 8:29

A Great Door Is Opened Unto Me (1 Of 2)

Contributed by Dr. Odell Belger on Feb 22, 2022

There is nothing in our life that affects us like the opportunities that confront us each day.

When the door of opportunity is opened for us, we have to be willing to enter. Illus: Legend has it that the Mormons always gave Mark Twain a hard time about his opposition to their teaching that a man can have many wives. He was always looking for an opportunity to set them straight. That ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 16:5-9

Denomination: Baptist

Lost And Found

Contributed by James May on Feb 27, 2022

We may lose some things that may be desirable in this life by surrendering our lives to Jesus, but the life we gain is far greater than anything we have now. And the life in Christ is always learned through the preaching of the Word, in whatever form it comes to us.

How many of you have found yourself looking for something that was lost, but no matter how hard you searched, you couldn’t find it? I think we can all say that this has happened to us at some point. There is a commercial running on the TV right now where a man is searching the house over trying ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 10:39-42

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Great Depression # 2

Contributed by Dr. Odell Belger on Dec 31, 2021

WHY IS THERE SO MUCH DEPRESSION? It could be because…

Illus: A teacher said to her students, "Boys and girls, there is a wonderful example in the life of the ant. Every day the ant goes to work and works hard all day. And at the close of the day, what happens?" Little Johnny said, "SOMEONE STEPS ON HIM." Many folks can’t ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Denomination: Baptist

"you Bring Me Great Joy"

Contributed by Ernie Arnold on Jan 5, 2022

This sermon shares with us how to live a life pleasing to the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY

Scripture: Luke 3:15-22; Psalm 29 Theme: A Well Pleasing Life Title: “You Bring Me Great Joy” INTRO: Grace and peace from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! I want to talk to you today about what it means to live a life that is pleasing to God. That is to say, a life that brings ...read more

Scripture: Luke 3:15-22

Denomination: Nazarene

God Helps People, If/When They Ask. So Ask (Psalm 4:1-8) Series

Contributed by Garrett Tyson on Jan 15, 2022

A psalm of confidence: God has heard, has answered, and my help is coming. God sets apart his loyal ones for himself.

Today's psalm, Psalm 4, is a psalm of confidence. And what this means, is that this is a psalm that God has given to his people for when life is hard. It's designed to help you pray to God, and give voice to your problems. But the other thing that psalms of confidence are designed to do, ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 4:1-8, Deuteronomy 31:15-18

Warning Against False Teachers Series

Contributed by Freddy Fritz on Jan 15, 2022

1 Timothy 1:3-7 shows us how to deal with false teachers living in God's church today.

Scripture Last week we started a new study in the letters of Paul to Timothy and Titus. These three letters are usually called “the Pastoral Epistles” because they were written to pastors about dealing with pastoral matters in their respective churches. As I hope to show you in the coming months, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:3-7

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Keeping Yourself On Track

Contributed by D. Dewaine Phillips on Jan 18, 2022

How are we supposed to respond when it seems as though a dream has died; one that we’ve poured our very heart and life into? What is the next step? These questions are answered with encouragement in this passage.

Harry Kemp said, “The poor man is not he who is without a cent, but he who is without a dream.”(1) I will say that the poor man is not he who is without a dream, but he who has lost his dream. If you’ve ever felt that what God has laid on your heart has been lost, then tonight’s passage is for ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:12-17

Denomination: Baptist

Counting The Cost

Contributed by Dr. Odell Belger on Jan 19, 2022

On the Fox news Channel, September 2, 1999, on the Hannity and Colmes television program,

they were talking about a youth march sponsored by the Muslim religion that was to take place on the following Labor Day Week-end. The Mayor of the city had some great concerns, and did not want to grant them a permit to march, because these are some violent people. On the program, they had a ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 5:13-15

Denomination: Baptist

Lessons From The Life Of Abraham (2–5)

Contributed by Dr. Odell Belger on Jan 27, 2022

We live in an age of materialism! It seems we can’t get enough of what this world has to offer. Because of people’s love for things, we have two problems.

(1) We have people who are up to their eyeballs in debt because they are constantly buying things they can’t afford. Illus: A businessman is in a great deal of trouble financially because he kept buying things when he should not have. He even considered suicide, but he decided before he would do ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 13:4, Genesis 12:10

Denomination: Baptist