Sermons on Close Encounter:

Jesus Is Risen...ruling...and Returning...

Contributed by Walter Braxton on Apr 29, 2025

Now that Easter is over and Christ Has risen, what is the responsibility of the Christian?

Jesus is Risen...Ruling...And Returning... Acts 1:1-13 1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach... 2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen... 3 to whom He also ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:1-13

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Matters To God Should Matter To Us

Contributed by Dr. Odell Belger on May 1, 2025

I am preaching this evening on WHAT MATTERS TO GOD SHOULD MATTER TO US

We all have things in life that MATTERS a great deal to us. • How we spend our TIME in life MATTERS to us. • How we spend our MONEY MATTERS to us. • How we spend our ENERY in life MATTERS to us. Especially if you are over sixty-five years of age because in the middle of the day you feel like ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:17-21

Denomination: Baptist

This Will Turn Out For My Deliverance

Contributed by Patty Groot on May 15, 2025

Point 1: Deliverance Comes Through the Prayers of the Saints Point 2: Deliverance Comes Through the Provision of the Spirit Point 3: Deliverance Is Found in God's Bigger Plan

Paul is writing from a Roman prison, chained and confined, facing an uncertain future and the very real possibility of execution. His physical freedom is gone, his reputation is under attack, and his future is unknown. And yet, his words are not filled with fear or despair. Instead, he writes with ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:19

Lovest Thou Me? Series

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on May 20, 2025

After the Resurrection, Jesus met the eleven disciples in Galilee. Peter and six others went fishing one night but caught nothing. Jesus ministered to all of them, and especially to Peter.

Lovest Thou Me? Introduction: The Lord Jesus Christ had told His followers to meet Him in Galilee. While they were waiting for Him, Peter decided to try fishing again. The results: not great. But there’s more to the story than empty nets. (Full disclosure: This message is based on a sermon I ...read more

Scripture: John 21:1-19

Denomination: Baptist

When Worship Becomes Empty Words PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Sep 25, 2025

The sermon urges us to approach God with reverence, listen before speaking, and honor our promises, trusting that God shapes the world through prayerful hearts.

There’s a hush that falls on the heart when we remember who God is. The ancient preacher of Ecclesiastes takes us by the hand and leads us into that hush. He knows about rushed mornings and restless nights. He knows about hurried hands and harried hearts. And he whispers a needed word to weary ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

Topics: Worship, Reverence

Truth: Gospel, Not Emotion PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Sep 27, 2025

True worship happens when our hearts and minds align with God’s truth, allowing authentic praise regardless of our changing feelings or circumstances.

Friends, pull up a chair and take a deep breath. Some of us walked in today with hearts humming like a racing engine, others with batteries barely blinking. Some of us feel God’s nearness; others wonder if our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling. Can I encourage you? You are not here by accident. ...read more

Scripture: John 4:24

Topics: Emotion, Faith

Living Under God's Open Heaven PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Sep 29, 2025

God’s generous presence and blessing are available to us through prayer, inviting us to trust, receive, and live confidently under His open heaven.

Some mornings feel like the sky sits low and gray, as if our prayers push against a ceiling of clouds. Bills stack, hearts ache, and strength thins out around the edges. And then we read a line of Scripture and it’s as if God opens a window and lets a fresh breeze run through the room. That’s what ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:16, Deuteronomy 28:12

Topics: Ownership, Inheritance

Never Give Up PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Sep 29, 2025

Jesus meets our deepest needs with forgiveness and healing, responding to faith—both ours and others’—with love greater than we can imagine.

If you listen closely, you can almost hear the shuffle of sandals and the rustle of robes in that little house in Capernaum. The room is stuffed shoulder-to-shoulder with people who showed up hungry for more than bread. They want words that mend, a voice that understands, a touch that makes all ...read more

Scripture: Mark 2:1-12

Topics: Faith, Perseverance

The Need, The Power, And The Benefits Of The Blood PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Sep 30, 2025

Jesus’ sacrifice fully cleanses our deepest guilt, offering complete forgiveness and hope, because we are more loved in Christ than we ever imagined.

Some stains laugh at soap. You scrub and soak, and they just smile back at you. Life has its stains too—memories that will not fade, words we wish we never said, habits that haunt our sleep. We carry quiet shame the way a traveler shoulders a heavy pack. We try harder, promise bigger, resolve ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 9:22-28

Topics: Perfect Sacrifice, Christ

What Are You Thinking? Part 1 PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Sep 30, 2025

The sermon urges believers to intentionally focus their thoughts on Christ above, allowing Him to shape their minds, emotions, and daily lives.

Church family, welcome. Some weeks feel like a whirlwind, don’t they? Schedules stack, screens shout, and our minds ping from worry to what’s next. And in the middle of the noise, God gives us a gracious, clear instruction: lift your thoughts. Aim higher than the headlines. Aim higher than your ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:1-2

Topics: Mindset, Thinking

Committing To Our Mission As The Church PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 3, 2025

Jesus seeks the lost and sends us to join His mission, turning everyday places into opportunities to share His love, freedom, and abundant life.

There’s a line that lingers in the soul like a song you can’t forget: Jesus came looking for people. Before we raised our hands, before we learned the words, before we found our seat on a Sunday—He was already searching. He crossed crowded roads, dusty villages, and social barriers, because that’s ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:10, Luke 4:18-19, John 10:10

Topics: Service, Purpose, Mission

Spirit-Empowered Boldness PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 4, 2025

The sermon urges us to cherish our inherited faith, overcome fear, and boldly nurture and protect the gifts and gospel entrusted to us by God.

If you hold this letter up to your ear, you can almost hear the heartbeat behind it. Paul is nearer to the end than the beginning. Cold walls. Thin blankets. Thick memories. He is thinking of a young pastor with tender tears and a tough assignment. He remembers a grandmother’s prayers and a ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:1-14

Topics: Boldness, Faith

Dead Seeds PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 4, 2025

True spiritual fruitfulness comes when we surrender our lives to God, trusting Him to bring new life and abundance from our acts of faith.

There’s a wonder in the way God works that often begins small and quiet, like a seed resting in the palm of your hand. If you’ve ever planted one, you know the hush of that moment. You press it into the soil, cover it with a thin blanket of earth, and walk away with a mixture of faith and ...read more

Scripture: John 12:24

Topics: Christ's Death, Sacrifice

The Peculiars PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 5, 2025

God defines our true identity, calling us chosen and purposeful, empowering us to live distinctly and shine His light in a world of confusion.

Good morning, friends. Settle your hearts for a moment and breathe this in: God knows your name, sees your needs, and has spoken a word over your life that outlasts every label the world tries to stick on you. When life feels loud and your identity feels blurry, Peter hands us a clear, bright ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:9

Topics: Called Out, Set Apart

In Pursuit Of A Clear/Cleansed Conscience

Contributed by Byron Sherman on Sep 6, 2011

The writer to the Hebrews encouraged his audience to pursue a radically transformed/cleansed conscience. People(with religious tendencies--everyone!) are in need of a radically transformed conscience. How can we pursue it? The pursuit of a clear consci

In PURSUIT Of A CLEAR/Cleansed CONSCIENCE—Hebrews 9:1-14 Attention: A young boy called the pastor of a local church to ask the pastor to come by to pray for his mother who had been very ill with the flu. The pastor knew the family & was aware they were members of another church down the ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 9:1-14

Denomination: Baptist