Sermons on Close Encounter:

The Reality Of Accidents

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 5, 2021

Christians have different views of accidents. Some feel there are no accidents, but that all is God's will. In this message I make it clear that accidents are real and seldom ever God's will.

No doubt everyone of us has had our share of accidents. If not in a car, or with a knife, or some other sharp object whereby we cut ourselves, then all of us have at some point in our life fallen down. It is a part of growing up to fall down, and so it is hard to conceive that even baby Jesus did ...read more

Scripture: Luke 13:1-5

The Antidote For Depression

Contributed by Dr. Craig Nelson on Mar 6, 2021

There has been an ever-increasing rise of personal individualism that has led to multiple dysfunctional and destructive trends resulting in people either willingly or unwillingly distancing themselves from others and struggling to make meaningful personal connections.

"Then God said, "Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground. So God created human beings in his own image. In the ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:26-27, 1 John 5:18, Psalm 23:6, Ephesians 2:19, Hebrews 10:25  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God Is Love Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 9, 2021

The implications of these three words are so vast that one message on them is like trying to harvest a million acres of corn with a comb. There is no way to get all of the infinite riches they contain, but we will at least get a taste of what this love is

Tolstoy wrote a story called "Where Love Is, God Is." It is about an old cobbler named Martin who lived alone. One night as he read the story of Jesus visiting the Pharisee, and the poor welcome he received, he prayed that the Lord would visit him. In his sleep he heard a voice saying, ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:7-12

A Thankful Spirit Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 10, 2021

A thankful spirit encourages others to see the positive in their own lives, and so being thankful is a ministry in a world where the bad news is thrown at us so often we tend to forget the good news. We need people with a thankful spirit to remind us that light is as real as the dark

The more I study the history of man and the sea, the more grateful I become that I am a landlubber. Tens of thousands of lives have been lost in ship wrecks in my lifetime. But some sailors have much to be thankful for in spite of ship wrecks. John O'Brian, for example, was off the coast of ...read more

Scripture: Acts 27:27-37

Accidental Suffering Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 12, 2021

Let's look at this accidental death of a New Testament teenager and see what we can learn about the cause and cure of suffering.

The Cherynoble nuclear accident in Russia was one of the most headline grabbing events of the 20th century. But what we do not realize is that many accidents are not spectacular explosions, fiery crashes, or powerful events of violence. There are also very silent accidents which are equally ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:7-12

Turning The Other Cheek

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 13, 2021

The religious leaders of the world can quote their wise and holy men in ways that show they too have many of the values of the Sermon on the Mount. But they have nothing to match the teachings of Christ on the love of one's enemies.

Almost everybody agrees with the Sermon on the Mount in general, but almost nobody can agree to the specifics of the last part of chapter 5. Even Nikita Krushev, an atheist, when he was the leader of Russia, could say he agreed with the Sermon on the Mount, for even in Russia they do not consider ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:38-48

Helpful And Harmful Hypocrisy

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 13, 2021

Man is the most clever creature when it comes to figuring out how to get his own way. Hypocrisy, or pretending something that isn't so, is one of his best methods.

Every able bodied man in Russia must serve in the army, but Abe managed to remain quietly on his farm year after year. One day his neighbor asked him, "Abe, how does a strong young man like you manage to get by without being drafted for the Red Army?" "That is what I am asking ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-6

The Greatest Creator Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 14, 2021

Man’s choices as to the origin of the universe are reduced to two. It either came by chance circumstances, or it came by the mind and power of a Creator.

The story is told of the teacher who asked her class to write down what they thought were the 7 great wonders of the world. They could be the ancient wonders or the modern wonders. The choices were many and one little girl could not finish her list. The teacher said just read what you have and ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 1:2

The Greatest Sustainer Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 15, 2021

Jesus has the whole universe in His hands, and if He should let go and cease to sustain it, it would collapse into a massive heap of rubble, and then fade into extinction.

Anne Graham Lotz in her book Just Give Me Jesus tells of her father Billy Graham being given a watch by a friend, and after some time it stopped working. His wife took it to a jewelry store to get it fixed, but they could not do it. She took it to several and they all said it could not be fixed. ...read more

God Pursues His Beloved

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Mar 16, 2021

God wants to be known personally, intimately, and vitally. He wants us to look to him with deep affection, and to depend on him always, because we know him. So foster that true commitment to God: listening to him, speaking with him, and walking with him.

Say you’ve met that “special someone.” It’s one you’ve come to love, it’s the one you want to marry. Probably we all can picture this very human event: meeting someone, falling in love, becoming husband and wife. There’s a lot of joy in this great gift! But then something takes place that nobody ...read more

Scripture: Hosea 2:2-23, Ephesians 5:22-33, Hosea 2:14-20

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Break Up The Fallow Ground!

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Mar 16, 2021

Getting baptized on your head must have an impact on your heart. If you’ve been baptized, God calls you to put off the old nature and its sinfulness, and to put on the new. There’s no salvation without a change of life, no redemption without repentance.

There once was a book-burning in the palace of Judah’s king. A scroll-burning actually, but the idea is the same. For the LORD told Jeremiah to take a scroll, write on it everything He’d said—and then to have that scroll read before the king. So that’s what Jeremiah did. He wrote down God’s words, ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 3:1-25, Jeremiah 4:1-4

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Seeking God's Face Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 19, 2021

The heart of depression is when God's face is hidden, and the heart of joy is when God's face is shining upon you.

I heard a pastor tell of his experience on a plane. The stewardess was explaining that the parents were to be sure and put on their oxygen mask before they put them on their children. This seemed so selfish, and there was a natural resistance to the idea. It went against the grain of a ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7:11-22

Proverbs Ideal Mother 2 Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 19, 2021

Every mother has her ideals pictured for her in Prov. 31. It is not an easy picture to examine because it makes the mothers feel that they have fallen so far short.

Harry Houdini as a young 20 year old performer, still years away from fame, met an 18 year old singer named Wilhalmina Rohnes. She sat in the front row of his performance and he spilled a glass of colored liquid that spotted her dress. To make amends he got her to give him her measurements. He ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 31:10-31

Christian Courtesy Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 22, 2021

Paul could very well have another honor added to his impressive record. He could be considered the most courteous man in the New Testament, next to his Lord.

Timothy Eaton became the most successful business man in the history of Canada by the simple virtue of courtesy. Back in 1869, when he started his first store, he instituted a new policy. In those days a customer was almost compelled to buy something. He was coaxed and implored, and even bullied, ...read more

Scripture: Acts 22:1-11

Learning To Listen Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 22, 2021

Listening to God's Word brings us into the kingdom, and it is by listening to it that we grow and become sanctified. That is why Jesus says to the churches in Revelation over and over, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit has to say to the churches."

Benjamin Franklin decided to take stock of him self one New Years, and try to figure out why he seemed to alienate people, and why he lost friends so easily. He discovered that one of his major flaws was that he was not willing to listen to others. He had all of the answers and was arrogant. ...read more

Scripture: Acts 22:1-22