Sermons on Close Encounter:

Lifestyle Of A Believer

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 9, 2025

Imitating God means letting His Spirit fill and transform us until His love, light, and life become the visible pattern of ours.

Part 1 – Imitating God in a Loveless World Introduction – The Mirror of Belief Every morning, before you ever speak a word, you live a sermon. The decisions you make, the tone in your voice, the way you treat the person behind the counter or the one driving too slow in front of you—all of it ...read more

Scripture: John 15:5, Philippians 2:5, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Colossians 1:15

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

That’s The Book For Me

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 12, 2025

God’s Word is wonderful to appreciate, vital to absorb, and powerful to apply—it shapes our steps, anchors our souls, and reveals God’s heart.

Part 1 — Appreciate Your Bible Most of us first met the Bible through a song long before we could spell “theology.” > “The B-I-B-L-E, yes that’s the book for me; I stand alone on the Word of God—the B-I-B-L-E. That little chorus carried a big truth: when all other voices clash, there’s one ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 119:129-133, 2 Timothy 3:16, James 1:22, Matthew 4:4, Psalm 1:2-3  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

I Wander As I Wander

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 13, 2025

Wandering ends when we trust God more than our fears, letting His presence lead our hearts out of old circles and into promise.

There’s a phrase that has been turning over in my heart—one you might recognize, though not quite in the form you learned it. We know the old carol, “I Wonder as I Wander.” But somewhere along the way, in the wilderness seasons of my own life, it became this: “I wander as I wander.” Not poetic. ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 13:21, Deuteronomy 1:6, Isaiah 43:18-19, Hebrews 11:15, John 10:27  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

The Genealogy And Birth Of Jesus Christ - Matthew 1 Series

Contributed by William Akehurst on Jan 10, 2025

Matthew presents the Genealogy of JESUS CHRIST and brings forward the prophecies of the Hebrew Scriptures into fulfillment by JESUS CHRIST, our Immanuel, our GOD WITH US. So begins the journey through Matthew’s account for Christ.

2025.01.05.Sermon Notes. Matthew 1. The Genealogy and Birth of JESUS CHRIST William Akehurst, HSWC SCRIPTURES: Romans 1:16, Matthew 1:1-25, Genesis 12:1-3, Genesis 12:3, Genesis 22:18, Galatians 3:16, 1 Samuel 16:7, 1 Samuel 16:13, 2 Samuel 7:12-16, Jeremiah 31:31-34, Ezekiel 36:24-31, Isaiah ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:16, Matthew 1:1-25, Genesis 12:1-3, Genesis 12:3, Genesis 22:18, Galatians 3:16, 1 Samuel 16:7, 1 Samuel 16:13, 2 Samuel 7:12-16, Jeremiah 31:31-34, Ezekiel 36:24-31, Isaiah 7:14, Luke 3:23-38  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Part 14: Behold The Wonders Of God's Glory! Series

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Jan 11, 2025

1. Behold the glory of God in His universe (vs. 1-6). 2. Behold the glory of God in His Word (vs. 7-11). 3. Behold the glory of God in the prayers of His people (vs. 12-14).

Great Prayers of the Old Testament Part 14: Behold the Wonders of God's Glory! Psalm 19:1-14 Sermon by Rick Crandall (Prepared January 11, 2025) BACKGROUND: *We are studying some of the great prayers in the Old Testament. And today's Scripture is one of my favorites. It's King ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 19:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

Don’t Be A Lost Sheep (Bible Study) – God’s Plan Part 1 Series

Contributed by Christi Campione on Sep 11, 2025

The importance of seeking God’s exact Plan for your life. Getting the details right is so incredibly important.

Download Sermon PDF for easy reading and printing: https://myprayernotebook4life.wordpress.com/sermon-pdfs/ Password: SermonCentral Last week, we studied who the lost sheep are, and went over a little of God’s Plan. Now that we know who they are, we’re going to look at the importance of seeking ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:10, Romans 11:29, John 3:30, Matthew 14:3-4, Matthew 11:2-6, 2 Kings 5:20-27, Matthew 17:10-13, Romans 8:28, Philippians 2:12-13  (view more)  (view less)

Vision Sunday - Salt And Light

Contributed by Jefferson Williams on Sep 12, 2025

Jesus calls us salt and light. How do we season and shine in this daark culture around us?

Vision Sunday Be These: Salt and Light Matthew 5 Pastor Jefferson Williams Chenoa Baptist Church 09-07-2025 Walker and Craig Walker Hayes, the grammy nominated country singer who had a seven time gold number one song “Fancy like” and his wife Lainey decided to move to Nashville so he could ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:13-16

Denomination: Baptist

Part 31: Wise Ways To Pray Series

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Sep 12, 2025

1. Praise the Lord! (vs. 1-18)... For His unique understanding For His perfect presence For forming us and fashioning our days For the treasure of His thoughts toward us 2. Take a strong stand for our Savior (vs. 19-22). 3. Pray for God to keep searching and steering our lives (vs. 23-24).

Great Prayers of the Old Testament Part 31: Wise Ways to Pray Psalm 139:1-24 Sermon by Rick Crandall (Prepared September 12, 2025) BACKGROUND: *Anyone who has read much of the Bible knows that the LORD included many of His servant's prayers. The Dake Annotated Reference Bible lists 222 ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 139:1-24

Denomination: Baptist

Fired Up: From Anger To Action

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Sep 26, 2025

Anger shows up—on the road, at home, at work. Psalm 37 teaches us not to “burn” (fret) but to trust, wait, and do good. The bible distinguishes anger that seeks justice from anger that seeks control. Trust God’s justice, practice meekness, and pursue peace in Christ.

Road Rage Let me ask you a simple question: “When was the last time you got angry?” Maybe it was this morning when that driver cut you off in traffic. Maybe it was last night when your teenage kid rolled their eyes at you one too many times. Or maybe you’re angry right now about something deeper - ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 37:1-11, Ephesians 4:26-27, James 4:1

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Psalm 19 - Can God Be Known? Series

Contributed by Jefferson Williams on Jun 24, 2024

God reveals Himself through the World, the Word, and through Jesus.

Summer in the Psalms Psalm 19 Pastor Jefferson M. Williams Chenoa Baptist Church?06-23-2024 Brats On June 10th, 1985, David Blum published an article in “New York” magazine entitled “Hollywood’s Brat Pack.” He was making a pun on the rat pack that included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 19:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

From Bad To Worse Part 2 Series

Contributed by Jefferson Williams on Apr 29, 2025

God gives Moses six promises for him to tell the Israelites

The Story of Moses : From Bad to Worse Exodus 5-6 (Part 2) Pastor Jefferson M. Williams Chenoa Baptist Church 04-27-2025 The Darkness When we came back from Florida, I was in a very dark place. I thought I had done what God called me to do but it went from bad to worse…to even worse. We ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

The Cost Of Following Christ | Matthew 9:35-10:42 Series

Contributed by Amar Chandnani on May 13, 2025

The cost of following Christ will involve suffering and sacrifice. It will involve love and compassion for others. It will entail persecution and opposition from others. It will demand self-denial and humility -- all of these combined -- but the reward is eternal and permanent.

I used to run for our college varsity track team and I can recall the many months of training we would undergo just to compete in a division race. Two hours running before the sun is up and two hours more before the sun goes down. It was grueling. Our coach would pound us with circuit training, ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Who Is Like God (Micah) Series

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Jun 6, 2025

When you’ve lost your sense of well-being, weep because judgment is coming, but hope because Jesus is coming, and trust because justice is coming—God will make all things right in the end.

As 29-year-old Neha Wright checked her mailbox and brought in the latest batch of bills, she realized the moment had finally arrived: Her childhood love of receiving a letter in the mail had officially been replaced with a very adult fear of receiving a letter in the mail. Neha’s parents recall ...read more

Scripture: Micah 1:1-9, Micah 2:1-5, Micah 2:12-13, Micah 3:1-12, Micah 4:1-3, Micah 4:6-7, Micah 4:10, Micah 5:1-5, Micah 5:7-9, Micah 6:1-16, Micah 7:1-10, Micah 7:18-20, Matthew 2:6  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Sarah, Where Are Your Roots? PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 27, 2025

Trusting God’s promises in seasons of uncertainty, like Abraham and Sarah, anchors us through prayer to His faithfulness, guidance, and unchanging care.

There’s a certain hush that settles over the soul when God points forward and you can’t see where your feet will fall next. Boxes packed, goodbyes said, the familiar fading in the rearview—what then? When the map goes missing and the calendar keeps turning, when your hands are empty and your hopes ...read more

Topics: Roots, Faith

Psalm 18 - Great Praise From A Place Of Great Victory Series

Contributed by John Lowe on Nov 6, 2018

Psalm 18 consists of a series of triumphant thanksgivings to God, with which the writer connects a highly figurative account of his deliverance from danger, an assertion of his own uprightness, and a description of the victories he has won by God's assistance . . .

April 14, 2014 Tom Lowe Psalm 18 (KJV) PART #1: VERSES 1-12 Title: Great Praise from a Place of Great Victory To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who spake unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 18:1-50

Denomination: Baptist