Sermons on Closing:

An Enemy Within (1 Samuel 18)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Apr 14, 2025

How often do we find an enemy who is close to us? Let's look at 1 Samuel 18.

Will faithful servants of God have enemies even from within? How should we treat them? Let’s begin in 1 Samuel 18. Did Jonathan and David become the best of friends? As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

When Doubt Is Called Proof

Contributed by David Dunn on Sep 27, 2025

True prophets invite testing; a claim that denial proves authenticity is a closed loop and never the biblical measure of God’s voice.

Opening – The Self-Proving Prophet Let me start with a single, startling sentence: > “One proof I have that I am a prophet of God is if you deny that it is so.” Let it sink in. It sounds clever at first, like a riddle that wins no matter how you answer. If you agree, the claim is ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 8:20, Matthew 7:15-20, 1 John 4:1, Acts 17:11, John 10:37  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

But If From There PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Sep 24, 2023

God wants to be found and is always close to us, and we must continually seek a deeper relationship with Him through wholehearted pursuit.

Ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, it's truly wonderful to see all of your smiling faces today as we gather to worship and seek the Lord together. Have you ever felt like God is distant or hard to find? Well, I have some incredible news for you today: God wants to be found and He is closer ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 4:29

Topics: God's Presence

A Better Hope Series

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Apr 19, 2018

If you truly want to become a better person, don’t depend on the law; depend on Christ, your powerful and perfect High Priest.

In his recent book Soul Keeping, John Ortberg talks about being with friends at an open-air street fair when they spotted a mechanical bull that tries to buck people off. They guy operating the bull said, “Watching it isn't nearly as fun as riding.” So John told the bull operator that he wanted to ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 7:18-28

Denomination: Evangelical Free

A Response To The Carnage And Human Suffering

Contributed by Andrew Chan on Sep 12, 2001

There is too much violence and God is mad about it but we need to take a close look at our own hearts and respond with the hope of the Gospel.

A Response to the Carnage and Human Suffering Tonight, we are stunned as board members of PBC! -Shortly before 9am, first plane crashes into one of the towers. - Shortly after 9 am, second plane crashes into second tower -40 minutes after the New York attacks, another aircraft crashes into ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:18, Luke 15:1-15

Denomination: Evangelical Free

The Old Year

Contributed by David Salisbury on Sep 12, 2002

A sermon for closing out the old year by realizing that "the end of a thing is better than it’s beginning." (Ecc. 7:8)

As I reflected on the end of the year and what to say to you in this last Sunday morning sermon of 2001, I thought of Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes 7:8 “The end of a thing is better than its beginning;” Now I know some brethren would like to say that a proper translation of that verse is that the ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 7:8, Ecclesiastes 7:10, Lamentations 3:27, Isaiah 40:31, Revelation 2:10  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

"Let The Redeemed Of The Lord Say So”

Contributed by Kenneth Trent on Nov 21, 2004

Every child of God needs to take a close look at the “who, what, where, when and why” of sharing their witness of salvation with everyone they meet.

“LET THE REDEEMED OF THE LORD SAY SO” “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, And gathered out of the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 107:1-3, Matthew 23:1-23

Denomination: Baptist

A Tale Of Two Sisters

Contributed by Lee Henry on Jul 14, 2006

Martha and Mary were sisters. They were both close friends of Jesus but they interacted with him, served him and worship him in different ways.

A Tale of Two Sisters Luke 10:38-42 Introduction: Tonight we want to look at two women who were prominent in the life of Jesus: Two sisters named Martha and Mary. They are mentioned in three separate incidents during Jesus’ ministry. 1. When he visited their home in Bethany (Luke 10:38-41), ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:38-42

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Stop Chasing Shadows! Series

Contributed by David Dykes on Oct 9, 2006

Keeping religious rules and observing religious rituals in order to be close to God are only a shadow of the "real thing," a relationship with Him through Jesus.

INTRODUCTION In the time of the early church, there were people in the churches who were teaching that once you became a Christian, you still had to obey the Jewish regulations and rituals to be religiously correct. That kind of false teaching still exists in the 21st century. In this series I’m ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 2:16-17

Denomination: Baptist

Overcoming Sin

Contributed by Mark Roper on Nov 20, 2007

Sin is nothing to play with. It has the strength to defeat you if you get too close to it with excessive confidence in your own strength.

Sin John 8:34 Sin is more than wrong doing; it is wrong being, Sin is nothing to play with. It has the strength to defeat you if you get too close to it with excessive confidence in your own strength. A well-to-do man advertised for a chauffeur. Three applicants came. His first question ...read more

Scripture: John 8:34

Denomination: Church Of God

So Near And Yet So Far

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Sep 14, 2009

We will never be as close to Christ as we could be or think we are if we are oblivious to today’s issues or build monuments to past achievements.

We can be close to something, and yet miss it. We can be almost on target, almost where we want to .be, and yet, if we’re not exactly where we ought to be, we miss it. So near and yet so far. A couple of years ago, when my wife and I were touring England, we were in Victoria Station, one of the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:18-36

Denomination: Baptist

Life God's Way

Contributed by Paul Carlson on Jan 25, 2010

Because Christ is the source of all life, you must stay close to Him in order to experience “the abundant life”.

I. The Nature of God obligates you to submit to Him. A. God is present (omnipresent). B. God is active (immanent). Genesis 1; Eph 4:6 II. The Nature of man obligates you to reflect the glory of God. A. Man surmises He is an accident. B. ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Children Of God Series

Contributed by Tim Diack on Dec 12, 2011

Close to God's own heart are the peacemakers of this world. Read on to discover how God can use you to bring peace to hurting lives.

Children of God - Matthew 5:9 - September 11, 2011 Series: Kingdom Life – A World Turned Upside Down #7 I’m not sure if you’re aware of it or not, but Canadians have a rich history of peacekeeping. To date, more than 125,000 Canadians have participated in peacekeeping ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:9

Denomination: *other

The Most Important Thing

Contributed by Rev. Matthew Parker on Aug 29, 2010

When we're tempted to focus on lesser things than the cross of Christ, Paul's closing argument in Galatians is a helpful reality check.

Yesterday 15 of us from this church gathered to pray and then to go out into the community. 12 in total went out and 3 stayed back both to pray for the teams that went out and to prepare a remarkably yummy lunch for the team on its return. We went out in teams of 2, and we went out for one reason. ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:11-19

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Know My Heart, Oh God!!!

Contributed by John Gail on Apr 22, 2012

This is an outline depicting the heart of David and his love for God. David was a man that desired to be close to God and all of his energy was directed to that end..

KNOW MY HEART, OH GOD!!! Text: Psalm 139:17-24 17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee. 19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 139:17-24

Denomination: Baptist