Sermons on Keep Your Friends Close And Your Enemies Even Closer:

Making Friends, Keeping Friends, Influencing Friends

Contributed by Steve Shepherd on Oct 19, 2005

What will it take to make friends, keep friends and influence friends for Christ?

INTRO. – Everyone needs friends. Even a variety of friends. ILL.- Show a variety of shoes. Each shoe is for a different occasion, etc. (running or tennis shoes, casual, dress shoes, fishing shoes, etc.) Likewise, in some ways, we have friends for different areas of our lives. We have casual ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:17

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

How To Draw Closer To God.

Contributed by Robert Webb on Mar 12, 2016

renewing your mind

How easy it is for the devil to get our minds and thoughts off track, thinking about things we should not. This is why our minds need to be saturated and fortified by the Word of God. If what you are thinking about is what is right, you cannot be thinking about what is wrong. Our mind is ...read more

Scripture: Philemon 10:21-25

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Closer

Contributed by Greg Burcham on Sep 4, 2016

This sermon deals with some of the reasons we fail to draw close to God and the virtues of being close to God.

How close is close enough? Closer Zeno’s paradox. Imagine I had high school boys and girls lined up at opposite ends of the gym and had them half the distance between them every 10 seconds, how long would it be before they are touching? Well, if I always half the distance, they will never ...read more

Scripture: James 4:8

Denomination: Baptist

Love Your Friends And Your Enemies

Contributed by Craig Condon on Nov 3, 2015

Why should we love those who hate us? Well, when we do, we show God’s love to them. It also sets a good example for us to follow, and it turns enemies into friends.

Good morning boys and girls! Has there ever been a time in your lives when you did not like someone? Why? Sometimes it’s not easy to like people, especially when people haven’t been nice to us. I know, because when I was your age a lot of kids at school didn’t like me. In other ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:38-48

Denomination: Anglican

Love Everyone, Even Your Enemies!

Contributed by The Rev Deniray Mueller on May 18, 2019

Jesus commands us to love everyone. . . and that means EVERYONE!

John 13:34-35 In today’s Scripture we back up a little in time to when Jesus was with his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane after the Last Supper and Judas has just slinked off to bring the authorities to seize Him. Jesus had been teaching his disciples how to continue without Him once He ...read more

Scripture: John 13:34-35, Luke 23:34, Romans 12:17, Romans 12:19, Hebrews 8:12  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Episcopal

Love Your Enemies, Hate Your Friends

Contributed by Thomas Swope on Sep 13, 2018

A study in the book of 2 Samuel 19: 1 – 43

2 Samuel 19: 1 – 43 Love your enemies, hate your friends 19 And Joab was told, “Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.” 2 So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people. For the people heard it said that day, “The king is grieved for his son.” 3 And the people ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 19:1

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

False Friends And Loving Enemies

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jul 10, 2016

Who is the Good Samaritan?

Intro After World War Two the Allies helped former enemies Germany and Japan rebuild. The hatred did not last forever. Thanks in large part to Allied aid, former enemies became close friends and two of the world’s strongest economies were given life. Purpose Let’s look at how even ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Denomination: Baptist

Turning An Enemy Into A Friend Lesson 4

Contributed by Elmer Towns on Feb 13, 2019

Ask God to give you love for your enemies.

A. INTRODUCTION 1. The word “enemy” is in quotation marks to show they are not permanent enemies. 2. Beware of “enemies’ lists.” Only list them for prayer. 3. Looking through Jesus’ eyes will change everything. 4. Don’t be naive. The Bible doesn’t say; “If” you have enemies. It says, “Love your ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:38-44, Job 1:10

Denomination: Baptist

Forgive--Especially Your Enemies Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Sep 11, 2020

Forgiveness not only gets you forgiven, it gives you psychological relief, and it can even make a friend out of an enemy.

24th Sunday in Course 2020 As I share some thoughts about the Sacred Scriptures given to us by the Church for this coming Sunday, it is Patriot Day, September 11, nineteen years into the new world bequeathed to us by four violent but related acts that unforgettable Tuesday. And every three years, ...read more

Scripture: Romans 14:7-9, Matthew 18:21-35

Denomination: Catholic

Focus: Your Best Friend Or Your Worst Enemy

Contributed by David Dewitt on Dec 15, 2000

God is calling for us to have the right focus for life

Focus: Our best friend or worst enemy? Matthew 14:22-36 March 22, 1998 Morning Service Introduction 1. Apollo 13 Mission: The mission was doomed, there numerous problems and failures, the only thing that saved the men on board was creativity and will to live, at one specific point in the mission ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:22-36

Denomination: Church Of God

How Close Is Your Miracle?

Contributed by Gregory Mc Donald on Sep 5, 2011

God's Word tells us, and I believe it...we serve a mighty God...a loving God...a miracle working God. He wants to work in your life so that you will draw closer to Him and that through you others will also come to know Him.

HOW CLOSE IS YOUR MIRACLE? 2 KINGS 4:1-7 I've tried to look at ministry through the eyes of Jesus. What was the message Jesus preached? If pastors are to carry out His ministry until He returns, it would be good to know what type of message and ministry Jesus had when here on earth. The good ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 4:1-7

Destroying Your Enemy

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Nov 8, 2012

Obeying Jesus’ command to love our enemies doesn’t come naturally, however. Often our first response is to retaliate. The best way - the Christ-like way - to destroy an enemy is to make him your friend! To melt an enemy, try the warmth of love.

Opening illustration: There is a story told of two shopkeepers. Their stores were across the street from each other, and the two had a bitter rivalry. One day an angel came to one of the shopkeepers and said, “The Lord has sent me to tell you that you may have one wish. Whatever you ask for, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Enemy Within: Indifference Series

Contributed by Charles Salmon on Feb 26, 2007

A sermon warning against indifference to the claims of God upon our lives.

The Enemy Within: Indifference. Amos 6:1 INTRO.: Amos wrote about 760 BC. It was a time of great prosperity in Israel and also a time of great corruption. They often go together. The rich were getting richer at the expense of the poor. Injustice was everywhere in the land. Judges were bribed and ...read more

Scripture: Amos 6:1

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Cross Has Enemies Series

Contributed by Mike Lewis on Dec 27, 2022

Sergio’s enemy of the priest that turned him away became his inspiration to help others. Even the ones we see as representing Jesus can (at times) be an enemy. And today, our lesson is that The Cross Has Enemies.

WELCOME & INTRODUCTION FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT Sergio Gutierrez Benitez was a kid growing up in a tough neighborhood of Mexico City in the 1950s. By age ten he’d already joined a gang, committed petty crimes, and started using drugs—marijuana at first, then harder drugs. Finally, after years ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Know Your Enemy Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Aug 9, 2015

It almost sounds as if Paul - one of the greatest Christian who ever lived - is struggling against sin. It sounds like he slipped up now and again and fell short. Is that even possible?

OPEN: In October of 1974 there was a heavy-weight boxing match held in Zaire, a country in Africa. It was called the “Rumble In The Jungle” and it featured two of the best heavy-weight boxers of the day. Does anybody know who those two boxers were? (George Foreman and Muhammad ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ