Sermons on Faithfulness
Exodus 3:1-4:20
All Excuses Set Apart SPEAKER: Michael P. Andrus Introduction: Queen Elizabeth visited the colonies this week. She was treated with respect and enthusiasm, but the fact is Americans don’t respond to royalty quite like the British do. The few among us old enough to recall the Queen’s coronation nearly forty years ago will remember the pomp, pageantry and ceremony that accompanied that incredible event from start to finish. Just prior to the coronation invitations were sent to friends and celebrities…
Exodus 31:1-11
You Belong in GTC! SPEAKER: Michael P. Andrus Introduction: When our older son, Eddie, was just starting school several teachers told us, “You ought to have this kid tested because he’s way ahead of his age level.” So we did. And the school psychologist came back with her verdict: he belongs in GTC! Well, that was music to the ears of young parents, for GTC was a special program in the Wichita School District for gifted, talented, and creative children. Even though Eddie had to be…
1 Kings 21
Ahab and Jezebel: “There Was Never a Man Like Ahab, Who Sold Himself to Do Evil in the Eyes of the LORD, Urged on by Jezebel His Wife.” Introduction: The epitaph I have chosen today is much too long to fit on most tombstones, but the whole things is necessary to tell the story of Ahab. Today is Father’s Day, and while Ahab (and his wife Jezebel) are not an ideal topic for such a noble day, there is a main character in…
1 Cor. 4:1-7
Pastoral Evaluation Introduction: When I was in college a generation or two ago, students had the privilege of filling out teacher evaluations at the end of each semester. I really enjoyed that. When I taught in college a few years later I didn’t enjoy it as much. The fact is, it is human nature to want to offer criticism and it is also human nature to resist it when it comes our way. In 1 Cor. 4 the apostle Paul gives us some advice…
Acts 29, 2 Tim. 4:6-18
Postscript on Acts Introduction: I’ve enjoyed our study of Acts so much that this week I had withdrawal pains. So, I decided to preach a postscript to the Book today. We noted last Lord’s Day that Acts is an unfinished book and intentionally so, because every generation of the church has a chapter to write concerning the acts of the Holy Spirit in their day. What I didn’t say, however, is that the NT itself gives us further information about what happened to the…
Luke 19:11-27
What Is Your Investment Strategy? The Parable of the Ten Minas We are enjoying a very strong economy right now. Incomes are rising, jobs are generally plentiful, and the stock market is strong. No one knows where it all might go in the coming months, but I can promise you one thing–it won’t last forever. The wise person will be investing his resources now, with a view to an uncertain future. What is your investment strategy? In a powerful and convicting parable–His last before the…
Hebrews 3:1-6
One Greater Than Moses Introduction: Who is the greatest hero among God’s people today? That question is a bit hard to answer, for this is not the age of heroes. In fact, Americans seem to take delight in hero‑bashing. Probably the closest we have had to a bona fide Christian hero in my lifetime is Billy Graham. Others who have that status among certain groups might be Dietrich Bonhoeffer, C. S. Lewis, Francis Schaffer, or Mother Theresa. But not one of these names or even all…
2 Cor. 1:12-2:4
When Your Integrity Is Impugned Introduction: One of the most painful experiences we can endure is to have our integrity attacked, especially when we have gone out of our way to do what is right. Has that happened to you lately? It has to me; I guess it just comes with the territory when you’re a church leader. But I have plenty of friends in the corporate world and education who face the same thing regularly. Even the Apostle Paul endured such attacks from…