Sermons on Faithfulness
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…