Sermons on Hypocrisy
John 7:53-8:11
SERIES: The Gospel of John Portrait of a Prodigal Daughter SPEAKER: Michael P. Andrus Introduction: “How I wish that there was some wonderful place Called the Land of Beginning Again, Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches And all our poor selfish grief Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door And never put on again.” The poet who wrote those words, Louisa Fletcher, was expressing a forlorn dream, but I believe there is a place called the…
John 12:1-11
SERIES: The Gospel of John Unbounded Love SPEAKER: Michael P. Andrus Introduction: One of America’s finest short stories, written by one of the great masters of the art, O Henry, was a moving story called, “The Gift of the Magi.” A young couple, Della and Jim, were very poor, but very much in love. Each had one unique possession. Della’s was her hair, which served almost as a robe when she let it down. Jim, on the other hand, had a pocket watch, given…
Matthew 6:5-15
This Is How You Should Pray Introduction: On this second Sunday of our month-long all-church sabbatical, I want us to return to the Sermon on the Mount. Last Lord’s Day, because of the outbreak of war in the Middle East, we took a brief excursion to the 40th chapter of Isaiah, but the remainder of our sabbatical themes will come from the 6th chapter of Matthew. I want to begin this morning by reading part of the passage I skipped last Sunday and then continue…
Matthew 7:1-12
What You Give Is What You Get Note: This sermon was preached by Executive Pastor Ken Epp at First Free in St. Louis. Introduction: The Golden Rule! Ask the average church attender and they’ll probably be able to recite it for you. Ask the average person on the street, and they may give you some form of it, or at least remember hearing it as a child. Actually, when I worked as a young man in manufacturing and then the trucking industry, the rule was:…
Matthew 15:1-20
Hand Washing Can Get Out of Hand Note: This sermon was preached at First Free Wichita in 2021. Introduction: It was ten years ago today, August 1, 2011, that I retired as Lead Pastor here at First Free. Which also means that today is Pastor Josh’s tenth anniversary as our pastor. He is still on study leave but I am sure he would be encouraged to receive notes of gratitude from many of you for the fine ministry he has carried on over this…
Matthew 23:1-39
Jesus Unloads on Religious Hypocrites Introduction: Before we turn our attention to Matthew 23 this morning, I want to go back to last week’s sermon for a moment. Our topic was the greatest commandment–to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself. I learned on Wednesday that one of our elders skipped worship last Sunday. I don’t know how we can be spiritually healthy as a church when one of our key spiritual leaders…
Matthew 26:1-13
Broken and Spilled Out Introduction: One of America’s finest short stories, written by the great master of the art, O. Henry, is a moving story called, “The Gift of the Magi.” A young couple, Della and Jim, were very poor, but very much in love. Each had one unique possession. For Della it was her hair, which served almost as a robe when she let it down. Jim, on the other hand, had a pocket watch, given to him by his father, which was his…
Acts 4:36-5:11
Opposition from Within Introduction: On September 10, 1813, Naval Commander Oliver Hazard Perry dispatched a message to General William Henry Harrison, announcing his victory at the battle of Lake Erie. The message was short: “We have met the enemy, and they are ours.” Some 150 years later Pogo paraphrased Perry, saying, “We have met the enemy and they are us.” Perry’s original version is applicable to chapter 4 of Acts, where we saw last week that the Apostles faced the opposition of the Jewish…
Acts 4:36-5:11
Money–Ungodly Ways of Giving It Please turn with me to the book of Acts 4 and let’s read together the Word of the Lord, beginning in verse 36. Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet. Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he…