Sermons on Judgement
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 John 3:1-10
Like Father, Like Son Introduction: I recently read that insanity is hereditary: parents get it from their children. Well, there’s perhaps a measure of truth to that—I’ve been on the brink a few times myself lately—but it’s also true that our children inherit a lot from us. Sometimes that’s very positive. I think of the Steimel family, for example. You can tell a Steimel child a mile away—thoughtful, intelligent, respectful, gentle, and able to sit through church without a peep. Why? Because Norm and Libby are thoughtful, intelligent,…
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…
Daniel 5
Leadership Lite: The Handwriting on the Wall Introduction: Before we examine the fascinating story found in Daniel 5, I think it would help if we had a bit of a history lesson. We noted that there were about 30 years between chapters 3 & 4. But there are also approximately 30 years between chapters 4 & 5. Up through chapter 4 the King we have encountered in the book of Daniel is Nebuchadnezzar, the founder of the Babylonian Empire. He reigned for 42 years,…