Sermons by Pastor Josh Heisterkamp (Page 7)

Leading with the End in Mind (part 2)

Ecclesiastes 4:7-12 7 Then I looked again at vanity under the sun. 8 There was a certain man without a dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, “And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?” This too is vanity and it is a grievous task. 9 Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. 10 For if either of them falls,…

Leading with the End in Mind (part 1)

Ecclesiastes 4:1-6 Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them. 2 So I congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living. 3 But better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is…

Baptism Sunday: You Must Be Born Again! Why not today?

John 3:1-7 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; 2 this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus *said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is…

All Things In Light of Eternity

Ecclesiastes 3 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven— 2 A time to give birth and a time to die;A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.3 A time to kill and a time to heal;A time to tear down and a time to build up.4 A time to weep and a time to laugh;A time to mourn and a time to dance.5 A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;A time to embrace…

Investigation #3: Efforts & Earnings

Ecclesiastes 2:18-26 18 Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is vanity. 20 Therefore I completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored…

Investigation #2: Wisdom, Madness, & Folly

Ecclesiastes 2:12-17 12 So I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly; for what will the man do who will come after the king except what has already been done? 13 And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness. 14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one fate befalls them both. 15 Then I said to myself, “As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me. Why then have I been extremely wise?” So I said to myself, “This too is…

Investigation #1: Self-Pleasure

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 2 I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself.” And behold, it too was futility. 2 I said of laughter, “It is madness,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?” 3 I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives. 4 I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for…

A Quest For Greater Wisdom

Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 12 I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with. 14 I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind. 15 What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted. 16 I said to myself, “Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than…

A Poem From Under The Sun

Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher,“Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” 3 What advantage does man have in all his workWhich he does under the sun?4 A generation goes and a generation comes,But the earth remains forever.5 Also, the sun rises and the sun sets;And hastening to its place it rises there again.6 Blowing toward the south,Then turning toward the north,The wind continues swirling along;And on its circular courses the wind returns.7 All the rivers flow into the sea,Yet the…