Keep the Main Thing

In a sermon “Hope for the Best”. Pastor Leland Evenson helps us look at the distinction of two different perspectives of the phrase, “I’m hoping for the best”. He asks his audience, are people saying hope for the best with resignation – no anticipation or excitement? Or when you say hope for the best, are you saying it with anticipation. Using passages from Luke 12 and Hebrews 11, Pastor Lee shows us why as God’s children, we really can Hope for the Best.

We’re not sure what the title was for this sermon. The CD we recorded from had the title “Needed – Diving Appointment”. Regardless of whatever the title was, this is a great message for everyone. Taking the Gospel lesson from Luke, the story of Mary and Martha, Pastor Lee outlines his sermon using three words.  Distracted. Disconnected. Directed. Tune in to find out how.

Pastor Lee opens his message by reading a letter he received from a woman who had visited his church a few Sundays prior. He shares how this woman’s experience compels us to see – really see – the people God puts in our path. Then using the story of the good Samaritan, he walks us through three different views of life.

A message from Pastor Leland Evenson titled, “Avoiding Pitfalls of Discipleship”. First given on Sunday June 25, 1989. A sermon that was given shortly after Tiananmen Square protests and just before the Fourth of July holiday. Pastor Lee uses those two events to highlight the cost people are willing to pay for what they believe in. Using Luke 9:51-62, Pastor Lee outlines four pitfalls we can experience as believers; making us less like fanatics, and more like fans.

We’re looking in on Father’s Day 1989. Using Proverbs 23:24 as his backdrop, Pastor Lee begins his talk with the idea that the Christian home could be – using his quote – “on the endangered species list”. His ability to present observations of the world was one of his gifts. In this sermon, circa 1989, his look at parenting and what is needed still holds true today, 36 years later. Leveraging the fact it is Father’s Day, Pastor Lee prescribes three vitamins for parents’ minimum daily requirements for raising their children. Here is, Minimum Daily Requirements, June 18, 1989.

This podcast marks the 50th podcast of Keep the Main Thing. We start this year off by bringing you a sermon from January 7, 1990. Pastor Lee uses the Old Testament lesson to outline all the ways that having a relationship with God can be a new adventure, leading to a richer, more meaningful life. Please enjoy , “So What’s New?”

Pastor Lee delivers a sermon titled, “Dealing With Disappointment”. Firstdelivered on Sunday, December 17, 1989. Pastor Lee preaches from the gospel lesson found in Matthew 11:2-11. This is an uplifting message from Pastor Lee. A great way to start out this new year, 2025!

It is the first Sunday in Advent in 1989. Pastor Lee reminds everyone that the world made a way for a newborn baby, who would be the Savior of the world, on that first Christmas day. We must be prepared to make a way for the second coming of the Christ our Savior. Here is “Are You Ready for This?”

Using Matthew Chapter 24 as the lesson, Pastor Lee encourages us to remember that it is all how we look at things that matters. How we see things will make a difference in our mood, our responses, and our overall well-being. Which is why Pastor Lee inspires us to look at all things, with the end in view.

Pastor Leland Evenson asks the question, are we heading towards a cemetery or towards a celebration? He says it all depends on whether you encounter Jesus, who can turn your mourning into dancing.