God Provides My Sermons

May 4, 2025
 
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
Before I began to preach on a weekly basis, I often wondered this about preachers.  How in the world do they come up with a sermon every week?  Now that I are 😊 a preacher, I still wonder that.
 
As I think through this process of developing a sermon, I've come to this conclusion as to how it is done, at least for me.  You see, I've not been to a seminary, I've not had any formal training in, here's a big word for you, hermeneutics.  Hermeneutics is the ability to interpret and understand Biblical text.  I'm just a plain old Joe with a love for the Lord who has a passion to tell people about Christ.  So how do I do it?  I must tell you; it is only by God's grace that I am able to compose a sermon at all.  Sometimes, it works like this.  I pick up my pen and begin to write these words.  “Once upon a time…” and God takes over from there.  The next time I put my pen down, wa-la, God has written a sermon for me.
 
For a little boy in grade school who had difficulty reading and understanding, to graduating from high school in the bottom half of the class, who would guess?  I am a product, indeed of God's blessing and favor.  
 
So, at my age, 75, why don't I retire?  Here is one of many, but probably the most important reason I continue.  Every week my sermon manuscript is mailed to approximately 40 people around the country, some to individuals in prison.  From these people I get letters of encouragement, notes telling me how much my sermon manuscripts touch them.  For some of them, especially those in prison, this is my way of reaching out from the outside to those on the inside and bringing the hope of Jesus Christ to them.  I know too that some, to whom I mail my sermon manuscript, might not be saved.  My fervent prayer is that what I preach in my sermon manuscript might, one day, lead them to Christ.
 
Here's something that recently touched my heart.  A very long time ago, I met a man in California who was having financial problems.  I put my C.P.A. hat on and to make a long story short, I went to his house in California, together we prayed over his financial issues, and then proceeded step by step to resolve his money issues.  After that time together and becoming friends, I began to mail my sermon and reflection to him on a weekly basis.  Recently, he died.  It was reported to me that he was reading one of my sermons when he died.  I will never forget that picture.  That, my friends, causes me to pause when I think about retirement.
 
Doing the best I can with what the Lord gives me,
Pastor Allan
 
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