Be Strong in the Lord (Ephesians 6:10-11) Every day we are in a battle. The devil does not rest. He does not take days off or go on break. He spends all his time trying to defeat us, and he often has his way with those who are weak in the faith. So, we must […]
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican (Luke 18:9-14) This parable condemns those who are self-righteous and who treat others with contempt. Self-righteousness was a common trait among the Pharisees, and it continues to plague people today. When a person is self-righteous, he thinks he is, not only better than he really is, but […]
The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) The aim of this parable is to teach us about God’s infinite love, a love that is not greater for us when we do good, nor lesser when we do bad, but instead is constant. Yes, God is pleased with our obedience and saddened by our sins, […]
The Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:13-21) In the twelfth chapter of Luke, Jesus is instructing a large group of people made up of thousands (ver. 1). Since Jesus was the greatest teacher the world had ever seen, we would expect that the multitude of people who were now listening to Him would be […]
The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) The purpose of this parable is to teach us the importance of loving our neighbor. A life spent doing good for others is a life well lived. This parable teaches us how important it is to help others, especially those who are hurting. The parable begins with […]
The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23) This parable has three elements—the sower, the seed, and the soil. While the various kinds of soil have the starring role in this parable, the sower is indispensable. The parable begins with, “A sower went out to sow” (v. 3). We need more sowers in kingdom of […]
For nearly 40 years, ABC aired a show called the Wide World of Sports. It always began with Jim McKay referring to “the thrill of victory…and the agony of defeat… ” It is true that defeat can be agonizing, while victory is almost always thrilling. The good news for Christians is that while life has […]
While we know we have an inheritance, to take possession of it, we must be willing to endure through suffering (ver. 17). What should help us make it through the suffering is realizing that the glory that will be revealed in us later is far greater than any suffering we have to go through now […]
ROAMING THROUGH Because it is God who gives us life, both now in Christ and eternally in heaven, we don’t owe anything to the flesh. We are not obligated to live according to the flesh, that is, to use our body as an instrument of unrighteousness (Romans 6:13). If we live according to the flesh, […]
ROAMING THROUGH I wish that every Christian would understand the power of walking according to the Spirit. To walk according to the Spirit is to live by the teachings of the Spirit; that is, to live by the gospel of Christ that the Spirit has revealed. It results in being sin free. I don’t mean […]