Everyone loves to be invited to banquets, spending time with friends and family, talking and laughing, enjoying the best food you can imagine. When you are invited to a banquet and see that your schedule is clear, you put the details of the banquet on your calendar, set a reminder and begin making preparations to … Continue reading The Parable of the Large Banquet
Category: Living for Christ
Filthy Rags
Everybody's got junk. Our closets are filled with junk, our basements are filled with junk, and our garages are filled with junk. And our lives are filled with junk. To clean the junk out of your closets, basements and garages, it will take you and perhaps a team of people working together to sort, clean … Continue reading Filthy Rags
True Freedom
True freedom is not given to you by your government authorities. True freedom is not something that is external. True freedom is internal. True freedom is given to you by your Creator. John 8:30-32, 36 30 As He was saying these things, many believed in Him. 31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had … Continue reading True Freedom
Spiritual Gifts
We are gifted. We are all gifted. God has gifted us all. Every person on the planet has talents, gifts and abilities given to them by God. And every follower of Jesus Christ has spiritual gifts as well. Are you using your gifts to serve the body of Christ and advance Christ's kingdom? Romans 12:6-8 … Continue reading Spiritual Gifts
Accepting the Rejected
In this broken world in which we live, too many people are overlooked, ignored or marginalized. Societies today and through the centuries have had to make decisions on how they treat people who are injured, physically challenged or mentally challenged. Tragically some societies have chosen to eliminate, cast away, or oppress the vulnerable. But not … Continue reading Accepting the Rejected
Jesus & Nicodemus
When you read the Gospel of John, you notice life-changing encounters that people have with Jesus. Jesus changing the lives of the woman at the well, Philip and Nathanael, and the man who had been sick for 38 years all happen in the first five chapters! One leading spiritual leader in Jerusalem, Nicodemus, approached Jesus … Continue reading Jesus & Nicodemus
The Authority of Jesus
Authority is the power to give orders or make decisions; the power or right to direct or control someone or something (Mirriam-Webster Dictionary). There are many authorities in our lives: family authorities school authorities government authorities sports authorities religious authorities business authorities The list goes on and on. In the USA, our Constitution serves as … Continue reading The Authority of Jesus
The Temptation of Jesus
Jesus was tempted in every way that we are, yet He did not sin. He shows us the way to overcome the temptations that come into our lives, including the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Adam and Eve failed at these temptations but Jesus overcame them. … Continue reading The Temptation of Jesus
The Baptism of Jesus
It was a big deal that Jesus was baptized. Everyone knew it was a big deal. The man who baptized Him initially tried to prevent it. What was the meaning and significance of His baptism? Here are four insights. Matthew 3:13-17 13 Â Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized … Continue reading The Baptism of Jesus
John the Baptist
Wild and crazy. Extreme. Camel-hair clothes and a leather belt. A diet of insects and honey. These are some of the phrases that first come to mind when you think of the man known as John the Baptist. But what was he really like, what did he do, and what can we learn from him? … Continue reading John the Baptist