Tag Archives: Gospels

Identity Crisis & the Not So Good Man. Luke 18:18-30

Luke 18:18-30 ESV: “And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to […]

How Do I Lead My Kids To Jesus? ~ Luke 18:15-17

Luke 18:15-17 ESV: Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” Bringing Their Infants To Jesus: There are so many questions people have in regard to the salvation of children. Should they be baptized? Should they be dedicated? Should they receive communion? How early can they understand the redemptive story of the gospel in regard to self application? When can they have genuine saving faith? The Bible is not totally clear on the subject, but one thing is sure, we as parents are instructed to train our children in the […]

The Cure Is Salvation – Luke 17:11-19

At this point in my life I really don’t care if anyone reads my blog posts, although it was not that long ago I found myself working really hard to get readers and subscribers. For what? So I could justify the countless hours that I spend researching the scriptures? Or so I could feel good when the odd person left a comment and told me how great it was? Vanity, vanity, vanity. It’s all vain and self seeking if those are the reasons. If all my research, writing, and efforts are not to bring glory to God alone I have wasted my time and heaped judgment upon myself, for this is all the reward I will ever get. Our hearts can be so deceptive at times, it’s nearly impossible to decipher what your own intentions really are, which is why David said in Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and […]

The Only Sinners Prayer that Saves Souls – Luke 16:14-17

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?? Maybe you’re wondering what this title is all about? What do I mean, “the only sinners prayer that saves souls”. Is that suggesting that there is a type of sinners prayer that does not save? It should be common sense that repeating a set of words at an altar call could no more save a soul than chanting “I’m warm, I’m warm, I’m warm” over and over after being dropped off buck-naked in the Arctic in 90 below temperatures could keep you from freezing. I grew up in the church and quite frankly it can be one of the most dangerous places to grow up. If the Gospel doesn’t take genuine roots at an appropriate age (and I don’t mean repeating a prayer when you’re 3 with your mom) but genuine repentance and faith in Christ, then you can grow up with the idea that you […]

Wasted Life on Wasted Wealth – Luke 16:1-13

Opening Thoughts: I honestly cannot tell you how many times I have heard Sunday talks on money, nor how many times it has been followed directly with a call to give. I think we have all been there, maybe some of you have even preached these messages with hopes that it would encourage more people to give. Perhaps some of you after hearing messages or a series of messages on this topic only caused you to clench your fist tighter around your hard earned cash. Whatever the case may be, if the heart of the issue is not dealt with, those listening and those preaching will both lose. The hope behind this post is not to show anyone up and not to point fingers at certain churches or people, but to speak to you from a heart of my own conviction, my own lack of giving and my own foolish […]

Size Doesn’t Matter! – Luke 17:5-6

What Pleases God? The Bible is very clear about faith being the only thing that pleases God. In fact it states that without faith it is impossible to please Him. Why is that? Faith in what? The answer is that it’s faith in Christ as the “Passover Lamb”. In the end of time Christ will come in Judgment bringing a swift end to all who trusted in their own good works as a means of salvation and to those who failed to depend on Him for His. Trusting in Christ as the “Passover Lamb” is to believe that although you have never pleased God, and as a result of your sin deserve His wrath, Jesus’ perfect life and selfless obedience to the cross trumps that; therefore, if you apply His blood to your life through faith in His finished work your sins will be remitted and you will be saved. In our text […]

Unworthy Servant – Luke 17:7-10

Servant Or Slave? Some would argue that it’s not at all a good nor reasonable thing to refer to a Christian as a slave of Christ. The word slave after all can invoke some rather negative feelings. What we associate with slavery is harsh masters, cruel conditions, poor treatment and regarding human life as an equivalent to that of an animal or perhaps even lower. Slaves were purchased and ripped away from their homes, carted off to far away lands and abused, they were purchased and used solely for the purpose of their master’s gain. Christ on the other hand is just the opposite. We were slaves to sin through our own evil and corrupt nature, like Adam and Eve we dove in head first lapping it up by the mouthful unknowingly, being shackled to its demands. Sin commanded us to do and we did. Sin abused us and we would grieve often times over the outcome and the consequences that ensued, […]

You MUST Forgive!

Overview: Luke 17:1-4 is the text I will cover in this post and it deals with the following subjects, temptation, sin, offenses, rebuke, forgiveness, judgment and repentance. I will briefly be looking at all of them, however the one I really want to zone in on is repentance and forgiveness. When someone does us wrong we have a tendency to hang by the neck awaiting for an apology, then when it finally does come along, depending on how close the relationship is, we often want to punish the offender by holding out on the forgiveness side of things. Have you ever stopped for a moment to wonder why that is? Perhaps it’s because we have been hurt so badly that we naturally want to hurt back? When the one who has wronged comes to their senses and humbly offers an apology it then puts the offended in the power seat, does it not? Is that not an offense […]

Is the Axe Near Your Roots?

Opening Thoughts: The last few days there has been a lot on my mind, mostly to do with some pictures I’ve seen lately. One of the pictures I saw was of a man who was wearing flattened plastic water bottles on his feet as shoes because he has no money at all and he uses the only thing that he has or is able to find to give him some sort of protection for his vulnerable feet. While I sat there looking down at my feet that were wearing, not the most expensive but nevertheless comfortable and stylish ‘Vans’, I couldn’t help but get a lump in my throat. Here I am sitting in a nice coffee shop drinking a $4 whatever, working on a $900 lap top, wearing nice jeans, and shoes that cost me about $60, while this other human being created in the image of God has bottles strapped to his feet. Then […]

Not Saved by Association

Opening Thoughts: How many of you ever read “The Jungle Book” growing up? The story of an orphan boy who was raised by wolves in the jungle. He grew up thinking he was a wolf, playing with the other wolf cubs as if they were his siblings. The problem was that although he lived with wolves, played like a wolf and ate like a wolf, he wasn’t a wolf. No matter what he did to adapt to this way of life, he would never be able to become a wolf. Thankfully though, he finds out that he is not a wolf and is in fact human. The same is true for the church. There are scores of people who have been born into a church going home, they grow up singing all the familiar songs, playing with other Christian kids, learning their Bible stories, praying at mealtimes and bedtimes, and […]