The Pharisee and the Publican

Patrice McCormac

Luke 18:9-14

While the Pharisee exalted himself, the tax collector humbled himself before God and was declared righteous. Pride ignored prevents us from experiencing God's love and care. Pride leads to exalting oneself which leads to being painfully humbled, but humbling oneself leads to being exalted by God.

The Shrewd Manager

Lee Campbell

Luke 16:1-13

The parable of the shrewd manager is not praising the manager's unrighteous tactics, but his shrewdness. Nothing we have truly belongs to us. Like the manager, we should shrewdly "make friends" with our worldly resources so that they can join us in the next life.

Two Lost Sons

Patrice McCormac

Luke 15:11-132

The parable of the prodigal son is really about the extravagant love of the father. Jesus is reproaching the self-righteous Pharisees for thinking their moral righteousness is what gets them right with God instead of the humble repentance eventually displayed by the younger son

The Hope that Is Within You

Mike Woods

1 Peter 3:13-18

In a world that is fast losing hope in anything, Christians can live in such a way as to reflect the hope we have in Jesus. This is attractive to a watching world, lost in despair. The starting point is to remember our own salvation. As we make Jesus the ruler of our hearts, we will have the kind of hope that draws people's attention.

Do Not Quench the Spirit

Lee Campbell

1 Thessalonians 5:19-22

It can be difficult to understand the meaning of the command to not quench the Spirit since it is put in the negative. If we change it to the positive it may be better understood. To not quench the Spirit means to walk in and keep in step with the Spirit by glorifying God, following His leadership and by pursuing righteousness.

Overcome Evil with Good

Ben Foust

Romans 12:14-21

Instead of paying back evil with evil, Paul commands Christians to pay back evil with good so that others may come to know Christ better.

The Justice of God

Scott Risley

2 Thessalonians 1:1-9

The suffering Christians experience from living in a fallen world will be evidence God presents in the last days when He returns to put the whole world on trial for rejecting His offer of forgiveness. God's righteousness demands He punish evil. Although Hell is an uncomfortable topic, it is real and no one goes there that did not make a choice to reject the alternative, Heaven.

The God Who Is Ethical Part 1

James Rochford

Exodus 20:1-11

The Ten Commandments teach us that we need God to exist in order for objective morality to exist. God's moral design for us is good. We don't break God's laws;They break us! God wants us to begin by focusing on Him, focusing on what he has done, and then resting while repeating the first two.

Slaves of Righteousness

Ben Foust

Romans 6:15-23

Paul explains that although we are under grace, we should not go on sinning. Despite the pretense of freedom, we are slaves to what we do and who we obey, so we should aim to be slaves of righteousness.