Sermons and Biblical Studies

LUKE 17:11–19 “Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:18). On His way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border of Samaria and Galilee. As He was going into one of the villages, a group of ten lepers called out to him. Under the laws of Leviticus … Continue reading “GIVING THANKS TO GOD”

LUKE 17:5–10 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5). Jesus’ stern teaching at the beginning of Luke 17 frightened the disciples. He warned them that offenses are bound to come, but “woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea … Continue reading “ENOUGH FAITH TO FORGIVE”

LUKE 17:1–4 “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him” (Luke 17:3b). In this passage Jesus teaches about forgiveness. There are several aspects of forgiveness we need to note. First, although most Christians today believe we are obliged to forgive people whether they repent or not, this is not the teaching … Continue reading “FORGIVENESS IS AN ACTION”

LUKE 16:19–31 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them’ ” (Luke 16:29). Jesus told the Pharisees the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man, said Jesus, dressed in fine clothes and lived in luxury (Luke 16:19). By way of contrast, a beggar named Lazarus sat at the … Continue reading “HEEDING THE WORD OF GOD”

LUKE 16:13–18 “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery” (Luke 16:18). Jesus had just told the Pharisees that they needed to love God more than money (Luke 16:13). In typical fashion, they scoffed at Jesus’ words because they could not recognize … Continue reading “DIVORCE AND THE PHARISEES”

LUKE 16:1–12 “The master commended the dishonest manager [steward] because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light” (Luke 16:8). Today we consider one of Jesus’ most controversial lessons, the parable of the unrighteous steward. To understand … Continue reading “THE UNRIGHTEOUS STEWARD”

1 JOHN 1:5–10 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). Much of ancient paganism said that human beings were images of animals, which is why animals symbolized their gods. Other forms of ancient paganism dissociated … Continue reading “MANKIND NEEDS A SAVIOR”

PSALM 51 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me (Psalm 51:5). When we speak of Original Sin, we are not talking about the sin that Adam and Eve committed. Rather, we are talking about the result of that first sin. Original Sin refers to our sinful condition, from … Continue reading “WHAT IS ORIGINAL SIN?”

ROMANS 3:9–20 As it is written, “There is no one righteous, not, even one” (Romans 3:10). Today we will reflect on the sinfulness of man. Is sin an essential aspect of man’s nature? Is the phrase To err is human really true? No, it is not. If it were true that sin is inseparable from … Continue reading ““NO ONE RIGHTEOUS””

GENESIS 9:1–7 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man” (Genesis 9:6). Theologians have sometimes argued that we lost the image of God in the Fall. This is clearly wrong, as Genesis 9:6 shows. After the Flood, God commanded humanity … Continue reading “MADE IN GOD’S IMAGE”