Our study of a handful of the parables of Jesus has begun to teach us Enormous Lessons from Small Parables. In addition to reconstructing the immediate context of a passage and the main comparison in the parable, it is important to decide, “Who is Jesus teaching?” in the parable. The more we understand about the…
More Than I Deserve – Step Three
The study of a portion of the stories of Jesus is labeled Enormous Lessons from Small Parables. In addition to reconstructing the immediate context of a passage, it is important to decide what is the main point of comparison in the parable. This comparison becomes the theme or main teaching of the passage. Let’s look…
More Than I Deserve – Step Two
We are looking at Enormous Lessons from Small Parables. Our next step in determining the meaning of our parable is to reconstruct the immediate context. Let’s think for a moment about our process. The branch of knowledge that deals with interpretation of texts, especially religious texts, is called hermeneutics. Within this scope of study, there…
Small Parables 03 | More Than I Deserve
We want to set the stage for our parable for the week in the study Enormous Lessons from Small Parables. The passage starts this way: For the kingdom of heaven is like … Here is the parable as recorded in Matthew 20:1-16 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early…
Small Parables 01 | Studying A Well-told Tale
We are looking at enormous lessons that we can learn from the smaller, lesser-known parables of Jesus. The first lesson in the series is titled, “A Well-told Tale.” Today’s parable is often called “The Parable of the Leaven.” In the short words of the parable, you can see the masterful way Jesus presents a well-told…
Enormous Lessons from Small Parables
“Tell me a story!” What parent hasn’t heard that request from a child? From the time we are small, we love stories. Fantasy. Intrigue. Adventure. Romance. Stories convey information in a way that establishes an emotional connection. When we hear a story, we not only learn the information in the story but we learn about…
More Than I Deserve | Laborers in the Vineyard
We are looking at the truths found through Enormous Lessons in Smaller Parables. Our study examines some of the lesser-known parables of Jesus. Today’s parable is often called “The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard.” In the story, Jesus helps the listener see that God graciously offers me “more than I deserve.” You can…
The Pointe in Jerusalem
According to a 2015 Deloitte Survey, 6 out of 10 Millennials chose to work for their current employers due to their “sense of purpose.” What we value gives us purpose. Just as organizations have values, individuals do also. Most people have 5 to 7 core values that identify who they are. For the Christian, we…
Grab Your Passport | 12 | Jerusalem
“The City of Jerusalem” from the lesson series Grab Your Passport, April 2021 our Scripture When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch. Acts 18:22 ESV NIV Acts 17:1-9 NIV NASB Acts 17:1-9 NASB NLT Acts 17:1-9 NLT MESSAGE Acts 17:1-9 MESSAGE …
Are Physical Ailments the Result of Personal Sin?
A person asked last night about a particular verse in the fifth chapter of John. Does John 5:14 teach that physical ailments come because of our sin and unfaithfulness? Is this the correct interpretation? Let’s first look at the verse and then establish something of an immediate context and a broader, biblical context in which…