Pastor John Continues our series, I Have a Friend Who… A series directed by you. Today Pastor John discusses what makes Jesus unique.
Tag Archives: son
Fundamental Question #Grace #Discipline #Prodigal
Your sibling did something horribly bad! They cheated on a test, no. They shaved the cat, no. They took dad’s new car for a joy ride, yeah that might work.
Not only did your sibling take the car out, but they damaged a good portion of the driver’s side. Dad is going to be extremely upset.
Your sibling thinks it was fun, funny, & that its no big deal because Dad will just get it fixed. At least that’s how you see it. You just know your sibling will take no responsibility when it comes to the consequence.
You know that you’ve gotten in trouble a lot with day. He helped you learn your lesson & be remorseful of your mistakes. But your sibling doesn’t seem that remorseful.
Ironically, you recall when you did the same thing. You took Dad’s car & got into an accident.
What do you do?
A) Do you pretend that nothing ever happened?
Dad won’t notice, or if he does you’re not responsible so you don’t need to say anything or do anything about it.
B) Do you help your sibling escape the blame & consequence by creating a believable story?
Lie to Dad. Tell him it wasn’t your siblings fault. Tell him someone must have stole it.
C) Do you speak up to Dad & tell him the whole truth about what happened?
Your sibling might despise you, but they might just need to learn a lesson or morality & values. Wouldn’t you want to be disciplined now before you veer too far off the path? Why not do your sibling the same favor.
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In conclusion:
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
(Matthew 7:12-14 ESV)
Songs I find that suit this subject are;
HOW LOW
AMEN
MISCONCEPTION
WORK TO DO
SNITCH
Brantley Gilbert – A Modern Day Prodigal Son
WHO GOT THE KEYS TO THE JEEP?
There was a lawyer who had two sons. One was 16 and the other was 17.
They had it made! Every weekend they got new Nikes, new Under Armor, brand new NorthFace jackets, and all the freshest outerwear any northwest kid could want. And everyday they had a breakfast of champions, $10 for their lunch, and a dinner that would put Olive Garden out of business. I mean; all you can eat soup, salad, and bread sticks, and beyond.
Neither son had a job, but their father made enough money to support AND spoil them both equally. In the garage were two of the sickest cars – like; (fill in the blank). You get the picture, right? But… they wouldn’t get to drive those cars until they were 18 years old.
One day, the 16 year old told his dad he wanted to drive his car; take it for a spin, and cruise the streets. The father explained on several occasions that the kids get their vehicles, but not until their 18th birthday. The 17 year old had less than a year to wait, so he knew he could be patient enough to wait another year. The 16 year old? Yeah, not so much.
Beep. Beep. Who Got The Keys To The Jeep? Vrooooom!
Now, the father – being understanding and such a loving father, he decided to give both his sons the keys to their dream rides. Imagine that feeling they received being handed the keys. They were receiving FREEDOM, early! Their dad had set the rules, and they knew his standards, they understood his gifts, and they had everything they needed.
But there was something more the younger son wanted. He now had the freedom of choice. He could stay, and wait, and obey his father, and so on. Or he can explore the world, be a free man, get to taste life for himself, and enjoy all the pleasures of the earth. Of course having that choice, wouldn’t you choose to be free?
So the younger son set off to California and drove his car to the extreme. He hit up all the places he had never been and made it to Reno. There he gambled away. He then traveled down to LA, where he partied like a rock star. Then he drove to Las Vegas where he gambled all his allowance and savings away. He was enjoying life to the fullest.
But he became broke. He lost of his money. He ended up losing the pink slip for his car because he was racing it for more money and more cars. He lost. He loss it all. He no longer had keys, but did he still have freedom? He still had the choice right?
It got to the point where he couldn’t get a job or buy food, so he would dive into the dumpsters behind casinos and search for any table scraps. In the darkest, loneliest place, he was reminded how much he had at his fathers. He remembered that even their landscaper was aloud in the house for lunch and could have anything in the fridge. Just think, even the workers at home had it better than he had it now. If only he could go back.
Of course he could go back. He had FREE WILL! He had freedom, he had a choice. We all have the freedom to choose. It doesn’t matter how far from home we’ve gone. We can always 180, turn back, and go home to our father.
The truth is that our loving father will embrace us and welcome us home. He’s waiting for us to choose his precious love and all his everlasting gifts. All we have to do is choose. We wouldn’t have freedom; if dad didn’t give us the choice to stay, leave, and come back. He loves us so much, we are given the freedom of choice. We are free to choose as we will.
The fact of the matter is; if we didn’t have a choice, how would we know how great we have it. We have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
So when we ask God; “If you are such a loving God, why do allow us to sin? Why is there sin in the world, that poisons us each day?”, just know he loves us so much that he gives us FREE WILL!
John 6:37, John 6:44, Ephesians 2:1-3, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:4-7
