Category Archives: Parables

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What Is God’s Response to the Gay Lifestyle?

Podcast: Light on Life Season 6 Episode 44

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What Is God's Response to the Gay Lifestyle?

Let’s start out with this question today. What Is God’s Response to the Gay Lifestyle? And the follow-up question to that is what should your response be as a child of God to this lifestyle choice? And I say choice because it is a choice. Robert L. Spitzer, the Columbia University psychiatry professor who convinced the American Psychiatric Association to remove homosexuality from its list of mental disorders in 1973, is now stirring controversy again by saying that homosexuals can change their orientation—if they want to. “The subjects’ self-reports of change appear to be, by and large, valid, rather than gross exaggerations, brainwashing or wishful thinking,” he summarizes. Spitzer interviewed 153 men and 47 women who said counseling had helped to change their sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual. ABC News sums up the data: “66 percent of the men and 44 percent of the women reached what he called good heterosexual functioning—a sustained, loving heterosexual relationship within the past year, getting enough emotional satisfaction to rate at least a 7 on a 10-point scale.”1 God’s Response to the Gay Lifestyle that’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

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Challenging the Monumental and Mammoth Enemy of Weariness

[Tweet “How can you lead people into the Kingdom if you won’t have anything to do with them?”]

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In the Parable of the Sower, What Is Stony Ground?

The Parable of the Sower

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John Bunyan, that great Puritan soul said these words. “If you would be rid of a hard heart, that great enemy to the growth of the grace of fear, be much with Christ upon the cross in your meditations, for that is an excellent remedy against hardness of heart. A right sight of him, as he hanged there for your sins, will dissolve your heart into tears, and make it soft and tender” 1. Stony ground is the term Jesus used in the Parable of the Sower to describe a hard heart which won’t produce a harvest. What does Jesus say about how we can avoid it?

This is part 6 of the Series “The Parable of the Sower?” You can find Part 1 ‘What Is the Parable of the Sower [Podcast]’ here, Part 2 ‘How Important is Understanding Jesus Parables?‘ here, Part 3 ‘What Are Fruitful and Unfruitful Places with God?’ here, Part 4 ‘In the Parable of the Sower, What Is Wayside Ground?‘, Part 5 ‘How Can You Become a Man of Understanding?’ here‘, and Part 6 ‘How Meditating the Word Makes You Sharp in the Things of God’.
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In the Parable of the Sower, What Is Wayside Ground?

The Parable of the Sower

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In last week’s blog, we took a look at what a parable was and what the disciples understanding of Jesus message was. In this week’s podcast, we are going to begin to look at the different types of unfruitful ground so that we might learn and align ourselves with God’s plan for our life. Jesus mentioned three types of unfruitful ground; Wayside Ground, Stony Ground, and Thorny Ground. Let’s take a look today at the first type of ground, wayside ground.

This is part 4 of the Series “The Parable of the Sower?” You can find Part 1 ‘What Is the Parable of the Sower?’ here, Part 2 ‘How Important is Understanding Jesus Parables?‘ here, Part 3 ‘What Are Fruitful and Unfruitful Places with God?’
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How Important is Understanding Jesus Parables?

The Parable of the Sower

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Oswald Chambers said, “The tiniest fragment of obedience, and heaven opens up and the profoundest truths of God are yours straight away. God will never reveal more truth about himself till you obey what you know already.” Understanding God’s Word is yours to have. Jesus promised it. Jesus expects you to possess it. You need to have understanding in order to engage His sayings. Let’s look at how the disciples of Jesus fared in this area.
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This is part 2 of the Series “The Parable of the Sower?” You can find Part 1 ‘What Is the Parable of the Sower [Podcast]’ here.
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What Is The Parable of the Sower?

The Parable of the Sower

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Jesus was first and foremost a teacher anointed by the Spirit of God. One of Jesus teaching methods was the use of parables. In this new series, we will look at one of these parables, The Parable of the Sower. Does this parable apply to us in the church? If it does what powerful truths can we glean from it and how can we apply these truths in our everyday life.

This is part 1 of the Series “The Parable of the Sower?”
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#S2-018: In the Parable of the Sower, What Are the Lust of Other Things? [Podcast]

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Radio personality Paul Harvey tells the story of how an Eskimo kills a wolf. The account is grisly, yet it offers fresh insight into the consuming, self-destructive nature of sin. First, the Eskimo coats his knife blade with animal blood and allows it to freeze. Then he adds another layer of blood, and another, until the blade is completely concealed by frozen blood. Next, the hunter fixes his knife in the ground with the blade up. When a wolf follows his sensitive nose to the source of the scent and discovers the bait, he licks it, tasting the fresh frozen blood. He begins to lick faster, more and more vigorously, lapping the blade until the keen edge is bare. Feverishly now, harder and harder the wolf licks the blade in the arctic night. So great becomes his craving for blood that the wolf does not notice the razor-sharp sting of the naked blade on his own tongue, nor does he recognize the instant at which his insatiable thirst is being satisfied by his OWN warm blood. His carnivorous appetite just craves more—until the dawn finds him dead in the snow! In this closing episode to the series ‘The Parable of the Sower’, we’ll talk about how to avoid the wolf’s lustful fate. 1

This is part 7 of the Series “The Parable of the Sower?” You can find Part 1 ‘What Is the Parable of the Sower [Podcast]’ here. Part 2 ‘How Important is Understanding Jesus Parables?’ here. Part 3 ‘In the Parable of the Sower, What Is Wayside Ground?’ here. Part 4 ‘In the Parable of the Sower, What Is Stony Ground? here,  Part 5 ‘In the Parable of the Sower, More of “What Is Stony Ground? here, Part 6 ‘In the Parable of the Sower, What is Thorny Ground? here and Part 7 ‘In the Parable of the Sower, What is the Deceitfulness of Riches’.

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#S2-017: In the Parable of the Sower, What Are the Deceitfulness of Riches? [Podcast]

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Happiness is not determined by wealth or fame but by character, says Billy Graham in his autobiography “Just as I Am.” He went on to say: “Ruth and I had a vivid illustration of this on an island in the Caribbean. One of the wealthiest men in the world asked us to come to his lavish home for lunch. He was 75 years old, and throughout the entire meal he seemed close to tears. “I am the most miserable man in the world,” he said. “Out there is my yacht. I can go anywhere I want to. I have my private plane, my helicopters. I have everything I want to make my life happy, yet I am as miserable as hell.” We prayed with him, trying to point him to Christ, who alone gives lasting meaning to life.” 1 The man Billy Graham described was caught up in the deceitfulness of riches. What is the deceitfulness of riches and how can you stay free from it?

This is part 7 of the Series “The Parable of the Sower?” You can find Part 1 ‘What Is the Parable of the Sower [Podcast]’ here. Part 2 ‘How Important is Understanding Jesus Parables?’ here. Part 3 ‘In the Parable of the Sower, What Is Wayside Ground?’ here. Part 4 ‘In the Parable of the Sower, What Is Stony Ground?,  Part 5 ‘In the Parable of the Sower, More of “What Is Stony Ground? , and Part 6 ‘In the Parable of the Sower, What is Thorny Ground? here.

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#S2-016: In the Parable of the Sower, What is Thorny Ground? [Podcast]

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The word “worry” is derived from an old Anglo-Saxon word meaning to strangle or to choke. How well-named the emotion it has been demonstrated again and again in persons who have lost their effectiveness due to the stultifying effect of anxiety and apprehension. A certain well-controlled carefreeness may well be an asset. Normal sensible concern is an important attribute of the mature person. But worry frustrates one’s best functioning. 1 In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus mentions three thorns which choke the Word in a believer’s life. One of these thorns is the sin of worrying.

This is part 6 of the Series “The Parable of the Sower?” You can find Part 1 ‘What Is the Parable of the Sower [Podcast]’ here. Part 2 ‘How Important is Understanding Jesus Parables?’ here. Part 3 ‘In the Parable of the Sower, What Is Wayside Ground?’ here. Part 4 ‘In the Parable of the Sower, What Is Stony Ground?, and Part 5 ‘In the Parable of the Sower, More of “What Is Stony Ground? here.

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#S2-015: In the Parable of the Sower, More of “What Is Stony Ground? [Podcast]

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In the previous podcast in this series entitled ‘In the Parable of the Sower, What is Wayside Ground’, we looked at the importance of understanding God’s Word and how to acquire it. In this week’s podcast we are going to look the next type of non-harvestable ground, stony ground.

This is part 5 of the Series “The Parable of the Sower?” You can find Part 1 ‘What Is the Parable of the Sower [Podcast]’ here. Part 2 ‘How Important is Understanding Jesus Parables?’ here. Part 3 ‘In the Parable of the Sower, What Is Wayside Ground?’ here and Part 4 ‘In the Parable of the Sower, What Is Stony Ground?

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#S2-012: In the Parable of the Sower, What Is Stony Ground? [Podcast]

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In the previous podcast in this series entitled ‘In the Parable of the Sower, What is Wayside Ground’, we looked at the importance of understanding God’s Word and how to acquire it. In this week’s podcast we are going to look the next type of non-harvestable ground, stony ground.

This is part 4 of the Series “The Parable of the Sower?” You can find Part 1 ‘What Is the Parable of the Sower [Podcast]’ here. Part 2 ‘How Important is Understanding Jesus Parables?’ here. Part 3 ‘In the Parable of the Sower, What Is Wayside Ground?’

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#S2-011: In the Parable of the Sower, What Is Wayside Ground? [Podcast]

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In last week’s podcast, we took a look at what a parable was and what the disciples understanding of Jesus message was. In this week’s podcast, we are going to begin to look at the different types of unfruitful ground so that we might learn and align ourselves with God’s plan for our life. Jesus mentioned three types of unfruitful ground; Wayside Ground, Stony Ground, and Thorny Ground. Let’s take a look today at the first type of ground, wayside ground.

This is part 3 of the Series “The Parable of the Sower?” You can find Part 1 ‘What Is the Parable of the Sower [Podcast]’ here. Part 2 ‘How Important is Understanding Jesus Parables?’ here.

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#S2-009: How Important is Understanding Jesus Parables? [Podcast]

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Lack of fruit in a believers life indicates a need to return to foundational basics. There are certain lifestyle choices which cause the Word to not produce in one’s life. You hear it, you read it but it doesn’t produce. It’s when you align your life with what God said in this parable that the door opens for the rest of the sayings of Jesus to bring forth a harvest of fruit in your life. Fruitfulness is what we are talking about in this series on the Parable of the Sower and understanding is a key.

This is part 2 of the Series “The Parable of the Sower?” You can find Part 1 ‘What Is the Parable of the Sower [Podcast]’ here.

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