Life Lessons

N.T.#678 "Life Lessons"

Nov. 20, 2025

Summary of Luke-Part 10

I counted 15 parables Jesus used to teach life lessons, found in chapters 14-18:

• There is a cost to following Jesus. (14:26-27) Jesus must be Lord over all, including family and self.
• There is joy in heaven over 1 sinner repenting. (15:7)
• We need to search for those who are lost to bring them to Christ, like a lost coin. (15:8-10)
• God the Father loves and waits of His children who stray and rebel, as the father loved the prodigal son. (15:12-32)
•  Christ wants us to be good stewards with money so we can aid others. (16:1-12)
• If you are faithful in least, you will be faithful in much. (16:10)
• You cannot serve both God and mammon (money). (16:13)
• the moral principles of the Law remain in force, as well as those in the New Testament. (16:17)
• Hell with its torments is real. (16:19-31)
• There is a great gulf fixed dividing heaven and hell; at one's death their destiny is sealed. (16:16)
• Don't offend one of God's children, lest you pay for it. (17:2)
• Faith prays in the will of God. (17:6)
• Give thanks as the one leper returned to thank Jesus for the healing. (17:15-19)
• Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. (17:33)

Which ones do you need to work on applying in your life today? 

Reassurances

 N.T.#677 "Reassurances"

Nov. 19, 2025

Summary of Luke-Part 9

In chapter 11, verses 2-4, we read the Lord's Prayer. What do we learn from it?

• We recognize God for who He is and glorify His name.
• We pray for His program and
• His will to be accomplished.
• The we ask for daily food,
• forgiveness of sins, and
• deliverance from sin and evil. (Liberty Bible Commentary)

Who is your father?

Then in verses 9-10, we hear Jesus tell us:

Ask, and it shall be given you,

Seek, and ye shall find,

Knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 

Our Heavenly Father desires to give us freely all things. One of the most precious gifts is naturally the Holy Spirit who abides with all believers today.

Blessed are they that hear the Word of God, and keep it. (verse 28)

But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. (12: 7)

Whosoever shall confess Me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God. (verse  8)

Seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. (verse 31)

What things? Food like the ravens, clothing like the lilies and grass, mercy, grace, faith, and love.

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (verse 34)

There are more teachings of Jesus:

• Of whom much is given, much is required. (verse 48)
• Repent or parish (13:3,5)
• The last will be first and the first will be last. (13:30)
• Humble yourself and you will be exalted. (14:11)
• Seek the lost. (14: 23)
• Bear your cross and follow Jesus. (14:27)
• Forsake all. (verse 330

Only a Touch

 N.T.#676 "Only a Touch"

Nov. 18, 2025

Summary of Luke-Part 8

Jesus sure did a lot of healings and miracles in His short 3 1/2 years of ministry. MacArthur gives a list of God's healing through Jesus:

• Leper (5:12-13)
• Slave (7:2-10)
• Women (4:38-39; 8:2, 43-48; 13:10-13))
• Multitudes (4:40, 4;5:15;6:17-19; 7:118-22; 9:10-11)
• Demoniac (4:31; 8:26-39; 11:14)
• Paralyzed man (5:17-26)
• Little girl (840-56)
• A man (6:6-11; 14:1-4)
• A demonic boy (9:37-43)
• Blind men (18:35-43)
• A widow's son (7:11-17)
• Ten lepers (17:11-21)
• A man's ear (22:50-51)

The other 3 Gospels listed more healings than Luke did. What all of the victims could conclude was, "Jesus did it." Often the shared how great things God did unto them. (8:39) As with the woman with the issue of blood for 12 years, it only takes a touch of Jesus to heal. How strong is your faith?

On one occasion Jesus asked His disciples whom people say He was. (9:18) Then He asked Peter whom he said Jesus was. How did he answer? The Christ of God. (9:20)

Who do you say Jesus is? The Son of the Living God?

Then Jesus told the guys and us how to live: 

If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. (9:23)

Jesus' challenge to His disciples was faithfulness, denial of self, and daily sacrifice. If one cares not about this life in order to serve Christ, only then will he secure life eternal. (Liberty Bible Commentary)

This is our challenge for today and the rest of our life, Christian friend. 

When the Waves of Life Are About to Take Us Under

 N.T.#675 "When the Waves of Life Are About to Take Us Under"

Nov. 17, 2025

Summary of Luke-Part 7

My favorite Bible story happened whenever the storm rocked the disciple's boat and Jesus was asleep. they woke up Jesus because they were afraid of sinking. The Sea of Galilee is a notoriously unpredictable for storms suddenly coming up and making the waters rough for boats. Waves could get as high as 20 feet. Several of the disciples had been expert fishermen and knew how to handle a boat in such a situation. This time must have really frightened them.

What was the conversation between the desperate ones and the Sovereign One? (8:22-25)

• Master, Master, we perish. Then Jesus arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was calm. (verse 24)
• Where is your faith? Jesus asked His men., but they did not answer, confess it was lacking, or anything.
• What manner of man is this! For He comandeth even the winds and the water, and they obey Him. (verse 25)

No need to be scarred, guys, for the Creator of the wind and waves was with you, right there in the boat. He wasn't going to drown. Although, they didn't know Jesus' divine authority as yet. 

Are you caught in a storm of life today? It is easy to think God has lost control and that we are at the mercy of the winds of fate. In reality, God is sovereign. He controls the history of the world as well as our personal destinies. Just as Jesus calmed the waves, He can calm whatever storms we may face. (Life Application Study Bibe)

Sometimes it seems like the winds of doubt and troubles keep blowing, waves of troubles are about to take us under. The good news is the Savior is there right with us in the boat of life. Call out to Him for help. Rebuke them in Jesus' name so the waves cease.

*Friends, please pray for Colby, a teenage boy from our church who was hit by a car while riding his motorcycle. He is in serious condition, with 2 broken bones in his arm, a concussion, an eye socket bone broken. Doctors are keeping him out so the brain doesn't swell. This is the same family who lost a daughter as a semi hit her mother's car, a few years ago. 

Are You a Giver?

 N.T.#674 "Are You a Giver?"

Nov. 14, 2025

Summary of Luke-Part 6

Jesus had a lot to say about money. It is important in our everyday lives. In 6:38, He tells us to give and we will get it in return. An example of this occurred in our life the other day. We were heading to a doctor appointment when we had to stop at a red light. There we saw this man in ragged clothes begging on the street corner. My husband felt impressed to give some money to the needy man. For the first time, my husband handed me a bill to give him and I did. It shocked me, actually, for this was the first time he ever did this. Then the next week we had money given to us 300 times more than what he gave the beggar. It really impressed him how the Lord blessed his giving. Our cup was running over. (Maybe we should have given more.) When we experience one of God's promises, why should it surprise us? Are we giving joyfully?

Here are some summaries of teachings Jesus gave to us:

• Watch out for the logs in our own eyes before we try to get the splinter in someone else's eye. 
• We speak and act from the overflow of our heart. A good heart does good things; an evil heart does evil things. (6:45)
• A sick centurion's servant revealed the man's great faith when he told Jesus, "Just say the Word and it will be. (he will be healed)." (7:9)
• Both Solomon and Jesus gave us warnings about wine, women, and wealth. 
• When a widow's only son died, Jesus brought the guy back to life. (7:14) It had been 800 years since Israel had seen someone raised from the dead. Elisha did it in 2 Kings 4:14-37.
• When John the Baptist's faith wavered, he sent disciples to Jesus for reassurance. His answer to John was to consider what he had seen and heard, and how the sick was healed by Jesus. Jesus is the Messiah and faith in Him is our key to heaven. (7:22) 
• Then a woman with an alabaster box of oil washed Jesus' feet and dried them with her hair. (7:38)

Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much : but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 

Thy faith hath save thee; go in peace. (7:47-50)

It is God's grace which saves us, not acts of love or generosity. This woman's act showed her true faith, and Jesus honored her. (Life Application Study Bible)

How Are We to Live?

 N.T.#673 "How Are We to Live?"

Nov. 13, 2025 

Summary of Luke-Part 5

Here are a few of the Scriptures I highlighted in this book:

And the devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. (4:41a)

Nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. (5:3) 

Peter was fishing all night and caught nothing. However, when he obeyed Jesus and let down the nets, he caught so many fish that his boat could not hold them. Another boat came to help hold them all. As Peter recognized Christ's deity, he saw his sinfulness. 

I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (6:32)

How are we to treat others? 

The King James version says it this way:

1. Love your enemies.
2. Do good to them which hate you.
3. Bless them that curse you.
4. Pray for them which despitefully use you.
5. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.
6. Give to every man that asketh of thee.
7. Of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.
8. And as ye would that men should do to you do ye also to them likewise. (6:27-31)

New Living Translation  tells it like this in 6:35-36):

1. Love your enemies!
2. Do good to them.
3. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid.
4. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for He is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.
5. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

From these passages comes the Golden rule: Treat others like you want to be treated.

1Corinthians 13 gives us more instructions as how to live the Christian life. 

Overcoming Temptations

 N.T.#672  "Overcoming Temptations"

Nov. 12, 2025

Summary of Luke-Part 4

LET IT GLOW

Sometimes life can get to us, knock us down, but as believers, we have a Savior who went through it all, yet was without sin. He is ready and able to help us in our hour of temptation. 

After Jesus' baptism, He was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness for 40 days for praying and fasting. It was a spiritual preparation for His ministry ahead. Chapter 4 goes into detail as to how the devil tried to get Jesus' allegiance to him and not God, to sin so He would not be the perfect sacrifice, to separate His relationship with God. You will recall that the devil wanted to be as God, so he was thrown out of heaven. 

Three ways the devil tempted Jesus:

1. It was a personal temptation of food for the physical body. The devil challenged Jesus to turn the stones into bread (satisfy His hunger). Lust of the flesh, it is known as.
2. A power temptation was given as the devil tried to get Jesus to worship him and all the kingdoms of the world would belong to Jesus under the devil's reign. Lust of sight, this is called.
3. A pride temptation enticed Jesus to throw Himself off a pinnacle of the Temple, if He be the Son of God. Angels would rescue Him. Boastful pride of life is how this is referred to.

How did Jesus refute the devil in each case? He used Scriptures:

1. That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God. (verse 4)
2. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve. (verse 8)
3. Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. (verse 12)

Believers must be careful to not yield to the temptations around us to sin. There are so many things in this world to bait the hook for our fall and failure. We have to be careful what our eyes see, our heart considers priority, and pride doesn't take us down, separation us from God.

Jesus passed those tests, but Satan would not give up his trying. And so we must not give up trying to live the Christian life to please our Father God.

LET IT GROW

In verses 18-19, Jesus quotes Isaiah 61:1-2 describing His earthly ministry which was predicted:

• The Spirit anointed Jesus to preach the Gospel to the poor/afflicted.
• He sent Jesus to bind up the brokenhearted, healing souls.
• To set free the captives/ prisoners of oppression.
• To give sight to the blind.
• To set at liberty the that are bruised.
• To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord. 

The Messiah had to, the along waited Savior. Some would believe Jesus was this One, while others rejected Him.

What will you do with a man called Jesus?

LET IT GO

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.

He is the only way to heaven.