What God Expects
Did you know that God expects more from some than others? It’s true. Just listen to Jesus’ words from this week’s text in Matthew 25:15-
15 To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability…
If there is only one thing that you remember about the Parable of the Talents, remember this: When Jesus says “talent,” He is not referring to a person’s natural aptitude or skill. He’s referring to a measurement of weight. And in the parable, it’s a weight of money.
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True Repentance
Do you ever question the legitimacy of another person’s repentance? Sometimes it just does not seem like the person is genuinely sorry for what they have done, but rather, it appears they are only sorry they got caught.
In recent years we have seen disgusting displays of insincere apologies from athletes who were caught cheating and politicians who were caught lying. Why do I say that their apologies were disgusting and insincere? It is because, along with the apologies, there was no accompanying, “fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8).
The Bible teaches that when a person is truly sorrowful, truly repentant, that fruit is produced by that repentance. I think that is one of the easier theological concepts for us to grasp. We begin evaluating whether or not a person is truly sorry from our youth. For example, if a child punches another child, typically, the offender is made to apologize. But is the offender sorry? Sometimes yes, but sometimes no. How do we tell the difference? We wait to see what happens next.
If I say I am sorry but nothing about my life changes and there is no evidence of “fruit” of repentance, my words are meaningless. True repentance always produces positive change. It’s good for us to have a means to determine if we are truly repentant and therefore, truly followers of Jesus.
When you sin, are you sorry? If so, that’s great news. Feeling sorry for your sin is the beginning of repentance. If feeling sorry is the beginning of repentance, then what is the end? Following Jesus. True repentance is a trading of my ways for His ways; A turning from sin to righteous living.
Much love and happy repenting!
Wes LeFlore – (918) 607-8489 or huskerwes1@gmail.com
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Religious Rumors
One of the top religious rumors in our world today is that following Jesus doesn’t require you to change anything about yourself.
The truth of the matter is that following Jesus means losing yourself.
Here’s what that does not mean. It does not mean that you have no personality. It does not mean that you are not unique. It does not mean that God didn’t create you with a special design and for special purposes.
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Don’t Resist
Studying the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew has affected me in ways that I had not anticipated. Aside from some of the details of the chapter that are prone to easily confuse, the principles of the chapter are clear and convicting.
For instance, since studying this chapter, I find myself throughout the day often thinking about the return of Jesus.
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Historical References
When I was growing up, people in my life would often make references to historical events that I didn’t really understand.
I remember my grandparents talking about what it was like living in Southeast Oklahoma during the Great Depression, the setting for Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath,” before the Joad family began their journey west to California.
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The Main Points of New Testament Prophecy
There are two main points of the prophecy that we read in the New Testament: Repentance and Encouragement.
As we continue to study the prophecies in Matthew, these two points are what I would have you to keep in the forefront of your mind, especially when you have moments of uncertainty or confusion.
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Be Kind
In my research regarding Matthew chapter twenty-four, I have come to a somewhat startling conclusion, one that I didn’t expect.
The conclusion that I have drawn is that in regards to this most disputed chapter is that there are two types of scholars, mean and kind.
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The Age of Regurgitation
When I was in high school, one of my favorite pastimes was arguing about all things sports related with my friends. Before classes began for the day, there was a bench in a particular hallway where we would sit or stand around discussing the professional sports that we watched on tv the previous night.
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Controversial Texts
In our study of Matthew, we’re entering into a couple of chapters that are among the most misunderstood, chapters twenty-four and twenty-five. These chapters are full of words and phrases, such as, sign of Your coming, end of the age, tribulation, abomination of desolation, etc.
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Above All
Love is deliberate. It doesn’t happen by accident. It’s true that some people are easier to love than others, but even when it comes to the easiest person to love, it must be a deliberate action on our behalf.
The kind of love that I’m referring to is the greatest of loves that the Bible refers to, that love that the Greek language calls agape.
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