In the story of the Prodigal son, we do not told his name. This well-known story is based on a parable of Jesus. In the parable, there is a father with two sons. The younger son ask for his inheritance, which the father grants his request. The younger son leaves home and squanders his fortune to the point of destitution. […]
I’ve been sharing my own story as a prodigal, so it seems only fitting to look at the second chance the prodigal son received. The story of the prodigal son is taken from one of the parables of Jesus found in the book of Luke. A father gives his two sons their inheritance before he dies. The younger son leaves […]
Absalom has been gone for several years now after killing his half-brother, Amnon. Joab sends a widow to confront David about his son being gone for so long. She says, “In his verdict, the king convicts himself by not bringing home his exiled son. We all die sometime. Water spilled on the ground can’t be gathered up again. But God […]
It is my privilege to welcome my friend Gina Stinson to join us today. She has a very timely message for us. Please give her a warm welcome. Leagh When We’ve Lost Our Way by Gina Stinson Sometimes we don’t know we need help. Sometimes we are lost and we aren’t even aware we’ve lost our way. Sometimes we find […]
Recently, I heard some disturbing news about an extended family member. My heart broke at the news and the long-term effects this may have on not only this person’s life, but also other lives. Immediately I was stricken with the reminder of when I was the prodigal child and making bad decisions. This was the same pattern evident in this […]
Do you have a prodigal in your life? Are you a prodigal child? A prodigal child by definition is a child that rebels against his/her upbringing and shows extreme defiance for an extended time. Andrea Merrill states in her book, Praying for the Prodigal, that more than 80% of children raised in church will leave the church after they turn […]
The story of Ananias and Sapphira are found in the book of Acts, in the New Testament, as we wrap up this series on last chances from God. Jesus has recently ascended to heaven and the first followers of Jesus have bounded together. In this time followers of Jesus “did not consider their possessions to be their own but held […]
Jehoram followed his father, Jehoshaphat, as King of Judah. Jehoshaphat worshiped the Lord. However, his son, Jehoram “did evil in the eyes of the Lord” {2 Chronicles 21: 6} and “forsake the Lord, the God of his ancestors.” Edom rebelled against him, but he escaped when they surrounded him. Elijah, the prophet, sent him a letter declaring that because of […]
After the Battle of Jericho, all of the pilfer was “consecrated unto the Lord.” Achan took some of these devoted items. Joshua traveled to Ai, where he was directed the items stolen were now being stored. He directed the people to “consecrate themselves” because “you cannot stand up against your enemies until you remove them.” The people were given that […]
The Ark of the Covenant was sacred. There were certain rules God laid out about who could touch the ark and how. Uzzah and his brother, Ahio, drove the cart on which the ark was placed. This was when King David requested the ark brought to Jerusalem. On their journey the oxen stumbled and Uzzah reached out to steady the […]
King Saul began with so much potential, but ended in disgrace. The people of Israel wanted a king. God asked them if he wasn’t enough but the people were persistent. God finally agreed to their demands. Saul, the son of Kish, was appointed king by God and anointed by the prophet, Samuel. Samuel anointed him in private. Later, the people […]
The children of Israel rebelled against God. However, Aaron dealt with this rebellion in his own home. Aaron and his wife had four sons. Aaron and his sons were the first priest appointed by God. His two oldest sons were Nadab and Abihu. These sons knew God was real. They even accompanied Moses and Aaron up Mount Sinai. While on […]
Korah was one of the conspirators that rebelled against Moses. He was a descendant of Levi, one of the sons of Jacob {Israel}. Numbers 16 tells us that Korah was one of the leaders to oppose Moses. Aaron called him out and told them, “you have gone too far…why do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?” Moses told Korah […]
The book of Genesis ends with Joseph moving his family to Egypt. In the beginning of Exodus, a few hundred years have passed. The Israelites are now slaves to the Egyptians. However, God sends Moses to lead them out of slavery. Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt and time and again the see miracles, such as when God parts […]
Er and Onan were the sons of Judah. In case we need a refresher course, Judah was the son of Jacob and Leah. He was one of Joseph’s brothers. Jesus ancestry was through the line of Judah, who was also an ancestor of King David. Er was the oldest son of Judah and his wife. He married Tamar, but he […]
The story of Lot and his wife are interspersed with the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot was the nephew to Abraham. He and his uncle travelled for a while, before going their separate ways. Lot and his wife saw the faith and power of God during their time with Abraham and later when they were saved from captivity. Lot […]
When one thinks of sin, often Sodom and Gomorrah is the first place to come to mind. Genesis 13 tells us “the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord.” A battle among the five Kings and cities along the River Jordan resulted in these two cities “spoiled of their goods and captives were taken, including Lot.” However, […]
We are looking at those that God only gave one last chance. Cain was the first born son of Adam and Eve. After his birth, Eve said “with the help of the Lord, I have brought forth a man.” Cain was the first human born. Cain had a brother named Abel. When they both brought their offerings to the Lord, […]
Over the past months, we have been looking at the lives and lessons of those that God gave a second chance. The stories and reasons were numerous for each and there are lessons we can learn from them. However, this got me thinking about the flip side of the coin. If God was going to give these men and women […]