Parable of the Two Sons

Jesus always gives us an opportunity to repent and be restored. I’m so thankful for his grace.

In the Parable of the Two Sons, the Father gave his sons an opportunity to honor him through obedience. We read that one son openly rebelled against his father, later repented and went to work. The other son gave his word he would help but later broke his promise to his father.

When Jesus asked the Pharisees and Sadducees which of the two sons had completed the request of the father ... Jesus asked us to search our hearts through the mirror of the Word. Are we instantly obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit?

How often do you feel the move of the Spirit but fail to step-out to do what your heart is telling you to do? The Spirit of God instructs us throughout the day--not just at church. Hurting people in your life may be depending upon our instant obedience to the spirit.

Let us be known as a people who value actions over words.

This week, make a decision to be instantly obedient to our Heavenly Father in every aspect of His leadership. While we are busy DOING the work of the Lord, young lives will be impacted as we preach a sermon by our actions.

Generations to follow will be impacted by what we do today. Our sons and daughters hear what we say and watch what we DO.

Let’s not let our good intentions be trumped by a failure to do.

Right Thinking,

Pastor Steve

Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders

Does your hearing lead to doing?

Kingdom Living is hearing what God is saying to you and then doing it. As it says in the book of James, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." Your foundation becomes solid when you base it on Jesus and come up higher in your daily walk with Him.

Consider the parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders. Jesus doesn’t teach us how to build our house in a storm free area. Instead, He teaches us to build our house on a foundation that can survive in the midst of a storm. His words are a guide to storm survival and obeying God with all our hearts.

I think most of us living in tornado alley know about storms. It seems every news channel routinely offers tornado survival tips and how best to prepare when a deadly storm hits.

How much more prepared should we be for the storms of life by building our foundation on the Rock of the Lord Jesus Christ! We’re to build our house on Kingdom Living principles…and strive to live in complete obedience to His Word.

It is easy to understand why Jesus begins many of His parables with the simple word, “listen.” He wants to show us how to plug into His power through a willing obedience in Him.

Build a strong foundation on His Word. Upon that rock, your house can weather any storm.

Right thinking,

Pastor Steve

Fatherhood Made Whole

Fatherhood MINUS the father is simply the HOOD.

Too many Fathers are MIA from their homes. It’s clear the attitude of the world and many believers toward Fatherhood and parenting today has become an issue of convenience, rather than a responsibility in our homes.

I believe, however, we can become the parents God wants us to be if we’re willing to do what it takes to renew our minds today and align our hearts with right thinking in Jesus.

As the Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 4, we need to seek for the attitude of our mind to be renewed with fresh anointing from God, in His presence. It all starts with fresh anointing from God.

Make it a habit to bless your children with meaningful touches and words of love. Begin to speak to them in kindness and show them how valuable they are in God’s sight. Offer them a glimpse of God’s purpose for their lives and plans for their future. As often as possible, speak INTO what you see for them in the future. Speak to their possibilities.

I believe you’ll see a real change in their hearts as you train up your children in the way they should go. They’ll see you as a parent who wants only to build them up and love them as Jesus does.

Fatherhood becomes whole...when we bless our children as we have been blessed by God.

Let's keep fathers in the hood.

Love,

Pastor Steve

Being or Dissing?

In our study of Corinthians, Paul taught the church that most of their problems were caused by lack of respect. It was a pleasure for me to teach about respect on this past Mother's Day. Learning respect in our home is the key to developing respect in our work, relationships and certainly our church.

I challenge you to go to any grocery store, mall or playground and see if you think respect is being taught in homes today. Not only do children often not respect their own parents, they show little respect for authority of any type in their lives.

We could fill up a notebook of excuses on why kids behave the way they do, but the fact is…children must be taught to respect. Respect is a matter of being. You have to choose to be respectful.

It's no surprise that honoring your father and mother was written as one of the 10 commandments in Exodus 20. It’s a tenet of God’s law because it’s so vital to the family unit as a whole. Respecting our parents is a critical part of showing our honor to God.

Saints, we have to lead the next generation by example. We have to give those in our lives the respect due them, with our hearts, because of who they are and because God has placed them in our lives.

Respect begins in the home, and it begins with our parents. This week surrounding Mother's Day, show respect to your mother and the mothers in your life with your listening, your words and with your actions.

Appreciate every moment you've had with her, and go make more opportunities to demonstrate your love.

I have one more week in our study of the Letters to the Corinthians. Our next series is titled "Scrambled Eggs." I'll tell you more about it in Church Sunday.

Be blessed this week as you are BEING respectful.

Love,

Pastor Steve

Speaking or Talking?

What was the topic of daily conversation in Corinth?

We know from Paul's writings to the church that their talking was immature and caused division.

I wonder if conversations in Bixby are all that much different from Corinthian chatter.
Are we speaking life and building people up or are we speaking discouragement and tearing people down?

In Job 11, we gain insight into the content of talking compared to speaking. Talk will reduce men to silence. In dominating the conversation, the talker gives no hope, no light, no promise, no building up. It leaves people silent.

Secondly, the book of Job says talking is often filled with idle chatter. Maybe you're not talking about people or bringing others down, but if you’re not encouraging others through your words, then you’re not glorifying God. Idle talk is a step below superficial chit chat. Just think of what would be different in our lives, in our church, if we became a people who didn't participate in idle chatter?

Third, if we are talking, we will have trouble remembering what was said. Have you ever been on the phone with someone and when you hung up, you really couldn't remember what was discussed. This happens to me at the end of a busy, talk-filled day. If I can't remember the words of the day--there's a good chance I was talking more than speaking. Significant speaking is remembered!

Finally, talkers rarely encourage. If you come from a conversation and feel encouraged, then you've just been around someone who has spoken life and love into you. It’s how we should function as a church and people. The sounds of Speaking should fill our homes.

Parents, It is God's commandment for you to correct your children and that includes disciplining them with love in your words. It includes speaking life into your children and into the possibilities of who they are and what they will become. Speaking should be the rule for words in your home.

To determine if you’re speaking, before opening your mouth, ask yourself these two questions:

• Does this give life or death?
• Do I need to say it or do they need to hear it?

If we’re speaking life, then we’re thinking right…and if we’re thinking right then our words will be more in line with God's word. Our speech will give life to the hearer and maintain an attitude of thanks. It will produce love, the antidote to division, not destruction.

Saints, my encouragement to you…is to speak life and love throughout your day. Be sure to affirm to others what they mean to you… tell them what they're good at, encourage them to move toward the possibilities of what God has for them.

Also, begin to speak about what you want God to bring about in your life. God wants you to have an abundant life through kingdom living. Speak life into your marriage, speak life into your friendships, speak life into your finances...when you see trouble, begin to "call things that are not as though they are."

Speak the truth in love as we multiply the Kingdom in Bixby.

Love,

Pastor Steve