Empowering Subjects-Training You to Change the World Like Jesus-Judgment

Motivation for the Mission—6

Fear of the Lord. We have been considering various motivations for speaking to others about Christ (series begins here). This post will explore a motivation that we used to hear a lot but rarely here today in many circles. I’m referring to the fear of the Lord. This motivation may have been overemphasized previously, butContinue reading “Motivation for the Mission—6”

Parables of the Kingdom 14

Judgment. Though some Christians still seem to over-emphasize the judgment that is coming at the end of time, in my circles many more Christians today seem to neglect it. I get it. It is important for us to grasp God’s grace too. And we also need to emphasize the importance and relevance of living likeContinue reading “Parables of the Kingdom 14”

Parables of the Kingdom 7

Minas and Talents. The parable of the Minas (Luke 19:11-27) and the parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) are similar and also different. One of the differences is the amount of money entrusted to the servants. The word for “talent” in Matthew’s parable does indeed refer to money (see v. 27), not skills or abilities.Continue reading “Parables of the Kingdom 7”

The Story of God’s Kingdom 12

The Eternal Kingdom. We could trace the idea of kingdom all the way back to the beginning, because God himself has always been king (Psalm 47). During the Old Testament, for a while, he also exerted his reign through the kings of Israel (Psalm 2). But it seems to me that the kingdom proper unfoldsContinue reading “The Story of God’s Kingdom 12”