Blaze Church

Jesus told a story of a landowner who went out to hire workers to work in his vineyard. At the end of the day, the workers who worked just one hour were paid the same amount of money as the ones who worked from sunrise to evening. To which we would say, “That’s Not Fair!” But hidden in this parable is a powerful truth – God’s gift of grace is given to all people, regardless of merit or status. And that is very good news!

Greed is one of those things that none of us have, but we all know someone who does. That's why Jesus said, "Watch Out!" In his parable and his teaching, Jesus shows us how we can live with a less is more attitude by storing up treasures in heaven. Generosity is an essential value for people who are part of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus told a story of a king throwing a big party. His guests refused to come, so the king invited people who were overlooked to attend. Jesus shows us the gospel that declares everyone is invited, and everyone is given the ability to respond. As servants of the king, we have the privilege of telling everyone we know that they are invited to know God!

Contentment seems to be a dirty and offensive word in our culture. Nothing is telling us, “Just be content.” The tenth commandment instructs us not to covet. Coveting is not noticing. Coveting is not wanting. Coveting is idolatry. When we believe a person, place, or possession will fulfill us - we are coveting. It may seem like no big deal to covet, but it is sin. From a Roman prison, Paul writes that he has “learned the secret of being content.” We can learn the secret by preaching the gospel to ourselves, adopting an attitude of gratitude, and choosing to be radically generous.

We all know that words can hurt us way more than “sticks and stones” can. The ninth commandment reveals the immense importance that God places on our words. James writes that the tongue has the power to direct our lives, and the lives of others. The problem we encounter is that we both bless God and curse people with our tongue. When we are honest about our dishonesty and accept Jesus as our Savior, we hear God say, “You are my child whom I love.” That truth gives our tongue the potential for us to become true witnesses for our neighbors.

We live in a world where stealing is prevalent and the means to how somebody steals is vast. The heart of the eighth commandment, “you shall not steal” leads us to consider if we have a consumer mindset. When a man named Achan stole, the entire Israelite nation suffered. If you want to fight the attitude of stealing in your heart, activate your hands in service! We look to our Servant-King who served us, and now calls us to serve others

Culture repeatedly says that sex and marriage don’t matter too much. The Biblical view is often seen as repressive and oppressive. When we discover why God created sex and marriage, we see a beautiful picture of the gospel. The seventh commandment was given to protect the sanctity of marriage. Only through the mercy of God and the salvation that is found in Jesus can we keep God’s command and experience the best sex of our lives.

We all know murder is a terrible thing. There’s good reason God gives the sixth commandment, “You shall not murder.” All life matters to God. Every person is created in His image and loved by Him! But there’s also more to this commandment. Jesus elevates this command by showing us how hurtful anger is just as severe as murder because it has the power to kill relationships. Because Jesus restored our relationship with God, we now have a choice – to hurt or to restore others. We can’t do it by trying harder – we need a new heart! The Gospel restores us so that we can restore others!

Every parent/child relationship is unique. How do we honor our parents when they fail us? For some, the thought of honoring their parents seems wrong because of neglect and abuse. God’s command becomes possible when we look to Him for strength and help. We are free to honor our parents in the Lord because God is our Father! 

Do you ever feel like there isn’t enough time to accomplish everything in your week? The fourth commandment calls us to cease our work. The Sabbath is a reminder, a gift, and a sign. We can keep the Sabbath holy today by choosing to rest and worship one day a week. The best way to “make more time” is to slow down and keep God’s command to trust Him.