Everyday Truth with Kurt Skelly

Fancy clothes, big meals, and an expensive funeral.

Luke 16:19-22

So what? The verse we will consider today describe what so many people--Christian and non-Christian alike--desire. But how quickly they pass away. Then what? What becomes of those clothes, of that food, of that body, of that soul?

Throw a rock into a pack of dogs...

Luke 16:14-18

...and the one that yelps is the one that got hit! I'm sure you've heard that little axiom. Our passage today is a great example of its truth. Because the Pharisees were convicted that their heart motive had been exposed, they tried to divert attention from their sin by mocking the Lord. It didn't work!

What you do with your pennies is what you'll do with your life.

Luke 16:10-14

That's the basic principle of our passage today. What do you do with the little that you have? That's a good indication of how you would manage much. What do you do with someone else's valued possessions? That's a good indication of how you would invest your own. What principle do you serve when it comes to stuff in general?

Jesus told you to be like a conniving, embezzling, disloyal employee!

Luke 16:1-9

Read that title again! It's true... that is, if you let me explain specifically how. The unjust steward learned and applied to great motivations for future blessing: (1) I will be accountable for my actions, and (2) I can be doing things now that will be of great value later. 

 

 

The Elder Son part was the point of the story.

Luke 15:19-32

Many times we hear messages about the prodigal son that don't even include the part about the elder son. How unfortunate! Jesus was answering a criticism from the religious leaders about why he was receiving sinners and eating with them. The lost sheep, coin, and son all symbolized the lost condition of the people he was trying to reach and the value they had to him. But it took the part about the elder son to expose the motive of these religious leaders and their misunderstanding of the heart of God.

 

Time to Go Home

Luke 15:11-18

The main difference between the story of the prodigal son and the previous illustrations of the lost sheep and the lost coin is that the son had a choice to make. That's why the emphasis is not on the father searching for him, but rather lovingly waiting for him. As human beings with a free will, we have a choice to make. God has already made his--he is willing and waiting for you to come.

"Honey, have you seen my car keys?"

Luke 15:8-10

Do you recognize that question? Probably some form of it at least! We've all been in the position from time to time of feverishly looking for something that we desperately need right now. In these second part of an extended answer that Jesus gives to his critics, we will see a wonderful picture of the urgency and thoroughness given to searching for something--or someone--extremely valuable!

Jesus has been looking for you!

Luke 15:1-7

Few parables are as heartwarming as that of the Good Shepherd looking for the one lost sheep. And do you know who that sheep was? You! I'm not quite sure where the shepherd found that sheep. Was it stuck in a bush? Was it precariously close to a cliff? Was it being imminently hunted by a wolf? Or may it was eating grass in some other green pasture, blissfully (but dangerously) unaware of its loss condition?

 

McDonald's French Fries, Peanuts, and Christianity

Luke 14:34-35

Do any of you remember a game called Tribonds?  The basic gist of the game was for the player to find the connection between three seemingly disconnected words. So what is the word that connects the three terms in today's title? I'm waiting... It's the word salt! Salt makes French fries, peanuts, and Christianity a whole lot more attractive. Find out how today.

What does biblical discipleship look like?

Luke 14:25-33

You'll not get a better definition than the one Jesus carefully explained himself. At first glance, Jesus' definition of discipleship seems almost rude and obnoxious. But upon closer inspection, it makes all the sense in the world. Our initial shock probably has more to do with the fact that discipleship has been so misdefined and mischaracterized in modern Christianity, that the appearance of true discipleship is initially unfamiliar.