Zane Hodges Library

May 15, 1994 By looking at the life of King Saul and in particular his experience in consulting a medium, Zane discusses how Satan is able to influence our minds, which leads to words or actions according to Satan's purposes.  How can we recognize the activities of Satan in our lives?  It is through the Word of God. We have a choice. We can choose either to be victorious by submitting ourselves unto to God and resisting the devil using the Word of God or we can open ourselves up and our pride and self-will to manipulation, deception and to defeat. Other passages mentioned: Leviticus 19:31, 20:6; Matthew 12:40; Luke 23:43; Luke 16:19-31; Job 1:11, 2:9; Matthew 16:21-23; Acts 5:3; 1 Samuel 16:14-23; Matthew 4:3-4; John 16:2; James 4:6-7.

We live in a society where sex has been divorced from love and lifelong commitment. In this message, Zane Hodges, a life-long bachelor, answers the following questions from the Bible: 1.Is it ever right to have sex outside of marriage? 2. If you are not sick, is it ever right to refuse sex to your partner in marriage? 3. Is it ever right to say, “Sex is always sinful.”? Other passage: 1 Peter 3:7.  Date: July 1995.

In this passage, Ben-Hadad, king of Syria, and his servant, Hazael, have bad stuff going through their heads.  Ben-Hadad tries to bribe God to heal him of his sickness.  Hazael rejects the testimony of God as to his own sinfulness. God is not up in heaven to do what we want Him to do. We are on earth to do what His word tells us to do. Other passages: 2 Kings 6:8-7:7; Matthew 19:17. June 22, 2003.

Is the Christian life just a matter of determination and the will? How can we live the Christian life? All who have believed in Jesus for the absolutely free gift of eternal life have passed from death into life, but Christians dwell in a dead body. Even though Christians dwell in a dead body, by the resurrecting power of the Holy Spirit, those dead bodies can become the vehicles that express the very life of God and Jesus Christ. As we see the glory of Jesus and the mirror of God's word, the Spirit of God changes us, so that we are more and more like God's Son. Christians need the resurrecting power of the Holy Spirit, so that their dead bodies can be the vehicles for the life of God.  Christians are faced with a choice, either to give up on the Christian life and show everybody their ugly spiritual corpses or to open themselves to the transforming power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and let God's life flow through you, so people can see the beauty of the Son of God.  Other passages: John 11:1-44; John 5:24-25, 6:47; Romans 7; 2 Corinthians 3:18. February 11, 2001.

For the one who has believed in Jesus for the free gift of eternal life, Jesus doesn't want a rash, shallow or superficial commitment.  Jesus wants a serious and well-considered commitment. Jesus doesn't want a reluctant commitment, that says, “Not now or later, Lord.” Jesus wants an unhesitating top-priority commitment. Jesus doesn't want a regretful commitment.  Jesus wants a whole-hearted and undivided commitment. Questions and Answers at: 30:27 About the second person who was reluctant in following Jesus, given that there are Scriptures to take care of one's family, do you see a problem with thinking that in your commitment to the Lord that you will take care of your family? 31:55 Can you distinguish between the kingdom of God and the church? 32:52 Can you be a part of the kingdom of God without being part of the church? 33:27 Can you distinguish between salvation and discipleship?  Are there those who are not disciples, but are saved? 35:58 What did it mean that the disciples doubted and what are the implications of that for Christians? Other passages mentioned: Judges 7; Matthew 10:37; Colossians 1:13; Revelation 22:17; Matthew 28:19-20; Matthew 11:2-3; John 1:32-34; Luke 24:41; Numbers 21:4-9.

Did you know that every Christian (one who has believed in Jesus for the free gift of everlasting life) is a candidate for sudden improvement in your physical body? Our bodies have limits which we cannot improve beyond. The only person who is able give us a marvelous and wonderful improvement in our physical bodies, is the Person who created them, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. God uses the model of our Lord's own resurrection body, as the model, example and pattern by which He will improve the physical body of every single Christian. The capacity of our new physical bodies will be designed in some way to serve God and glorify God in ways that we have never been able to do before. Other passages: Psalm 16:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52. (1996)

Each Christian has a long-distance friendship that is important to cultivate each and every day of one's life. If you want friendship with Jesus Christ, the Bible needs to be precious to you, and you need to allow the Holy Spirit to set your heart and soul on fire with the word of God, and to attract you and to pull you into the fellowship of God's Son and friendship with Him. Where in all the places on earth are we most likely to know the Lord Jesus Christ in an intimately way? It is the Lord's Supper. The Lord's Supper is Jesus' ordinance and His command, and where Jesus manifests Himself as the One who died, was buried and rose again.

Cleopas and his companion on their 7 mile walk to Emmaus had the most amazing and wonderful walk ever, because of their traveling Companion. Jesus was their Companion, became their Teacher and then became their Guest. Other passages Hebrews 13:5; John 14:23.  September 15, 1996.

How did the women who followed Jesus from Galilee respond to the setback of Jesus' crucifixion? They continued to serve Jesus and to persevere in their dedication to Him. These women's comeback began when they realized that Jesus Christ is alive. The most fundamental and basic rule that you and I can follow regardless of the setbacks that come into our life and experience is that we should press forward in our determination to serve Jesus in whatever way we can. Jesus rising from the dead is the greatest comeback in human history, and because He is alive, our comeback is possible from any setback that life can bring us. Other passages: Luke 8:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:58.  July 28, 1996.

What qualified Joseph of Arimathea for the wonderful opportunity and privilege of burying the Creator of the universe, the Lord Jesus Christ?  Joseph was a man of character, Christian courage and deep and profound commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ.  To get opportunities to do something significant for God, you need to be a Christian of character, courage and commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ.  If you are, wherever there is something for you to do, God can be sure that you are there and able to do it. Other passages: John 1:1-3,14; Luke 23:42; Matthew 27:57-60. June 16, 1996.

If we follow in the steps of Jesus Christ, if we suffer innocently to the glory of God, if that results in an impact on the lives of men and a witness to the sufferings of the Savior, then be very sure that experience of Christian suffering is genuine, authentic and the real stuff.   Other passages mentioned: John 10:18; 1 Peter 4:15-16; Luke 23:13-25; 2 Timothy 2:10; 1 Peter 2:21.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is an amazing story. It is heartwarming, inspiring and absolutely true. Will the living Lord find you in the waiting room? All the pain in God's waiting room has been borne by the Great Physician, the Lord Jesus Christ. Every Christian has entered God's waiting room and is waiting for the return of Christ to take them back to be with Himself. The only way to get into God's waiting room is faith in the One, who loved you, died for you, and rose again. The only way we can take advantage of what Jesus has done for us is to believe on Him for everlasting life. The Christian can also learn something in God's waiting room. Jesus died the way He lived His life, in confident trust of His loving heavenly Father. The cross of Jesus Christ is not only God's waiting room, where we wait confidently for the coming of His Son, but it is also our school room where we learn to trust God through all our lives. If you have trusted in Jesus Christ for everlasting life, then you can trust Jesus for everything else regardless of what it may be. Other passages: John 14:9; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1Peter 2:24; Hebrews 9:1-9; Hebrews 10:20; 1 Peter 3:18; Philippians 3:20; John 3:16; Titus 3:5; John 5:24; Psalms 22:14-15; John 20:5-7; Revelation 1:18; Hebrews 10:23 April 7, 1996

Professor Hodges explains his methodology for understanding problem passages in the New Testament, by demonstrating his method on Romans 10:9-10.  Other passages: The Epistle of Romans.

Is there any support in the Bible for the concept that we will receive some sort of divine mystical guidance from God before we make a significant spiritual decision?  Is a vague feeling of inner peace, the same as divine guidance?  Do the Scriptures encourage us to take a combination of circumstances which may be ambiguous in themselves and translate it into guidance for our lives? Where should we find guidance for our lives today?  Do we recognize that the Word of God within the guidelines laid down to us, give us tremendous areas of freedom within which the decision-making process is our own? If there is something you need to learn, the Bible can teach you, because it is profitable for doctrine.  If there is something in which you need to be rebuked, the Bible can rebuke you, because it is profitable for reproof.  If  there is something in which you need to be straightened out, the Bible can straighten you out, because it is profitable for correction. If there is training that you need, the Bible can train you, because it is profitable for instruction in righteousness, that you might be the complete man of God that God wants you to be. The Bible is enough for you and your conscience. Other passages mentioned: Colossians 3:15; Acts 8:26-29; Acts 10:1-6; Acts 16:6-9; Judges 6:14, 36-40; Luke 15:13; 1 Corinthians 5:9-10, 7:39; 2 Timothy 4:13

One of the deepest felt needs of the human heart is the need to be remembered.  However, all of us have the capacity to forget people. Was the thief on the cross asking Jesus to save him or take him into the kingdom?  Nobody in the New Testament has ever asked Jesus to save them from eternal punishment.  We are not saved by asking Jesus to save us. We are saved by believing that Jesus keeps His promise to save us when we trust Him to do that.  We do not need to pray or ask to be saved. We just need to believe in Jesus for the free gift of everlasting life.  By the thief's faithfulness to Jesus Christ when Jesus was dying alone, the thief on the cross became impossible to forget and was rewarded in the kingdom.  The question is whether Jesus will remember us in the same way. Other passages: Matthew 27:38, 44; Mark 15:27; Luke 16:19-31.

There are a lot of Christians who at one time were competing for the Lord Jesus Christ, but who have now turned their back on that competition.  Our minds tend to focus on our own difficulties, frustrations and problems and everything else around us tends to fade into the background.  If there was ever a man who had a right to focus on his own troubles, difficulties, frustrations and problems to the exclusion of everything else, that man was our Lord Jesus Christ.  Instead, Jesus tells the women mourners, “Do not weep for Me.”  Happy is the Christian man or woman who in the midst of trial is so confident in the goodness of God, that no matter what that trial may be, they can say, “Do not weep for me.”  Jesus was not preoccupied with Himself but was concerned for other people in the midst of His darkest and most dangerous hour.  We must never be caught up in our own problems and concerns, that we forget about the desperate need of the people we meet every day.  Bearing witness to Jesus Christ is the most important game in town.  One of our most wonderful privileges is to stand up and speak up for the Son of God, our glorious and wonderful and coming Savior. Other passages: Luke 22-23:1-26; Matthew 27:26-31; John 19:1-3; Revelation 6:12-17; Psalms 1:3; 1 Peter 4:17

The experience of Simon of Cyrenia presents us with one of the most remarkable examples and striking illustrations of the real significance and meaning of Christian living.   Simon becomes a part of the Calvary experience of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.  The Christian life is a process of cross bearing. It is taking up the burden and carrying that burden in fidelity to Jesus Christ. There is a sense that every dedicated disciple is compelled and forced to follow Jesus Christ.  You won't last as a disciple unless the driving force of your discipleship is the love of Jesus Christ for you. Other passages mentioned: Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 2:20; Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23, 14:27; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15.

One of the hardest things we have to do in life sometimes is to stand alone and to stand up by ourselves when the opposition is coming at us at every side.  Every Christian will sooner or later confront a crowd that doesn't want to do the right thing.  If you are a believer in Christ, sooner or later the will of the crowd will clash with the will of God, and you will have to make the decision.  The decision you make should be guided by a very basic principle: Where the crowd leads don't follow.  Even though our eternal salvation is a free gift from God, the Christian life is for people who say I will defend my Christian commitment whatever the cost, and I will never surrender to the crowd. Other passages John 18:28; Luke 23:1-12.

In Herod we find one of the most superficial people in the Bible. Herod is an example of a person who is more concerned with looking good in front of other people than in doing what is right. There are probably many people in church whose experience with God is shallow and superficial.  Sometimes when Christians do not get what they want from God, they end up turning their backs to God or walking away from Him, simply because God didn't do it their way. Until our commitment to Jesus Christ becomes real and deep, we won't progress as Christians, and we won't enter into the rich experience of fellowship and friendship with the Son of God. Other passages: Matthew 14:1-11; Mark 6:14-29; John 14:6; John 5:24; 1 Corinthians 1:9.

Have we been avoiding a necessary examination?  There are times in our lives when we are unprepared for an examination. That is what happened to the Roman governor, Pontus Pilate.  Pilate faced one of the most basic issues of human life, that is the authority of Jesus Christ.  Do you accept the authority of Jesus Christ? After you are saved, the major issue in your life is the authority of Jesus Christ. Sometimes Christians acknowledge the authority of Jesus Christ, but that is not the same as obeying Him. Do we obey the authority of Jesus Christ? The only way to have a home where Jesus lives is to have a home where the authority of Jesus Christ is acted on in obedience to His will. Other passages mentioned: Matthew 28:18; Philippians 2:9-11; John 6:47; John 14:23.

One of the most lovely statements in the Bible is that “the Lord is my shepherd”, but we quickly forget that the shepherd has a rod and a staff, which he disciplines and chastens his sheep.  If we forget the longsuffering of God and we go on our own way and pretend that He is not there, sooner or later, we pay.  If you are a disobedient parent, you cannot protect yourself or your children from the consequences of disobedience in your own lives. Other passages mentioned: Galatians 6:7; John 11:33-35; Luke 19:34-38; Hebrews 12:6; Psalm 23:1,4; Zechariah 9:9; John 19:15; Matthew 27:22-25.

When you and I are treated unfairly and unjustly, usually silence is not our strong point on occasions like that. However, the Lord Jesus Christ did not respond with even a single harsh word when being reviled and treated unjustly. When you confront injustice, unfairness and cruelty, the very wisest thing you can do is to commit your case to God, who is the righteous Judge. When you confront the cruelty and injustice of men in obedience to God, it may leave scars. Some of them may be physical and others may be emotional, but those scars can be a badge of honor. They can be a mark of your obedience to God and your faithfulness to Him, and in due time He will vindicate you. When you have been done wrong, be sure that you do right and leave the outcome to God, just as our Lord Jesus Christ Himself did. Other passages: Acts 2:33-35; John 3:16.

When one is a Christian, they are a Christian forever. However, it is possible for a Christian to be separated from the fellowship of the Lord Jesus Christ by the troubles, disturbances and earthquakes in our lives. In the crisis of life, we are tempted to give up on Jesus, but instead that is the time to walk closer with Him. When you walk away from God, you are walking in dangerous territory, because Satan is there ready to attack. Never say, “I would never do that.” Always say, “God help me, never to do that.” Even after the earthquakes and aftershocks in our lives, Jesus is saying to you, “Serve Me.” Other passages: Luke 22:33-34; Mark 14:29-31; Luke 22:49-51; John 18:10; Matthew 26:50-53; John 6:37; John 6:35; John 4:13.

In this passage we see three signs that the powers of darkness are at work.  One of the frequent signs, that the powers of darkness are at work, is treachery and betrayal.   Another sign, that Satan is involved in his characteristic activity, is when in disregard to the counsel of God, we act recklessly, rashly and foolishly. Insulting and demeaning behavior towards others is also a mark of the work of darkness.  Other passages mentioned: Mark 14:44; John 13:27-30; Luke 22:31-32; John 8:12.

Even though rejection is never a pleasant experience, for a Christian (a person who has believed in the Lord Jesus Christ for the free gift of eternal life) rejection can be a badge of honor.  We have opportunities in this day and time to share in the rejection of Jesus Christ and to identify ourselves with Him and with the rejection that men give to Him. We are called to bear the reproach of Jesus Christ.  We can wear the reproach of Jesus Christ as a badge of honor because it leads us to rich reward. Other passages: Isaiah 53; Luke 6:22-23, 26.

Satan cannot upset the lives of believers unless he has God's permission. Before God allows us to fail, we can be sure that our Lord Jesus Christ has already prayed for us.  God's purpose in allowing us to fail is that we might return to Him and be useful to Him like we could not have been useful before. Christian, the next time you are in the devil's den, remember you can't do it on your own, the victory can be yours through your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Other passages: Job 1-2; John 6:35, 37-39.

One of the most powerful themes in human experience is that of separation and reunion.  Do you realize that whenever we pass through suffering that is caused by separation, no matter what that separation may be, Jesus knows what that is all about, has experienced it, and prays for us in that kind of suffering. The purpose of the Lord's Supper is not just to remember what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us, but to keep Him close to our hearts, to be moved each week by the magnificent sacrifice that Jesus has made for us. Despite the fact, that we are all so full of failures, if we stick it out in the Christian life, if we hold fast the profession of faith and if we don't forsake the assembling of ourselves together, when Jesus has His reunion with His disciples, we will also have fellowship with Him and we will share in His reign and the morning star will be ours. Other passages: Hebrews 4:15; Acts 16:31; Revelation 2:26-28; 2 Timothy 2:12.  

A problem that has haunted the Christian church from almost the very beginning, is the problem of confusing religious reality with religious fantasy.  One of the ways we can fall into a fantasy, is through our own sense of pride and our own sense of self-importance.  Sometimes we are tempted to feel so important and so special and that we have such a special faith, that we believe that God is going to do some spectacular thing for us, which God has not promised in His word at all.  When you leave the solid ground of the promises in God's word, it is easy to move into fantasy land and to believe all sorts of things that our own minds and other minds create, which have nothing to do with the promises in God's word. The Bible is the only guide we got.  If we turn aside to imaginary ideas, mirages and fantasies, we are going to reap the consequences of that. We need to keep our heads in the Bible and reject the fantasies that exist all around us.  Other passage mentioned Romans 13:1-2.

In our modern day and society, one of the things that people try to avoid the most is responsibility.  If something goes wrong in their life, they don't like to accept responsibility for themselves.  It is crucial that we accept our God given responsibilities.  Salvation is absolutely free, but the minute you get saved, you are a vineyard keeper and have a responsibility to God.  Accept the responsibilities that God has given to you, in order to avoid the moment in your life when you have been overtaken by disaster.  When you accept the responsibilities that God has given to you, good things can begin to happen.

One of the reasons that we are often blind to the significance of the cross of Christ for our daily life and experience, is because we never ask Jesus for eyesight. One reason is that we don't open the Bible and we don't ask God to give us insight, to give us vision and to take away any blindness in our hearts. If your eyes are really open to the significance of the cross of Christ, it will inspire you to follow Him through your life and to glorify His name. This is what life is all about, following Jesus Christ and giving glory to God.  If we do it right, then other people will see what God has done for us and they too will glorify God. Other passage: Acts 16:31.

There are many ways that parents can lose their children.  The very best way to lose a child is to lose a child to God.   We are not talking about abandoning our families once and for all, but we are talking about people who are committed to Jesus Christ and their commitment sometimes takes them away from home.  A life committed to Jesus is the most rewarding and satisfying life that anyone can live. Don't expect your children to understand this unless you as a Christian parent understand it yourself. A life of dedication to Jesus Christ, pays off big here and now, but it pays off even bigger in the age to come. If you lose your children to a life of sin, that is a horrible and tragic loss, but if you lose them to God, then you really find them, for you find them as a wonderful joy both in the present time and in the age to come. Other passages: Luke 16:26; John 5:24; John 6:47; John 10:10.

Lordship salvation theology views Jesus' interview with the rich young ruler as the very best example of personal evangelism by Jesus recorded in the New Testament.  Lordship salvation fails to understand the story of the rich young ruler on two levels: (1) What is really happening in this story (the historical level)? (2) What is the role of this story in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke which were written to Christians (the literary level)?  The story of the rich young ruler is pre-evangelism and not evangelism.  (1) Historically, what is going on in this story is a case of pre-evangelism, where Jesus uses the call of discipleship to break through the rich young ruler's façade of self-righteousness.  (2) Literarily, the story of the rich young ruler is a warning to Christians to not allow our material possessions, to prevent our discipleship to Jesus Christ or to deprive us of heavenly treasure. Other passages: John 3:1-21, John 4:1-42; John 10:10; Galatians 6:8; Romans 3:9-20; Luke 10:25-29; Galatians 3:21; John 2:19-21; John 11:11-14; Matthew 16:5-12; Luke 8:13-17; Romans 4:5-6; Romans 3:5; Matthew 18:3; 2 Corinthians 4:6.

Can God still hear you saying, “I'm here.”?  Prayer is more important than our food and our sleep.  Never give up on prayer.  When it comes to prayer, it is always too soon to quit.

Do you realize that whenever an unsaved sinner believes on the Lord Jesus Christ for the free gift of everlasting life, that in that very moment of faith in Christ, that he is not only born into the family of God forever, but that he also becomes a citizen of the kingdom of God.  The kingdom of God is in the midst of the world, composed of every single individual who has believed in Jesus for the free gift of everlasting life.  But, that is only the beginning. Once we know that we are members of the invisible kingdom that is right here and now, we can look forward to the kingdom that will indeed come with observation. Other passages mentioned include: 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3; Revelation 6-18; Colossians 1:13; John 5:24; John 6:47.

In this message given at Jansen Bible Church shortly after the publication Absolutely Free! (1989), Zane Hodges answers the following questions: What is faith?  What is saving faith?  What is the message that must be believed in order to be saved? What is a disciple? How is being a Christian different from being a disciple?  What is repentance?  What are the basic views of repentance and its connection with salvation?  What is the only book in the New Testament that professes to bring men to salvation? How many times does the Gospel of John mention repentance? What is lost when a Christian sins? Is repentance a requirement for salvation?  What happens in the life of a Christian who refuses to repent? Is a awareness of sin necessary for a person to be saved? How is a call to repentance broader than the call to salvation? Where was the Apostle Paul converted? What is the relationship between divine sovereignty and human responsibility? Passages mentioned include: Luke 14; John 4; John 20:30-31; John 1:15-36; Revelation 2:16; Revelation 3:19-20; Revelation 2:5; 1 John 1:9; Luke 17:3-4; Luke 15:11-32; Acts 10; John 9; Matthew 3:10-11; Acts 19:4; Luke 13:1-5; John 5:24; Acts 3:19-20; Luke 15:11-32; Acts 2-3; Acts 20.

In this message given at Jansen Bible Church shortly after the publication Absolutely Free! (1989), Zane Hodges answers the following questions: What is Lordship Salvation? Is there any substantive difference between Lordship Salvation and the Free Grace position? Is the difference between Lordship Salvation and Free Grace, just a difference in semantics? What is saving faith? Why does Lordship Salvation need to redefine saving faith? Why is assurance part and parcel with saving faith? After his message, Zane answers various questions on salvation, including: What is the content of saving faith? Passages mentioned include: Revelation 22:17; 1 John 5:9-13; John 3:16; John 5:24; John 6:47; Acts 16:31; John 11:25-27; John 20:30-31; James 2:19; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 11:29; John 15; 1 John 1:5-6; 1 John 3:11-15; 2 Peter 1:3, 5-Revelation 22:17; 1 John 5:9-13; John 3:16; John 5:24; John 6:47; Acts 16:31; John 11:25-27; John 20:30-31; James 2:19; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 11:29; John 15; 1 John 1:5-6; 1 John 3:11-15; 2 Peter 1:3, 5-7.

Is the Christian life just a matter of resolve and determination to live a holy life? The Christian life is not a do it yourself experience. The Christian life is partnership with the Holy Spirit. We need to turn our attention and turn our interests to the things of God and to the things of His Word. We need to go to the Word to see the Lord Jesus Christ and to see the nature of our relationship to Jesus Christ, but the Holy Spirit must make these things, vital, real, powerful and transforming. When the Holy Spirit shows us the glory of Christ through the Bible, we are being transformed more and more into the likeness of Christ, by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Other passages mentioned include: 1 John 3:9; 1 John 1:8; Galatians 2:20​; Colossians 3:1-3; 2 Corinthians 3:17​-18. Complete recording.

Out of the ten men that were healed of their leprosy, only one man had good spiritual transportation.  The one leper who returned to give thanks to Jesus had the very best spiritual transportation that the world knows anything about, a GTG (Gratitude to God). There is a Creator who gives us all things richly to enjoy and it is serious when we fail to give thanks appropriately to Him. Are we driving and driven by Gratitude to God? If that doesn’t fit us, then we should ask ourselves the question, “Who stole my wheels?” The way to live a healthy sound fully vital Christian life is by being grateful enough to act on your gratitude toward God.  Other passages mentioned: Luke 18:11-14; Titus 3:5,7

Tragically, there are born again Christians, that think of God as Someone Who will give them instant gratification. They think if they play the game right, then God will reward them lavishly here and now.  Is there such thing as a big faith compared to a small faith? The issue in faith is not the size of faith. The issue in faith is whether it is there. Faith is having confidence in what God says. The Bible never contrasts big faith with little faith. Faith is always contrasted with unbelief.  The needs and desires of the Master come ahead of the needs and desires of the slave. All that we do in Christian service is what we have been commanded to do and we are unprofitable servants. The life of faith is lived with the recognition, that God comes first, all the time throughout the entirety of our lives, and then He will reward us graciously.  Other passages mentioned: John 6:47;  John 11:25-27; Matthew 5:21.

What is the most potent, the most addictive, the most intoxicating, and the most dangerous drug known to man? Pleasure.  The purpose of the story of the rich man and Lazarus is not to explain why Lazarus and the rich man are where they are, but to show that these two men have traded places. Those who never believe in Jesus Christ for the free gift of eternal life will one day find that their days of pleasure will come to an end.  The Word of God is more valuable than a whole lifetime filled with pleasure.  The only really stable and solid thing in this world is the Word of God.  Other passages: 2 Cor 5:8; Ephesians 2:8-9; Luke 24:13, 25-27.

What is the tallest tale that a man can tell?  I am a good person.  It doesn’t matter how good we look to men, what counts is what God sees on the inside.  Jesus Christ was the only truly good person that ever walked the face of this earth.  If you have convinced someone that you are a good person, you have convinced a dummy. This message was given two weeks after the Dallas Cowboys football team won the Super Bowl.  During the victory parade for the Dallas Cowboys, violence and vandalism broke out.  Note, this message is a partial recording that ends around 29 minutes.  Other passages mentioned: Luke 18:9-14, 8-19; Luke 10:30-37; Romans 3:20; James 2:10; Romans 3-4; Romans 4:5-6; Romans 3:19-20.

There is a very good chance that the prodigal son was a teenager. In the story of the prodigal son, we learn that God is gracious and forgiving, but the days that are wasted will never come back again and the eternal rewards that could have been won have been lost forever.  This message also gives insights on how to raise a prodigal son or a prodigal daughter.  Note, at times the recording quality is poor.

There are three words to remember when looking at the parable of the lost coin: value, diligence and joy. Repentance has nothing to do with the reception of the free gift of eternal life by faith in Jesus Christ. What is the point of repentance? Repentance is the condition for fellowship with God.  Repentance from our sins is the condition for living lives in harmony with Jesus Christ.  If you don’t repent, you are out of fellowship with Jesus Christ your Savior and Lord.  The parable of the lost coin is a story about a Christian who has wandered away from the path that God wants them on, and the only way the Christian can come back is to repent of his sins and return to God.  Whatever is done to the glory of God in the Christian church all over the world, it is done by the power and working of the Holy Spirit of God. Other passages mentioned: Acts 16:31; John 6:47; John 3:16; 1 Timothy 5:14; Proverbs 31. Note, this message is a partial recording that ends around 32 minutes.

Some Christians are careless with their future wallets in the kingdom of God. When I serve and follow Jesus Christ, I am depositing the valuable treasure of the kingdom into my own account in the bank of heaven. There is no good excuse for not putting Jesus Christ first in your life. When we fail to put Jesus Christ first, that is how we lose our golden wallet. What is wrong with American Christians is that we have too much money. We are too involved in our own affairs and those things take priority over Jesus Christ. Each of us as a Christian, has a divine Suitor. Someone who loves us very deeply and wants to win our love, our commitment and our lifelong dedication. Our Suitor is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Other passages mentioned: Luke 14:1-14; 1 Corinthians 11:24-25.

As Jesus dines in the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees, we learn not to eat the sour pickle of an unmerciful and uncaring spirit, the sour pickle of self-exaltation, and the sour pickle of self-serving kindness. Compassion, humility and unselfish kindness are good at all times and for everything that you do.

How does our Lord Jesus Christ react to a threat on His life? Jesus does not give into fear but goes ahead and does what God the Father wants Him to do. Like our Lord Jesus Christ, we need to be willing to take a chance under the guidance of God to get the Gospel to men. We need to be followers of our bold, brave, and compassionate Savior. Other passages mentioned: Psalm 23:4; 2 Kings 21:1-16; Revelation 11:3-10.

The ruler of the synagogue who condemns Jesus for healing on the Sabbath reflects a view that the mercy of God is forbidden by the law of God. Our salvation has nothing to do with the law of God or the righteousness of works or surrender or submission. Our salvation is an act of totally undeserved mercy and grace from God. There is no doctrine in Christendom today that is more likely to produce hypocrisy than Lordship Salvation. Lordship Salvation is a problem that strikes at our most fundamental beliefs. Salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone and assurance of one’s salvation is by resting on the promises of God’s Word. Other passages mentioned: Matthew 12:9-14; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:1-11; Romans 4:5; Romans 3:21-22; Galatians 5:19-21; Romans 3:19; James 2:10; Matthew 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-20; Luke 8:4-15; Matthew 16:6-12; Acts 16:31. Message given at the Greenwood Hills Bible Conference in 1992.

Satan has trapped millions under the bondage of addiction. What do those under the bondage of addiction need? They need what the woman who had a spirit of infirmity needed. They need the power of Jesus’ word and the strength that Jesus’ hands alone can impart. The Christian church needs to be the place, where we introduce people to the delivering power of Jesus Christ, to the power that His word can have in their lives and to the strength that His hands can impart. Other passages mentioned: Matthew 17:18; Luke 9:42; Luke 4:35; John 8:31-36; John 11:1-44

What kind of tree are you? Are your roots down into the waters of God’s word and bringing forth fruit or are you a barren fig tree just waiting for the judgment of God? Who prays for us, that we may have an extended opportunity to do what is right? Other passages: Luke 13:1-5; Psalm 1:1-3.

The weather report for the United States of America is that the storm of God’s judgment lies ahead for this country. What is America’s basic underlying problem?  We, as a country, do not do the right thing. A nation is in big trouble when its people refuse to do and say what is right in the sight of God. Repentance is not a condition for eternal salvation. Repentance is a condition for escaping God’s judgment here on this earth. Unless the sinners of America repent, they could all likewise perish.  Other passages mentioned include: Genesis 9:6; Numbers 35:33; Romans 6:23; Acts 16:31

All born-again Christians will have a day in court that they will not be able to avoid. This day in court has nothing to do with the question of whether a Christian will go to heaven or to hell. When one believes in the Lord Jesus Christ as one’s personal Savior, that person’s destiny in heaven is guaranteed. When Jesus Christ returns, all Christians must stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. Are you ready for your day in court? The crucial thing about the Judgment Seat of Christ is not how we have been like as Christians days ago or years ago, but what we are like as Christians when Jesus returns. Other passages mentioned: Romans 14:10-12; Acts 16:31; John 14:21; Hebrews 4:12-13; Revelation 3:4