Podcasts about Zacchaeus

It's been said that grace is simply favor from God, and we didn't do anything to earn it. Often, grace comes when we need it the most. The word grace is used about 170 times in the Bible. Most of those occur in the New Testament as the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ unfolds. His sacrifice for all of us, dying on the cross for our sins, was the backdrop for a lot of other moments in grace He gave to those He came in contact with.Jesus perfectly understood that there's a lot of suffering in the world. Those poignant moments when He stooped to heal a person in distress, or when He unlocked the emotional chains of people like Zacchaeus and Mary Magdalene—that is supernatural grace. Grace is a moment in time when the living God intervenes in someone's life. We often hear stories of people being surprised by grace. It arrives when they least expect it, but is really needed. James 4:6 says, “But he gives us more grace.” That is why scripture says, “God opposes the proud, but shows favor to the humble.”What we learn about grace from the Bible is that although God is the originator, we are also capable of giving grace. Is there someone in your life that you need to forgive? Maybe that person is badly in need of that forgiveness. Swallow your pride and give that grace. There are many more ways to give grace. That family in your church that is struggling financially. Can you find a way to discreetly help them out? That kind of grace can be just the boost people need to rise above their circumstances. Some people are prideful, but the truth is, all of us need God's grace. We need it for the duration. So, think about that the next time a grudge or stubborn pride is blocking you from being a blessing to others. One day you might just find yourself on the other end of that situation. Let's pray. Father God, you are so good to us, all the time. If we stop and think about the unmerited favor you give us each day, amazing. Help us to keep this in mind as we find ways to pay it forward in our daily walk. In Jesus' name, amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.

267. Apologetics with Ray Comfort   Acts 4:20 NKJV "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”   **Transcription Below**   Ray Comfort is a best selling author - having written over 100 books, including his most recent one, entitled Fifty Years of Open-Air Preaching: Everything I've Learned. He is a cohost of an award-winning television show that airs in 190 countries.   Living Waters Website Living Waters YouTube Channel   Questions and Topics We Cover: What are some memorable encounters you've had over the years as an open-air preacher? What fears do you notice holding believers back from evangelizing? What's an easy win or next step we can take today so that the inspiration from this conversation turns into action?   Related Episodes on The Savvy Sauce: School Series (Legal) Gospel Sharing During School Hours with Joel Penton Stories Series: Faith Building Miracles with Dave Pridemore Stories Series: Testify to Glorify with Richard Gamble   Thank You to Our Sponsor:  Sam Leman Eureka   Connect with The Savvy Sauce Facebook, Instagram or Our Website    Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:00 – 0:09)   Laura Dugger: (0:10 - 1:18) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.    Leman Property Management Company has the apartment you will be able to call home, with over 1,700 apartment units available in Central Illinois. Visit them today at lemanproperties.com or connect with them on Facebook.    I'm delighted with this opportunity to interview my special guest for today, Mr. Ray Comfort. Ray is a best-selling author of over 100 books, one of which we'll be discussing today, about 50 years of open-air preaching.   He's also a co-host of an award-winning television show that airs in over 190 countries around the world. So, I'm pleased to welcome Ray Comfort and get to hear all of his stories and inspiration. Here's our chat.   Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Ray.   Ray Comfort: (1:19 - 1:27) Well, thank you for having me. Can you explain Savvy Sauce to me? Absolutely.   That means knowledge, knowledge poured out.   Laura Dugger: (1:27 - 1:46) Well, savvy is synonymous with practical or insight. And my husband having a background in Chick-fil-A, people always talk about the Chick-fil-A sauce or the secret sauce. And so, when we were creating this podcast, that just became the favorite question that I wanted to ask every guest.   Ray Comfort: (1:47 - 1:50) Oh, that's great. Yeah, it's great to be with you. Thanks for having me on.   Laura Dugger: (1:51 - 2:00) It's truly my pleasure. And I just love how everybody has a unique testimony. So, would you be willing to share your salvation story with us?   Ray Comfort: (2:01 - 4:47) Yeah, sure. I came from a non-Christian background. My mother was Jewish.   My dad was Gentile. And when my mom met my dad, it caused problems in the family. So, they brought me up with no Christian instruction or any instruction whatsoever.   Until at the age of 10, an aunt taught me the Lord's Prayer, which I prayed every night for 10 years. I believed in God. And at the age of about 20, 21, I had an epiphany, just a revelation that I was part of the ultimate statistic.   10 out of 10 die. And I thought, this is ridiculous. We're all waiting around to die.   And you can have fun while you're dying. You can play sports or save money. And I'd achieved everything I wanted to achieve by the age of 21.   I had my own business and my own house, my own wife. I'd made one child by then. Everything material I could want.   And I remember one night just going to sleep, or my wife had gone to sleep just before I went to sleep. I looked at my wife, we're newly married, and I just wept at the thought of her dying. And I just cried out, why?   Why is this thing called death? It's like there's an elephant in the room stomping on all humanity and nobody talks about it. And so, I cried out, why?   I didn't know I was praying. I didn't know God heard. And six months later, I was on a surfing trip, and there was a young Christian guy there, and he had a Bible, and I remember reading parts of it.   And my eyes fell upon, you've heard it said, by them of old you shall not commit adultery. And I thought, well, if there is a heaven, I'll make it there because I've never committed adultery. But then I read the words of Jesus, but I say to you, whoever looks upon a woman to lust for her has committed adultery already with her in his heart.   And it was like an arrow went into my chest. And I thought, whoa, boy, am I undone. Because like every red-blooded male, I was filled with unlawful sexual desire and eyes full of adultery, as scripture says.   And that's when I understood the cross. I realized I had sinned. Jesus bore my sin.   And we broke the law, the commandments. Jesus paid the fine. And that meant God could forgive my sins, grant me everlasting life.   And I cannot express to you the joy, it was unspeakable, that's why I can't express it, that I had and the knowledge my sins were forgiven. It was like an explosion of gratitude filled my heart. And for the last 50 years, it's been the high-octane fuel that's driven me to live for God's will and honor.   So everywhere I go and everything I do is centered around sharing the gospel with unsaved people. And every Christian should be like that. I call myself a normal, biblical Christian.   Laura Dugger: (4:48 - 4:59) I love that. Well, and something that you speak about and that you live out is open-air preaching. And I just want to read a piece from the dedication page, if that's okay.   Ray Comfort: (5:01 - 5:03) So, make sure you speak in a New Zealand accent.   Laura Dugger: (5:03 - 5:28) Oh, goodness. I won't even attempt. But you define open-air preaching saying, going somewhere I don't want to go, to preach a message I don't want to preach, to people who don't want to hear it, but the love of Christ compels me.   And so, Ray, what was your journey to becoming an open-air preacher?   Ray Comfort: (5:30 - 9:18) Well, I'll go back to when I was 16. I was in high school, and the teacher had the bright idea to have class speeches. And I was horrified at the thought of class speeches.   Have to get up and make a speech? Because I was kind of introverted, and the day came when I got caught. I used to stay away when they had class speeches, but my name was left on the roster, and it was last.   And the teacher got me up, and I thought I'll speak on the subject of surfing because I just loved surfing. And I dried up in the middle of that speech. My heart just went thump, thump, thump, thump till I could hardly hear.   It was like a drum beating, and I couldn't think straight. And I sat down humiliated in front of my peers at the age of 16, which is huge. And I vowed never, ever to speak in public again.   But I got born again. I became a new person in Christ. And I had a message that I could not be quiet about.   And I remember one day I was on a bus going to the city, and I remember looking at the people that were sitting on the bus, and I thought most of them probably not Christians. They die. They're going to Hell.   I've found everlasting life. I should stand up and speak to them. And I thought the bus would stop, and a whole lot of them would throw me off.   And I thought, what do I do? And I remember praying, oh, God, if there's just some way where I could speak in public to people knowing there wasn't. And two weeks later, they legalized public speaking in our city through just strange circumstances.   And I thought, whoa, what an answer to prayer. Horrors. And I remember avoiding any thought of going into that speaker's corner for the next two weeks until I opened a newspaper.   Remember what newspapers were? I opened a newspaper and had a picture of an elderly lady with a Bible in her hand, and underneath it had the Bible lady sharing her Christian testimony in speaker's corner. And I felt so ashamed that here was an elderly lady, and here I was hiding like Jonah.   So, I went in, took a deep breath, and preached the gospel to a crowd that was standing or sitting there. And I went back about 3,000 times and commuted to it for about 12 years, almost daily for 12 years. So, I broke the sound barrier, and I've been doing it ever since.   And I'll tell you why I do it, because the average church wouldn't reach as many people in a year as a good open-air preacher can reach in 30 minutes. And you just have to learn how to draw a crowd and what to say, and you've got to have the will to say it. And if you're a Christian and you've found everlasting life, you should be saying with the disciples, I cannot but speak that which I've seen and heard.   And I'm so glad the disciples didn't stay in the upper room. They found everlasting life. God granted eternal life.   They didn't carpet out the room, put in pipe music, with a little notice outside their door, tonight, 7 o'clock, all welcome. They didn't do that, because they knew fish don't jump into the boat. That's not normal.   If you're a fisher of men, you've got to go where the fish are. So, they went open-air and preached. And as you read the book of Acts, that's all they did.   They preached open air at peril of their lives. And so if we want to walk in the steps of Jesus, in the steps of the disciples, in the steps of Spurgeon, Wesley, Moody, Whitfield, others down through the ages, then we've got to open our mouths and lift up our voice like a trumpet and show these people their transgression. And so, I am thrilled that you want to do an interview on this book, because I've often said the church has as much excitement about evangelism as you and I have about having a root canal.   It's not exciting. But we all have fears, and we can learn to overcome them.   Laura Dugger: (9:18 - 9:38) Ray, you make already such a compelling argument for why we as Christians are called to evangelize and deliver the good news and specifically calling it as open-air preachers. So, will you still share a few more arguments or reasons to try and help people understand why this is of utmost importance?   Ray Comfort: (9:39 - 10:47) Yes, we have a moral obligation. We're like doctors with a cure to cancer. We must speak, as the disciples said.   And if you've got fear, let me ask you a question. Could you jump into a pond that had big chunks of ice in it? It was so cold that you would die if you stayed in it for three minutes.   And most people say, no, no, you wouldn't get me jumping into that pond for anything. Let's say a four-year-old boy fell into that pond and his feet couldn't reach the bottom, and he began to drown. You wouldn't hesitate.   You'd just jump in. You wouldn't worry about how cold it was. Grab that kid and pull him out.   And the waters of personal evangelism are freezing. Ice cold. We're not excited about it.   Last thing we ever want to do is get involved in something like this. But love cannot but do something. Love couldn't stand there and watch a child drown.   And love cannot sit on a pew while sinners sink into Hell. So, if you've got problems with fear, don't pray for less fear. Pray for more love because that's the problem.   Laura Dugger: (10:48 - 11:02) Ray, I'm curious. You seem so confident and comfortable with this, but clearly you've been doing it, like you said, for many years. So, was there fear at the beginning for you?   And is there still fear when you do this today?   Ray Comfort: (11:03 - 18:09) No, there wasn't fear at the beginning. Fear is here. Terror is here.   Mortification is here. I was up there somewhere. So, the first time I did it was terrifying.   Second time wasn't quite so terrifying. But after all these years, I still battle fear, always. Every person I got a witness to on a one-to-one basis looks like Goliath.   It goes from a Zacchaeus to a Goliath in a split second. I think a witness to that guy, he's anti-Christian. I can see it by the look on his jawline.   He hates Christians. Can't wait to get his fingers around the neck of any Christian because I've got overripe imagination. I remember once I was driving my car and I saw a dead dog on the road about 100 yards ahead of me and it was such a sad sight.   I could see its head was all twisted back and I could see its ears. It was a German shepherd. And as I got up to it, it was someone's jacket that had fallen off his bike.   That's all. And I just had an overripe imagination. And that's exactly what it's like when it comes to fear.   I have an imagination that some guy's going to kill me if I share the gospel with him. So, I've learned to not listen when fear speaks. I've learned to think about the fate of the person rather than myself.   I mean, think of a firefighter. He arrives at a fire, and he looks up and he has to climb a 60-foot ladder. At the top of the ladder is a woman and two children leaning out of a window and the place is on fire.   It's the fifth story. And they're screaming because they're going to be burned alive in about three minutes. So, he's got to climb that ladder amidst the screaming, amidst the smoke and the sirens.   He could drop one of those kids. He could drop that woman. And so, would he rather be at home with his wife and kids watching an old black-and-white movie?   Of course. Is he terrified? Absolutely.   But he doesn't listen to his fears because of this one fact. He's not thinking of himself. He's thinking of that woman and her terrible fate and those kids.   And that's the key to overcoming fear. When I get my fears, I don't listen because I'm not thinking of myself and my silly little fears, my imagination. I'm thinking of this person and their terrible fate, that they die in their sins.   Lake of fire. Damned. If you think death is fearful on this side, wait till the other side.   It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. And the apostle Paul said, Wherefore, knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. So, if you've got a wrong image of God, it's kind of like a Santa Claus sitting in a cloud.   You won't have a terror in your heart. You won't fear God enough to obey him. You know, Jesus said, “Why do you call me Lord and do not the things that I tell you?”   And so, if we are submitted to Christ, if we yield to him, if he's our Lord, when he says, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” We go. He didn't say to stay. Think of what he said.   Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. I've actually studied the original Greek words of the word all, every, and go. Go actually means in the original, I think it's passe.   The original Greek, it actually means go. Into all the world and all the world. That word all means all in the original Greek.   And to every creature means every creature. So, when Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature”, in the original Greek, he actually was saying, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” So, we're so fortunate to have Greek lexicons and things that we can go back and see what Jesus was actually saying.   And so, it's very simple. We shouldn't stay. We shouldn't want to fill our churches with people when they come in, where to go out and get them.   And one of the most effective ways is with open air preaching. And so, we teach people how to get a crowd. Now, when I first started speaking, I would begin open air preaching with an anecdote, something very gripping.   And it was always difficult because if I didn't live up to that, I didn't get a crowd. And so, for about four or five or six years, it was very difficult. And then I started asking trivia and giving away money.   And I've been doing that for 30, 40 years, where you say to a crowd, I've got some trivia questions, giving away money. And a preacher giving away money is like water running uphill. It's kind of unnatural, so it gets people's attention.   So, I'm going to ask trivia questions. I've got money here to give away. When you get it right. What's the capital of France? Anyone know?    And someone says, “Paris?” That's right.   Here you are. What's the capital of China? Beijing or whatever it is.   Give out a dollar. Say, “What's your name?” Fred.   That's right. And you give Fred a dollar and people laugh, and they gather around and it's just a great way to get rapport with a crowd. And while you're doing that, you look around to see who's got confidence.   This guy over here, or Fred, laughs when I say, “Here's a dollar, and he yells out answers.” I say, “Fred, you want to go for $5?” He says, “Sure.”   So, jump up on the box. So, we've got a box for the hecklers. So, you think you're a good person?   He says, “Yeah, I'm a really good person.” So, if you are, you get $5. If you're not, give me $5 anyway.   Just being a good sport. So, we're going to go through the Ten Commandments to see how you're going to do on Judgment Day and if you are a good person. Let me take him through the commandments as Jesus did with the rich young ruler.   How many lies have you told? Ever stole something? Ever used God's name in vain?   Ever looked at women with lust? And Fred says, “Yeah, I've done all those.” So, Fred, you've just told me you're a lying thief, a blasphemer, and an adulterer at heart.   And you have to face God on Judgment Day. You're going to be innocent or guilty? He says, “Guilty.”   Heaven or Hell? Hell. Does that concern you?   Yeah, sure it does. And the crowd's listening. It's not some sweaty preacher pointing a finger at them.   They're just listening to the gospel. And so, it's a great way. And then you go into that Christ died for our sins, took our punishment.   And Fred, “Thanks for listening. I really appreciate this. Here's your dollar.”   I've got a book for you that I wrote. I hope you enjoy it. Nice to meet you.   He shook his hand. He's off. Anyone else, like any atheists here, never be intimidated by an atheist.   Atheism is the epitome of stupidity. It's just so dumb. Every time I meet an atheist, I ask him one question, and I've seen so many atheists backslide when they've heard this.   I say, “Do you really believe the scientific impossibility that nothing created everything? Puppies and kittens and flowers and seeds and the marvels of the human eye and the miracle of childbirth. All this happened because nothing created it. Do you really believe that?”    They say, “Oh, no, I don't believe that. Oh, there was something in the beginning.”   I say, “Oh, it just wasn't God. Is that it?” Yeah, that's it.   It was something, but it wasn't God. Well, let's see if we can find out why you don't want it to be God. When did you last look at pornography?   I say, “Oh, it was last night. What do you think God thinks of that?” And you realize the issue isn't intellectual.   It's moral. They're running from God like Adam, hiding behind bushes. And so, you've just got to flush them out and then use the Ten Commandments to bring the knowledge of sin and address the conscience rather than the intellect.   Let's take a quick break to hear a message from our sponsor. With over 1,700 apartment units available throughout Pekin, Peoria, Peoria Heights, Morton, Washington, and Canton, and with every price range covered, you will have plenty of options when you rent through Leman Property Management Company. 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Renters may be excited to learn about their flexible leases, pet-friendly locations, and even mini-storage units available in some locations.   Leman Property Management Company has a knowledgeable and helpful staff including several employees with over 30 years working with this reputable company. If you want to become a part of their team, contact them about open office positions. They're also hiring in their maintenance department, so we invite you to find out why so many people have chosen to make a career with them.   Check them out on Facebook today or email their friendly staff at leasing@lemanprops.com. You can also stop by their website at lemanproperties.com. That's L-E-M-A-N-P-R-O-P-E-R-T-Y. Check them out and find your place to call home today.    As you've done this, what has been your experience along the way? And would you even share a few stories of times that this has gone miraculously well and times that have been such a struggle?   Ray Comfort: (20:19 - 30:16) It's always a struggle. But let me share the two great keys that I use when it comes to evangelism. I don't even like using the word evangelism because it scares Christians.   Apologetics. And that is this. I address the conscience, as Jesus did.   When you're in apologetics, and I believe in apologetics, we've got what's called the Evidence Study Bible, which is pregnant with apologetics. So, I believe in apologetics, but they have their place. Apologetics are like bait when you're fishing for men.   If you stay with bait, you're going to end up with fat, happy fish that get away. You've got to have a hook, and that hook is God's law. So, you bait the hook.   And so, it's important if you bait the hook with apologetics and address the intellect to realize this one fact. Romans 8:7 says, “The carnal mind is enmity against God, for it's not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” What does that mean?   It means the carnal, natural mind of man is in a state of hostility towards God, particularly His law. It's not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. And you can see this enmity by the fact that human beings lavished with life by God use His name as a cuss word, and the name of Jesus as a cuss word.   Nobody in history has had their name used as a cuss word except Jesus, Jesus Christ, and God. And that shows the enmity they have towards their Creator because they're criminals. And as criminals hate the police, so sinners hate God without cause.   So, you want to move away from the carnal mind because you're going to get enmity. If you say, “Look, I'm going to show you that Noah did build an ark. I'm going to prove it to you there was a big flood.” And so you go through the whole thing that the ark was really big and the animals were small and it could have happened. Then we've got oceans and that's evidence that the earth was flooded. You get this guy who was a skeptic who'd say, “Okay, I believe there was a big flood and Noah could have built an ark.”   Well, great. Now you've got a mountain to climb of Jonah being swallowed by a big fish. Children of Israel shouting and walls coming down when they shout.   Balaam's donkey speaking with a man's voice. Samson with strength in his hair. And you've got all these stories, and they're all an intellectual thing, and they're like a mountain you've got to climb to convince them to believe there's an easier way.   And the early Christians didn't try and convince anyone the Bible is the word of God because they didn't have a New Testament. There was no printing press. No one could read or hardly anyone could read.   Now they just preached the gospel, and you do it not by going for the intellect and trying to intellectually convince someone that God exists or the Bible's the word of God. You do what Jesus did with a rich young ruler. You address the conscience with the commandments.   You shall not lie, shall not steal, shall not commit adultery. It's all written on the heart of man. Conscience means knowledge.   So that knowledge is there. So, the commandments echo the truth, or the conscience echoes the truth of the commandments. When Paul used the commandments in Romans chapter 2, you who say you shall not steal, do you steal?   You say, “You shall not commit adultery; do you commit adultery?” He was addressing the conscience. Romans 2:15, same chapter, would show the work of the law written on their hearts, the conscience bearing witness.   So, I have an ally right in the heart of the enemy. I have a judge on the court and in the mind of every sinner that's going to affirm the truth of what I'm saying and point guilt to the sinner or show him that he's guilty. That's the conscience.   The second great tool I have or weapon I have is the will to live. Human beings are not dogs, horses, cats, or cows. We're completely different.   We're not primates. We're made in the image of God and God has written eternity upon our hearts. He doesn't seem to have done this with my dog.   My dog's only concerned with chasing cats and eating. I don't think there's anything else that really interests her, although I love her, but she's not worrying about eternity, but human beings do. So, I know, according to scripture, that everybody has this will to live.   So, when I go to the local college, and I go there twice a day, to interview people for our YouTube channel. I often say this, “Would you like to go on YouTube?” They say, “Yeah.”   I'm going to ask you, “If you think there's life after death.” I say, “That's okay, and this is my first question. Are you afraid of dying?”   And they go, “A little bit.” A little bit? It's huge.   It's a tormenting fear of death. It haunts you, and that's what the Bible says, this fear of death that we have. And I can tell by the look in the eyes of this person, they're saying, “How did this guy know?”   I haven't told mom or dad. I haven't told my boyfriend or my girlfriend, my brother, my sister, but there's something in me that's terrified of dying. Hebrews 2:14-15 tells us.   Amplified Bible, so I'll quote it a little louder. It says, “That God has caused the fear of death or the will to live to be haunting,” it uses the word haunting, “within every human being all their lifetime.” Remember when I was a kid, maybe nine or ten, I used to play wars, cowboys and Indians, and someone would shoot me. I'd roll down a hill and lie there for two minutes and then get up.   And then one day as I got older, I thought, I'm not going to get up one day. And that's that haunting fear of death. That revelation that comes to us, as light comes to us, as we get older. And so, I address that, and this is what I say, “Ever read the Bible?”    “No, never opened it.”    “Why not? It's the world's biggest selling book of all time. Did you know in the Old Testament, God promised he would destroy death? And in the New Testament, we're told how he did it. Did you know that?”    They say, “No.”    “Is he interested?”   And even if it's an atheist, he's going to say, “Yeah, I'm interested.” Because he's got that haunting fear of death. And so, then I go through the gospel. This is the verse that I share with so many people, and it's the most illuminating verse, and I can see light coming to them as I say this.   I say, “Have you ever heard the Bible verse, the wages of sin is death?” And they say, “Maybe.” It's saying that God is paying you in death for your sins.   Like a judge who looks at a criminal who's committed murder, but he thinks he's a good person. The judge says, “I'm going to show you how serious your crime is. I'm giving you the death sentence.”   This is your wages. This is what you've earned. And I say, “Fred, sin is so serious to a holy God, he's given you the death sentence.”   You're on death row. You're in a holding cell. It's got a nice blue roof, good air conditioning, good lighting, but this life is a holding cell, and your death will be evidence to you that God is deadly serious about sin.   That has a sobering effect on people because now they've got a reason why they die. Now they know what's going to happen after they die. It's appointed a man.   It's appointment. It's appointed a man who wants to die, and after this, the judgment. And as you go through the commandments, it shows them how they need a Savior.   And so many people say, I'm going to really think about this. Thank you for talking to me. I say, “When are you going to repent and put your trust in Jesus?”   And so many people lately have been saying, “Today.” So, the pandemic, that plague that no one calls a plague, the pandemic did us a huge favor because it made a whole generation think about their mortality, made them realize they're going to die one day. And so, the harvest fields are white.   One other thought regarding the fear of death and the will to live, the same thing. Think of a waitress who has to approach three men, businessmen wearing dark suits and little briefcases sitting at a table. They're obviously wheeling and dealing millions of dollars.   Is she intimidated? No. She just walks up and says, “Can I take your order?”   Why is she so bold? It's because she knows she has what they want. They're there for food.   And so that makes her bold. And you and I have what this world wants. Right at this moment, there are people in torture chambers called gyms, lifting weights that are far too heavy for them, pulling things they shouldn't be pulling.   And I believe in physical fitness is great. And at the same time, there are people drinking green slime. They would love a chocolate shake, but they drink because they want to increase their life just that little bit more.   We have found everlasting life. So, if the world knew what we had, they would ask us. This is what Jesus said to the woman at the well.   If you knew who it was that was speaking to you, you would ask me. And if the world knew what we had, everlasting life, they'd plead with us. So, because we know we have what the world wants, like that waitress, we must be bold.   And when they realize that we have the answer to death that Jesus Christ has abolished death. When that revelation comes to them, what causes death. That Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, he destroyed death, bringing life and immortality to light through the gospel. That's when the light goes on and they say, “Thank you so much. Thank you for talking to me.” I've just about worn myself out.   Laura Dugger: (30:16 - 30:30) Well, that's incredible to hear, especially the breakdown practically of how you do that. And I would say, “Do you even give people permission to use some of those examples if they want to give this a try?”   Ray Comfort: (30:31 - 31:18) I would plead with them to do so. We've got the evidence Bible. It's filled with how to do these things.   And that book, Fifty Years of Open-Air Preaching: Everything I've Learned is filled with stuff like this. How to get a crowd standing up nice and orderly. There's a picture, I don't know if you can see it, at Berkeley University.   They're all standing around nice in a big circle. That's where you get stoned to death, Berkeley. But because we understand these principles, we just drew a circle out of chalk and said, stand behind the circle.   If anyone got in front of the circle, approached us, we wouldn't talk to them unless they got to the edge of the circle. And people are like sheep. If you say, “Move back behind the chalk line. Do it now.” Okay. They'll do it, if you've got a little bit of authority.   And so, you just learn to do things like that. And it means the gospel can go out. So yeah, please, please use these principles.   Laura Dugger: (31:19 - 31:34) And then can you also just paint a picture. If somebody's never seen this before, they've never tried this before, are there any memorable encounters that you've had as you reflect back on these years of open air preaching?   Ray Comfort: (31:35 - 33:54) Yes. Oh, I've got beaten up by a woman once. Oh dear.   I'll have to tell you. I was in Santa Monica many years ago, and I had a crowd of maybe 40, 50 people. And there's a woman there that was very vocal and kept calling me, using the F word a couple of times.   So, I said, “Ma'am, can you watch your language? There are ladies present.” And she said, “I'm a lady.”   I said, “Ma'am, you may be a woman, but you are not a lady.” And with that, she ran at me like a bat out of heaven and began beating me up. Now, most women go scratch, and hair pulling, but she was like Mike Tyson's sister. She got in six punches, knocked me to the ground before my team pulled her off.   They held her back. And she said, let me go and get my purse. They let her go.   And she gave me a kidney punch and took two weeks for the bruising to go, but she doubled my crowd. She can come back anytime she wants. But that was my fault.   And that was very memorable. So, I talk nicely to ladies now. One to one, one of the most memorable ones is a guy named Mario.   Our YouTube channel's got 1.57 million subscribers, just past 314 million views. And one of the best, most gripping encounters was with a guy named Mario. I went out on my bike.   My dog's on my bike. She's on a platform. She wears sunglasses.   I wear sunglasses. It gets people's attention. She's the best bait I've ever had when fishing for men.   Saw this guy standing by a tree on a pathway, and I said, “You want to come on camera?” He said, “Yeah.” I was surprised because I didn't have to talk him into it.   And he was quite arrogant, very handsome young man. And as we went through the commandments, I saw a tear well in his eye and roll down his cheek. And I thought, oh, no, God's doing a work in the heart of this guy, and I don't want to mess it up.   And so, I did my best to end up praying with him, and he was just beside himself in sorrow for his sin. And I think that's something like 4 million views on a YouTube channel. If you go to the most popular to see it, you'll see him there.   But that was a very memorable encounter. One that I often think when I'm going out on my bike each day. Lord, give me a Mario today, please.   Laura Dugger: (33:55 - 34:58) When was the first time you listened to an episode of The Savvy Sauce? How did you hear about our podcast? Did a friend share it with you?   Will you be willing to be that friend now and text five other friends or post on your socials anything about The Savvy Sauce that you love? If you share your favorite episodes, that is how we continue to expand our reach and get the good news of Jesus Christ in more ears across the world. So, we need your help.   Another way to help us grow is to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. Each of these suggestions will cost you less than a minute, but it will be a great benefit to us. Thank you so much for being willing to be generous with your time and share.   We appreciate you. It's compelling to hear this and inspiring, but then also if we're going back to talking about the fears. What fears do you see holding people back from giving this a try or from evangelizing in general?   Ray Comfort: (34:59 - 37:37) That is a great question, and you provoke something very important. I've traveled on about 2,000 flights, itinerating over the years, and so many times I've prayed, and when there's an empty seat on a plane beside me, I always pray for the person who's going to sit there. This is the prayer I subliminally pray.   Lord, please don't let this guy show up. That's what I pray. And then he shows up, and I share the gospel with him.   My hardest, my biggest mountain to climb was how do you bring the subject up? Okay, I'm on a plane. This guy's a businessman.   He's wearing a three-piece suit. He's very intimidating, and I've got to talk to him about the things of God and sin and righteousness and judgment. How do I bring the subject up with this guy?   Oh, see those clouds? Guess who made the clouds? God.   No, it's just terrifying. But I learned something many years ago that just dissipated that fear of man and the fear of women, and that's this. I just say to any stranger, “Do you think there's an afterlife?”   That's a simple question. Do you think there's life after death? I haven't mentioned God, Jesus, Heaven, Hell, sin, righteousness, judgment, any of those things that make him feel uncomfortable.   I just said, do you think there's an afterlife? And this is how I do it, and I've done it many times. I'm at the ministry now in our studio.   Many a time I've had workmen come. Let's say there's a plumber working on something. I go up to him and say, “Hey, how are you doing?”   He says, “Good.” I'm Ray. What's your name?   He says, “Eric.” Nice to meet you, Eric. Eric, what?   I've got a question for you, “Do you think there's an afterlife?” Eric stands up and says, “I don't know.”   I say, “Do you think about it much?” Yeah, all the time. His all the time just dissipated my fears.   He's not antichrist. He hasn't stabbed me to death. He's a normal human being.   He thinks about the issues of life and death all the time. And so, I've got confidence. And the thing that got me in there was that question, do you think there's an afterlife?   You can ask anyone. Even Uncle Arthur at the Christmas lunch, sitting there and usually he's working. Uncle Arthur, do you think there's an afterlife? Haven't mentioned God, Jesus, Heaven, Hell. Just let him talk.   He says, “Oh, I don't know about heaven.” So Rich, “You ever read the Bible?” Oh, let me get you my Bible.   Let me lend it to you. It just opens the door and lets them do the talking. So never forget that.   You can talk to any stranger about the things of God by just asking that question. Do you think there's an afterlife? And I do it every day.   Laura Dugger: (37:38 - 37:57) Wow. And I love it, even before we began recording when we were just getting to know each other for a moment. And then you said, well, before we begin, shall we do this in the flesh, or should we pray?   And I love that. I think that's such an approachable first step to this.   Ray Comfort: (37:57 - 38:07) Well, you just have to do something in the flesh to know how terrible it is. You need a pulpit, and you think, oh God, I need your help. So, I always pray.   Laura Dugger: (38:08 - 38:24) Absolutely. That's very relatable. And so, if we're considering this invitation to evangelize publicly, what do you think this looks like for men and for women?   And do you see any difference between the two?   Ray Comfort: (38:25 - 39:21) Yes, I do. When I look at my wife, I see different from the local workman that comes to work around our home. But physically, no, I don't.   Yeah. When Jesus had gone to all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, he didn't say, “Oh, that's just for men.” No.   Look at the woman at the well. She went off and shared the gospel with the whole village. And so, if a woman's got the courage to stand up and do what men won't do, God bless her.   I think that's wonderful. And so, I'm all for women and women stay silent at the church. Well, that's for the church.   That's church discipline. But when it comes to sharing the gospel, telling people how they can find everlasting life, women can do just as well with men and a woman can do good with five people or 10 people. Now she can gather a crowd of 200 at a university and share how to find everlasting life.   God bless her. And thank you for her, Aud.   Laura Dugger: (39:22 - 39:35) Thank you for sharing that. And can you think of just an easy or approachable next step, something that we could do today that takes inspiration from this conversation and turns it into action?   Ray Comfort: (39:35 - 39:38) Yes. Get the book.   Laura Dugger: (39:40 - 39:41) Absolutely.   Ray Comfort: (39:41 - 39:48) And I'll watch our YouTube channel too. I love it. It'll really help you build confidence.   Thank you for that.   Laura Dugger: (39:49 - 40:01) My pleasure. So, if we do determine that we're going to apply what we've learned today, then there's another side to this as well. What kind of attack can we expect from our enemy?   Ray Comfort: (40:02 - 42:34) Oh, full on. You're going to get negative thoughts. You can't do this.   You shouldn't do this. What are you going to do if you dry up? The dry up thing is a real big fear.   I'm going to get up there and I'll say, “My mind's gone blank.” Well, just have a Gospel of John in your pocket, a little New Testament, maybe a little Gideon in your pocket there. And if you dry up, just say, “Oh, excuse me, I want to read this to you.”   You've got John 3:16, corner turned down. Just say, “For God so loved the world and gave his only begotten son who believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” Please think about that.   Close it and get down. Or you can keep speaking. And so, if you've got an out, that will dissipate your fears if you know you can get out if that happens.   I've used it many a time. I mean the fear of every preacher is drying up in a pulpit. I remember I was in a church of 3,000 once and I lost my place.   So, you know what I did? I just said, look at that over there. And everyone looked at the wall.   I said, I just lost my place. Or I'll say something like this. “Turn to Leviticus 15:3.”   And everyone goes, shh, shh, shh. I look for my place. I've got my thoughts back.   And they say that was a fake scripture. I don't know what it is. I wanted to do something while I was trying to find my place.   And there I've never had problems drying up in the pulpit because I know that's my way out. And it's the same with open air preaching. If you dry up, you're just going to quote John 3:16 or begin reading Genesis chapter 1 to the crowd.   “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” And just knowing you've got that out will help dissipate your fears. And when you're finished, you'll have such a joy.   I say to our team, whenever you go to preach the gospel, you're dragging your feet. When you come back, you'll be clicking your heels.   And that's exactly what happens. You'll have such satisfaction that you did what you know you should. You overcame that Goliath.   You ran at Goliath and overcame your fears. And so just do it. If you want to learn to swim, you don't study water.   You jump in. That's the best way to learn to swim. And, you know, if you're going to drown, it's a pity more people don't know this, but if you just relax, you'll float.   If you panic, you'll probably sink. And it's the same with this. Don't panic.   Just trust in the Lord. Say, “Lord, you'll fill my mouth. You'll help me out with this.”   And he'll float. He'll float you. He'll take you by the hand, and you'll be fine.   I've done it thousands of times, and God's never let me down.   Laura Dugger: (42:36 - 43:00) Amen. I hope we all are willing to give it a try. I think that you really articulated it well when you narrow it down to that fear of man, fear of woman.   And I love also that just do it, and we can do it scared. But you're so full of these practical tips. There's one about hecklers that we haven't covered yet.   Can you share your perspective on hecklers?   Ray Comfort: (43:01 - 44:02) Hecklers are wonderful. If you fear hecklers, you're fearing the thing that could make what you're doing a great success. A good heckler, if he's handled well, can take a crowd of 15 people to 150 people in about 30, 40 seconds.   And all you do is let him vent. There's one, I think we've got, it's called The Angry Atheist. I think it's one of our videos.   And this guy was furious, a Christian. So, I just let him vent, and the crowd thickened up, and then we started one by one dealing with his problems. And just always remember a soft answer turns away wrath.   If someone's angry, you just speak, what's your name? And they'll say, “Oh, John.” Nice to meet you, John.   That's a nice sweater. I remember once a lady came up, this young lady. She was really angry, and I did say the sweater thing to her when she was yelling at me.   I said, “That's a nice sweater.” She said, “Really?” I said, “Where'd you get it?”   And so, a soft answer turns away wrath. So, you just learn these little things that can really help.   Laura Dugger: (44:03 - 44:14) I love that. And just as a model for us, if we want to share the good news of Jesus, you've done this time and time again. Will you share it with all of us now?   Ray Comfort: (44:16 - 46:05) What are you trying to do to me? You mean you'd like the gospel? Absolutely.   One-minute gospel presentation. Okay, let's do a nutshell. Let me say, I'm meeting a stranger.   I'll talk directly to them. You know, God's placed a will to live within you. Something in you says, I don't want to die.   Did you know the Bible says, “Jesus Christ has abolished death and brought life and immortality to life through the gospel?” And the reason you're going to die is because you've sinned against God. And all you have to do for a few minutes with an honest heart is go through the commandments.   The seventh commandment says, “You shall not commit adultery, but Jesus said if you look at a woman with lust, you commit adultery in your heart, lying lips and abomination to the Lord. No thief will inherit God's kingdom.”    Ever stolen something? Ever used God's name in vain? And if you've been honest, you'll know you've sinned against God. And if all your sin comes out on Judgment Day as evidence of your guilt, you're going to end up justly in Hell, and that breaks my heart.   And God is not willing that any perish. The Bible says, “He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, and he's provided a way for you to be forgiven by Christ dying on the cross.” We broke God's law.   Jesus paid the fine. It's as simple as that. That means you can leave the courtroom.   God can dismiss your case. He can take death off you because of what Jesus did through his death and resurrection. And all you have to do is so simple a child can understand it.   You must repent, turn from your sins. You'll never do that while you think you're a good person. And trust in Jesus like you trust a parachute.   The minute you do that, you've got God's promise, and he cannot lie. He'll grant you everlasting life as a free gift, not because you're good, but because He's good and kind and rich in mercy. And don't put it off until tomorrow because you may not have tomorrow.   Fifty-four million people die every year. Today, if you hear his voice, don't harden your heart.   Laura Dugger: (46:07 - 46:10) It just never gets old hearing that.   Ray Comfort: (46:10 - 46:10) No.   Laura Dugger: (46:10 - 46:28) Thank you. And you also bring up even so clearly from scripture but sharing repent and believe. And is there anything else that you would want to make sure that we wouldn't leave out of a conversation if we were evangelizing to someone?   Ray Comfort: (46:29 - 48:02) Well, another good question. Yeah, a lot of people are saying all you have to do is believe. Just believe.   They say if you repent, that's works. Well, by saying you have to believe, that's works. If you have to do anything, believe.   No, the Bible says, “By grace you're saved through faith, through faith, and not of yourselves.” It's God's grace that saves us. But if you read scripture, it comes through repentance and faith.   And the reason they want to drop repentance is because they don't see the true nature of sin. And what the commandments do, the Ten Commandments, they open up the law and show sin to be exceedingly sinful, and that necessitates repentance. Like with David, when he realized he'd committed adultery and lied and stolen his neighbor's wife, covered his neighbor's wife, murdered his neighbor, that's when he cried out, “Oh, have mercy upon me, oh God, according to your lovingkindness.”   If Nathan hadn't said, “Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, and David hadn't said, I've sinned against heaven, he would have just said, oh, just believe. No, he had to get before God and agonize. Scripture says, “Cleanse your hands, you sinners.”   Purify your hearts, you double-minded. Let your laugh to be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness.” That's contrition.   And the law that shows us the nature of sin produces contrition, sorrow for sin, which works repentance, godly sorrow, works repentance unto life. So, it's most necessary to preach, as Jesus did, repent and believe in that order.   Laura Dugger: (48:04 - 48:13) That is so good. Ray, where can we go to continue learning from you and continue to be inspired by the faithful work that you're doing?   Ray Comfort: (48:14 - 48:46) Very kind of you to say that. LivingWaters.com, sign up for our newsletter. We've always got interesting stuff.   We give away a lot of stuff. Watch the YouTube channel. We have different videos each day.   We put one up four days ago that's had 4.6 million views. And so, it's a wonderful way to reach the lost. So, follow us.   Just become part of a YouTube channel, subscribe, and that really helps us and helps further our reach. So LivingWaters.com and LivingWaters YouTube.   Laura Dugger: (48:47 - 49:05) Wonderful. We'll make sure to add those links in the show notes for today's episode. And as you already know, our podcast is entitled The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge.   And so, as my final question for you today, Ray, what is your Savvy Sauce?   Ray Comfort: (49:06 - 49:12) My wife. Is that okay to say that?   Laura Dugger: (49:12 - 49:17) I love that. Do you want to say anything more specific about her?   Ray Comfort: (49:17 - 49:44) Sue and I have been married for 108 years, 54. We love each other. She's my best friend.   She works at the ministry and also I love my dog. And one thing I might say just as we close is don't call this anything to do with evangelism. That'll kill.   Use the word apologetics or say Ray Comfort says this about his wife. Anything other than evangelism that scares Christians off.   Laura Dugger: (49:45 - 49:50) Wow. Interesting. So that's been your experience.   That makes sense.   Ray Comfort: (49:51 - 50:25) Yeah. That's a principle we use at the ministry. If we have a conference, don't mention evangelism.   No one will come. It's like someone saying to me, “Hey, want to go door knocking, tell people about Jesus?” I go; I just wouldn't want to do that.   And there's a reason for it. As a new Christian, I knocked on someone's door, fully aware that Jehovah's Witnesses had stolen our thunder, and I said to this lady, “Hello, I'm not a Jehovah's Witness.” She said, “Well, I am.”   And so, I've got this aversion to door knocking, and that's what most Christians are like when it comes to evangelism. So, call it something else.   Laura Dugger: (50:25 - 50:50) Wow. So practical, again. And Ray, you've just stewarded your many gifts that God has given you.   You've stewarded them so well and so wisely. I can just imagine God greeting you someday and having just, well done, good and faithful servant. So, thank you for generously taking the time to share with us today.   I'm grateful for you, and I just want to say thank you for being my guest.   Ray Comfort: (50:51 - 50:52) Well, thank you for having me.   Laura Dugger: (50:53 - 54:35) One more thing before you go. Have you heard the term gospel before?   It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you. But it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there is absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a savior. But God loved us so much, he made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.   That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live and died in our place for our sin. This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus.   We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished if we choose to receive what He has done for us. Romans 10:9 says, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” So, would you pray with me now?   Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you. Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life?   We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.   If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me, so me for him. You get the opportunity to live your life for him. And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason.   We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you ready to get started? First, tell someone.   Say it out loud. Get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes & Noble and let me choose my own Bible.   I selected the Quest NIV Bible, and I love it. You can start by reading the book of John. Also, get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ.   I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps, such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you. We want to celebrate with you too, so feel free to leave a comment for us here if you did make a decision to follow Christ. We also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process.   And finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, “In the same way I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today.   And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.

What happens when Jesus meets us on our unclear and broken path? In Ephesians 4:17–24 and the story of Zacchaeus, we see that apart from Christ, life leads to sin and destruction — but Jesus seeks us out, saves the lost, and makes us new. This message unpacks how the gospel changes everything: our direction, our heart, and our actions. Discover the power of putting off the old life and putting on the new life found in Jesus. Watch now and be encouraged to trust Him to change your heart.

Zacchaeus was not popular. A lot of people thought he was a liar and a cheater. Who knows why people thought that, except for the fact that he WAS a liar and a cheater. But then one day Jesus invited himself over for dinner. Find out what happened next!

In this week's episode of Hope for the Caregiver, I continue my two series: Difficult Issues Caregivers Face but Don't Want to Talk About and Hymns Every Caregiver Should Know. I start with a memory of a pastor who once told me, “Peter, you do yourself a disservice—you make this look easier than it is.” He was right. For years I made caregiving look manageable, even while quietly drowning inside. That appearance of strength often kept others from stepping in or even knowing what to say. Meals and casseroles are thoughtful, but they're not enough. Caregivers need more than temporary relief—we need sustainable support. Vocational direction, financial guidance, and mentors willing to walk with us can make the difference between barely surviving and building a life that endures. Scripture reminds us of El Roi, the God who sees. Just as He saw Hagar, Zacchaeus, and the multitudes, He also sees caregivers who mask their exhaustion. And if God sees, the church must learn to see too—not just the obvious needs, but the hidden cracks in a caregiver's life. I share about Gracie's 98 surgeries, including a recent five-month stretch in the hospital, and how impossible it has been to plan a “normal” career or even a five-week calendar. Caregiving has reshaped everything in my life, and for too long I didn't have people asking the deeper questions about what was sustainable. Then I take you to the Caregiver Keyboard, where I introduce this week's hymn. I not only play it, but also show how its harmonies—tension, dissonance, and resolution—mirror the emotional weight caregivers carry. The story behind the hymn ties directly into this theme: before we can encourage or rescue anyone, we first have to see them. I close by sharing from my new book, A Caregiver's Companion: Scriptures, Hymns, and 40 Years of Insights for Life's Toughest Role. I wrote it to give caregivers—and the church—a vocabulary of hope. Because healthy caregivers make better caregivers.   Get this book today!    

"Walking with Master" Series Luke 19:1-10

August 17, 2025 Your story does not have to end the way it began. God is the story changer. Through His grace, He can take broken, unwanted, and overlooked people and make them brand new. 📖 Key Points 🙌 Takeaway If God could change Zacchaeus—the most despised man in Jericho—He can change your story too. … Continue reading "Zacchaeus the Tree Climber"

Coleton preached from Luke 19:1–10, the story of Zacchaeus, to show how Jesus transforms lives through love, not guilt or fear. Zacchaeus, a wealthy tax collector despised by others, was radically changed when Jesus chose to stay at his house. His response—giving to the poor and repaying those he wronged—demonstrates how experiencing Christ's love leads to deep transformation. Coleton emphasized that this is how the gospel works: it is God's power to change us, not our willpower or religious effort. Many try to change through fear, guilt, selfishness, or striving for God's approval, but true transformation comes only by experiencing His love. Two Cultures Coleton Wants for C3 Church     1.    A Culture Saturated with the Gospel     •    The gospel reveals God's deep love for us. The more it saturates our hearts and minds, the more it transforms us into people of forgiveness, generosity, and love.     •    This also corrects our distorted views of God. Jesus revealed the Father as merciful, kind, and gracious, not condemning or distant.     •    Practices like communion, confession, discipleship groups, preaching, and worship exist to root us in God's love and remind us that with Him we are safe, forgiven, and deeply loved.     2.    A Culture of Pursuit     •    God invites us to seek Him, and He responds to those who do. Scripture testifies that He rewards those who pursue Him (Hebrews 11:6; Matthew 6:33).     •    Pursuit is about encountering God in the present—not just being grateful for salvation in the past or hopeful for heaven in the future. Like the people Jesus healed, we can have present-tense testimonies of how He works in our lives today.     •    Coleton called for building rhythms of prayer, worship, discipleship, and spiritual practices so that seeking God becomes natural. These create space for God's presence, power, and blessing to shape us. Ultimately, Coleton's vision is for C3 to be a church so different from the world that stepping into it feels like culture shock—an environment formed by the gospel and pursuit of God where lives are continually transformed. ⸻ Discipleship Group Discussion Questions 1.    Zacchaeus' life was transformed not by fear or guilt but by experiencing Jesus' love. How have you personally experienced God's love transforming you? 2.    Which of the four “religious motivators” (fear, guilt, selfishness, or trying to earn God's love) do you most struggle with? How does the gospel (how God actually loves you) free you from that? 3.    In what ways has your view of God been distorted in the past? How does Jesus reshape that view? 4. If someone asked you today, “What has Jesus done for you recently?” what story would you be able to share? 5. Pursuing God requires intentional effort. What practices (prayer, Scripture, accountability, worship) help you stay consistent in seeking Him? Where are you struggling to pursue Him right now? 6. How can your group help each other create a “culture of pursuit”—seeking God not just individually but together? ⸻ Quotes from Authors     •    Leon Morris: “The gospel is not advice to people, suggesting that they lift themselves. It is power. It lifts them up. Paul does not say that the gospel brings power, but that it is power.”     •    Greg Boyd: “Despite our sin our creator thinks that we are worth experiencing a hellish death for. It was for the joy of spending eternity with us that Jesus endured the cross. In other words Calvary reveals our unsurpassable worth and significance to God. At the core of our being, this is what we long for.”     •    A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God: “Why do some people ‘find' God in a way that others do not? Why does God manifest His Presence to some and let multitudes of others struggle along in the half-light of imperfect Christian experience? Certainly the will of God is the same for all. He has no favorites. All He has ever done for any of His children He will do for all of His children. The difference lies, not with God, but with us.”     •    Craig Dykstra: “Practices are the nuclear reactors of the Christian faith, arenas where the gospel and human life come together in energizing, explosive ways. Practices create openings in our lives where the grace, mercy, and presence of God may be made known to us.”  

In this powerful message from Luke 19, we follow Jesus on His final journey to Jerusalem. The air is thick with anticipation, and every interaction carries profound weight. We witness the extraordinary encounter with Zacchaeus, a tax collector outcast who finds salvation, and hear the parable of the ten minas, a stark reminder to be faithful stewards of God's grace until He returns. But the climax of this passage is not a moment of triumph—it is a moment of heartbreak. As Jesus enters Jerusalem, the very city He has come to save, the people's praise is met with the bitter scorn of the religious leaders. And then, we see the Messiah, the King, weeping. He weeps not just for a city, but for a people who have tragically missed their moment, their opportunity to recognize and follow Him. This sermon is a pressing call to action, urging us to consider our own hearts. Are we prepared for the King's return? Are we actively living in His Kingdom? Don't miss this essential message on the urgency of entering and living in the Kingdom of God, a kingdom that is both eternal and available to us today.

"Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus..." - Luke 19:1-10 Listen to other great sleep mediations on Amen.Sign up for a 7-day free trial of Formed.Support this podcast and the Augustine Institute by becoming a member of the Mission Circle.

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Series: N/AService: Sun AM WorshipType: SermonSpeaker: Phillip ShumakeSermon: Kingdom Stewardship and Preparedness in the Parable of the Ten MinasSpeaker: Philip ShumakeDate: 2025-08-10 Sunday AM WorshipChapter/Topic: Luke 19:11–27 — Parable of the Ten Minas (Preparing for Christ’s Return)

August 11, 2025

163 : Gospel of Luke 19 1. And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. 3. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. 4. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. 5. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. ; AB church Lausanne

What do you think Jesus really thinks of you? What's his deepest feeling toward you? If we're honest, many of us assume it's disappointment—that he merely puts up with us or tolerates us, but doesn't delight in us. Yet in the story of Zacchaeus, something far better rises to the surface: Jesus wildly welcomes us with an open heart. It's a welcome that meets us where we are but doesn't leave us there. It changes us from the inside out. This is the heart of the gospel. And when it sinks deep into our hearts, we begin to welcome others the same way. Join us this Sunday as we conclude our Love on the Move series and explore the transforming power of Jesus' welcome.Reflection Questions:1. How does Jesus' welcome toward Zacchaeus inform the way he welcomes you? How does it challenge the ideas you carry about how God sees you?2. What would it look like for you to take a humble, childlike step toward Jesus this week, like Zacchaeus climbing the tree?3. Where in your life is Jesus inviting himself in, not to judge or condemn but to welcome and transform?4. How is Jesus' welcome reshaping the way you welcome others, especially those who feel far off, overlooked, or undeserving? 

In this week's homily, we're challenged to reflect on a powerful question: “How much am I giving—and how much is God calling me to give?”   Fr. shares his personal journey of learning Gospel poverty, starting with his parents' simple family tradition of the “poor kid's jar,” and growing into a life of sacrificial generosity.   Drawing from the parable of the man who built bigger barns (Luke 12), the story of Zacchaeus, and real-life mission experiences in Haiti, this message invites us to step out of a culture of greed and into the freedom of giving.  

In Luke 19, we meet Zacchaeus, a wealthy chief tax collector who felt empty despite his riches and status. Determined to see Jesus, he overcame obstacles—including a hostile crowd and his short stature—by climbing a sycamore tree. When Jesus spotted him, He called Zacchaeus by name and invited Himself to his house. This personal encounter transformed Zacchaeus completely, leading him to give half his possessions to the poor and repay fourfold anyone he had cheated. His story teaches us that no obstacle should prevent us from seeking Jesus, and when Jesus enters our lives, everything changes.

When faith climbs higher, Jesus draws closer. In this message from Luke 19:1–10, Pastor Brandon Hill shows how Zacchaeus went from overlooked to fully seen—and forever changed. This message will stir your faith to go after Jesus no matter what's in the way.

In this exploration of Luke 19:1-10, we're invited to reimagine our approach to faith through the lens of Zacchaeus' encounter with Jesus. This familiar story takes on new depth as we consider what it truly means to 'climb a tree' in our spiritual lives. Are we willing to risk looking undignified or foolish in our pursuit of Christ?Get more out of today's teaching by visiting our Church Online page for things like our community guide, a weekly devotional, and the teaching slides. EthosOH.com/churchonline

This week, Director of Ministries Hunter Warner teaches on the power of radical hospitality in the life of a believer. Looking at Jesus' encounter with Zacchaeus in Luke 19, Hunter shows how Christ-like hospitality creates space for relationship, repentance, and restoration, and how it can open doors to gospel conversations in our everyday lives.   Want to watch a version of this message? Check out our archive of live Sunday broadcasts at www.declarationchurch.net/live. 

Send us a textIn this episode of Viewpoints, Pastor John Gerlach and Worship Pastor Jordan Voyles kick off our new sermon series on life-changing encounters with Jesus. This week, they explore the powerful story of Zacchaeus — a man known for his wealth and broken reputation, but transformed by a personal encounter with Jesus. What does it look like to run toward Christ, lay down pride, and open your life to His call? Dive into the heart of grace, identity, and redemption in this conversation about how no one is too far gone for Jesus.

We all know the story of Zacchaeus—the “wee little man” who climbed a tree to see Jesus. But what if there was more to the story? Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus from a tree, but Jesus wanted Zacchaeus—and the religious leaders—to see Him from the Old Testament: as Yahweh in the flesh. This week's message uncovers rich theology, personal challenge, and an invitation to be seen, called, and changed by Jesus—just like Zacchaeus.

Jesus' encounter with Zacchaeus shows that salvation can transform even the most unlikely person, bringing them from isolation to community and from greed to generosity.

Jesus came on a rescue mission to seek and save the lost, and He calls and equips His disciples to join Him by seeing people through His redemptive eyes.Let's walk through this story in Luke 19:1-10 to uncover three qualities that attracted Jesus to Zacchaeus—his godly pursuit, his grace potential, and his genuine penitence—and how we, as His disciples, can join His rescue mission.

Jesus didn't just speak to situations—He spoke to the eternal issues within us. In today's podcast episode, we see how the red words expose the thief in us, the parts of us that take, hide, or compromise. But the remedy isn't more rules—it's giving. It's identity. It's simplicity. Just like the woman with the oil or Zacchaeus the tax collector, the way forward is always rooted in returning to who we truly are.Today's Reading: Matthew 1-3 Get full access to REDIN30 at redin30.substack.com/subscribe

Full Text of ReadingsMemorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus Lectionary: 402/607The Saint of the day is Saints Martha, Mary, and LazarusSaints Martha, Mary and Lazarus’ story Martha, Mary, and their brother Lazarus were evidently close friends of Jesus. He came to their home simply as a welcomed guest, rather than as one celebrating the conversion of a sinner like Zacchaeus or one unceremoniously received by a suspicious Pharisee. The sisters felt free to call on Jesus at their brother's death, even though a return to Judea at that time seemed to spell almost certain death. Martha's great glory is her simple and strong statement of faith in Jesus after her brother's death. “Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?' She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world'” (John 11:25-27). No doubt Martha was an active sort of person. On one occasion, she prepares the meal for Jesus and possibly his fellow guests and forthrightly states the obvious: All hands should pitch in to help with the dinner. The Lord recognizes that Martha is “worried about many things,” also noting that Mary, who has spent the preparation time at Jesus' feet listening to his words “has chosen the better part.” John 12:1-8 describes Mary's anointing of Jesus' feet at Bethany, an act which he praised highly. Immediately after we are told that the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus “because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.” Lazarus was the one of whom the Jews said, “See how much he loved him.” In their sight Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead. Legends abound about the life of Lazarus after the death and resurrection of Jesus. He is supposed to have left a written account of what he saw in the next world before he was called back to life. Some say he followed Peter into Syria. Another story is that despite being put into a leaking boat by the Jews at Jaffa, he, his sisters, and others landed safely in Cyprus. There he died peacefully after serving as bishop for 30 years. It is certain there was early devotion to the saint. Around the year 390, the pilgrim lady Etheria talks of the procession that took place on the Saturday before Palm Sunday at the tomb where Lazarus had been raised from the dead. In the West, Passion Sunday was called Dominica de Lazaro, and Augustine tells us that in Africa the Gospel of the raising of Lazarus was read at the office of Palm Sunday. Reflection In its 2021 decree on combining veneration of Mary and Lazarus with Martha, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments said, “In the household of Bethany, the Lord Jesus experienced the family spirit and friendship of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, and for this reason the Gospel of John states that he loved them. Martha generously offered him hospitality, Mary listened attentively to his words and Lazarus promptly emerged from the tomb at the command of the one who humiliated death.” Saint Martha is a Patron Saint of: CooksHomemakersRestaurant servers Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus are Patron Saints of: Siblings Click here for more on Mary and Martha! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

What do Zacchaeus, Lazarus, Mary and Martha, Judas Iscariot, and Pilate all have in common? Well, they're all people included in Week 3 of our reading plan, People in the New Testament. And, they were all people touched by Jesus's presence (but in vastly different ways!). Tune into this week's episode with special guest Tyler Staton to hear more!Open your Bibles with us this week! This episode corresponds to Week 3 of She Reads Truth's People in the New Testament reading plan. You can read with the She Reads Truth community on our site, in our app, or with our People in the New Testament printed or digital Daily Reading Guide.She Reads Truth on Instagram & FacebookRaechel Myers on InstagramAmanda Bible Williams on InstagramTyler Staton on InstagramThe Familiar Stranger by Tyler Staton*If you purchase something through our links, She Reads Truth may earn an affiliate commission.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Magellan AI - https://docsend.com/view/5vdvbdx7cr4tikmyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

Jesus didn't stop for the crowd—He stopped for one man in a tree. In this episode, we explore the story of Zacchaeus and how real evangelism begins with seeing the people others overlook. Learn how relationship—not pressure—opens the door to repentance and restoration.

(Bilingual) このメッセージではロド牧師が「世代を超えた神様の約束の中で強くあれ」について以下の５つのポイントから話します。ディスカッション用の質問はノートの最後に確認できます。In this message Ps Rod talks about “BE STRONG IN GOD'S GENERATIONAL PROMISES” in these 5 points:Check the questions for discussion at the end of the note. Genesis 12:1-3 NIV / 創世記 12:1-3 JCBJoshua 24:15b NIV / ヨシュア記 24:15bRomans 4:2-3 NIV / ローマ 4:2-3 新改訳2017Romans 4:16 NIV / ローマ 4:16 新改訳2017Luke 19:5-10 NIV / ルカ 19:5-10 新改訳2017Acts 16:30-31 NIV / 使徒 16:30-34新改訳20171.ABRAHAM'S JOURNEY OF FAITH AND PROMISEアブラハムの信仰と約束の旅路2.ABRAHAM'S FAMILY TURNED FROM IDOLS TO GOD'S PROMISESアブラハムの家族は偶像から目を離し、神様の約束に目を向けた3.WE BECOME SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST私たちはイエスに信仰を置くことで、神の息子・娘となる。4.ZACCHAEUS BECOMES A “SON OF ABRAHAM” PROMISE THROUGH JESUS CHRISTザアカイはイエス・キリストを通して、約束された「アブラハムの子」となった5.THE PHILIPPIANS JAILOR ASKS THE KEY QUESTIONピリピの看守は重要な質問をしたQUESTIONS(質問) : What was God's promise to Abraham, and why is it important for us today?神様がアブラハムに与えた約束とは何ですか？それは、今日の私たちにとって大切な理由は何ですか？How does faith connect us to God's promises?信仰はどのように私たちと神様の約束をつなげてくれますか？Zacchaeus was called a “son of Abraham” after meeting Jesus. What does that show us about grace?ザアカイが「アブラハムの子」と呼ばれたことから、恵みについて分かることはありますか？How can our faith today influence our family and future generations?今日の私たちの信仰は、どのような影響を家族や次世代に与えると思いますか？What's one promise from God that you are believing for right now?今、あなたが信じている神様の約束は何ですか？一つ教えてください。Connect with us:Web: mylifehouse.comInstagram: instagram.com/lifehouseglobal/Facebook: facebook.com/lifehouseglobalVideo Messages: ビデオメッセージ: youtube.com/LifehouseTokyoOther Podcasts:Want to listen to our messages in other languages?Lifehouse Messages (English): https://lifehousemessages.captivate.fm/listenLifehouse Hong Kong (Cantonese & English): https://lifehousehongkong.captivate.fm/listen

IT'S TIME TO BE GREAT | Sermon on Luke 19:1-6We live in a world where greatness is often measured by status, power, and how high you can climb—but Jesus flips that idea completely. In this eye-opening and soul-stirring message, we look at the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-6 and uncover the truth: God's definition of greatness isn't about going up, it's about coming down.Zacchaeus was a rich, successful man, but still searching for something more. When he heard Jesus was passing by, he climbed a tree to get a glimpse—but what changed his life was Jesus calling him by name and inviting him to come down. That moment of humility and quick obedience became the doorway to transformation.This sermon challenges us to rethink greatness. Jesus said, “The greatest among you must be a servant” (Matthew 23:11). Greatness isn't found in striving for recognition but in surrendering our lives and choosing humility.

In Luke 19:1-10 we learn about Zacchaeus, a tax collector in Jericho, who is greatly disliked by the people of Jericho due to the position he holds. However, when Jesus is passing through the city of Jericho on His way to Jerusalem, we see that Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus was totally transformative and powerful – […]

In Luke 19:1-10 we learn about Zacchaeus, a tax collector in Jericho, who is greatly disliked by the people of Jericho due to the position he holds. However, when Jesus is passing through the city of Jericho on His way to Jerusalem, we see that Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus was totally transformative and powerful – […]

Pastor David preaches out of Luke 19:1–10, showing how Jesus' encounter with Zacchaeus was a divinely appointed moment of salvation and transformation. He reminds the church that the same Jesus who sought out Zacchaeus continues to seek and save the lost through His people today.

Title: God's Not DoneText: Jonah 3:1–10Big Idea: You can't out-sin the mercy of God—and you're never too far gone for a second chance.I. A God of Second ChancesAfter rebellion, a storm, and three days in the belly of a fish, Jonah gets another shot:“Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time.” (Jonah 3:1)Jonah's rescue wasn't random—it was redemption.God didn't discard Jonah—He restored him.Titus 3:5 – God saves not because of our goodness, but because of His mercy.Examples of God's Second Chances:Adam & Eve, Moses, David, Rahab, Zacchaeus, Peter, Thomas.Each one messed up—but God still had a purpose for them.If He did it for them, He'll do it for you.II. Jonah's Second Chance“Get up and go…” (Jonah 3:2) – yalak qum (ל ְֵ֥ך ק֛ ּום) = Go now. Immediately. Today.This is not just instruction—it's urgency.God's mercy doesn't just forgive—it re-commissions.Jonah 3:3-4Jonah obeys. He enters Nineveh, declares God's message.He doesn't sugarcoat the warning—“40 more days and Nineveh will be overthrown!”III. The Power of RepentanceShockingly, the people listen. “The Ninevites believed God.” (Jonah 3:5)From the greatest to the least—even the king—there's deep, public repentance.Sackcloth and dust were cultural signs of humility and brokenness.To repent is to change your mind so deeply, it changes your life.IV. God's Compassion Responds to Repentance“When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented…” (Jonah 3:10)This wasn't about performance—it was about surrender.Isaiah 30:18 – “The Lord longs to be gracious to you…”God didn't have to forgive Nineveh—but that's who He is.

We all know what it's like to get caught up in the busyness of life. But what if we slowed down just enough to notice the people drowning in quiet desperation right around us—family members, classmates, coworkers, neighbors? That's what Jesus did for Zacchaeus in Luke 19. He stopped. He saw him. He called him by name. And it changed everything. This week's message was a reminder that “found people find people.” If Jesus came to seek and save the lost, then we should too. It's time to form a spiritual search party—one life at a time. That's why at ReThink Life one of our Core 8 Values is “People Are Our Heart.” Today let's live with people on our radar. #rethinklifechurch #TheWinningFamily #GR8 #Bible #godsword #godisgood #lakenona #stcloud #orlando #2025sermon #onlinechurch #rodneygage #michellegage #Jesus #Church #Hope #HolySpirit #learnhow #pastor #sermon #inspiringmessages #wisdom Thank you RTL Fam for your generosity! To support our growth and global impact click here: https://www.rethinklife.com/give ReThink Life is a church committed to helping people know God, grow stronger, discover purpose, and make an impact located in Orlando, Florida. Check out www.rethinklife.com for more information & to get connected. Follow us on social media at @rethinklifechurch

To Seek and SaveLuke 19:1-10The Village Chapel - 07/20/2025We all desire to know and be known, to love and be loved, and to live a life that is somehow significant. How do we accomplish this? Is it through success, wealth, or possessions? Through fame or popularity? In Luke chapter 19, Jesus crosses paths with a man named Zacchaeus, who is full of wealth and success but empty of significance. What happens to this man and his life when he meets Jesus? Join us as we look at this encounter and consider the ultimate mission of Jesus, to seek and save the lost. With God, all things are possible! To find more resources like these, follow us:Website: https://thevillagechapel.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQVTzDbaiXVUAm_mUBDCTJAInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tvcnashville/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tvcnashvilleX: https://twitter.com/tvcnashvilleTo support the ongoing mission of The Village Chapel go to https://thevillagechapel.com/give/. If you are a regular giver, thank you for your continued faithfulness and generosity!

Ever feel like you're just passing through life—missing people who desperately need hope? Tim Leathers explores the story of Zacchaeus and asks: What if someone's breakthrough depends on your willingness to see them and let your light shine? Discover the surprising power of everyday encounters, and how God wants to move you from complacency to compassion. You might be someone's only glimpse of Jesus. Connect With Us Need prayer, want to sign up for baptism or surrender your life to Christ? Follow this link : https://bit.ly/m/lifechurchia

Have you ever felt too far gone… too unworthy… too broken to even come close to God? How does it make you feel when you're surrounded by so many who you might think, “Have it all together”? On Sunday July 6, 2025, were are beginning a new series called, “Seek, and Ye SHALL Find” – In this Part 1 we confront the lie often surfacing in our minds, that hinders or even prevents us from reaching heaven, when we so often, so desperately need to.  We tackle the enemies tactics head-on with the truth of Scripture. From the desperate cry of Zacchaeus as an outcast, to the humble cry of the publican in the temple, we uncover what it means to truly seek God—not casually, but with the kind of hunger AND fervency that pushes past our shame, social status, and self-doubts. God isn't hiding from the hurting—He's waiting for the heart that seeks Him. Email Us: info@heartofworshipchurch.com Visit Our Website: www.heartofworshipchurch.com For Prayer Requests: pray@heartofworshipcurch.com

7-20-2025The message centers on the story of Zacchaeus, emphasizing the transformative power of Jesus' grace and love. ​ Zacchaeus, a despised chief tax collector, encounters Jesus, who defies societal expectations by showing him kindness and visiting his home. ​ This act of grace inspires Zacchaeus to repent and change his life, demonstrating the profound impact of encountering Jesus. ​ Will Dyer contrasts childish faith, which oversimplifies biblical stories, with childlike faith, which embraces wonder and deeper understanding. ​ The story serves as a reminder that Jesus loves and forgives everyone, even those deemed unworthy, and calls us to extend the same grace to others. ​ Ultimately, it invites reflection on how we respond to Jesus' love and live in light of his wondrous grace. ​

This weekend, we're focusing on Jesus' mission to seek and save the lost, exploring what it means to be separated from God, pursued by Him, and transformed through His boundless love.Join us next weekend at The Branch Church and invite your friends and family!Find out what's going on at The Branch here: https://thebranch.org/eventsTo support this ministry, click here — https://rb.gy/rc53uxDownload Our App – http://thebranch.org/appCheck In — https://rb.gy/htq0qySermon Notes —https://notes.subsplash.com/fill-in/view?page=ByCSZlPLlgSermon-Based Bible Study — https://thebranch.org/studyRequest Prayer — http://thebranch.org/prayerLike and SUBSCRIBE on YouTube — https://rb.gy/atpff4Like and Follow on Vimeo — https://rebrand.ly/d1ibt93Website — https://thebranch.org/Facebook — https://rb.gy/m4vhz6Instagram — https://rb.gy/p8g1blTwitter — https://rb.gy/xiwg68YouTube — https://rb.gy/icv7x2

This weekend, we're focusing on Jesus' mission to seek and save the lost, exploring what it means to be separated from God, pursued by Him, and transformed through His boundless love.Join us next weekend at The Branch Church and invite your friends and family!Find out what's going on at The Branch here: https://thebranch.org/eventsTo support this ministry, click here — https://rb.gy/rc53uxDownload Our App – http://thebranch.org/appCheck In — https://rb.gy/htq0qySermon Notes —https://notes.subsplash.com/fill-in/view?page=ByCSZlPLlgSermon-Based Bible Study — https://thebranch.org/studyRequest Prayer — http://thebranch.org/prayerLike and SUBSCRIBE on YouTube — https://rb.gy/atpff4Like and Follow on Vimeo — https://rebrand.ly/d1ibt93Website — https://thebranch.org/Facebook — https://rb.gy/m4vhz6Instagram — https://rb.gy/p8g1blTwitter — https://rb.gy/xiwg68YouTube — https://rb.gy/icv7x2

Eating breaks barriers; God draws people like Zacchaeus through presence and grace

A study of Luke Chapter 19 by Dr. Darrell Tate.

He Holds the Future: Secure in The Tree, Luke 19:1-10 CEB, Pastor Hannah Jones-Nelson

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT) During a visit to the Pacific Northwest several years ago, I met a man who told me he’d been heavily into alcohol and drugs. His marriage, he said, had been hanging by a thread. One day, he loaded a gun, planning to kill himself. Then he turned on the TV. There on the screen was a Harvest Crusade, where I was sharing a message called, “How to Get Right with God.” The man said, “God began to speak to me. When you led those people in prayer, I prayed and asked Jesus Christ to come into my life.” After he found Christ, the man realized he needed to reconcile with his father. So, he rode his motorcycle across the country to see his dad. That’s a long ride on a motorcycle. That sounds like a conversion to me. That sounds like a man who had met God, because there was a change in his life. That’s a familiar pattern in Scripture: have a personal encounter with the Lord and then find that your life is changed as a result. In 2 Kings 5, after the military commander Naaman was healed from his leprosy, he immediately rejected all idols and wanted to show his gratitude with a gift. In Acts 9, after Saul encountered Jesus on his way to arrest Christians, he changed the entire trajectory of his life. He became a leader of the people he had been persecuting. In Acts 16, after the Philippian jailer became a believer, he washed the backs of the prisoners he had previously whipped. And in Luke 19, after the tax collector Zacchaeus encountered Jesus, he vowed to give half his wealth to the poor and repay the people he’d cheated four times what he owed them. Let’s be clear: None of these people changed so that they could make themselves good enough for the Lord. They didn’t earn their salvation or righteousness with their good deeds. The change came after their encounter with the Lord, as a result of His impact on their life. The apostle Paul—the man known as Saul in Acts 9—wrote, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT). After you give your life to Christ, your next step is to foster this new person and embrace the changes that will occur in your life. The Holy Spirit, who takes up residence inside you when you receive Christ, will guide you in this step. He will remind you that certain attitudes, habits, and routines are part of your old life. He will help you adjust to the changes that Jesus initiates. He will help you enjoy the “rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10 NLT) that only Jesus offers. Reflection question: What has changed in your life since you became a believer? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pastor Scott's sermon reflects on the story of Zacchaeus from Luke 19, emphasizing that no one is inherently worthy of Jesus, but salvation is available to all who confess their sins and truly come to know Jesus personally. He contrasts simply hearing about Jesus with genuinely knowing Him and urges us to move from merely being aware of Jesus to having a personal relationship with Him.