The Life of the Christ - ForMinistry
The Life of the Christ - ForMinistry
The Life of the Christ - ForMinistry
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Luke 14, 15<br />
down and figure out how much it will cost and if you<br />
have enough money to pay for it? 29 O<strong>the</strong>rwise, you<br />
will start building <strong>the</strong> tower, but not be able to finish.<br />
<strong>The</strong>n everyone who sees what is happening will<br />
laugh at you. 30 <strong>The</strong>y will say, “You started building,<br />
but could not finish <strong>the</strong> job.”<br />
31 What will a king do if he has only ten thousand<br />
soldiers to defend himself against a king who is<br />
about to attack him with twenty thousand soldiers?<br />
Before he goes out to battle, won’t he first sit down<br />
and decide if he can win? 32 If he thinks he won’t be<br />
able to defend himself, he will send messengers and<br />
ask for peace while <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r king is still a long way<br />
<strong>of</strong>f. 33 So <strong>the</strong>n, you cannot be my disciple unless you<br />
give away everything you own.<br />
Salt and Light<br />
34 Salt is good, but if it no longer tastes like salt,<br />
how can it be made to taste salty again? 35 It is no<br />
longer good for <strong>the</strong> soil or even for <strong>the</strong> manure pile.<br />
People simply throw it out. If you have ears, pay<br />
attention!<br />
THE LOST ARE FOUND<br />
One Sheep<br />
15 Tax collectors and sinners were all crowding around to listen<br />
to Jesus. 2 So <strong>the</strong> Pharisees and <strong>the</strong> teachers <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Law <strong>of</strong> Moses<br />
started grumbling, “This man is friendly with sinners. He even<br />
eats with <strong>the</strong>m.”<br />
3 <strong>The</strong>n Jesus told <strong>the</strong>m this story:<br />
4 If any <strong>of</strong> you has a hundred sheep, and one <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>m gets lost, what will you do? Won’t you leave <strong>the</strong><br />
ninety-nine in <strong>the</strong> field and go look for <strong>the</strong> lost sheep<br />
until you find it? 5 And when you find it, you will be<br />
so glad that you will put it on your shoulder 6 and<br />
carry it home. <strong>The</strong>n you will call in your friends and<br />
neighbors and say, “Let’s celebrate! I’ve found my<br />
lost sheep.”<br />
7 Jesus said, “In <strong>the</strong> same way <strong>the</strong>re is more happiness in<br />
70<br />
heaven because <strong>of</strong> one sinner who turns to God than over ninetynine<br />
good people who don’t need to.”<br />
One Coin<br />
8 Jesus told <strong>the</strong> people ano<strong>the</strong>r story:<br />
What will a woman do if she has ten silver coins<br />
and loses one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m? Won’t she light a lamp, sweep<br />
<strong>the</strong> floor, and look carefully until she finds it? 9 <strong>The</strong>n<br />
she will call in her friends and neighbors and say,<br />
“Let’s celebrate! I’ve found <strong>the</strong> coin I lost.”<br />
10 Jesus said, “In <strong>the</strong> same way God’s angels are happy when<br />
even one person turns to him.”<br />
Two Sons<br />
11 Jesus also told <strong>the</strong>m ano<strong>the</strong>r story:<br />
Once a man had two sons. 12 <strong>The</strong> younger son<br />
said to his fa<strong>the</strong>r, “Give me my share <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> property.”<br />
So <strong>the</strong> fa<strong>the</strong>r divided his property between his<br />
two sons.<br />
13 Not long after that, <strong>the</strong> younger son packed<br />
up everything he owned and left for a foreign<br />
country, where he wasted all his money in wild<br />
living. 14 He had spent everything, when a bad famine<br />
spread through that whole land. Soon he had nothing<br />
to eat.<br />
15 He went to work for a man in that country,<br />
and <strong>the</strong> man sent him out to take care <strong>of</strong> his pigs.<br />
16 He would have been glad to eat what <strong>the</strong> pigs were<br />
eating, but no one gave him a thing.<br />
17 Finally, he came to his senses and said, “My<br />
fa<strong>the</strong>r’s workers have plenty to eat, and here I am,<br />
starving to death! 18 I will go to my fa<strong>the</strong>r and say to<br />
him, ‘Fa<strong>the</strong>r, I have sinned against God in heaven<br />
and against you. 19 I am no longer good enough to be<br />
called your son. Treat me like one <strong>of</strong> your workers.’ ”<br />
20 <strong>The</strong> younger son got up and started back to<br />
his fa<strong>the</strong>r. But when he was still a long way <strong>of</strong>f, his<br />
fa<strong>the</strong>r saw him and felt sorry for him. He ran to his<br />
son and hugged and kissed him.<br />
21 <strong>The</strong> son said, “Fa<strong>the</strong>r, I have sinned against<br />
God in heaven and against you. I am no longer good<br />
71<br />
Jesus Goes to Jerusalem