Word of Life Study Series Brice C. Craig

Welcome to the Gospel Series- The Parables of Jesus:

Parable: “The Cloth and New Wine Skins”
Reference: Matthew 9:14-17; Mark 2:18-22; Luke 5:33-39
Theme: Reality over Religion
Context: Jesus is asked why His Disciples are not Fasting and Praying

Luke 5:33-39
They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.” Jesus answered, “Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.” He told them this parable: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’”

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Welcome to the Gospel Series- The Parables of Jesus:

Parable: “The Two Debtors”
Reference: Luke 7:41-43
Theme: Comparison- A Heart of Gratitude between a Prostitute (Inferred) and a Pharisee
Context: Jesus was invited to Dinner at a Pharisee’s House to be scrutinized

Luke 7:36-38
“Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.  When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume,  and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.” 
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Welcome to the Gospel Series- The Parables of Jesus:

Parable: “The Lamp on a Stand”
Reference: Matthew 5:14-16; 6:22-23; Mark 4:21-25; Luke 8:16-18; 11:33-36
Theme: The impact of God’s Word in our lives to influence others
Context: Used in Different Settings:

Matthew 5:15-16:                            Sermon on the Mount- behavior and conduct
Mark 4:21-25; Luke 8:16-18:    The Word as Spiritual Seed
Luke 6:33-36:                                      Jesus Teaching the People
 
Matthew 5:14-16
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” 
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Welcome to the Gospel Series. There are three seasons in this series: The Parables of Jesus, The Discourses of Jesus and the Miracles of Jesus. These podcasts are dedicated to the life, ministry and teachings of Jesus Christ as foreshadowed in the Old Testament, presented in the Gospels and explained in the Epistles- letters to the churches in the books of Romans - Revelation.
 
The Parables of Jesus
A parable is a short, simple story designed to communicate a spiritual truth, religious principle, or moral lesson; a figure of speech in which truth is illustrated by a comparison or example drawn from everyday experiences. They are not just simple folk stories or fables of fiction- revelation truth of the Kingdom.
 
The Discourses of Jesus
There are various forms or styles that discourses can come in; from Latin discursus, meaning “running to and from.” Jesus had invoked all of these styles throughout His teaching and preaching ministry as an effective means of communication. The purpose was to express and impart grace and revelation truth to the hearers. These were not empty words, but contained power to transform and save those who believed.
 
The Miracles of Jesus
When reason takes the place of the miraculous, Christianity loses its vitality, fascination and fruitfulness. Christianity is not a religion, it is the very life of God in mankind. There could not be a religion that would appeal to humanity that was not founded upon miracles and propagated by miracles. People crave a miracle working God today; they want a living God, craving a miracle working God. The deep seated hunger in the human heart for God is the reason for all religions. If we take the supernatural out of Christianity, we have left is an empty shell of a religion. 

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Welcome to the Gospel Series- The Parables of Jesus. We are going to explore the Lord’s parables and discover their rich significance to us today. A parable is a short, simple story designed to communicate a spiritual truth, religious principle, or moral lesson; a figure of speech in which truth is illustrated by a comparison or example drawn from everyday experiences. They are not just simple folk stories or fables of fiction- revelation truth of the Kingdom.
 
Matthew 13:34-35
Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.” 

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Welcome to Word of Life Study Series. Deeper in God’s Word, a devotional workbook designed to lead the believer into a deeper walk with God through His Word. The project had taken me a few years to compile and assemble numerous Scriptures into eight separate subjects. I believe that you will find a beautiful and powerful blend and harmony of God’s Word knitted into a tapestry of wisdom and revelation. Primarily I have used the New International Version of the Bible, along with the King James Version and Amplified Bible. Occasionally I have interjected a few words of my own to help with transitions or to elaborate on a few key Scriptures. The overall format has been designed to allow the Holy Scriptures to speak for themselves.
 
1. Bible Devotions
The Bible translates the word, “Meditation” to mutter, murmur, ponder, speak, study, talk and utter. In other words, it’s a spiritual exercise that involves speaking God’s Word out loud so you can hear yourself. Take the time to slowly ponder and feed on God’s Word and expect the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you into all truth. He will impart rich revelation and insight concerning God and His Kingdom. In Matthew 4:4 Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every Word that comes from the mouth of God.’” As natural food is to our physical body, so the Word of God is to our spirit- John 6:63 states, “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.”
 
2. The Word of His Grace
God’s Grace is found in God’s Word. If we want more of God’s grace in our lives, then look no further than the Bible. That is where this devotional material becomes a powerful tool in the life of the believer- to hide God’s Word in our heart- Acts 20:32. Now that we have established the source of God’s Grace, the next obvious question is what is God’s Grace? A common definition for Grace goes as follows, “God’s unmerited favor.” I believe this definition would be better suited to describe God’s Mercy. Therefore, I believe that “God’s Grace is God’s power at work in us who believe.”
 
3. The Word of Faith
Faith is not a Charismatic cliché, rather it is an eternal spiritual principle that has its origins in God and creation. This principle is first mentioned in the book of Deuteronomy and addressed the matter of obeying God’s commands. Notice in this short passage that the phrase “So we may obey it” is used three times. The secret to obeying God’s commands is found in the “Word of Faith” principle. The alternative would be for us to obey God  through our own works and our own strength which is religion. The Bible pronounces that those who try to please God in their own strength and devices are under a curse- Galatians 3:1-5, 10-11 
 
4. The Spirit of Faith
Where the “Word of Faith” ends, the “Spirit of Faith” begins. There is a deceptive counterfeit to having faith in the heart, called “Mental Accent” which is really a façade. It is a mental acquiesce to the truth without a conviction of the heart on the matter. For example, many people subscribe to a historical Jesus, but they do not accept Him in their heart as Lord and Savior. So how do we know that we believe the promise of God in our heart? Like Abraham, after hearing the Promise of God over a course of time, we come to place where the seed produces a harvest in our spirit- Hebrews 11:1, faith being the substance of what we hope for. We possess a supernatural revelation, an unshakable knowing, being fully persuaded that I believe that I have received. According to Jesus, before we receive the promise of God, we must first believe in our heart that we already have it by faith- Ro. 4:16-22; Mk. 11:22-24.
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