In this sermon, Jonathan shares with us the drama from Jesus' family and how that is impacting his ministry pointing out the hard choices He will have to make.

In his presentation, Jonathan used a whiteboard and wrote the following:

1. Jesus chooses his family
2. His family comes to collect him
3. The Jewish Leaders deny Him as King and block others
4. His family comes to collect him
5. Jesus chooses his family

This is called a "Markan Sandwich" or more accurately, a chiasmus structure.

The point of this is to draw the reader to the middle where the meat of the story is and that is where you see the main idea.

Here, it is a warning to not be like the Jewish leaders, who Jesus' family is in danger of doing with albeit naive motives.

Ultimately, we must choose Jesus in every aspect of our lives

Jonathan Discusses the commonly known parable, The prodigal son."

Hook: What do we do when someone challenges our faith?

Text: Luke 15:11-32, 2 Corinthians 5:18-20

The Prodigal Son moves from Lord to Servant
The Older Son moves from Servant to Lord

1. The Choice of the Prodigal Son
2. The Warning to the Older Son
3. The Invitation of the Father

Main idea: The faithfulness of the Father allows me to be faithful to others

Challenge: Be the faithful Father. Carelessly love others to reconciliation.

Genesis 22 - Abraham sacrifices Isaac.

Abraham's Greatest Test

When you're on a faith road trip with God. . .

1. You should expect __________
2. You should focus on _____________
3. You should depend on ______________

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.

Impress them on your children.

Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the

road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.

Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

………………..

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

……………

Isaac learned faithfulness because the faith of his father was his father’s number one priority.

…………

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—

Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt

offering on a mountain I will show you.”

Genesis 22:1-2

………

“Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there.

We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

Genesis 22:5

…………

So, Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day

it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

Genesis 22:14

……

To impress is to communicate.

…………………

Priorities are communicated by our attitudes towards church.

………….

Priorities are communicated by the atmosphere in the home.

……………..

Priorities are communicated by your adherence to God’s commands.

The Sermon has been updated and is now represented here in its entirety.

Series: May Those Who Follow Find Us Faithful

Talk: Teaching God’s Word

Deut. 6:4-9; 2 Timothy 1:5

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.

Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 23:37-40

I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 2 Timothy 1:5

1. Keeping children home > receiving them back.

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thought and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:14-15

Why do we teach?

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”

Psalm 119:105

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 1 Peter 2:2

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:11

When do we teach?

When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight … Jeremiah 15:16

How do we teach?

Series: May Those Who Follow Find Us Faithful

Tie: A Reminder of Our Love

Deut. 6:4-9; Matthew 23:37-40

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.

Impress them on your children.

Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 23:37-40

Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.

Proverbs 22:6

Your love for the Lord must be authentic.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First, clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside, you appear to people as righteous but on the inside, you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”

Matthew 23:25-28

Your love for the Word must be greater than all other words.

Your dependence must be on the One above.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

John 14:12-14

Your love must dare to discipline.

As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Whoever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father?

If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.

Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?

Hebrews 11:7-9 (NLT)

Series: May Those Who Follow Find Us Faithful

Write: Sharing Stories of the Lord’s Faithfulness

Deut. 6:4-9

…………

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.

Impress them on your children.

Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.

Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

………….

Abraham told his faith stories to Isaac.

…………….

We should tell our faith stories to our family.

………….

We should tell our faith stories to our church family.

Luke 8:22-25