Luke 18

"Dear Precious One, When you read the verses below, I want you to notice My interactions with My disciples regarding a rich public official who turned..."

"Dear Believer, Have you noticed how people sometimes ask the wrong questions? Those questions reveal their assumptions about reality and their place...."

"One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. "There was a judge in a certain city," he said, "who...."

"Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: "Two men went to the Temple to..."

Jesus came for the good, the bad, and the ugly Jesus wants to remind us that performing a series of religious acts doesn't make us right with God. Our attitude matters. What the Bible calls "the heart." While men look at the outside, God looks at the heart.

"As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road. When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening......"

"Dear Friend, You are most likely seeking to be one of My disciples or you wouldn't be reading this. Or you already are a part of My family. Then you...."

"Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said, "Listen, we're going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of....."

"Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: "Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?" ... [Jesus said,] "But to answer..."

"Then the Lord said, "Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don't you think God will surely give..."

"[Jesus continued,] "In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!" Those..."

"[After Jesus' reply to the religious leader's question about what to do to inherit eternal live, the] man replied, "I've obeyed all these commandments..."

"Peter said, "We've left our homes to follow you." "Yes," Jesus replied, "and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers..."

"Dear Child of God, Sometimes the truth is simply hard to comprehend. I'm not talking about a truth that is intellectually tough to comprehend...."

"And Jesus said [to the blind man who was pleading to be able to see], "All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you." Instantly the man..."

"When Jesus heard [the blind man who was pleading for mercy], he stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him. As the man came near, Jesus asked...."

"Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: "Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?" "Why do you call me good?" Jesus..."

"When Jesus saw [that the rich man was sad when told he should surrender his wealth to help the poor, Jesus] said, "How hard it is for the rich to..."

Are you righteous enough to get close to God? Bill Denton reminds us that the Pharisees' problem wasn't their love for Scripture, but their willingness to condemn others and justify themselves.

We all want to know where we rank compared to everyone else. So what about God? Does he have a list? The problem with making a list of who is most likely to get to heaven is that we compare ourselves to other men and not to God.

"Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: "Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?""

"Jesus said, "The things that are impossible for people to do are possible for God to do.""

"Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God.""

"One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up."

"Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: ..."

"If men ought always to pray and not to faint, much more Christian men. Jesus has sent his church into the world on the same errand upon which he..."

Inspirational illustration of Luke 18:1 -- keep praying and never get discouraged

What do you and where do you go when life isn't fair? Life is unfair and in the unfairness we need to learn to pray and keep after it and not relent, not praying those PC prayers, but gut check from the heart prayers that are real.

Do you see God in the face and actions of a young child? Rubel Shelly's night with a little girl in a restaurant reminds him of who God actually is.

Come on, now, let's just admit to the truth! Rubel Shelly confronts our tendency to make excuses for our sins, mistakes, and errors and then try to use softer words to make them not seem so bad.

Do you dare dream for the road ahead? Tom Norvell shares about moving into a new home and his dreams for the future.

Our churches not living on mission to make a perceivable difference in the lives of the disenfranchised and broken, like Jesus did, is disillusioning to young adults seeking to live for Jesus. Phil Ware talks about the need for our churches and our people to focus on becoming JesuShaped as they live the Kingdom of God and not go for gimmicks to solve our church problems.

Will you still follow? I have decided to follow Jesus and though I don't do it perfectly, I won't quit

Are you too young to know it is impossible? Tom Norvell Reminds us of the movie Amazing Grace and how William Pitt and Wilberforce did the impossible and overturned the slave trade in Great Britain and he calls on us to dream big dreams and do the impossible.

What in the world has Mildred gotten herself into this time? Mildred Budge, church lady personified, faces another set of misadventures, this time with a truck driver, a Hummer, and an ambulance at Wal-Mart.

There really are not any God is good. We are not. He sent his Son so we could be good.

Is there a way through times of ineffective prayer? Phil Ware continues his series on Nehemiah and focuses on prayers, especially when prayers seem to go unanswered and we feel alone, frustrated, disappointed, discouraged, and ignored by God.

Can you drown out all the noise and simply listen for the Creator's voice in the Bible's first chapter? Phil Ware continues his series of messages based on the sea passages of the Bible, called Saved at Sea, this post is called Something Beautiful, Someone Good.