Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from the slave, though he is the master of all. – Galatians 4:1 REFERENCE Galatians 4:1-9 An heir is someone who has the legal right to inherit the properties of another at their demise. On the other hand, a child is a minor who needs guardians and teachers for daily direction. This means a child is immature and is incapable of handling certain responsibilities. Therefore, an heir who is still a child cannot lay claim to his inheritance until he gets to...
For by You I can run against (or through) a troop, by my God, I can leap over a wall. - Psalm 18:29 (Emphasis mine). REFERENCE Psalm 18:29-39 David made this statement in our text today after God victoriously brought him through a series of life-threatening battles. He saw the mighty hand of God move so much in his life that he came to the conclusion that he could scale any wall no matter how high that wall was as long as the Lord was on his side. Like David, you too can overcome any situation you face headlong as...
Saul was very angry with Jonathan and said to him, '… I know that you have chosen to support that son of Jesse… As long as Jesse’s son lives, you will never be king and have a kingdom…' - 1 Samuel 20:30-31 (ERV). REFERENCE 1 Samuel 20:30-42 The focus of our text today – Jonathan, clearly demonstrated in this passage that he knew his place in life; so even when his father verbally abused him and challenged him to fight for the throne, he wasn’t moved because he knew God had given the throne to his friend David and...
But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come. – Mark 4:29 REFERENCE Mark 4:26-29 A seed is a flowering plant’s unit of reproduction, capable of developing into another such plant. It is anything that can multiply and become more if sown in the proper soil. When an orange seed is planted in the right soil, it becomes an orange tree with time. This is a natural law (an established principle) and so it must be fulfilled. In the same way, when ‘seeds’ are planted in the kingdom of God, they...
The son realized that he had been very foolish. He thought, ‘All my father’s hired workers have plenty of food… I will leave and go to my father…’ – Luke 15:17-18 (ERV). REFERENCE Luke 15:11-24 Today we conclude the topic, ‘Examine Yourself.’ The 7th question to ask in your journey to achieve your goals is, ‘What pushed me in the right direction?’ – While self-criticism is good in self-evaluation, you should equally consider what has worked well and what is working to take you towards your goals. The Prodigal Son was pushed in the right direction by his father who...
The son realized that he had been very foolish. He thought, ‘All my father’s hired workers have plenty of food…I will leave and go to my father…’ – Luke 15:17-18 (ERV). REFERENCE Luke 15:11-24 (Continued) After you have ascertained ‘where you are,’ the next question that should come up is: ‘Is this my fate or my state?’ If you consider it your fate, then you are stuck, if you see it as a temporary state then you can still achieve the goals you set out to achieve. If these goals are God-given in the first instance, then you should not...
The son realized that he had been very foolish. He thought, ‘All my father’s hired workers have plenty of food. But here I am, almost dead because I have nothing to eat. I will leave and go to my father…’ – Luke 15:17-18 (ERV). REFERENCE Luke 15:11-24 Today, we will learn from the story of the Prodigal Son, because like many of us, he also had a goal for his life – financial freedom, he prayed to his ‘father’, he embarked on a journey (into the year), after a while, he realized he wasn’t where he prayed, planned, desired to...
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves… - 2 Corinthians 13:5 Before we go any further into the year, I want us to take out time this week to evaluate how we did last year in order to identify where to make adjustments, with the ultimate aim of making progress (achieve upgrade) this year. Our text today says: ‘we should EXAMINE ourselves.’ This clearly means that we should take stock and review our lives because we cannot go forward until we understand where we are coming from and where we are presently. Thus, until you...
And Nathaniel said to him, 'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?' Philip said to him, 'Come and see.' - John 1:46 REFERENCE John 1:43-48 Nathanael of Galilee describes just how many of us perceive life. He is so taken by his hometown, Galilee, that he thinks 'the world' of it. Interestingly, Galilee means, 'Circle or Circuit, or Ring.' Therefore, it is Nathanael's globe; the world that encircles him and it defines his outlook on life. What he doesn’t know is that Galilee has become a wall around him, it has bounded him in, and it has kept him...
…lest there be any FORNICATOR or PROFANE person like Esau, who for ONE MORSEL OF FOOD SOLD HIS BIRTHRIGHT. For you know that AFTERWARD, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, HE WAS REJECTED, for he FOUND NO PLACE FOR REPENTANCE, though he sought it diligently with TEARS. - Hebrews 12:16-17 (Emphasis mine). REFERENCE Hebrews 12:12-17 ‘Fornicator’ in Greek is – PORNOS, it is from a root word which means to SELL. One of its meanings is PROSTITUTE. Of course, a prostitute sells his/her body to get economic benefits. 'Profane’ in Greek is – BEBELOS. It means, unhallowed, common, accessible...