When you think of “sinners” who might be excluded from God’s kingdom, does anyone come to mind? If so, you may be entering dangerous territory. The Pharisees were certain of their own seat at God’s table, convinced that the tax collectors and prostitutes had no such place. But Jesus came precisely for the people the religious crowd wrote off. He welcomes the broken, the fallen, the forgotten with open arms the moment they repent and turn to Him. God’s grace reaches farther than our judgments, and we may be surprised by those who are on heaven’s guest list!
Exchanging God for Lesser Things
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 43:09 — 19.9MB) | Embed
Quick, what images come to your mind when you hear the words, “idol worship?” Do you picture an ancient, pagan culture bowing down before statues carved from wood or stone? The problem is, when we think about idol worshipers, we never think about ourselves! But according to the Bible, idolatry is setting up substitute gods in our heart. So often we exchange God for other things — we allow other things to become more important to us, and when we do, we have become idol worshipers. Yes, idolatry is alive and well today, even in our churches!
