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!

An Unwanted Gift
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Imagine spending weeks searching for the perfect gift for someone you dearly love, paying an outrageous price to purchase it, carefully wrapping it in just the right paper, then giving it to them with great excitement, only to have them throw it in the trash can! Surely no one would ever respond to such extravagant kindness in such a cruel way. Yet the Bible tells us that God gave the gift of His Son to the world, and they rejected Him. John 1:11 says, “He came to his own, but his own did not receive him.” What have you done with the gift of Jesus? Are there areas of your life where He is still unwanted?


