Beyond the Weekend: Parables
The stories Jesus told and what they mean for your life today.
Why did Jesus teach in stories? Because the deepest truths about God are often found in the ordinary moments of life.
In the parables, Jesus takes everyday things, a lost sheep, a dinner party, a farmer planting seeds and uses them to show us what God is really like and what it means to follow him.
This summer, we’re spending seven weeks in the parables from Luke’s gospel. Whether you’ve heard these stories a hundred times or this is your first time, you’re invited to come and hear them fresh.
June 27/28–August 8/9
God Rich
Read: Luke 12:19-21 | Listen: Luke 12
“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:21
Jesus tells the story of the rich fool and closes it with a stark warning: things do not end well for the man who thinks only of himself and hoards his abundance. This man has more grain than he will ever need, but less time than he realizes. God calls him to account that very moment. The warning is clear: God's people are not to live as owners, but as managers who see every blessing and gift as coming from him. Rather than being consumed with this world and the things that will pass away, God's people are to be rich toward him.
God has richly blessed us, but we are not meant to keep it all to ourselves. Rather, we are to reflect the heart of our generous God and extend that same blessing to others. Paul gives a similar charge to wealthy believers in Ephesus, urging them "…not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God…" (1 Timothy 6:17). To hope in God means placing our confidence and trust in him, rather than in riches, resources, or anything else this world offers. This is our challenge today, too. Living in an affluent culture, the real question is not how much we have, but where our hope lies—in him, or in our stuff. That question reveals the true orientation of our hearts.
TODAY: Ask God to reorient your heart toward him. Pray that he would help you fight off greed, delight in his presence, and give generously with your time and money to those around you. As you pray, affirm these truths by singing along with our worship team to "Be Thou My Vision."
