Lost by Choice Saved by Grace

 Text: Luke 15:11-32

Sometimes we are lost because of the choices we make. The young man in the parable in Luke 15 was in that situation. He developed an attitude of being owed something. He approached his father and asked for his share of the inheritance. He was tired of rules. He was tired of chores. And he wanted what was his so he could do what he wanted to do.

He left home and went into a foreign country. He was finally free to do as he pleased. A crowd of "friends" gathered around him very quickly. Before too long the cash was gone and so were the ("fair weather") friends.

The young man got a job feeding pigs. He was so hungry he thought about eating the pig feed. Then he came to his senses. He would go home and become a servant in his father's house. He memorized his speech and started home.

His father was out watching for him. He ran out to meet him. The young man began to speak but never finished. ("Father I am no longer worthy to be called thy son.") The father interrupted him in joy, welcomed him home, and gave him a homecoming party.

He lost his way but home was where he left it. He had to make a choice and go home.

Searching for Truth

What Must I Do To Be Saved?

Lost and Confused

      Welcome to my new blog. I will get right to the point. Have you ever been lost? Have you ever felt lost? Somehow when you try to find your way, it just adds to the confusion. You ask someone which way to go and his answer is that one way is as good as another. There is no true way except your own personal truth in your heart. Your heart sinks and your mind is flooded with more confusion. You are not alone. People all around you are experiencing similar difficulties in their lives. 

     Man is more than an animal and more than just a resident of earth then a few years then at death life is no more. We have been lied to. There is absolute truth. There is a God. And there is eternal life that comes after physical death. Jesus the Son of God said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6

   " For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised. 17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If our hope in Christ is for this life alone, we are to be pitied more than all men." 1 Corinthians 15:16-19

     Other humans in history want all of us to accept what they believe; No truth, no God, no moral  standards to live by.  Those same people will tell you that the Bible is a book of fairy tales. Do not pass judgement until you have read it all. It is the manual given to us by our Creator. The answers to many of your questions are answered by the Bible (God's Word). Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? Yes, It is a book of faith. And our faith is evidence based faith. We could not be there for each Biblical event in history but there is enough reasonable evidence to substantiate the truth and validity of the Bible.

     When we get separated from our Heavenly Father (Our God, and our Creator), we all become lost. When does that happen? At some point it happens to all humans. God created us with the ability to make choices. When we choose to violate God's laws and standards that is called sin. Sin separates us from God. God's Word (the Bible) teaches that sin is the transgression of God's law.  It also teaches that. "all have sinned and come short of the glory ofGod." And sin not repented of leads us to eternal death or eternal separation from God. "The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." When we choose to sin, we become lost and separated from God. When someone is lost, they seek to find their way back home. Let's search the scriptures to find our way home. 

     Join me as we continue these thoughts in the next blog post.

Searching For Truth

What Must I Do To Be Saved?