PowerPointPastors.com


Home | STORE | About | How to Use | Articles | Contact | Copyright  MEMBERS: Sermon Series | Solo Sermons | Bonus | Links

MEMBERS
-  Sign in, then download free articles for your church 
HERE. Use as handouts, sermon aids, or discussion starters. More in the STORE.


Join PowerPointPastors.com to receive access to over 250 PowerPoint sermons and other resources ($39.95 USD). Free sample sermons here.

The Parables of Jesus - How Do I Respond?

by Greg Hanson

The Bible records several of the stories, or parables, that Jesus told. Jesus used these parables as a means to teach the audience spiritual truths and moral lessons.

But these parables were not only for the crowds a couple thousand years ago; they are also for us today. The parables of Jesus were packed full of meaning and are as relevant for our world today as when they were first told.

When you read or hear one of the parables of Jesus, here are three ways you can learn from it and internalize it.

A. Ask why Jesus is telling this parable.

Jesus said His parables reveal the secrets (or the mysteries) of the Kingdom. When someone tells you a secret, what's the first thing you ask? "Why are you telling me this?" You ask this because when someone tells you a secret, it's for a reason. So when you read one of the parables of Jesus ask why He is telling it. What is the message? What is He telling you about how you should live? What is He revealing about the Kingdom of God? What do you learn about God from this parable? What can you learn about yourself? What is the life-application?

B. Act on the message of the parable.

If Jesus is calling for a life-change, then change. If He's calling you to trust Him, then trust Him. If He's revealing some kind of a warning, then heed the warning. If He's showing you how to love more fully, then strive to put it into practice. If He's showing you how to relate to other people, then apply the wisdom of His words.

C. Pass it on.

The best way to really 'get it' and take the message of Jesus to heart is to share it with other people. Share it with your friends, share it with your family, or share it with other believers. You can even share it with people who are far from God. Because for them-even through they may have so far rejected the message of Jesus-hearing what He is doing in your life may encourage them to take Him seriously. As Jesus said to Paul, "Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God." Acts 26:17 (NLT)

The stories Jesus told were packed full of spiritual truth, and it's waiting to be discovered. Why not pick up your Bible and read a parable today?


[A license to print multiple copies of this article is available in the PowerPointPastors.com Store.]



 


PowerPointPastors.com is provided as a ministry for pastors/preachers, especially those in churches without large attendance or flexible budgets. Most resources on this site have been designed by Greg Hanson for use at Sunrise Wesleyan Church. While Greg maintains the copyright for original material, permission is granted for pastors to use and adapt these resources for use within their local church... just don't resell it.