2 passages

Luke 15 

"1 Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 

2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain 

that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!"

Once again, we see that "notorious" sinners WANTED to be around Jesus. In Jewish society, such people were shunned & vilified.

But Jesus was someone who drew people to Him, not chase them away.

And once again as people who claim to be His followers, this begs 2 questions:

1. Are we so full of Jesus that the "notorious" sinners of this day & time WANT to be around us?

2. Are we so full of Jesus that we WANT to be around "notorious" sinners?

Are we honest enough with ourselves to admit the real answer to both of those questions?

1 Corinthians 10

"13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. 

And God is faithful. 

He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. 

When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure."

This verse could be subtitled "no excuses".

Can we let the truth of this verse sink in?

Paul unequivocally says God provides a way out from any kind of sin that assails us.

He says God won't allow us to be tempted more than we can stand.

Why are we not hearing more sermons based this verse?

Why isn't this a MAJOR tenet of our basic thinking about or connection with God & what is the reality of our life as sinners saved by grace?

Why hasn't this verse been burned into our psyche?!

The reality of this 1 verse should set quite simply blow our minds!

The problem here is that we probably don't REALLY believe it - we don't trust it.