Do you have a favorite portion of Scripture? Keith Kiser, one of my early Bible teachers, used to say that his favorite Scripture was whatever portion he was studying at the time. Good answer! It is all the Word of God, and it is all-sufficient and all-profitable to our lives.
Yet you will find at certain times God will connect a specific passage of Scripture to your life in a special way. At least that has been my experience with the Word. It opens to us as we continue walking with God.
Much of the Bible is written in narrative form. A vivid reminder that all of history is the story of God dealing with man. People love stories and think in story form – we are living our own story! I believe this is why the Lord Jesus chose to use parabolic teaching: human beings readily relate to other people and to the world around them.
Every story in Scripture is there to teach us some spiritual truth (1 Corinthians 10:1-11). Nothing in the Word is there for mere entertainment or even for information! This is divine revelation. The Lord is helping us to see others, to see ourselves, and, most of all, to see Him.
For many years my favorite story has been the story commonly known as “the prodigal son” in Luke 15. Again and again God has used it to melt my cold heart and remind me of the loving heart of our Heavenly Father. It is actually only one part of a larger story that Jesus told concerning lost things and lost people.
For the next two weeks I would like to ask you to join me as we walk through Jesus’ story in Luke 15. Go with us to the far country and finally to the father’s house. Together we will visit the dark places where sin leads us…and then make our way to the joy and light of Heaven!
You may listen to this daily study at enjoyingthejourney.org, on our Youtube channel, or on your favorite podcast player. I promise you that Jesus has much to say to all of us from this powerful story. This is your personal invitation to Come Home.
Our very first Enjoying the Journey study was through my favorite book, Philippians – that amazing letter of Christian joy. If you have never heard those initial episodes you may access them here. I have written about why Philippians 3 is my favorite chapter and the very personal way He used it in my early Christian experience. (Read more on some of my favorite passages here.)
As for specific verses, Acts 20:24 is the verse I have chosen as my “second half verse.” (Listen to our brief series on “Life Verses.”) The Holy Spirit has used definite portions of the Word as guideposts along my journey and I am sure He has in your life as well.
What is your favorite Bible story? Tell us why! Perhaps the Lord will use it to bring others into the riches of that Spirit selected story on the pages of Holy Scripture.
That is a good story. I have preached a Sunday through Wednesday revival meeting from that passage. Some sermons were my own but in preparation I used many other sources. A few were almost total borrowed. Where were your outlines when I needed them?
Noah Brouton from Summerset, KY preached once on “Questions the Father Had a Right to Ask”. Powerful message on the prodigal from a classmate of my father’s. Conviction was heavy on me when he preached it.
I’ll be looking forward to your post on the subject.
Ted Mock
Thank you!