The Authority of Jesus (Luke 5)
November 27, 2018
00:00
He who has authority to heal, has authority to rule.
Do you remember the story in Luke 5 about the guy who was paralyzed and Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven,” and the critical Pharisees said, “Who can forgive sins but God?” So Jesus proved he could forgive by healing him and the man walked. Well, the witnesses glorified God and we are reminded that he who has the authority to heal and to forgive sin also has the authority of Lord. We often run to Jesus when we need healing or forgiveness. Don’t forget to give him authority over your life.
Featured Offer
Blended & Blessed®
Blended & Blessed® is the only one-day live event and livestream just for stepfamily couples, dating couples with kids, and those who care about blended families. Join sites around the globe on April 27th, 2024 as we unpack strategies that are crucial to building unity in your stepfamily. With some of today’s most trusted and respected experts, Blended & Blessed will challenge, inspire, and encourage you.
Archives
No, don’t assume. Ask the stepmom.
Being a stepmom is different from being a Mom. So I tell stepmoms, slow your roll and adjust your expectations. But dads need to adjust their expectations, too. If a dad assumes his kids will embrace her as Mom, he expects too much and that leads to conflict. So dad, cherish her as your wife and give her Mom-like respect in front of your kids. Ask her if she’s comfortable with a particular role or parenting task. Don’t assume and play to her strengths so everyone wins.
November 26, 2018
Yeah, kids are sometimes hesitant to warm up to their stepparent. But what do you do when it’s the stepparent who won’t warm up?
Lisa’s new husband went from open and engaging with her 21-year-old to standoffish and uninterested leaving everyone feeling uncomfortable. It’s hard to guess what’s holding your husband back. Maybe he feels guilty being close to your daughter when his own daughter lives far away. I’m not sure. But the wisdom here is to be full of grace, not condemnation. Be patient or he’ll never explain and you’ll never learn what will open him up. Hopefully, eventually, he’ll reach out to your daughter.
November 23, 2018
Thanksgiving! No, I mean, thanks for giving.
Did you know there’s a cycle of gratitude? When you’re grateful for all God has done it changes how you act towards others. A little of your thankfulness can’t help but spill over to others. Then as 2 Corinthians 9 tells us, your generosity results in them giving thanks to God. Men will “praise God” because of your obedience and the grace of God evident within you. So, your thankfulness to God produces kindness toward others which produces in them gratitude towards God. Nice. Happy Thanksgiving!
November 22, 2018
The Bible says, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” What? Speak up! I can’t hear you!
When I was 35 I started losing my hearing in one ear. Then, after wearing a hearing aid for over a decade, surgery restored my hearing. On many occasions Jesus said, “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” Most people heard what he said, but they didn’t understand. After surgery I discovered many things I never heard before. What about you? What is really preventing you from hearing Jesus? Maybe surgery is in order: “God humble my heart to what I have not been hearing. Give me ears to hear.”
November 21, 2018
Yes, you’re part of a blended family.
Sometimes it’s hard to recognize reality when it’s all you know. I meet lots of people who are part of a blended family or stepfamily, but to them, it’s just family. One woman had two stepdads, a stepmom and many stepsibilings, and then married a man who isn’t the father of her child, and she never realized she was part of a blended family. Hey, 62% of couples under 55 have a stepparent or stepchild. You may be one of them. It’s okay. And, yes, you’re part of a blended family.
November 20, 2018
Prayer reveals your heart to those around you.
I was speaking on Facebook Live when a stepmom's comment really impressed me. She said, “When my stepdaughter first moved in we made sure we prayed for her mom at bed time. It made a huge difference in my stepdaughter’s attitude toward me.” Of course it did. Why? Because you reveal your heart when you pray. In this case, the stepmom’s good will toward the biological mom showed the daughter she respected the mom and their mother-daughter relationship. To a child, a gracious heart is a safe place.
November 19, 2018
Have you ever noticed that worry can spoil an otherwise happy day?
The Bible has a lot to say about worry: “An anxious heart weighs a man down,” Proverbs 12. And, yet, if you’re like me, you worry frequently. About the economy. Are my kids driving safely? Aging parents, politics, terrorist attacks, what to fix for dinner? Why do we do this? Because we forget that God cares. “You are so much more valuable than birds or flowers and yet God provides for them,” Jesus said. Seek first the kingdom and trust him with everything else.
November 16, 2018
Well, he didn’t get to walk his daughter down the aisle, but he did get the daddy-daughter dance.
A friend of mine saw that his stepdaughter was struggling to decide who should walk her down the aisle at her wedding. Her dad, who had been in and out of her life or her stepdad, who had been there all along. My friend made a big sacrifice. He told her he would be okay with her father walking her down the aisle. That brought a light to her eyes and a smile to her face. Then she insisted: “But nobody’s going to take away our dance at the reception.” Oh yeah, he enjoyed that daddy-daughter dance!
November 15, 2018
You know that scene in Forrest Gump when he runs back and forth across the country for three years. Hey, stop running!
Do you feel like Forrest Gump? I keep running into young people whose parents went round and round on the marriage go-round and they got left behind. Alone. Now as adults, they don’t know what a healthy relationship is or what good parenting looks like. So, they run. Well, in the middle of the desert Forrest finally announces, “I’m pretty tired. I think I’ll go home now.” Stop running. Find a ministry or a godly mentor to help you find some answers. Maybe “tired” is trying to tell you something.
November 14, 2018
The best way to love others is to be caught up in a love relationship with God.
Love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Notice the relationship between these two commands of Jesus. You can’t care for others unless you’re caught up in a love relationship with God. The heavenly relationship empowers the earthly one. Ask yourself, “How do I love this person out of love for God?” That recalibrates your motives and gets your heart in the right posture. Loving God is the source to loving others.
November 13, 2018
See More Episodes
Loading...
P
S
Listen to FamilyLife Blended® on
Amazon Echo
Learn How
Learn How
Featured Offer
Blended & Blessed®
Blended & Blessed® is the only one-day live event and livestream just for stepfamily couples, dating couples with kids, and those who care about blended families. Join sites around the globe on April 27th, 2024 as we unpack strategies that are crucial to building unity in your stepfamily. With some of today’s most trusted and respected experts, Blended & Blessed will challenge, inspire, and encourage you.