Gainesville, Florida Lutheran churches and holy lessons? We live to help all people discover family in Christ by reaching those far from God and making disciples who build God’s kingdom. Discovering family in Christ means knowing God as Father and His followers as brothers and sisters. It means having a relationship with the Creator of the universe that gives you a purpose on earth. It means finding your place among the people who have committed their lives to share God’s love.
The servant whose lord forgave him much, ten thousand talents, equivalent to several millions of dollars, was unwilling to forgive another servant who owed him a hundred denarii. A denarius was a day’s wage and was worth approximately sixteen cents. Therefore, compared to what the first servant was forgiven, this was a very small amount. The principle here is, “the one forgiven much should forgive much.” In other words, the principle of forgiveness is that grace or forgiveness to another is without limit. The disciples are not to count the number of times they forgive. Rather, as the parable teaches, they are to forgive much because God has forgiven much.
Eventually, the judge says to himself, “I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!” (Luke 18:4–5, NLT). The widow gets the justice she was seeking. Then Jesus explains His point: if an uncaring, unfit, ungodly judge answers with justice in the end, how much more will a loving and holy Father give what is right to His children?
New Testament : The Parable Of The Lost Coin? The parable of the lost coin indicates the mission of the Son. Jesus came to be the Light of the World; “The true light that gives light to every man. . .” (John 1:9). Jesus provides the light for sinners to be found of God, just as the woman needed light to search carefully for her lost coin. Each sinner is special to God; there is rejoicing in heaven over “each one” that repents. We are all individuals of great importance to the Father. The woman could have been content to possess the remaining nine coins; obviously they represented great wealth and status to her. Instead, she searched carefully, unwilling to leave to chance that her coin might never be reclaimed. And it was not sufficient for her to harbor this knowledge alone. Friends and neighbors must be told, as well to share in the celebration.
New Testament : The Parable of the Sower? Meaning of the Parable of the Sower: “But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” (Mark 4:8) First, there is the hard heart, the seed that falls along the roadside. This represents people who hear the Word of God, but never really believe. Then there is the shallow heart. That is the seed that falls on stony ground. This signifies the people who hear the Word of God and receive it with joy, but because there is no root to sustain them, they wither.
The focus of our Small Groups is learning about Jesus and His message, studying scripture, making disciples, enjoying fellowship and investing in each others’ lives. As we mature in our faith, followers of Jesus should display servant leadership just as He demonstrated. At The Family Church, we have a 9-month development process to prepare people to have a deacon leadership role in the congregation. See additional details at Churches in Gainesville FL.
In the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16), Jesus compares workers’ wages to the kingdom of heaven. He describes a landowner who hires groups of workers at various points in the day. His first workers agree to work for one denarius, equal to about one day’s wages. As the day goes on, workers who began at the third, sixth, ninth, and eleventh hour are likewise hired with the promise of being paid “whatever is right” at the end of the day (Matt. 20:4).