Florida Coast Church

The Gospel of John wastes no time in diving into the deep waters of truth. In John 1:1-18 , the author presents Jesus as the divine Word who became a human, the Light that came into the darkness, and the One and Only who is himself God and with God the Father. Although these are elevated ideas, they provide us with simple answers to some of the biggest questions in life: From where did everything...

One of the most difficult parables to interpret is in Luke 16:1-17 , which relates the underhanded dealings of a dishonest manager who got fired from his job. Whom does the manager represent? In what ways might we be like the dishonest manager? Listen to Dr. Tim Sansbury as he takes us through this unusual parable, which ends up challenging us to stay true to the gospel message.

In Ruth 4 , we come to the conclusion of the story of Ruth. However, the author has several surprises in store for us readers with not one, but three conclusions. These three conclusions satisfy the three problems presented in chapter one and three problems that we all face: distance from God, bitterness about life, and chaos in our lives. It turns out that the solution to all of these problems is...

At the beginning of Ruth 3 , Naomi took matters into her own hands to secure a husband for Ruth. Her plan was risky, but it worked perfectly (until a complication arose). At the end of the chapter, Boaz determined to take matters into his own hands. Both of them had previously prayed for Ruth, and the time had come for them to act. Because he was a kinsman, he could act as a redeemer. His actions...

As we ended the first chapter of Ruth, there was a ray of hope for the two widows. Maybe they would not starve to death after all, since they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. In Ruth 2 , Ruth proposed to pick up leftover grain behind the harvesters and found her way into the field of a man named Boaz. The interaction between Ruth and Boaz on the day they met ended up pr...

In Ruth 1 , we meet three men and three women, who suddenly separate, leaving all in apparently impossible situations. By the end of the first chapter, there is a ray of hope for the women but none for the men. Even so, one of the women remains convinced that God is against her, since her life has taken tragic turns. As we face suffering in our own lives, we also can conclude that God is against u...

The final parable in our summer series appears in Luke 18:1-8 . Like last week’s parable, the Parable of the Unjust Judge focuses on the period between Jesus’ first and second comings. It too tells us what to do as we await his return, especially if he seems to delay, and especially if we are suffering unjustly. Things really will turn out well in the end as we persevere in faith until the end.

In the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30 and in the two preceding parables, Jesus prepared his followers for his absence. He wanted us to know what to do until he returns, even if he delays a long time. As it turns out, he didn’t ask all of us to do great things, but he does expect us to do something with what he had given us. However, before we do something for him, we first need to gras...

Although we may overlook occasions when others receive unfair treatment, we become indignant when we think people treat us unfairly. In Matthew 20:1-16 , Jesus told a parable about the kingdom of God in which he described a situation that doesn’t look fair to us. As it turns out, Jesus used this apparent unfairness to teach us about God’s generosity, which we mistake for unfairness. By exposing ou...

In the earlier parables, Jesus left people wondering what he meant. In the latter parables, Jesus was often very direct. For example, in Matthew 21:33-46 , Jesus spoke a parable directly against the leaders of the Temple in Jerusalem. They had no problem understanding the parable, but they trapped themselves by their reaction to it. We too need to be careful not to fall into the same trap.

In answer to the grumblings of some religious leaders, Jesus told three parables in Luke 15 about lost and found items: a sheep, a coin, and a son. All of them emphasize the joy of God over bringing one lost person back to himself. The third parable is open-ended, forcing each of us to consider if we are going enter into God’s joyful feast or remain outside.

While attending a meal with religious leaders in Luke 14:1-24 , Jesus broke with social norms and caused multiple disruptions. His goal was not to offend but to instruct, first about the use of the Sabbath day and then about the kingdom of God, which he compared to a great banquet. At the end of the parable, the invitation is still going out, so let’s enter while there is room.

One of the most familiar of Jesus’ parables is the Good Samaritan, found only in Luke 10:25-37 . Jesus told the parable in a conversation with an expert in the law about how to have eternal life. While the parable’s story line is simple and memorable, it includes twists that turn the whole conversation on its head. Jesus opened the way to eternal life, although it wasn’t quite the way that the exp...

Every once in a while there comes along an opportunity that is so fabulous that it is too good to pass up. However, such opportunities often require us to give up all our other options and put all our eggs in one basket. In Matthew 13:44-46 , Jesus told two very short parables about the kingdom of heaven. In each parable, a man seized a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, giving up everything for the...

It is easy to miss something right in front of us when we are looking for something else. Many people missed Jesus, because they were looking for a different kind of kingdom than the one Jesus came to establish. Specifically, they were expecting immediate judgment on sinners, but Jesus surprised everyone by associating with sinners and then dying for them. Following the Parable of the Sower are th...

In our summer sermon series on some of Jesus’ parables, we start with The Parable of the Sower (or Soils) in Mark 4:1-20 . This one is especially helpful, because it includes Jesus’ explanation of the purpose of parables. It also includes his interpretation of the parable but with some key elements missing. As it turns out, Jesus pointed to the secret that will unlock all the parables for us, but...

If you have ever asked what God wants you to do, the whole letter of James will help answer your question. The final section, James 5:13-20 , tells us what to do in four specific situations. In three of the four situations, the activity is the same: to pray. In the fourth, we have the opportunity to do for others what Christ has done for us: to rescue the wandering.

A depressingly common theme that runs through human history is the oppression of the poor by the rich. In the first century, Christians were often on the side of the poor and oppressed. Certainly the readers of James’ letter were in that category. In James 5:1-12 , we find warnings about the dangers of wealth and encouragement when we find ourselves unjustly treated. We can respond well, because s...

Since James is the likely the oldest writing of the New Testament, it appears from James 4:1-17 that church conflicts have been around almost as long as the Christian church has existed. Instead of treating fights as a normal part of church life, this text exposes their causes and provides the solution. Some of the words are blunt, but they are necessary to drive us to God’s grace, which is greate...

One of the most prominent themes in James is human speech. While James mentioned the importance of controlling our tongues in James 1:19 and 1:26 , he dedicated most of James 3 to the power of speech for good or for evil. He also pointed us to the help we need to harness our speech for good.

One of the most controversial sections of James is James 2:14-26 , because some verses sounds very different from what we find in Paul’s teaching. However, it contains a very straightforward message. James simply insisted that the faith that saves us is a faith that produces good works. In contrast, a faith that does nothing, does nothing!

Western society has recently become sensitive to discrimination based on race, nationality, sex, age, appearance, etc. However, discrimination is not new. In fact, James 2:1-13 focuses on the contradiction between having faith in Jesus and treating other people with partiality based on their status. It turns out that the antidote for such partiality is God’s mercy.

If someone hears a message but does not act upon it, sometimes we say that “it went in one ear and out the other.” In James 1:19-27 , God calls us not only to hear his word but to incorporate it into our lives. Only by doing the word can Christians demonstrate that we truly heard it and really believe it. (We thank Dr. Tim Sansbury of Knox Theological Seminary for this excellent sermon.)

In James 1:9-18 , the author continues to urge us to have a biblical perspective on the difficult and the good things in life, including poverty and riches, trials and temptations, and perfect gifts from God. Although we may not be able to change our circumstances, we can develop a Christian approach to them.

After a very brief greeting, James launched into his letter of practical instruction in James 1:1-8 by urging believers in Jesus to consider trials an opportunity to experience pure joy. Because this instruction is so contrary to our natural reaction to trials, we need help! James provides just the help we need by giving us a proper perspective on what God is doing for us in our trials. It turns o...