The New life In Christ: “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him-that she is a sinner.” Luke 7:39.

Jesus spoke up…”A certain creditor had two debtors; the owed five hundred denarii, the other fifty. When they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt.”

And Jesus said to him, “You have judged rightly.”

“Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love.

But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” And said…”Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Luke 7:40-50.

Jesus compares Simon's acts as a host to the sinful woman's acts of love.

Simon's Acts	The Sinful Woman's Acts
No water to wash feet	Washed feet with tears, wiped with hair
No kiss of welcome	Kissed feet continually
No scented olive oil for his guest's hair	Poured perfume on his feet

Amen.

The New Life in Christ: Hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts… Romans 5:5.

We also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hop, and hope does not disappoint us… Romans 5:3-5.

Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy.

When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world.

So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. John 16:20-22.

I (Jesus) have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. “In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!”

John 16:33.

(Living witness)

Amen.

The New Life in Christ: If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 2Corinthians 11:30.

Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated.

Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong. 2Corinthians 12:7-10.

Amen.

The New Life in Christ: Faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. 1Corinthians 13:13.

If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels,

but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains,

but do not have love, I am nothing.

If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast,

but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love never ends.

But as for prophecies, they will come to an end;

as for tongues, they will cease;

as for knowledge, it will come to an end.

For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to end.

And now,

faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.1Corinthians 13:1-13.

Amen.

The New Life in Christ: Tongues, then, are a sign not for the believers but for unbelievers. 1Corinthians 14:22.

If I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you in some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?  So with yourselves; if in a tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is being said? For you will be speaking into the air. There are doubtless many different kinds of sounds in the world, and nothing is without sound.

If then I do not know the meaning of a sound, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me.

So with yourselves; since you are eager for spiritual gifts, strive to excel in them for building up the church.

Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray for the power to interpret.

For if I pray in tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unproductive.

And so,

In church I would rather speak five words with my mind, in order to instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue. 1Cotinthains 14:7-19.

Amen.

The New Life in Christ: You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. Acts 28:26.

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind and to things that should not be done. They were filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, craftiness, they are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, rebellious toward parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, and ruthless.

They know God’s decree, that those who practice such things deserve to die-yet they not only do them but even applaud others who practice them. Romans 1:28-32.

Amen.

The New Life in Christ: Say, “We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!” Luke 17:10.

“Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’?

Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat or drink’?

Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? Luke 17:7-9.

Why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? The God has glorified his servant… And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you. Acts 3:3-16.

Amen.

The New Life in Christ: For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, ‘I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles…’ Acts 13:47.

If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?

Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life. Acts 11:17-18.

Judge yourselves to be unworthy of eternal life; we are now turning to the Gentiles. Acts 13:46.

So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who testified to the word of his grace by granting signs and wonders to be done through them. Acts 14:3.

And God, who knows the human heart, testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us; and in cleansing their hearts by faith he has made no distinction between them and us. Acts 15:8-9.

They welcomed message very eagerly and examined the scripture every day to see whether these things were so. Acts 17:11.

And in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

“Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name.” Romans 15:9.

Amen.

The New Life in Christ: Remember that during your life time you received your good things. Luke 16:25.

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.

And at his gate lat a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores.

The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham.

The rich man also died and was buried.

In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side.

He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am agony in these flames.’

But Abraham said, ‘Child,

remember that during your lifetime you received your good things,

and Lazarus in like manner evil things;

but now he comforted here, and you are in agony. Luke 16:19-25.

Amen.