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.

The New Life in Christ: The purpose of giving gifts.

The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.

We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming.

But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ… Ephesians 4:11-15.

Amen.

The New Life in Christ: Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 2Corinthains 11:14.

No one might boast in the presence of God. 1Corinthians 1:29.

For such boasters are false apostles, deceitful workers, distinguishing themselves as apostles of Christ.

And no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

So it is not strange if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness.

Their end will match their deeds. 2Corinthians 11:13-15.

Amen.

The New Life in Christ: Only God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. 1Peter 4:11.

Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the words of God;

whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies,

so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. 1Peter 4:11-14.

Yet if anyone of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear this name. 1Peter 4:16.

And,

“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinners?”

Therefore, let those suffering in accordance with God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator, while continuing to do good. 1Peter 4:18-19.

Amen.

The New Life in Christ: All deeds are right in the sight of the doer, but the LORD weighs the heart. Proverbs 21:2.

Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it. Proverbs 15:16.

A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of those who accept it; wherever they turn they prosper. Proverbs 17:8.

Those who walk righteously and speak uprightly, who despise the gain of oppression, who wave away a bribe instead of accepting it, who stop their ears from hearing of bloodshed and shut their eyes from looking on evil, they will live on the heights; their refuge will be the fortresses of rocks; their food will be supplied, their water assured. Isaiah 33:15-16.

If you say, “Look, we did not know this”-does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it? And will he not repay all according to their deeds? Proverbs 24:12.

Amen.

The New Life in Christ: Set forth your case, bring your proofs, says the LORD; Isaiah 41:21.

Follow the inclination of your heart and the desires of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. Ecclesiastes 11:9.

For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. Ecclesiastes 12:14.

A bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. Isaiah 42:3.

Amen.

The New Life in Christ: Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory… Psalm 115:1.

Even now you are still not ready, for you all still of flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclination?

For when one says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely human?

What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each.

I planted, Apollos watered,

but God gave the growth.

So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 1Corinthaians 3:3-7.

Amen.

The New Life in Christ: When you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 1Corinthians 11:17.

For, to begin with, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you; and to some extent I believe it.

Indeed, there have to be factions among you, for only so will it become clear who among you are genuine.

When you come together, it is not really to eat the Lord’s supper.

For when the time comes to eat, each of you goes ahead with your own supper, and one goes hungry and another comes drunk.

What! Do you not have homes to eat and drink in?

Or do you show contempt for the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing?

What should I say to you?

Should I commend you?

In this matter I do not commend you! 1Corinthians 11:18-22.

Amen.

The New Life in Christ: No one has ever seen God; 1John 4:12.

Indeed, they do not know what is to be, for who can tell them how it will be? Ecclesiastes 8:7.

No one knows what is to happen, and who can tell anyone what the future holds? Ecclesiastes 10:14.

Just as you do not know how the breath comes to the bones in the mother’s womb, so you do not know the work of God, who makes everything. Ecclesiastes 11:5.

Amen.

The New Life in Christ: Yet no one remembered that poor man. Ecclesiastes 9:15.

I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me.

There was a little city with few people in it. A great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city.

Yet no one remembered that poor man.

So I said, “Wisdom is better than might; yet the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heeded.

The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouting of a ruler among fools. Ecclesiastes 9:13-17.

Amen.

The New Life in Christ: You have laid up treasure for the last days. James 5:3.

There is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; 1Timothy 6:6-7.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. 1Timothy 6:10.

Keep your lives from the love of money, and be content with what you have; Hebrews 13:5.

(And so,)

…give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that I need, or I shall be full, and deny you, and say, “Who is the LORD?” or I shall be poor, and steal, and profane the name of my God. Proverbs 30:8-9.

Amen.

The New Life in Christ: So let no one boast about human beings. 1Corinthians 3:21.

I am the LORD your God, who teaches you for your own good, who leads you in the way you should go. Isaiah 48:17.

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person.

For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. 1Corinthians 3:16-17.

As for you, the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and so you do not need anyone to teach you.

But as his anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, abide in him. 1John 2:27.

Amen.