We ask the title question of ourselves all the time. Yet on faith matters, we think it's all free - no bother, no burden, no expectation. (Thanks Jesus!) But the faith relationship, like any relationship, does have expectations. Now, what's it worth to you?
The delightfully screwed-up story of Jacob and Rachel and Leah and Laban continues the saga of a remarkably dysfunctional family that unsurprisingly includes extended family, too. Smitten with Rachel on first sight, Jacob readily exchanges seven years of labor for Uncle Laban in order to get Rachel in marriage. Seven years later after the wedding night, Jacob awakens to find twin sister Leah in bed with him the next morning (pictured above, however I'm betting Jacob's jaw dropped). Uh-oh. Laban pulled a switcheroo, ostensibly because Leah was first born and had to be wed first according to custom. (See Jacob's back story on primogeniture (go look it up) with his twin brother Esau.)
A new deal for Rachel meant seven more years laboring for Uncle Laban. Jacob agrees to it. Now that's devotion, a treasure worth the cost!
That's a great set-up for Jesus' twin little parables about the value of the Kingdom, the parable of treasure found in the field, and the pearl of inestimable value. What the characters in these parables do to gain their treasure indicates the way that disciples should devote themselves to the Kingdom.
Check what these great scriptures have to say in the sermon video below, and the downloads below the video panel.
The delightfully screwed-up story of Jacob and Rachel and Leah and Laban continues the saga of a remarkably dysfunctional family that unsurprisingly includes extended family, too. Smitten with Rachel on first sight, Jacob readily exchanges seven years of labor for Uncle Laban in order to get Rachel in marriage. Seven years later after the wedding night, Jacob awakens to find twin sister Leah in bed with him the next morning (pictured above, however I'm betting Jacob's jaw dropped). Uh-oh. Laban pulled a switcheroo, ostensibly because Leah was first born and had to be wed first according to custom. (See Jacob's back story on primogeniture (go look it up) with his twin brother Esau.)
A new deal for Rachel meant seven more years laboring for Uncle Laban. Jacob agrees to it. Now that's devotion, a treasure worth the cost!
That's a great set-up for Jesus' twin little parables about the value of the Kingdom, the parable of treasure found in the field, and the pearl of inestimable value. What the characters in these parables do to gain their treasure indicates the way that disciples should devote themselves to the Kingdom.
Check what these great scriptures have to say in the sermon video below, and the downloads below the video panel.
| 07-30-17-ff-answers.pdf |
| 07-30-17-whats_it_worth_to_you.pdf |