AfterThoughts: January 26, 2025

January 26, 2025
The Parable Of The Great Banquet
Luke 14:15–24

This week, Pastor David continued his sermon series, Stories That Still Speak. In this message about the Parable Of The Great Banquet, he expanded on two points:

Life's good can often divert us from God's best.
Our loving God extends His invitation to all.

GOING DEEPER:

• While this parable is first a picture of salvation, it also illustrates a powerful truth about us. Often it isn’t the sinful, seductive, and salacious that keep us from God’s best; but rather, the simple, ordinary, busyness of the average day. What excuses (like those in the parables) do you give God? What good thing in your life might be keeping you from God’s best?

• Pastor David explained that sometimes God’s good gifts begin to push out our commitment to the main thing, and we begin giving our first-rate energy to second-and-third rate causes. How are you leaving only "scraps of your time and focus" for the things of God? How are these “deadly substitutes” keeping you from pursuing a growing relationship with God?

• This parable also still speaks about our God who extends His invitation of salvation to all. Our God is gracious and generous, and He has a banquet planned for all who say “yes” to His invitation of salvation. His invitation is a

result of His grace, and we cannot earn it. How can you make more time this week to praise God for His great gift? Who do you need to tell about this gift?

• God’s grace is scandalous—it was in the time of Jesus, and it is today. His grace is not about who deserves a seat at the table but about the generous invitation of our God. How are you holding onto your pride and forgetting that God’s banquet is for everyone—especially those we might overlook or deem unworthy?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

• To view past sermons, please click here.

The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24–26

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