Kingdom Parables

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You take a deep breath and look across the crowd. A few eyes meet yours but their gazes move past you. The wave of uncertainty floods through you like the ripples in the nearby lake, but then you glimpse him in the boat—kind eyes meet yours. An inviting smile, a nod. In a moment of recognition, he begins the conversation.

And the stories come pouring out. His words blossom and burst into meaning and connection. And the understanding clicks into place behind your eyes. Others gather, and they consider his words too. Confusion morphs from muddled darkness into illuminated thought. From invisible to seen, from silent to heard.

Jesus used story so we can understand with our hearts what we could not grasp with our minds. He gave us these parables to tell us that what we long for is coming true. He meets us where we are to invite us into his coming kingdom.

 

LISTEN TO FULL SERVICES 

SERMON PODCASTS 

Kingdom Parables: The Net

November 17, 2019

Kailey Newkirk  |   Herndon Campus

Matthew 13:47-50

Kingdom Parables: The Hidden Treasure

November 10, 2019

Eddy Moratin, Executive Director of LIFT Orlando  |   Herndon Campus

Matthew 13:44-46

Kingdom Parables: The Yeast

November 3, 2019

Jim Keller  |   Herndon Campus

Matthew 13:33

Kingdom Parables: The Mustard Seed

October 27, 2019

Matthew 13:31-32

Kingdom Parables: The Weeds

October 20, 2019

Jim Keller   |   Herndon Campus

Matthew 13:24-30

Kingdom Parables: The Sower

October 13, 2019

Grace Veronica   |   Herndon Campus

Matthew 13:1-23

 
 
Blog Archive
First Drafts
First Drafts

Sometimes trusting God with our stories is the most difficult work we can do. I shy away from conflict, so dealing with my problems and processing through how I’m feeling gets put on the back burner. It’s easy to float through life—right until it isn't. Eventually, the metaphorical deadlines creep up and I have to turn something in. I want to give God the best version of myself, but that’s not what grace asks for. 

It Must Be a Gift
It Must Be a Gift

Truth can feel terribly old-fashioned these days. Jesus made use of story to speak difficult truth in a way that could capture the hearts of everyone—the uneducated and those who were too educated for their own good. To both the first-century farmer and the modern businessman, the seed strangled by the weeds of worry is all too relatable.  To the Pharisee and to the prejudiced, the good Samaritan exposes the ugliness that might be otherwise be hidden behind 10 dollar words. Children can understand stories. Grown-ups (like me) can endure their truth, which—in another form—I might easily reject. Because even where a story exposes my sin, there is something sweetly healing about the sting.  

He Sees Me
He Sees Me

“The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” Jesus’ voice rose as he ended his story with a burst of confidence and hope. Even I could feel it.

 
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