WEBVTT 00:00:00.460 --> 00:00:03.319 It's time for the Champions in Christ broadcast 00:00:03.319 --> 00:00:10.240 with Rhonda Harrison on 1017 Bay FM Good morning 00:00:10.240 --> 00:00:12.740 and welcome to Champions in Christ. Thank you 00:00:12.740 --> 00:00:15.720 so much for joining us today This is the day 00:00:15.720 --> 00:00:18.480 the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be 00:00:18.480 --> 00:00:21.739 glad in it We have so much to be thankful for 00:00:21.739 --> 00:00:26.359 with God the greatest would be one of the greatest 00:00:26.359 --> 00:00:30.219 would be his mercy and his grace without that 00:00:30.219 --> 00:00:34.560 none of us would be alive today but thank God 00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:37.299 for his mercy and his grace and we're going to 00:00:37.299 --> 00:00:39.780 talk about his mercy today so we're going to 00:00:39.780 --> 00:00:41.920 go to the scriptures and we're going to look 00:00:41.920 --> 00:00:47.420 in Luke chapter 15 and we're going to talk about 00:00:47.420 --> 00:00:52.350 a story Jesus tells And it starts in verse 11, 00:00:52.530 --> 00:01:21.230 and he says, had there he wrote there arose a 00:01:21.230 --> 00:01:25.170 mighty famine in the land and he began to want 00:01:25.170 --> 00:01:31.189 so let's review here so you've got a man of great 00:01:31.189 --> 00:01:34.430 wealth and he has two sons and the younger of 00:01:34.430 --> 00:01:37.189 them which of course doesn't have the wisdom 00:01:37.189 --> 00:01:40.069 yet that his father has and yet he wants his 00:01:40.069 --> 00:01:43.030 inheritance he wants it now and he takes it and 00:01:43.030 --> 00:01:46.269 he he runs with it and he spoils it on riotous 00:01:46.269 --> 00:01:49.469 living you know he's just having parties living 00:01:49.469 --> 00:01:52.269 it up buying everything he wants thinking that 00:01:52.269 --> 00:01:55.510 it'll never run out you know many times we don't 00:01:55.510 --> 00:02:02.230 realize how short life is and how we never know 00:02:02.230 --> 00:02:06.560 what tomorrow will bring and so this young man 00:02:06.560 --> 00:02:10.039 did not either and so after he spent all that 00:02:10.039 --> 00:02:13.379 he had then something he wasn't expecting happened 00:02:13.379 --> 00:02:17.240 and there was a famine in the land and he began 00:02:17.240 --> 00:02:20.780 to want he had nothing and it was a severe famine 00:02:20.780 --> 00:02:25.280 and so he went and joined himself to a citizen 00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:28.280 of that country and that citizen sent him into 00:02:28.280 --> 00:02:32.099 the fields to feed the swine so he went from 00:02:32.099 --> 00:02:35.050 living first of all in a very wealthy place with 00:02:35.050 --> 00:02:39.150 his father and his brother and he was anxious 00:02:39.150 --> 00:02:41.650 and excited to just get his wealth and run to 00:02:41.650 --> 00:02:46.009 the world and then he lost it all and now he's 00:02:46.009 --> 00:02:48.689 with someone who's sending him to the pigs to 00:02:48.689 --> 00:02:51.650 feed the pigs. You know there are times when 00:02:51.650 --> 00:02:53.110 we're in the mountain and there's times when 00:02:53.110 --> 00:02:56.590 we're in the valley but the consistent thing 00:02:56.590 --> 00:02:59.919 about it all is God is always there. you know 00:02:59.919 --> 00:03:03.800 the bible says his mercies are new every morning 00:03:03.800 --> 00:03:07.180 hallelujah his mercies are new every morning 00:03:07.180 --> 00:03:09.659 so whether you're living on a mountaintop right 00:03:09.659 --> 00:03:12.479 now or you're in a valley going through something 00:03:12.479 --> 00:03:16.180 his mercy is there for you just like his mercy 00:03:16.180 --> 00:03:20.719 was there for this young man it says that and 00:03:20.719 --> 00:03:24.629 he Let's see, and when he could not fill his 00:03:24.629 --> 00:03:27.449 belly with the husk that the swine ate, and no 00:03:27.449 --> 00:03:31.289 man gave it unto him, and he went... and he shook 00:03:31.289 --> 00:03:34.189 himself he came to himself and said how many 00:03:34.189 --> 00:03:37.270 hired servants of my father's has bread enough 00:03:37.270 --> 00:03:41.449 to spare and yet i am dying with hunger you know 00:03:41.449 --> 00:03:45.530 he remembered his father's house he remembered 00:03:45.530 --> 00:03:48.469 that even the servants in his father's house 00:03:48.469 --> 00:03:52.430 was were well taken care of and here he is in 00:03:52.430 --> 00:03:55.770 the pit you know thank god he remembered who 00:03:55.770 --> 00:04:00.439 he was Thank God he remembered. You know, just 00:04:00.439 --> 00:04:03.580 like in the body of Christ, there are times when 00:04:03.580 --> 00:04:07.360 life throws us that curveball and you can get 00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:11.280 hit with a tragedy, a very tragic event. You 00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:13.919 know, murder can happen, a kidnapping, a rape, 00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:18.420 many other things, you know, bankruptcy, a divorce, 00:04:18.620 --> 00:04:23.360 a loss of a loved one unexpectedly. And thank 00:04:23.360 --> 00:04:26.399 God this young man, you know, those curveballs 00:04:26.639 --> 00:04:30.420 can cause people to think God is against them 00:04:30.420 --> 00:04:34.860 or God is to blame and the Bible says that it's 00:04:34.860 --> 00:04:38.430 the devil. who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. 00:04:38.689 --> 00:04:41.689 But it's God who comes to give life, Jesus who 00:04:41.689 --> 00:04:44.709 comes to give life and life abundantly. You know, 00:04:44.709 --> 00:04:48.589 recognize who your enemy is. It's not a human 00:04:48.589 --> 00:04:52.889 being. It's the Satan himself and all his cohorts. 00:04:53.069 --> 00:04:56.949 And his goal is to take you and I to hell. And 00:04:56.949 --> 00:04:59.569 the way he does that is to try and deceive us 00:04:59.569 --> 00:05:03.209 about who God really is. Just like this young 00:05:03.209 --> 00:05:08.279 man did not realize who he had and his dad and 00:05:08.279 --> 00:05:11.680 what his dad had for him at this point in his 00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:16.040 life when he burst out into life with this wealth 00:05:16.040 --> 00:05:18.879 and then when he lost it all sometimes you have 00:05:18.879 --> 00:05:23.259 to hit rock bottom before you look up and he 00:05:23.259 --> 00:05:25.920 decided to look up and he remembered gosh even 00:05:25.920 --> 00:05:28.920 the servants in my dad's house have way more 00:05:28.920 --> 00:05:32.319 than I do and they're not starving. and so he 00:05:32.319 --> 00:05:35.240 humbled himself and he said you know I will arise 00:05:35.240 --> 00:05:38.980 this is verse 18 and go to my dad and I will 00:05:38.980 --> 00:05:42.180 say unto him father I have sinned against heaven 00:05:42.180 --> 00:05:45.360 and before you you know he recognized he didn't 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:48.959 just sin against his dad he sinned against heaven 00:05:48.959 --> 00:05:52.579 you know when we follow the ways of the world 00:05:52.579 --> 00:05:56.180 when we yield to sin and we all know what sin 00:05:56.180 --> 00:05:58.779 is because God's given us a conscience to know 00:05:58.779 --> 00:06:02.220 the difference between right and wrong. You know 00:06:02.220 --> 00:06:05.040 the the wonderful thing is God's mercy is always 00:06:05.040 --> 00:06:08.480 there and this this young man remembered his 00:06:08.480 --> 00:06:11.839 dad and remembered and Remembered what his dad 00:06:11.839 --> 00:06:15.000 was like and so he said though. I'm not worthy 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:18.779 verse 19 to be called his son make me as one 00:06:18.779 --> 00:06:21.060 of his hired servants. That's what he was thinking. 00:06:21.139 --> 00:06:23.660 I'll just go and be one of my dad's hired servants. 00:06:23.660 --> 00:06:26.279 I'm not worthy to be his son anymore. He felt 00:06:26.279 --> 00:06:29.639 really bad about his sin, you know, he began 00:06:29.639 --> 00:06:33.500 to repent and so he ran to his father. He said 00:06:33.500 --> 00:06:36.720 and he arose and came to his father and when 00:06:36.720 --> 00:06:40.480 he was yet a great way off his father saw him 00:06:40.480 --> 00:06:46.420 and had compassion and ran fell upon him and 00:06:46.420 --> 00:06:51.319 kissed his neck and the son said father I have 00:06:51.319 --> 00:06:53.839 sinned against heaven and in your sight and I'm 00:06:53.839 --> 00:06:56.879 no more worthy to be called your son but the 00:06:56.879 --> 00:07:00.290 father said to his servants The father didn't 00:07:00.290 --> 00:07:02.410 say anything yet to him he turned to his servants 00:07:02.410 --> 00:07:04.970 and said bring forth the best robe and put it 00:07:04.970 --> 00:07:09.029 on him the best ring on his hand and shoes on 00:07:09.029 --> 00:07:12.430 his feet and bring here the fatted calf and kill 00:07:12.430 --> 00:07:16.329 it and let us eat and be merry for this is my 00:07:16.329 --> 00:07:21.160 son that was dead and is alive again. Hallelujah. 00:07:21.899 --> 00:07:25.540 He was lost and is found and they began to be 00:07:25.540 --> 00:07:29.040 merry. You know when we humble ourselves and 00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:32.040 we repent before God and we say you know Lord 00:07:32.040 --> 00:07:36.420 I'm sorry I repent I turn away from what I've 00:07:36.420 --> 00:07:39.759 done and we realize that we are nothing without 00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:43.639 him but with him we are everything and we have 00:07:43.639 --> 00:07:47.850 everything. God is your Heavenly Father. if you 00:07:47.850 --> 00:07:50.610 cry out to him he is right there and just like 00:07:50.610 --> 00:07:53.430 this father was a far off and ran towards him 00:07:53.430 --> 00:07:57.089 that's the way God is he is a whisper away if 00:07:57.089 --> 00:08:00.350 you just call on the name of Jesus he will cleanse 00:08:00.350 --> 00:08:02.970 you he will forgive you he will wash you clean 00:08:02.970 --> 00:08:06.629 he will make right and put you back into the 00:08:06.629 --> 00:08:10.110 rear restored position back into the family of 00:08:10.110 --> 00:08:13.350 God the way God had intended originally that's 00:08:13.350 --> 00:08:16.939 what he did for Adam way back Adam is the one 00:08:16.939 --> 00:08:20.420 who made who sinned Adam and Eve and when they 00:08:20.420 --> 00:08:24.519 did when he did that caused that bloodline to 00:08:24.519 --> 00:08:28.399 be tainted with sin and so the Bible says we 00:08:28.399 --> 00:08:31.500 all fall short of the glory of God but guess 00:08:31.500 --> 00:08:35.559 what he has made a plan Jesus came died rose 00:08:35.559 --> 00:08:40.860 again and there is a a wealth of love and joy 00:08:40.860 --> 00:08:44.830 and peace and mercy Waiting on you and waiting 00:08:44.830 --> 00:08:48.850 on me if we fall away waiting on us if we've 00:08:48.850 --> 00:08:52.289 never received him Just as this father was waiting 00:08:52.289 --> 00:08:55.990 and he came back and God blessed him You know 00:08:55.990 --> 00:08:59.210 the the the father blessed him the same way God 00:08:59.210 --> 00:09:02.309 blesses us God will always bless you when you 00:09:02.309 --> 00:09:05.929 come to him his mercies never run out, you know 00:09:05.929 --> 00:09:12.289 in Jeremiah 3 14 15 and 16 it talks about how 00:09:12.879 --> 00:09:16.559 God is married to the backslider. You know, if 00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:20.460 you were once with God, whether you just came 00:09:20.460 --> 00:09:22.720 to know Him and really didn't know Him very well 00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:24.740 or whether you've been with Him a long time and 00:09:24.740 --> 00:09:28.779 you turned away, He's married to you. He loves 00:09:28.779 --> 00:09:31.799 you. He wants you back. You know, in Hebrews 00:09:31.799 --> 00:09:35.500 4 .16, it said, let us have confidence and draw 00:09:35.500 --> 00:09:38.240 near to the throne of grace that we may receive 00:09:38.240 --> 00:09:45.049 mercy. grace and help in the time of need. God 00:09:45.049 --> 00:09:48.110 is always ready to help us in our time of need. 00:09:48.570 --> 00:09:52.149 You know James 2 13 says, judgment without mercy 00:09:52.149 --> 00:09:55.830 to anyone who has not been merciful. You know 00:09:55.830 --> 00:09:59.169 we have to have mercy towards others so that 00:09:59.169 --> 00:10:03.590 we can receive mercy. You know 1 Peter 1 3 says, 00:10:03.870 --> 00:10:06.169 blessed be God the Father and our Lord Jesus 00:10:06.169 --> 00:10:11.370 Christ according to his great mercy. He has caused 00:10:11.370 --> 00:10:14.470 us to be born again to a living hope through 00:10:14.470 --> 00:10:17.610 the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 00:10:17.610 --> 00:10:22.590 Glory to God. Glory to God. Hallelujah Hallelujah, 00:10:23.429 --> 00:10:27.610 you know Psalms 86 five says so the Lord so you 00:10:27.610 --> 00:10:30.210 Lord are forgiving and good abounding in love 00:10:30.210 --> 00:10:33.549 to all who call upon you that's all it requires 00:10:33.549 --> 00:10:38.250 is for us to call upon him you know and this 00:10:38.250 --> 00:10:41.649 man in this scripture in verse 24 goes on to 00:10:41.649 --> 00:10:44.990 say for this my son was dead and he's alive again 00:10:44.990 --> 00:10:49.169 he was lost and now he's found and they began 00:10:49.169 --> 00:10:52.950 to be merry you know we are lost and undone without 00:10:52.950 --> 00:10:56.620 God but when we come to him we are alive again 00:10:56.620 --> 00:11:02.460 he gives us that we he creates a nuts a new creation 00:11:02.460 --> 00:11:05.320 old things are passed away everything becomes 00:11:05.320 --> 00:11:09.100 new your past is over you don't have to worry 00:11:09.100 --> 00:11:11.519 about it when the enemy reminds you you say no 00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:15.080 i've been born again i'm a new creature in christ 00:11:15.080 --> 00:11:19.610 hallelujah and then he called and then in verse 00:11:19.610 --> 00:11:22.889 25 now his elder son was in the field and when 00:11:22.889 --> 00:11:25.169 he came close to the house and he heard music 00:11:25.169 --> 00:11:28.169 and dancing he called one of his servants and 00:11:28.169 --> 00:11:31.009 said what does this mean and the servant said 00:11:31.009 --> 00:11:33.049 your brother has come and your father has killed 00:11:33.049 --> 00:11:36.669 the fatted calf and has received him safe and 00:11:36.669 --> 00:11:40.190 sound the older brother was angry and would not 00:11:40.190 --> 00:11:43.799 go in therefore his father came out to him You 00:11:43.799 --> 00:11:47.379 know, sometimes people get mad when mercy is 00:11:47.379 --> 00:11:49.620 shown to someone who they don't think deserves 00:11:49.620 --> 00:11:52.860 it to be shown, but guess what? We all need his 00:11:52.860 --> 00:11:54.980 mercy. I don't care if you've been in the Lord 00:11:54.980 --> 00:11:58.440 30, 40 years and been faithful to church and 00:11:58.440 --> 00:12:02.679 faithful to God. We've got to watch attitudes 00:12:02.679 --> 00:12:05.500 because we don't ever want to not be merciful 00:12:05.500 --> 00:12:08.039 to someone that's been away and they come back 00:12:08.039 --> 00:12:12.059 to God. Just as this one was mad, he was mad 00:12:12.059 --> 00:12:14.419 because his son was home and his dad's throwing 00:12:14.419 --> 00:12:17.460 him his party. And this is what he says to him. 00:12:17.799 --> 00:12:20.659 He says, father, all these many years I served 00:12:20.659 --> 00:12:23.799 you, neither did I transgress at any time your 00:12:23.799 --> 00:12:27.340 commandment. And yet you never gave me a fatted 00:12:27.340 --> 00:12:32.379 calf. Excuse me. and made me marry with my friends. 00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:36.059 But as soon as this son was come, who had devoured 00:12:36.059 --> 00:12:39.100 all his living with harlots and you killed for 00:12:39.100 --> 00:12:42.519 him the fatted calf. And he said to him, son, 00:12:43.000 --> 00:12:45.980 you are forever with me and all that I have is 00:12:45.980 --> 00:12:49.379 already yours. It was right and fitting that 00:12:49.379 --> 00:12:51.700 we should make Miriam be glad for your brother 00:12:51.700 --> 00:12:55.019 who was dead is alive again, who was lost is 00:12:55.019 --> 00:12:59.509 found. You know, the son lost sight. of what 00:12:59.509 --> 00:13:02.250 mercy and grace is all about what the goodness 00:13:02.250 --> 00:13:05.370 of God in this instance what the goodness of 00:13:05.370 --> 00:13:08.090 his father was all about you know when you're 00:13:08.090 --> 00:13:10.570 restored with God the Bible says you're seated 00:13:10.570 --> 00:13:13.889 in heavenly places it's it's all his kingdom 00:13:13.889 --> 00:13:18.440 and we are blessed on every side and if you seek 00:13:18.440 --> 00:13:21.120 him you'll find him when you seek him with your 00:13:21.120 --> 00:13:23.059 whole heart you'll be blessed coming in and blessed 00:13:23.059 --> 00:13:25.299 going out and blessed in the field blessed in 00:13:25.299 --> 00:13:27.259 the city blessed in your storehouse blessed in 00:13:27.259 --> 00:13:30.799 the fruit of your body glory to god he's provided 00:13:30.799 --> 00:13:34.179 so much if we just look into the word of god 00:13:34.179 --> 00:13:37.730 and find the treasure from heaven You know God's 00:13:37.730 --> 00:13:42.009 goodness and his mercy never run out. They follow 00:13:42.009 --> 00:13:44.590 us all the days of our life and we will dwell 00:13:44.590 --> 00:13:47.429 in the house of the Lord forever. That's Psalms 00:13:47.429 --> 00:13:51.690 23 6 and that's a promise for you and me. But 00:13:51.690 --> 00:13:54.409 Matthew 5 7 says blessed are the merciful for 00:13:54.409 --> 00:13:57.669 they shall receive mercy and this brother needed 00:13:57.669 --> 00:14:01.190 to show mercy towards his brother so he himself 00:14:01.190 --> 00:14:05.590 can receive mercy because he already had everything 00:14:05.590 --> 00:14:08.679 that the son had. He could have already done 00:14:08.679 --> 00:14:12.820 so much more with what God gave him if he only 00:14:12.820 --> 00:14:16.080 realized what he had had. But God's mercy is 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:19.139 there for you. God loves you today. No matter 00:14:19.139 --> 00:14:21.100 where you're at, no matter what you're doing, 00:14:21.480 --> 00:14:25.019 he loves you and he wants to pour out his mercy 00:14:25.019 --> 00:14:28.340 on you. Just call upon his name. We're going 00:14:28.340 --> 00:14:31.039 to go to a couple songs and I'll be right back 00:14:31.039 --> 00:15:07.789 at you in just a bit. If you knew me You'd believe 00:15:07.789 --> 00:15:14.830 me now He turned my whole life upside down Took 00:15:14.830 --> 00:15:23.470 the old and He made it new That's just what the 00:15:23.470 --> 00:15:49.679 mercy of God His blood I'm so glad that my freedom 00:15:49.679 --> 00:15:56.539 wasn't based on what I've done Goodness and mercy 00:15:56.539 --> 00:16:24.929 and the power of the blood Six feet beneath the 00:16:24.929 --> 00:16:31.289 earth For all the things I've done The things 00:16:31.289 --> 00:27:53.069 I've said The choices made Wasn't big You know, 00:27:53.069 --> 00:27:55.910 I'm so thankful that God does not give up on 00:27:55.910 --> 00:28:01.349 us. Hallelujah. What a beautiful song of humility 00:28:01.349 --> 00:28:05.329 just saying to the Lord, don't give up on me. 00:28:06.329 --> 00:28:09.569 Because as mercy endures, the blood of Jesus 00:28:09.569 --> 00:28:12.069 Christ was shed for you and for me. So if you 00:28:12.069 --> 00:28:14.650 need that mercy today, just pray this prayer. 00:28:15.369 --> 00:28:18.490 Father God, I just come before you. And Lord 00:28:18.490 --> 00:28:21.920 Jesus, I ask you to be my savior. I'm running 00:28:21.920 --> 00:28:24.819 back to you. I ask you to forgive me and cleanse 00:28:24.819 --> 00:28:28.599 me and wash me. Thank you for your mercy. Thank 00:28:28.599 --> 00:28:31.619 you for your grace. I receive it. Thank you that 00:28:31.619 --> 00:28:35.579 I am a new creature in Christ. Thank you, Lord. 00:28:35.680 --> 00:28:38.279 I repent of my sin. I do away with the things 00:28:38.279 --> 00:28:41.539 of the world, and I let go of it because there's 00:28:41.539 --> 00:28:43.599 so much more in my father's house. There's so 00:28:43.599 --> 00:28:48.039 much more in his goodness. In Jesus' name, I 00:28:48.039 --> 00:28:51.819 pray. Thank you, Lord. I receive it. If you prayed 00:28:51.819 --> 00:28:55.380 that prayer today, glory to God, we rejoice with 00:28:55.380 --> 00:28:58.000 you. And we'll be happy to send you a new Bible 00:28:58.000 --> 00:29:01.640 you can get in touch with us at championsincrists3atgmail 00:29:01.640 --> 00:29:05.660 .com. That's championsincrists3atgmail .com. 00:29:06.279 --> 00:29:08.559 We want you to go out and make it a great day 00:29:08.559 --> 00:29:11.039 today because God loves you, he's forgiven you, 00:29:11.039 --> 00:29:14.200 he's merciful towards you. Believe him, believe 00:29:14.200 --> 00:29:17.380 what he has for you. And Father, we just thank 00:29:17.380 --> 00:29:22.099 you again in Jesus' name. We love you, God loves 00:29:22.099 --> 00:29:25.339 you, and you are a champion in Christ.