2009-10-01T22:23:45-05:00 GCI info@gospel.com /feeds/topics/parables+of+jesus/ http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2010:25-37&version=NIV 2009-10-01T22:23:45-05:00 Who is really doing God's will: a religious person who has the entire Bible memorized, or an outcast who shows selfless love to those around him? In this parable, Jesus teaches that simply knowing God's Law isn't worth anything if we don't put it into action in our lives. http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2025:14-30&version=NIV 2009-10-01T17:44:30-05:00 In the "parable of the talents," we get an idea of what God expects us to do here on earth. We're all given talents, some great and some small--but whether your talent is epic or miniscule, we glorify God when we use it to further his kingdom. God isn't rating His followers based on the number of converts they win over or the number of church pews they fill; He's interested in the passion with which we use whatever gifts he has given us. http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2013:24-30&version=NIV 2009-09-28T17:36:52-05:00 In this parable about weeds, Jesus talks about the difficulty of separating good plants (believers) from weeds (sin and spiritual error). It is not until the harvest is brought in that the lord of the harvest will separate them out. http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2020:1-16&version=NIV 2009-09-25T10:19:20-05:00 In this parable, Jesus tells of workers who grumbled that their newly-joined coworkers were being paid the same wage as those who had been laboring for a long while. God is extravagantly generous with all people, and does not hold back any of his grace from those who are new to the faith. http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2019:11-27&version=NIV 2009-09-03T13:26:12-05:00 The parable of the ten minas teaches that we are expected to use the gifts we've received from God to do good. We're to "invest" them so that they'll earn a return even greater than the original gift. http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2025:1-13&version=NIV 2009-08-25T08:48:06-05:00 The kingdom of God is compared to a wedding--and when a group of wedding attendants fail to pay attention, they miss the party. Christians are to be prepared at all times for the return of Christ. http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2014:15-24&version=NIV 2009-08-06T21:39:12-05:00 One of Jesus' parables, in which we read about a great feast whose invited guests all made excuses not to come. The feast's host decides to open the feast to everyone who wants to come--a clear metaphor for Christ's grace, which is extended to all. http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%204:1-20&version=NIV 2009-08-05T10:06:59-05:00 One of Jesus' most interesting parables, this one describes the different ways that listeners respond (or fail to respond) to the Gospel message when they hear it. http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2016:19-31&version=NIV 2009-08-04T16:24:19-05:00 In this parable of Jesus, a rich man finds the tables turned when he dies but doesn't find the reward he thought he deserved. Among the things this parable illustrates is man's stubborn refusal to believe even when confronted with obvious truth. http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2013:1-58&version=NIV 2009-07-27T16:58:37-05:00 A collection of Jesus' parables. He often used stories and parables to illustrate important spiritual truths.