Chuck Swindoll

Jesus was the master teacher. Against relentless and hostile opposition, and in spite of many who followed Him for all the wrong reasons, He spoke with wisdom and taught with skill. Among the methods He preferred to use, the parable was one of His favourites. By placing a familiar and simple word picture before His audience, Jesus was able to draw out profound analogies that have intrigued even the brightest minds for centuries. In this message, we'll look at His first parable, one that carries with it remarkable relevance to this very day. We shall see ourselves in the soil Jesus talked about, and only you can know for sure which soil you are in. Let us here, then, heed His counsel.


Analysis of a Crop Failure, Part 1

Analysis of a Crop Failure, Part 3

Analysis of a Crop Failure, Part 2

Tucked away in numerous folds of the Old Testament are stories that have held the attention of Bible readers for centuries. Some intrigue us, and others encourage us. There are stories of heroism and incredible accomplishments along with stories of disappointment, sadness, and tragedy. If ever a book contained a human-interest emphasis, it’s the Bible. This series uncovers some of those stories, including this one about a young man who seemed born to lose. Though a twin, he was quite the opposite of his younger brother and ultimately became the heartache of the family. Ripped off by his brother and rejected by his family, he couldn’t win, no matter how hard he tried. As we shall soon discover, the Bible pulls no punches. And you may find several places in this story where you can identify with Esau, “the son who couldn’t win.”


Esau: The Son Who Couldn’t Win, Part 1

In the previous message we gave attention to three proofs of growth. We saw all three illustrated in an early church congregation (Acts 4:32-37). Although young in the faith, those Jerusalem believers demonstrated a commendable growth toward maturity. But this condition was not found throughout all congregations. As is true today, there were some who were old enough to be well on their way to maturity, but they preferred to remain immature and irresponsible…adolescents in adult bodies. In this biographical message, we shall take a look at three such people. Remember, each one was old enough to know better, but they deliberately chose to act out attitudes and a lifestyle that reflected an unwillingness to grow up. As we analyze these biblical characters, let's not fail to ask what the disciples once asked Jesus: “Lord, is it I?”


Adolescents  in Adult Bodies, Part 1

Adolescents  in Adult Bodies, Part 3

Adolescents  in Adult Bodies, Part 2

Tough though it may be to admit it, most of us resist growing up. We say all the things that suggest otherwise, but in reality, we resist launching out into the ocean of adulthood. We much prefer the security of the shoreline—being able to touch bottom, not having to hassle with the swells, currents, and windstorms of the vast sea with all its demands. Give us the safety of the harbour any day! But God would have us brave the elements, to risk, to become models of maturity…to grow up. It seems only logical that we spend a little while analyzing why there is such a strong resistance within us to move on into the responsibilities and challenges of adulthood.


Reasons We Resist Becoming Mature, Part 1

Reasons We Resist Becoming Mature, Part 2

Reasons We Resist Becoming Mature, Part 3

Out of the rich book of Psalms, we find an ancient hymn—a prayer, a passionate petition—in which David makes a series of requests and statements that reveal a level of maturity admired by all. For a few moments, read over and meditate on Psalm 26. Observe the composer's major theme as well as his unguarded admissions. See if you can discover for yourself the relevance of this melodic revelation. You may be surprised at David's ability to address subjects that are just as up-to-date as today's newspaper. In reality it was the Spirit of God, not David, who originally prompted these thoughts and preserved them for all generations. 


A Song for Adults to Sing, Part 1

A Song for Adults to Sing, Part 3

A Song for Adults to Sing, Part 2

Though centuries have passed since He spoke them, Jesus’ words remain just as penetrating as when they first fell on the ears of His original audiences. Because He alone spoke with anointed authority, people were amazed as they listened and ultimately became changed individuals. Christ’s teachings continue to bring about powerful transformation and arouse the attention of all who study them. Nothing Jesus stated was ever more profound than His Sermon on the Mount. With searching wisdom, He peeled back the externals of hypocritical religion and addressed the issues that really matter. In the section of Scripture we’ll examine in this lesson, Jesus discussed the Christian’s relationship to the Mosaic Law. At the heart of His instruction is righteousness—the state of having sufficient grounds to stand before a holy God.


Simplicity Starts from Within, Part 1

Simplicity Starts from Within, Part 2

Simplicity Starts from Within, Part 3

It has been said that the secret to a happy life is learning how to avoid pain. We certainly live in a day in which this philosophy holds sway. Ours is a comfort-at-any-cost, I-want-it-now society; a society that trumpets, “It's all about me!” Yet, what the world shuns as foolishness, the Lord embraces as wisdom—the wisdom of pain to turn mere followers of Christ into disciples of Christ. Jesus called it “the cup.” To Him the cup was the anguish, humiliation, and torturous death on the cross. To us it means “taking up our cross” and following Him daily.


How Great is Our God!

The Cup That He Drank, Part 2

The Cup That He Drank, Part 3

Rarely do you hear someone described as “a person of character.” The idea speaks of maturity and integrity and self-sacrifice. But the phrase has fallen on hard times—perhaps because people of this sort are harder to find or harder to appreciate. We celebrate the rogue, the rough-and-ready, and the rugged individuals. Those who are meek and mild possess a character too wimpy for the times, so we think. We love lions, not lambs. But Jesus demonstrates that meekness isn't weakness—it is incredible strength.


The Lamb That Was Slaughtered, Part 1

“Boo! I'm the Holy Ghost.” That’s what some people think whenever the subject of the Holy Spirit arises. But who is He, really, and what exactly does He do? Is He an actual ghost, a mysterious fog-like substance that floats in the ceilings of cathedrals or hovers over cemetery plots like an ethereal phantom? Hardly! Of the three persons in the godhead, including God the Father and God the Son, God the Holy Spirit is the least understood and the most mystifying. Let's dispel some of the myths and mystery by getting reacquainted with the Spirit of Power.


Chuck Swindoll

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