blessings – La Vista Church of Christ

Greater Privileges Mean Greater Accountability

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 01:14:21 +0000

by David Gibson

The following principle, stated by Jesus, I take with utmost seriousness because I know how directly it applies to me:

“Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more” (Luke 12:48).

In the verses preceding this statement Jesus emphasized that the greater our knowledge of God’s will, the greater our accountability to Him at the Judgment. This is brought out in a parallel passage:

“Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. 'Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you’” (Matthew 11:20-24).

My Prayer

O Lord, I know that to whom much is given, of him much will be required. You have blessed me with godly parents who taught me to love Your word and Your church, and they modeled the faith for me.

You gave me the Vine Street church where I was nurtured and given opportunities in my youth to develop my potential to serve. You gave me Christian teachers from whom I learned so much. I am so undeserving of Your abundant daily kindnesses.

In view of all this and in view of the Judgment to come, please help me to show a good return on Your great investment in me, especially the blood of Your Son and the Holy Spirit to dwell within.

May I be a good steward of Your manifold grace, faithfully using the abundant advantages You have entrusted to my care to bless many and hinder none, and all for Your glory.

In the name of Your Son I ask it. Amen and amen.

What are spiritual blessings?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 20:46:41 +0000

Question:

My daughter asked me a question that I couldn't answer as straightforwardly as I would like. Could you help me answer this question? What is a spiritual blessing? Ephesians 1:3 discusses this concept, but the explanation I found was too complex for me to understand fully. I need it explained in simpler terms.

Thanks.

Answer:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3).

In Greek, the word "markarios" translates into English as "blessing," which means having good fortune or being well off. Another word is eulogeo, which means to praise or speak well of another person. So someone is blessed when they have things that bring them happiness or make them better off.

Physical blessings would involve things of this world: homes, jobs, family, food, etc. Spiritual blessings involve the things of the heavenly realm. Paul actually lists many of these blessings throughout the rest of Ephesians 1:

He chose us to be holy and blameless (Ephesians 1:4)
He adopted us as sons (Ephesians 1:5)
He freely bestowed His grace on us (Ephesians 1:6)
He has given us redemption, the forgiveness of our trespasses (Ephesians 1:7)
He has revealed the mystery of His will (Ephesians 1:9)
We have obtained an inheritance (Ephesians 1:11)
We were sealed in Him with a view to redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14).

All of these blessings were accomplished through Jesus. All of them are spiritual. We have nothing to show they exist, but we trust in His promises.

The First Beatitude in Psalms

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sat, 26 Jul 2025 17:45:38 +0000

by Warren E. Berkley

The book of Psalms opens with a beatitude. "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful," (Psalms 1:1).

This is a description of a life centered on God. Those who live this way are "blessed." That frequent biblical word encompasses more than what we commonly refer to as "happiness" in contemporary usage. Our word "happy" is related to "happenings." Something happens that makes us happy. The biblical concept of "blessedness" goes much deeper; it signifies a profound sense of joy rooted in a God-centered way of life. "Happiness" in modern usage depends on events or happenings; "blessedness" in biblical usage is not influenced by events, but rather based on one's good relationship with God. An illustration of this is - Jesus spoke to His disciples about the joy or blessedness they would have; in the same conversation He told them they would be hated and persecuted. "Blessed are you when men persecute you." The "man" or person of Psalms 1:1 possesses blessedness because his life is God-centered. There is a depth of comfort, satisfaction, and contentment he enjoys regardless of the events of life because His life doesn't depend upon events but upon His relationship with God.

He walks not in the council of the ungodly. Think about a child of God, staying close to his Father; walking with God, joining with others who walk with God. This child of God does not seek the counsel of the ungodly! This person gains motivation and guidance from his father, as well as good influence and association from his brothers and sisters. The God-centered person does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. (Can you imagine attempting to gain self-improvement and spiritual stimulation by watching the Jerry Springer Show?)

He does not stand in the path of sinners. The God-centered person is cautious about companionship. And, if you are walking in the pathway of righteousness (with God, toward heaven, following Christ) - why would you stand in the path of sinners? The path of sinners moves in the opposite direction from your destination!

He does not sit in the seat of the scornful. The Holy Spirit may be picturing for us a steady digression away from God and into sin. Walking, standing, and then sitting may replicate that digression away from God. The point is, the God-centered person doesn't do this. The godly person avoids sin, stays on the right pathway, shuns the counsel of the ungodly, etc. In other words, this kind of person stays far away from sin and close to God. The result is that this person is blessed —biblical blessedness, not worldly happiness.

Is your life God-centered? Does the Word of God order your thoughts, decisions, attitudes, and actions, or do you take the advice of deceitful, wicked men? The person who lives a God-centered life "shall be like a tree planted" in fertile, well-watered soil that brings forth fruit in its season!

Count Your Blessings

Jeffrey Hamilton — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 00:15:07 +0000

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Count-Your-Blessings.mp3

Download Audio

by Raymond Warfel

Did God give my friend a new car?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 21 Jul 2024 00:01:04 +0000

Question:

Good day,

A friend of mine bought a new car, so he said God blessed him with the car. This made me think. I know God gave us in a general sense because we live in God's framework. He set the boundaries, but in a specific sense, God did not give him the car.

What do you think about this?

Answer:

God "makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matthew 5:45). All good blessings come from God. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" (James 1:17). Yet, many of those blessings are given to all of mankind equally.

Your friend was given abilities and opportunities to earn money, so in that sense, God blessed him with the ability to purchase a new car. However, we should not conclude that material blessings indicate righteousness. Asaph saw that wicked people sometimes had very good lives. "For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pangs in their death, But their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like other men" (Psalm 73:3-5). Eventually, however, he realized that their apparent success was only temporary. "If I had said, "I will speak thus," Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children. When I thought how to understand this, It was too painful for me- until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end. Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors" (Psalms 73:15-18).

There is nothing wrong with appreciating the blessings that come our way and expressing thankfulness to God for His generosity. At the same time, we must not make the mistake of thinking that material blessings mean we are favored by God because we deserve what we are given. "So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done'" (Luke 17:10).

Response:

Good day,

I got it. God gives us abilities and opportunities. However, similar to our salvation, if we do not respond to or act on opportunities, we will not receive blessings from God. Surely, God doesn't just unconditionally pick someone and give him a car. Many people want blessings, but we also need to teach them how to catch fish, not just give them fish.

Using Our God-Given Abilities

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 16:40:42 +0000

by Bret Miller
Think on These Things, Vol 55, No. 1, January-March 2024

In Matthew 24, Jesus is asked about the signs of the end of the age. Jesus then spoke for a long time on many different subjects, answering what the kingdom of heaven would be like in the end. One of those descriptions involved one master and three servants. In the parable of the talents, the master gave each servant a certain amount of money according to his ability. To one the master gave five talents, another two, and another one talent. There is some speculation over the value of this particular form of currency. From what I have briefly researched, one talent of silver could be worth nearly twenty years of income. Whatever the case, the amount of money with which the master entrusts each servant is quite remarkable, especially considering the fact that the master then ups and leaves for a long time. If you know the story, you know that the five-talent and two-talent servants both got to work to make the money grow, whereas the one-talent servant just hid his in the ground for safekeeping. The text says that each was given talents according to his ability, so the number of talents is representative of each slave’s ability.

Eventually, the master returns and he sees that the five-talent and two-talent servants have both doubled the money given to them. The master rewards them both equally, saying, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You’ve been faithful over a few things, but I will put you in charge of many. Enter into the joy of your master.” Meanwhile, the one-talent man is probably wondering how he is going to pass this assignment. He has done nothing except hide his talent in the ground, and the master tells him that he is wicked and lazy for it. The one-talent man is thrown by the master outside into the darkness.

Do the talents just represent ability? If so, is our application really just to make ourselves more talented? Can the talents represent souls or perhaps good deeds? However we interpret the meaning behind the talents, whether it be the ones God gives or what we produce, I think we can safely say that God gives us talent and we are to use that talent for good. In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus tells us not to hide our light but to let it shine to bring glory to our Father in heaven. What are we doing with what God gives us?

Why does the one-talent man hide his money? The man claims he did it out of fear. The master calls him wicked and lazy. Is the master Jesus? If so, does Jesus gather where he does not sow or scatter? Rather, the wicked and lazy servant had no relationship with his master to know that he was a good master. The servant claims that the master was too difficult, that he was a hard man, and that he feared him. But I think the master calls him out on it and basically says, “Oh, so I’m a hard man? Well, if that is the case, you would have at least done the bare minimum to please me.” (Matthew 25:26-27 NIBMV- Not Inspired Bret Miller Version). To go along with this point, as the reader, who do you think we are supposed to trust? The unfaithful man or the master who gives so generously? Matthew 25:28-29 has always bothered me. I think that God taking from someone who doesn’t have much and giving it to someone who already has plenty seems a bit backward. So how are we to understand what the master is saying here? I think the main message is that great faithfulness yields great reward. And I have peace of mind knowing that God is a perfect judge.

Applications:

You can’t change what you start with, but you can change what you end with. I teach a leadership class for high school students, and I am handed a curriculum to teach. For a couple of weeks, we talked about the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. The idea is that you are more successful if — when you face challenges and fail — you keep trying and change your mindset to say, “I can’t do this yet.” This brings some good results and there’s data to back it up. I think it’s a good mindset to a certain extent. At the risk of sounding like I have a fixed mindset, I can confidently say, “I am not good enough to play in the NBA.” Adding “yet” to that statement does absolutely no good. I have not been given the talent to do so. This is not an excuse, this is reality. In life, we’ve been given talents, but we have ceilings in certain areas. If the one-talent man works just as hard as the five-talent man, he will never catch up. I’m not saying that to discourage anyone but to help us understand the reality of the situation. We all have different abilities/gifts given by God and they’re all important.
To view everyone as having equal talents/abilities/gifts is inaccurate and, I think, detrimental to knowing how we can view and help other people. You may be a two-talent or a five-talent individual. Encourage the one-talent. I Thessalonians 5:14 says to “encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”
Don’t think because you’re doing the work of a one-talent man that you’re living up to your potential. We’re not working against each other, we’re working for the master. Stop comparing yourself to other talents and serve the master.
At times the world says it is shameful to be submissive to or to serve other people. But the slaves served the master. We are to be slaves of righteousness, not sin. Don’t be afraid to call yourself a bondservant of God.
Many people might see the one-talent man as justified because he was given something and gave the exact same thing back. This is typical of the “I’m ok you’re ok, don’t bother me if I’m doing nothing. Let me live my life my way,” mentality. This is not acceptable in the kingdom of heaven.
Both the five-talent and two-talent man did not procrastinate in doing the master’s (God’s) work. When God speaks, the faithful obey immediately. You don’t know when Jesus is coming back, so get to work.
Don’t be like the one-talent man and re-work in your mind the nature of God to fit your liking or to use it as an excuse for apathy.
When we consider the value of a talent, even the one-talent man still received a lot of money/talent. You’re capable of quite a bit with what God gives you.
Too often, we compare ourselves to other people with jealousy in our hearts instead of appreciating just how much we’ve been given.
I see the grace of God by entrusting so much to people who are equivalent to slaves. Our status is completely different in comparison to God, but he expects us to be faithful.
Being “faithful over a little” (when “a little” is at least a hundred years of income for the five-talent man) doesn’t seem like “a little,” but it illustrates how much God gives us as our reward. How great that reward must be!

What is meant by “God will give you the desires of your heart”?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 01:18:52 +0000

Question:

Hello,

I hope that you are blessed in every aspect of life.

I am emailing you because I want to understand the meaning of the scripture in Psalm 37:4, which says that God will give you the desires of your heart. Now, I do not want to confuse the meaning where some of us think that God is Santa Claus. I understand that God knows our hearts, but does it mean we should give up our desires and seek God's? For instance, I want a better salary or "the Christian girl of our dreams" — that type of thing.

Please help me better understand this scripture so I won't be entrapped in worldly pleasures or desires.

Thank you for taking the time to read my email, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Answer:

"Do not fret because of evildoers, be not envious toward wrongdoers. For they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday" (Psalms 37:1-6).

There is a list being discussed:

Do not fret or be envious
Trust in the LORD and do good. Cultivate faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord.
Commit your way to the Lord. Trust in Him.

Clearly, the topic in these verses is an encouragement to be committed to God and His ways. The results are also listed:

The wicked will not last
God will give you the desires of your heart
He will do as He promised
He will cause your righteousness and judgment to shine

If a person is committed to serving God then his desire will be to please God and not himself. This is similar to what John stated. "This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him" (I John 5:14-15). The key is that "we ask anything according to His will." It isn't about me.

The desires are the requests being made to God. "You have given him his heart's desire, and You have not withheld the request of his lips" (Psalms 21:2). It is not about granting me anything I might wish because these promises are to the righteous. "For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly" (Psalms 84:11). The righteous will not ask for things that are contrary to God's will.

Going back to Psalms 37, the problem being addressed is that the wicked are troubling the righteous. But God assures the righteous that the wicked will not last. If the righteous will trust that God will handle the problem and focus on doing what is right, then the righteous will live in the land (while the wicked disappear) and they will have peace as they grow their faithfulness. God will give the desires of the righteous (to be undisturbed by the wicked), but the righteous have to be committed to God and His way.

The encouragement to the righteous is to focus on doing right and not to get distracted by the wicked. God will handle evil men. The righteous have better things to do with their time.

On the Other Side of the Fence

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 25 Dec 2022 21:16:47 +0000

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/On-the-Other-Side-of-the-Fence.mp3

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

Text: Philippians 4:4-9

I. It is so easy, so tempting to look at what someone else has accomplished and think “That could have been me.”

A. When you are in school, have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I can’t wait until I have a job. None of this homework business for me!” But then the adults are thinking, “I can’t wait until I retire and have some free time.”

B. Kids can’t wait to get out on their own, so they can do as they please. Young people on their own want the companionship of someone else and can’t wait to get married, but some married people spend their time longing to be free and single again.

II. The problem is a lack of contentment in our lives

A. We aren’t happy with things as they are. We’re convinced that we won’t be happy, that we can’t be happy, until some things change in our situation.

B. How different is Paul’s instruction to Timothy - I Timothy 6:6-8

C. In whatever state - Philippians 4:10-13

III. It is a problem of envy

A. Envy is a desire for what other people have

B. Sometimes we envy the wrong person - Proverbs 3:31

1. We see what the person has, but we ignore how he achieved those things

2. Do we really want to cause others harm to get the same for ourselves? - Proverbs 23:17-18

C. We don’t realize the effect it has on our life - Proverbs 14:30

D. Envy is putting yourself ahead of others - James 3:13-16

1. It is the opposite of meekness where you have no concern for yourself - Philippians 2:3-4

IV. Combating the problem

A. Count your blessings

1. In the song, “Count Your Blessings” by Johnson Oatman, Jr., “When you look at others with their lands and gold, Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold; Count your many blessings, money cannot buy Your reward in Heaven, nor your home on high.”

2. Every good gift comes from heaven - James 1:17

a. Are we not paying attention to what God has given us?

b. Are we only focused on what we think we do not have?

3. Blessings for which to be thankful

a. A home to come to each night

b. Someone to greet you when you come home, family, spouse

c. A job where you can use your abilities.

d. A paycheck to purchase what you need

e. Brethren with whom you can worship

f. Things to laugh about and friends to laugh with

4. When you count your blessings, it become overwhelmingly obvious that we have no need to envy what others have.

B. Be active

1. Idleness leaves us time to feel sorry for ourselves - I Timothy 5:13-15

2. Take advantage of opportunities - Galatians 6:9-10

3. Let people see God through you - Matthew 5:16

C. Ask

1. When there is a true need, God will answer - Matthew 6:8

2. Instead of getting worked up over a matter, bring it to God - Philippians 4:6

3. Sometimes the answer is “no,” but even then we can learn contentment - II Corinthians 12:7-10

V. With these we shall be content

A. Will anyone have everything? Of course not.

B. It is not a question of what you don’t have. It is a matter of what will you do with the things you do have: your talent, your time, your opportunities

C. Make the most of what you have - Ephesians 5:15-17

D. Talk to the lost - Colossians 4:5-6

E. That you may lack nothing - I Thessalonians 4:9-12

1. Not always here on earth, but the treasure we lay up in heaven

2. Are you lacking something? Perhaps salvation or the peace of knowing your Lord?

The Parable of the Unjust Steward

Jeffrey Hamilton — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 00:24:42 +0000

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/The-Parable-of-the-Unjust-Steward.mp3

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

I. Luke 16:1-13

A. Many find this parable confusing because of the praise of the lord in verse 8.

B. How is it that an unfaithful steward, about to be relieved of his position, gains praise from his employer when he ends his career stealing more from him?

II. This parable follows three other parables that deal with true values

A. It starts in Luke 15:1-2 when the Pharisees try to besmirch Jesus’ reputation by associating him with tax collectors and sinful people.

B. The Parable of the Lost Sheep - Luke 15:3-7

1. Tells us that every soul is valuable to God and is worth great effort to save.

C. The Parable of the Lost Coin - Luke 15:8-10

1. Tells us that we will put forth effort if we think something is valuable enough.

2. If people will put that much effort into retrieving a coin, what about a soul?

D. The Parable of the Prodigal Son - Luke 15:11-32

1. Further shows that God wants us back even when we do Him wrong.

2. God is able to forget all past wrongs when we return to Him.

3. However, the Pharisees are too self-centered — caught up in their own righteousness — to see the value of another person.

E. The Parable of the Unjust Steward - Luke 16:1-13

1. Pinpoints the source of the Pharisee’s problem.

2. They knew the parable was about them - Luke 16:14

III. Analysis of the parable

A. This is not the only time Jesus uses an unrighteous person to illustrate a righteous principle. See Luke 18:1-8 — The Parable of the Unrighteous Judge

B. The lord is our Lord and God.

C. Each of us are stewards of God’s creation and His blessings to us

1. Gen 1:28 - Man has dominion over the creation

2. Luke 12:42-48 - We are given stewardship of our own life to do as we see fit, but we must give account of our handling God who gives us our life.

3. I Pet 4:10 - God also gives us different abilities which He expects us to use wisely and faithfully.

4. I Cor 4:1-2 - As Christians we are also given charge of the spreading of the Gospel.

D. However, none of us have been truly faithful in managing the things God has given us.

1. We have all wasted time that could have been profitably used.

2. We all have bypassed opportunities that could have brought great profit to our Master.

3. We have misused our talents for things our Lord is not interested in.

4. In short, we have all sinned - Rom. 3:23

5. Like the man in the parable, we each are unjust stewards.

E. The unjust steward doesn’t want to work for a living — he is too lazy. Do we not often look for the easy way out. The way that requires the least effort?

F. The unjust steward refuses to beg — he is too prideful. Do we not often think of things as being beneath our dignity?

G. The unjust steward is warned he is about to lose his job and brilliantly provides for himself by making use of his lord’s resources. The lord doesn’t praise his unrighteous actions, but admires his brilliant planning.

1. We too have been warned that this life is short. It will not last forever. Soon we must stand before our Lord and give an account of the things which we have done. - Heb. 9:27; Rom. 14:12

2. But here the parallel breaks down. As Jesus said, the ungodly of this world know how to get the most from worldly things; but the so-called godly don’t know how to get the most from spiritual things. - Luke 16:8

IV. Jesus draws a number of applications from this parable for His audience.

A. If we are to be praised by God in the judgment, we need to start using all the resources that we have been loaned by God to our best advantage.

1. Not in providing for ourselves in this world. It is temporary. We won’t be around long to enjoy it.

2. The only lasting treasure is heavenly - Matt 6:19-21

3. What benefits God is to our benefit in the long run. If we use God’s gifts to us to provide for ourselves in the here-after, then we are not wasting our Lord’s resources; but we are doing God’s will.

B. Jesus encourages us to make “friends” with money - Luke 16:9

1. Not friends of this world, but spiritual friends.

2. We need to use the things of this physical realm to do the will of Christ - I Tim. 6:17-19

3. Our friendship with Christ is a lasting relationship, if we will do His will - John 15:14

C. God is watching how we make use of the little things that we call our existence and our life to see if we are faithful enough to handle heaven. - Luke 16:10-12

1. We use this principle in business. You don’t put a young man, fresh from college in charge of your company. You start him out on small jobs. If he can handle it, you move him up.

2. People tend to behave the same whether with little or much. A person who is willing to steal a little will steal all the more with much.

3. This life is a test for promotion to the next - Matt 25:29

4. If we can’t make profitable use of our borrowed lives from God, why should we be given eternal life?

V. However, the true problem with the Pharisees is that they were too caught up in the current life.

A. They lost the perspective. They put priority on the things of this world.

B. You cannot serve the world and God. They both demand everything you can give. How many have jobs that when you give extra, want that and more besides?

C. Something has to give. You have to chose who you will serve.

D. What will you do with the life God has given you?

Use Your Blessings

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 11 Dec 2022 20:09:11 +0000

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Use-Your-Blessings.mp3

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

Text: Luke 12:16-21

I. Our lives are filled with blessings that we too often take for granted.

A. We assume that they will always be there. We might even feel that we deserve them

1. Consider Jonah’s attitude - Jonah 4:5-9

a. Jonah received a blessing from God.

b. But when the blessing ended Jonah became mad. He assumed he had the right to continue to enjoy what was given to him

2. Rather, we should have Job’s attitude when he lost everything - Job 1:20-22

B. We ought to recognize where our blessings come from and also remember that they are gifts that don’t have to continue.

1. Perhaps then we will be more thankful that they are there

II. The Parable of the Rich Man - Luke 12:16-21

A. The rich man was blessed abundantly with more than he could use.

B. He was satisfied with life. He expected the abundance to last him for many years.

C. But he had no plans to use God’s blessings to further God’s work

D. Jesus had warned about our priorities - Matthew 6:19-21

III. The Story of Judgment - Matthew 25:31-46

A. What separated the sheep from the goats?

1. It was their deeds of kindness: feeding the hungry, giving drinks to the thirty, clothing the naked, and visiting those in prison

B. The ones blessed by the Lord were those who had used their earlier blessings to bring glory to God

C. The condemned overlooked their opportunities to do good.

D. God desires kindness - Proverbs 19:22

E. This should not be confused with thinking that

1. This is all the Lord wants

2. Or that these deeds earn us heaven

F. However, these small deeds of kindness are characteristic of the righteous

G. When God decided to remove Israel, He pointed out that kindness was missing - Hosea 4:1-3

1. How did they get to this state? A lack of knowledge - Hosea 4:6

2. The more the population grew, the more people sinned - Hosea 4:7-8

3. They chased false religions - Hosea 4:12-14

H. Kindness and truth are bound together - Proverbs 3:3

IV. You can’t keep the blessings you have received on earth

A. The Lord pointed out to the right man this problem when he asked whose will be all the things he accumulated?

B. You can’t control what happens after you leave - Ecclesiastes 2:17-19

C. However, you can control the use of your money while you live

D. When we make use of God’s blessing, more results - Proverbs 11:24-25

E. How you use what you have is rewarded - II Corinthians 9:6-11

V. Make use of what you have

A. In the Parable of the Unjust Steward, he was praised for using his master’s wealth to benefit others and thereby himself - Luke 16:8-9

1. Make use of what you have here on earth to bring others to heaven so that they will receive you when it is your turn to go.

B. Labor to have excess to give - Ephesians 4:28

C. Lay up treasures with God’s blessings - I Timothy 6:17-19