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Scott LaPierre Ministries: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Scott LaPierre
Scott LaPierre is a pastor, author, and Christian speaker on marriage. This podcast includes his conference messages, guest preaching, and expository sermons at Woodland Christian Church. Each of Scott’s messages is the result of hours of studying the Bible. Scott and his wife, Katie, grew up together in northern California, and God has blessed them with nine children. View all of Pastor Scott’s books on Amazon. Receive a copy of Scott’s book, “Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages.” For Scott LaPierre’s conference and speaking information, including testimonies, and endorsements, please visit. Feel free to contact Scott at.
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- 5 days ago24 min
Do Not Despise the Day of Small Things: God Takes Pleasure in Faithful Work
One of the most fitting verses for our homes is one you will almost never see on a plaque or wall hanging: Zechariah 4:10, which warns us not to despise the day of small things. Most of our days are filled with small, ordinary tasks, and we are tempted to look right past them. Yet this is exactly the trap the returning Jews fell into while rebuilding the temple—until God sent the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to tell them He took pleasure in the very work they thought was insignificant. We often think the verses worth framing are the familiar favorites—"Trust in the Lord with all your heart" (Proverbs 3:5–6), "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10), or "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15). But the verse that speaks most directly to the ordinary rhythm of our lives is the one that reminds us God rejoices over faithful work that looks small in our eyes. https://youtu.be/CvaztkjwCmg Table of contentsThe Context: A Small, Struggling CommunityLesson One: We Obey for God's Pleasure, Not Our BenefitZechariah's Vision of the LampstandLesson Two: God Supplies the Strength for the Work He CommandsThe Promises Attached to the WorkWhy the Temple Looked So SmallLesson Three: God Finds Pleasure in the Small, Ordinary Things We DoThe Significance of Our Ordinary WorkPointing to Christ The Context: A Small, Struggling Community We have been working verse by verse through the book of Haggai, so let me set the scene. The Jews had returned from exile and begun rebuilding the temple, but then stopped for sixteen years. God raised up Haggai and Zechariah to get them working again. In Haggai 1:6 (ESV), God describes just how poorly life was going for them: "You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes." Nothing was working out. They planted much and harvested little. They ate but stayed hungry. They drank but stayed thirsty. They dressed but stayed cold. They earned wages, but the money seemed to disappear into "a bag with holes." Into this discouragement, God gave a command in Haggai 1:8 (ESV): "Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the LORD." When we looked at this verse last week, we focused on the command: start rebuilding the temple. But I deliberately saved the second half of the verse for this study, because it holds a surprise. Lesson One: We Obey for God's Pleasure, Not Our Benefit Here is a question worth pausing on. Because things were going so badly for the Jews, how would you expect the second half of Haggai 1:8 to read? Something like this, perhaps: "Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that…your lives will be better." You would expect God to promise full barns, satisfied stomachs, warm clothing, and a wallet that finally holds its money. But that is not what He says. God told them to build "that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified." And that brings us to our first lesson: we should primarily obey for God's pleasure rather than our own benefit. Let's be honest about why we sometimes obey. If you are anything like me, the inner logic often sounds like this: "If I have my devotions, my day will go better." "If I give, God will protect my finances." "If I serve, my family will be blessed." Now, God often does bless obedience. Later in this same book, He tells these very people, in Haggai 2:19 (ESV), "From this day on…I will bless you." But being blessed should not be the primary motive. Consider the problem with obeying merely to be blessed: what happens when we obey and the blessing does not come? We lose our motivation, and we may even feel shortchanged, as though God failed to hold up His end of the bargain. But when God's pleasure is our aim, we will always be motivated to obey. Paul lived this way. In 2 Corinthians 5:9 (ESV), he writes, "Whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him." An aim is a target you point at. Whatever Paul was doing—tentmaking, traveling, preaching, sitting in prison—the target never moved. Enoch's entire life is summarized in a single phrase in Hebrews 11:5 (ESV): he "was commended as having pleased God." Imagine your whole life summarized in five words. Could there be a better five? And here is what stands out to me most: the LORD of hosts, who commands the armies of heaven, said that the obedience of this small, struggling community would bring Him pleasure. That is deeply encouraging, because it means my little obedience can please God too. Zechariah's Vision of the Lampstand Haggai and Zechariah were contemporaries, prophesying at the same time, and Zechariah was making a strikingly similar point. God gave Zechariah eight visions, and we are looking at the fifth. It begins in Zechariah 4
- 2 weeks ago28 min
Put God First: Stop Delaying Obedience | Haggai 1:1–8
Last time, I gave you an overview of the Book of Ezra so we'd have a foundation for understanding Haggai. You might remember we read Ezra 4:24, which says the work on the house of God stopped for sixteen years — and then, in the very next verse, Ezra 5:1 says Haggai and Zechariah began prophesying, and the people got back to work. I told you then that you were probably wondering what Haggai actually said to get people working again after sixteen years. This is the morning we start finding out. For the next several weeks, we're going to walk verse by verse through the Book of Haggai, and this morning we begin with the sermon that restarted a stalled nation — a sermon that, at its core, is about learning to put God first instead of putting Him off. https://youtu.be/d3JfYBOv33Y Table of ContentsThese Were Mature, Godly PeopleHaggai 1:1 — Who Received the WordLesson One: God Graciously Speaks to Us Even After Years of NeglectLesson Two: Delayed Obedience Often Disguises Itself as "Not the Right Time"Haggai 1:3–4 — Paneled HousesConsider Your WaysLesson Three: When God Is Not First, Even Good Pursuits Become FrustratingHaggai 1:8 — Go Up and BuildLesson Four: God Is Glorified by the Priorities We Practice, Not Merely the Priorities We ProfessConclusion: Consider Your Ways These Were Mature, Godly People Before we read a single verse, you need to know something about the Jews this book is written to. They're going to look pretty bad for starting the temple and then stopping for sixteen years — but they were mature, godly people. Remember, last time we looked at Ezra 2:64, which said there were only 42,360 people in the first return — about 2% of the Jewish population. The other 98% wanted to stay in Persia, where they'd lived for decades and built lives, businesses, and families. The Persians were sufficiently favorable toward the Jews to allow this small remnant to return and rebuild. Consider what returning actually meant: A roughly 900-mile, four-month journey back to Jerusalem — long, unpleasant, and dangerous. Leaving behind most of their friends and family, since so few chose to go. Walking away from established businesses and lives after seventy years in Babylon. Returning to a monumental building project in a city with no homes, no walls, and no defenses. No material resources, many enemies, and land still in the possession of another empire. These Jews had a heart for God. And here's the application: if what we're about to read can happen to Jews who were serious about their faith, it can happen to even the most mature Christians too. Haggai 1:1 — Who Received the Word Haggai 1:1 — In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Notice who receives the word: the governor and the high priest — the civil leader and the spiritual leader. When God wants to move a people, He typically begins with their leaders. The date given — "the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month" — is August 29, 520 BC, exactly when we read last time that Haggai started preaching (Ezra 4:24). The first day of the month was the new moon, a feast day when the people gathered together (Numbers 10:10). God delivered this message on the day the maximum number of people would hear it. Lesson One: God Graciously Speaks to Us Even After Years of Neglect The Jews returned to Jerusalem for one purpose. Cyrus's decree wasn't "go re-occupy the land" — it was go rebuild the house of the Lord (Ezra 1:3). That was the mission. And for sixteen years, the mission sat abandoned while everyone got on with life. If God had stayed silent for another sixteen years, no one could have accused Him of injustice. If He'd sent another Nebuchadnezzar, they could hardly have been surprised — that's what happened the last time the people ignored Him for decades. But remember how last week's message ended: He didn't send an army or a new king. He sent preachers with His Word. God's gracious first move toward a people who had neglected Him for sixteen years was to speak to them. He clearly hadn't given up on them. There's a real application here. Maybe you stopped going to church for years. You always meant to go back, but the longer you stayed away, the more awkward walking through the doors felt. Maybe you haven't really prayed in longer than you can remember, or you can't recall the last time you opened your Bible on your own — and "someday" has slowly turned into "probably never." Maybe you haven't served in years, like you know you should. Or maybe the sixteen years is something you've been doing rather than neglecting: pornography that's had a grip on you so long you can't remember life without it; alcohol that started as a way to unwind an
- 3 weeks ago28 min
Overview of the Book of Ezra: We Never Plan to Stop for Long
The Book of Ezra records one of the most remarkable moments in Israel's history: the return of the Jews from seventy years of exile in Babylon. This overview of the Book of Ezra will give you the framework you need to understand the post-exilic period — the three returns from exile, the rebuilding of the temple, and why the prophet Haggai had to preach to a people who had stopped working on God's house. But more than history, Ezra confronts us with a sobering spiritual truth: we never plan to stop for long, but temporary breaks have a way of quietly becoming permanent. https://youtu.be/M-hKikTI-6k When I first became a Christian, I knew almost nothing about the Bible, and I had lots of questions. But God, in His kindness, put a man in my life who never seemed to tire of them: Barry Branaman. Barry was the first person to make me feel like the Bible was not too big for me to understand. After a midweek study at his house, we would sit in his living room for hours — sometimes late into the evening — as he helped me understand the Old Testament. So when I opened a book like Haggai, a book many people might skip right over, I was not lost. In 2012, my wife, Katie, and I drove down to California to stay with Barry and his wife, Kathy. By then, I had been a pastor for about five years, and I wanted to look him in the eye and tell him that the hours he had spent with me in that living room had borne fruit. Sadly, he unexpectedly passed away in his sleep two years later at only 58, so I am glad I had that opportunity. Here is a verse that comes to mind when I think of Barry: Hebrews 11:4 — Though he died, he still speaks. I know this verse is not about Barry, but many things I teach today are influenced by what he taught me. In that sense, though he died, he still speaks when I pass along what he taught me. So in this post, I want to do for you what Barry did for me: give you some Old Testament framework so you can better understand Ezra and Haggai. Table of ContentsHow the Old Testament Fits TogetherPre-Exile, Exile, and Post-ExileEzra 1: God Keeps His WordLesson One: We Can Trust God to Keep His WordHow God Stirred Up CyrusA Spiritual Mission, Not Just a HomecomingOnly 2% ReturnedThe Three Returns in the Book of Ezra and NehemiahEzra 7: The Second ReturnLesson Two: God Turns Kings' HeartsThe Work Stops for Sixteen YearsLesson Three: We Let Temporary Breaks Become PermanentLesson Four: We Start Again When God Stirs UsConclusion: Let God's Word Stir You How the Old Testament Fits Together Here is a simple way to view the 39 books of the Old Testament: 17 history books — Genesis to Esther 5 wisdom books — Job to Song of Solomon 17 prophets — Isaiah to Malachi And here is a high-level view of the story contained in the historical books. God created a people for Himself and gave them a land — the Promised Land — and at the center of that land, in the city of Jerusalem, He gave them a temple. The temple was the great sign that God dwelt in the midst of His people. As long as it stood, the message was unmistakable: God is here with us. But over time, the people turned from God and worshiped idols. God sent prophets to rebuke and warn them about what would happen if they did not repent, but they refused. Eventually, God did what He said He would do. He sent the nation of Babylon, and in 586 BC, Babylon tore down the walls of Jerusalem, burned the temple to the ground, and carried the Jews into exile — hundreds of miles from home, in a foreign land. But here is the interesting thing. God prophesied through Jeremiah that the Jews would be in exile for only seventy years, and then they would return to their land: Jeremiah 25:11–12 — [The Jews] shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation. God said that after seventy years, He would punish the Babylonians. He raised up the Persian Empire to do so, and then Cyrus, the king of Persia, allowed the Jews to return to their land. Pre-Exile, Exile, and Post-Exile This allows us to divide the Jews' history into three sections: pre-exile (before 586 BC), exile (586–538 BC in Babylon), and post-exile (after 538 BC, the return). It is important to notice that no historical books record the Jews' exile. The historical books cover the period before the exile (Genesis through 2 Chronicles) and after the exile (Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther). To understand the Jews' history during the exile, we have to use the prophets — and the prophets can be divided into the same three sections: Pre-exile prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah Exile prophets: Ezekiel and Daniel — they were in exile with the Jews, so their books show us what the exile was like Post-exile prophets: Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi Because Haggai prophesied after the exile, we r
- Jun 29, 202626 min
The Ascension of Jesus: He Lifted His Hands and Blessed Them (Luke 24:50–53)
Ask almost any Christian to tell you the Easter story, and they can: the cross on Friday, the grave on Saturday, the stone rolled away on Sunday, the empty tomb, the folded grave clothes, the risen Lord, and the disciples who could hardly believe their eyes. We have built an entire season of the year around that account. But ask what happened next — the ascension of Jesus — and many believers are not sure what to say. We tend to stop reading at the resurrection, as if that is where the story ends. It isn’t. The closing scene of Luke’s Gospel is not simply tacked on to the end of the book — it ties all the way back to the beginning. In Luke 24:50–53, Luke seems to tie a knot around the whole story, connecting the end to where it started. Below are five lessons from those four verses, and why the last thing the disciples saw should fill us with joy. https://youtu.be/pjgpIcGZgaE Table of contentsLuke 24:50–53 — The PassageLesson One: Christ Blesses His People as the Priest Who First Offered HimselfLesson Two: Luke Is Framed Between a Priest Who Could Not Bless and the Priest Who DoesLesson Three: The Last Sight of Christ — His Hands Raised in BlessingLesson Four: The Disciples Rejoiced Because the Ascension Was a CoronationWhy the Ascension of Jesus Matters1. The work is finished2. Jesus reigns3. Jesus is praying for you right now4. The Spirit could comeLesson Five: We Bless God Because He First Blessed Us in ChristThe Image to Carry Until He Returns Luke 24:50–53 — The Passage Luke 24:50–53 And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God. Luke tells us where this happened: the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. (Luke says Jesus led them out “as far as Bethany,” and Acts 1:12 says the disciples returned “from the mount called Olivet.” There is no conflict — Bethany sits on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, so both describe the same hillside Jesus had crossed for the triumphal entry, near where He had wept over the city and prayed in Gethsemane.) Notice that Jesus does not simply wave goodbye or offer a few final words before leaving. He lifts up His hands and blesses them. And there has been a lot of attention on Jesus’ hands in this chapter. The disciples likely saw the scars when He broke the bread (v. 35); He told them, “See my hands and my feet” and showed the scars (vv. 39–40); and now His hands come up again — raised in blessing. And don’t miss who received this blessing. These are the men who fell asleep in the garden, scattered when He was arrested, denied Him, hid behind locked doors, and refused to believe the reports of His resurrection. If anyone had earned a rebuke, it was they. But Jesus did not leave them with a rebuke. He left them with a blessing. From beginning to end, His disposition toward His failing, fearful people has been grace. Lesson One: Christ Blesses His People as the Priest Who First Offered Himself This whole scene would have sounded priestly to Jewish ears. We tend to think of Old Testament priests as those who offered sacrifices, but blessing the people was also part of their ministry: Deuteronomy 10:8 At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi… to minister to him and to bless in his name, to this day. Numbers 6:23–24 Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The LORD bless you and keep you… And here is a crucial detail: the blessing came after the sacrifice. Leviticus 9:18, 22 [Aaron] killed the ox and the ram, the sacrifice… for the people… Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them. The order matters: the priest offers the sacrifice, lifts his hands, and then blesses the people. The blessing follows the sacrifice because the blessing depends on the sacrifice. A blessing cannot be pronounced over unaddressed sin. The sacrifice deals with the sin between God and the people, and once that obstacle is removed, God’s favor can rest on them openly. The blessing tells the worshipers they are sent away with God’s acceptance rather than His judgment. The priest does all of this as a mediator standing between God and man. He presents the sacrifice, representing the people toward God; he pronounces the blessing, representing God toward man. And all of it looks forward to Christ. Jesus is our great High Priest who has offered the true and final sacrifice. He went to the cross, suffered for sin, and rose from the dead. His sacrifice was accepted by the Father — and now, before ascending, He lifts His hands in the unmistakable posture of the priest and blesses His people. There is an even more striking example from Hezekiah’s day: 2 Chronicles 30:27Then the priests and the Levites arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and the
- Jun 22, 202628 min
Proclaiming the Gospel to All Nations: Witnesses Empowered by the Holy Spirit | Luke 24:47-49
Proclaiming the gospel to all nations is not an optional assignment for especially gifted Christians. It is part of Christ’s final instructions to His people. In Luke 24:47–49, Jesus tells His disciples that “repentance for the forgiveness of sins” must be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. Then He calls them witnesses and promises them power from on high. https://youtu.be/S--plksRBaY Table of contentsThe Gospel Must Be ProclaimedWe Shouldn’t Keep the Good News to OurselvesThe Gospel Must Be Spoken, Not Just ShownThe Gospel Begins in the Least Likely PlaceThis Gospel Is for All NationsGod Always Planned to Save the NationsWe Are Living Proof That Jesus Meant “All Nations”Jesus Sends WitnessesAre We Witnesses Too?God Uses Ordinary WitnessesGospel Witness Is Empowered by the Holy SpiritThe Spirit Does What We Cannot DoConclusion: We Have Found the Bread of Life The Gospel Must Be Proclaimed In the previous sermon, we considered one of the most important questions anyone can ask: How can sins be forgiven? Jesus gives the answer in Luke 24:47: “Repentance for the forgiveness of sins…” Forgiveness comes through repentance. It is not earned by repentance, but repentance is the necessary turning from sin to Christ. We turn from our sin, our self-righteousness, our excuses, and our rebellion, and we look to Christ for mercy. But this raises another question: how will this truth reach the people who need to hear it? Jesus answers in the rest of the verse: “…should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” The message of repentance and forgiveness is not to be hidden, whispered, or kept private. It must be proclaimed. To proclaim means to announce, declare, or herald. It is the way a messenger would carry the word of a king’s decree, or the way a runner might bring news from the battlefield that the war has been won. The gospel is good news, and good news is meant to be announced. We Shouldn’t Keep the Good News to Ourselves D. T. Niles famously said: “Evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.” That line captures the heart of Christian witness beautifully. When we find bread, we tell the hungry. When we find water, we tell the thirsty. When we find the Savior, we tell sinners. There is a powerful Old Testament picture of this in 2 Kings 7. Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, was under siege by the Syrians. The famine inside the city had become horrific. People were starving, and the situation looked hopeless. Then Elisha prophesied that by the next day, food would be plentiful and inexpensive again. Humanly speaking, that seemed impossible. Outside the city gate were four lepers. Because of their disease, they were outcasts. They could not live among the people. As they considered their situation, they realized they had only three options. They could stay where they were and die. They could enter the city and die in the famine. Or they could go to the Syrian camp, surrender, and perhaps be spared. None of the options looked good, but the third seemed least hopeless. So they went to the Syrian camp. What they did not know was that the Lord had caused the Syrians to hear the sound of a great army. The Syrians panicked and fled, leaving behind their tents, food, supplies, and possessions. The lepers entered the camp and found food. They ate and drank. Then they began hiding treasure for themselves. But their consciences convicted them: “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news…Now therefore come; let us go and tell the king’s household” (2 Kings 7:9). They had found life while a city was dying behind the walls. They could not keep it to themselves. That is what evangelism is. We are not superior people telling inferior people to get their lives together. We are beggars who have found the Bread of Life in Christ, and we tell other beggars where they can find Him too. The Gospel Must Be Spoken, Not Just Shown It is important to bring balance here. Our lives matter. Jesus said: “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Peter also wrote that believing wives can have a powerful influence on unbelieving husbands through respectful and pure conduct: “…so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives” (1 Peter 3:1). So we should be clear: Christians should live in such a way that people see Christlike love, humility, holiness, patience, mercy, forgiveness, and compassion in us. Our conduct should never contradict the gospel we proclaim. But no matter how much our lives reflect Christ, Jesus still says the gospel must be proclaimed. People are not saved merely by watching Christian lives. They must hear the message of Christ crucified and risen. The
- Jun 15, 202626 min
Repentance for the Forgiveness of Sins: Not Penance but Christ
Repentance for the forgiveness of sins is the message Jesus gave His disciples after His resurrection. He did not tell them to preach: penance for the forgiveness of sins religious works for the forgiveness of sins or self-punishment for the forgiveness of sins He told them that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name. One of the most important questions anyone can ask is, “How can my sins be forgiven?” Every religion tries to answer that question, and fallen man naturally gravitates toward the same answer: “I must do something.” I must suffer enough. I must sacrifice enough. I must perform enough religious acts, prayers, rituals, or good works to make up for what I have done. Basically, we think: “I have done something wrong, so I must do something right to cancel it out. I have sinned badly, so I must suffer badly. I have offended God greatly, so I must offer something great to satisfy Him.” But Jesus gives us a very different answer. After He rose from the dead, He appeared to His disciples, showed them His hands and feet, invited them to touch Him, and even ate in front of them to prove He had truly risen bodily from the dead. Then He reminded them that everything written about Him in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms had to be fulfilled. The cross and resurrection were not accidents. They were not Plan B. They were the fulfillment of God’s Word. And once Jesus opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, He showed them that the message of the gospel is not penance, but repentance in His name. https://youtu.be/fnuLzd6ouEI Table of contentsJesus Opened Their Minds to Understand the ScripturesUnderstanding Scripture Should Make Us Humble and PrayerfulScripture Reveals That Christ Had to Suffer and RiseJesus Commanded Repentance for the Forgiveness of SinsPenance Is Not the Same as RepentanceFallen Man Wants to Earn ForgivenessThe Old Testament Also Rejects Man-Made Payment for SinGod Desires Repentant Hearts More Than Religious SacrificesThe Tax Collector Brought the Sacrifice God AcceptsForgiveness Is Found in Christ, Not in Making Up for SinRun to ChristConclusion Jesus Opened Their Minds to Understand the Scriptures Luke 24:45 says: “Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” Notice the wording. Luke does not say, “They finally figured it out.” He does not say, “They were smart enough to put the pieces together.” He says Jesus opened their minds. This continues a pattern we see throughout Luke 24. Earlier, the disciples on the road to Emmaus were kept from recognizing Jesus. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him. Spiritual understanding is not ultimately a human achievement. It is a divine gift. That does not mean study is useless. Paul told Timothy to do his best to rightly handle the word of truth. The Bereans were commended because they examined the Scriptures daily to see whether Paul’s teaching was true. Study matters. Effort matters. Sitting under faithful preaching matters. But in the end, God must still open the heart. These disciples were not unintelligent men. They had spent three years with Jesus. They heard Him teach in synagogues, in the Temple courts, by the lakeside, on the hillside, and in private. They knew the Old Testament. They were not spiritual novices. But they still did not understand until Jesus opened their minds. The same is true with us. A person can read Scripture and miss the meaning. A person can hear preaching and remain spiritually blind. A person can know facts about the Bible without seeing the glory of Christ in the Bible. Paul explains why in 1 Corinthians 2:14: “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him.” The difference is not ultimately intelligence, education, or effort. The difference is God opening the mind and enlightening the heart. Understanding Scripture Should Make Us Humble and Prayerful If understanding Scripture is a gift, then two applications follow. First, we should be humble. If we have come to understand any spiritual truth from Scripture, our response should be gratitude, not pride. We did not crack the code because we are smarter than others. God was gracious to us. Paul prayed in Ephesians 1:17–18 that God would give believers “the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him” and that the eyes of their hearts would be enlightened. That is what happened to the disciples in Luke 24. Jesus opened their minds. He enlightened their hearts. He gave them spiritual understanding. Second, we should be prayerful. If understanding Scripture is a gift Jesus gives, then we should approach the Bible with dependence. Before we come to the text as students, teachers, preachers, or scholars, we should come as beggars. Psalm 119:18 is a wonderful prayer to pray before reading Scripture: “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous
- Jun 8, 202624 min
The Word of the Lord Fulfilled in Christ (Isaiah 55:10-11 and Hebrews 4:12-13)
The Word of the Lord fulfilled in Christ is one of the great themes running through all of Scripture. From the opening words of Genesis to the risen Christ explaining the Old Testament in Luke 24, the Bible reveals one unified story: God speaks, God promises, God sends His Word, and that Word is ultimately Jesus Christ. https://youtu.be/zg74q5OenbU Table of contentsThe Word of the Lord Created All ThingsThe Word of the Lord Came Throughout the Old TestamentThe Word of the Lord Became FleshThe Word of the Lord Reveals Christ from Creation to ConsummationJesus Opened the Old Testament to His DisciplesThe Law, Prophets, and Psalms Point to ChristAll God’s Promises Find Their Yes in ChristConclusion: Worship the Word Fulfilled in Christ Have you ever noticed how much harder it is to understand something when you come in near the end? You walk into the final scene of a movie, and everyone around you is emotional. Some are crying. Some are rejoicing. But because you missed the beginning, the ending does not carry the same weight. Or you catch the last few minutes of a sporting event. You see who wins and who loses, but because you do not know how close the game was, how many times the lead changed, or what happened along the way, the victory does not mean as much. Or you walk into the end of a conversation and hear only the last few sentences. Even if the conversation is important, you do not really understand what is happening because you missed what led up to it. That is what happened with many people in the Gospels. They saw the final scenes of Jesus’ earthly ministry: His arrest, trial, crucifixion, darkness, death, burial, and empty tomb. But they did not understand what they were seeing because they did not understand the story that had led up to it. Even the disciples struggled with this. They loved Jesus. They followed Him. They listened to Him. But when He suffered and died, they were confused, discouraged, and afraid. They saw the end of the story, but they could not make sense of it because they had not put the pieces together from everything that came before in the Old Testament. So before we can rightly understand Luke 24, we need to go back to the beginning. We need to start where the Bible starts, because if we want to understand the end, we need to understand the beginning. The end of Jesus’ earthly life was not disconnected from the rest of Scripture. His death and resurrection were the fulfillment of the story God had been telling from the very first page of the Bible. And that story begins with God speaking. The Word of the Lord Created All Things We first see God’s Word at creation: “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”Genesis 1:3 That phrase is repeated throughout Genesis 1. God said, “Let there be an expanse.” God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together.” God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation.” God said, “Let there be lights.” God said, “Let the waters swarm.” God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures.” God created everything by speaking. He created all things by His Word. The rest of Scripture emphasizes this same truth: “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.”Psalm 33:6 “For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.”Psalm 33:9 The New Testament says the same thing: “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God.”Hebrews 11:3 Creation itself reveals the power of God’s Word. God did not struggle to create the universe. He spoke, and it came to be. The Word of the Lord Came Throughout the Old Testament God spoke at creation, but He did not stop speaking then. He continued speaking, not to create, but to communicate. Throughout the Old Testament, we repeatedly read phrases such as “The word of the LORD came to…” The word of the Lord came to Abraham. The word of the Lord came to Samuel. The word of the Lord came to Nathan. It came to David, Gad, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jonah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Haggai, Zechariah, and many others. This shows us that God is a speaking God. He reveals Himself. He makes His will known. He sends forth His Word. One of the most important Old Testament passages about the Word of the Lord is Isaiah 55:10–11: “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth… so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose.”Isaiah 55:10–11 These verses are often applied to Scripture, and there is certainly a relationship between God’s written Word and this passage. But Isaiah 55 also beautifully points us to Christ, the Incarnate Word. The rain and snow come down from heaven, accomplish their purpose, and then return. This is exactly what Jesus did. He came down from heaven, accomplished the Father’s will, and
- Jun 4, 202626 min
God’s Compassion for Sinners in Luke 15:20-21
One of the most beautiful truths in Scripture is God’s compassion for sinners. Many people imagine God the Father as harsh, distant, angry, and reluctant to forgive, while they see Jesus as merciful, gentle, and willing to receive sinners. But the Bible never presents the Father and Son as divided in heart, will, or purpose. The Father is not trying to destroy sinners while the Son holds Him back. Rather, the Father Himself planned redemption, sent the Son, and receives repentant sinners with compassion. Luke 15 gives us one of the clearest pictures of this truth. Jesus said of the prodigal son, “And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). Before the son could finish his confession, before he could offer his prepared speech, and before he could ask to be treated like a hired servant, the father saw him and felt compassion. That father represents God the Father. And this means Luke 15 is not merely a touching story about a wayward son coming home. It is a revelation of God’s heart toward repentant sinners. https://youtu.be/tUYPswVYKGo Table of contentsGod’s Compassion and God’s Forgiveness Are Related, but Not IdenticalGod’s Compassion for Sinners Is Seen Throughout ScriptureGod’s Compassion Is Greater Than We ExpectGod’s Kindness Leads Us to RepentanceEven God’s Children Should Confess Their SinGod’s Compassion Allows Sinners to Escape the Law’s DemandsThe Prodigal Son Shows the Heart of God the FatherNo Sinner Is Beyond God’s CompassionConclusion God’s Compassion and God’s Forgiveness Are Related, but Not Identical God’s compassion and God’s forgiveness are closely connected, but they are not exactly the same. Compassion is what God feels toward sinners in their pitiful condition. Forgiveness is what God does because of His mercy and compassion. In Scripture, compassion is often related to pity. We feel compassion when we see someone suffering, broken, humbled, or in need. We do not feel compassion for every situation. If a couple announces they are expecting a child, we rejoice with them. But if they share that they miscarried, we feel compassion. Compassion rises in our hearts when we see pain, sorrow, brokenness, and need. That helps us understand the father’s response in Luke 15. When he saw his son returning, he knew what his son had done. He knew the shame, waste, rebellion, and misery that had marked his journey. The son had demanded his inheritance, left home, squandered everything, and ended up in humiliation. When the father saw him returning, he did not first feel disgust, suspicion, or hostility. He felt compassion. Even more striking, the father felt compassion before the son confessed. The son had prepared to say, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son” (Luke 15:21). But before those words were spoken, the father ran, embraced him, and kissed him. This is one of the most moving pictures in Scripture of God’s compassion for sinners. God’s Compassion for Sinners Is Seen Throughout Scripture God's compassion is not only a New Testament truth. It is not something that appears only when Jesus comes in the flesh. God’s compassion for sinners is revealed throughout all of Scripture. In Matthew 18, Jesus tells the parable of the unforgiving servant. A servant owed a debt so large he could never repay it, even with many lifetimes. That debt pictures our sin debt before God. We cannot pay it. We cannot work it off. We cannot make ourselves righteous. When the servant pleaded for patience, the master’s response was astonishing: “And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt” (Matthew 18:27). The master was moved with compassion and forgave the debt completely. That is how God forgives repentant sinners. He does not forgive a little. He does not merely reduce the debt. He cancels it. We also see God’s compassion in the book of Jonah. Jonah preached to Nineveh, and the Ninevites responded with one of the most dramatic examples of repentance in Scripture. But Jonah was angry because he hated the Ninevites and did not want them to receive mercy. God said to Jonah, “Should not I pity Nineveh, that great city?” (Jonah 4:11). Humanly speaking, most people familiar with Nineveh’s wickedness would have expected the opposite. The Ninevites were violent, cruel, idolatrous people. Yet God had compassion on them when they humbled themselves. What is especially revealing is that Jonah was not surprised by God’s compassion. He said, “I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Jonah 4:2). Jonah knew God’s character. He knew God was compassionate toward sinners, and that is exactly why he resisted preaching to Nineveh. This matters because Jonah is in the Old Testament. The Old Testamen
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About Scott LaPierre Ministries
Scott LaPierre is a pastor, author, and Christian speaker on marriage. This podcast includes his conference messages, guest preaching, and expository sermons at Woodland Christian Church. Each of Scott’s messages is the result of hours of studying the Bible. Scott and his wife, Katie, grew up together in northern California, and God has blessed them with nine children. View all of Pastor Scott’s books on Amazon. Receive a copy of Scott’s book, “Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages.” For Scott LaPierre’s conference and speaking information, including testimonies, and endorsements, please visit. Feel free to contact Scott at.
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