I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. Luke 15:7 (NKJV) Our God is a “heart” God. Despite what legalistic Christianity teaches, God isn’t primarily concerned with our outward behaviour. He wants us to make good decisions, of course, but He’s most concerned with our hearts, and He also wants us to know His heart. There’s a parable that Jesus taught in Luke 15 that has a lot to say about the heart of God. As Jesus was teaching, all the tax collectors and sinners drew near to listen, which got the religious people whispering. They criticized Him, saying “This Man receives sinners and eats with …

“In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” Luke 15:10 (NLT) Just as the angels rejoiced over Jesus’ birth, there are births taking place today that still make all of Heaven throw a party. In Luke 15, Jesus told three stories—the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the missing coin and the parable of the lost son. In each story, He’s showing us how the angels rejoice when even one person accepts the gift of Jesus. Just imagine God shouting out, “Hey, Leon gave His life to me today! Leon is born again!” When that happened, Heaven went wild—just like it did when you or anyone else gave their life to Christ. What causes …

You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house… We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Ephesians 2:19-21 (NLT) Everybody is looking for a place to belong. They may have a physical family—a spouse, kids, and grandparents—but they still have a strong sense that they’re missing something. They’ll never know what it is until they come into God’s family through Jesus. Whenever I preach in different churches in different countries, I’ve noticed that it doesn’t matter where I am—the sense of family among believers is the same. And the thing about families is that when you’re a part of one, you naturally want to get involved. I think of the fun pandemonium that happens when my …

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” Luke 2:13-14 (NLT) What made the angels sing about Jesus’ birth? It’s because they were announcing something revolutionary—the start of God restoring His family. You see, ever since the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned, God’s family had been separated from Him. But Jesus was the starting point of peace on earth. He was going to take the sin of the world and offer unconditional love and forgiveness to anyone who would call on Him. Maybe in your own family, you’ve lost hope. You may have children who have walked away …

But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. Galatians 4:4-5 (NLT) Christmas is a wonderful time of year, but it also has a way of highlighting broken relationships within families. Today, I want to show you how important family is to God—and how He wants to get involved with yours. But to do that, we have to go all the way back to when God’s own family began with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Every day, He walked and talked with them as their perfect Father, instilling within …