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After our Main Topic, we spend a moment to touch base with our Bible Timeline segment. Today, it’s a little on the reliability of the sources that translations are built on, and why that is important. Documenting the family tree of those preserved texts can prove that just because a manuscript is older, the newer scrolls may still be more reliable when their family tree of preservation can be documented.

Main Topic

Choices

Every person faces an important choice regarding his or her eternal destiny.
MATTHEW 7:13-27

While many choices don’t result in severe consequences, some choices matter greatly. Regarding Jesus, how we choose will determine our eternal destiny and the life we will experience.

Jesus used a series of 3 illustrations to describe choices to following Him and the resulting consequences.

1. NARROW VERSUS WIDE?

(MATT. 7:13-14 HCSB)

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and many go through it.
14 How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.

Where do the alternative paths lead? The broad road? The narrow road?

• Why is it important to consider the end while persevering during the journey?

2. GOOD VERSUS BAD?

(MATT. 7:15-21 HCSB)

Recognize a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

15 Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. 16 You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

17 In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit.

19 Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.

21 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven.

• What is the responsibility of believers when they observe others producing fruit contrary to what the Bible expects of Christians?
• How do your Christian leaders’ lives show the genuine fruit of obedience?

3. ROCK VERSUS SAND?

(MATT. 7:24-27 HCSB)

24 Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock.

26 But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. And its collapse was great!”

• What similarities and differences are there in the illustration of the two houses?

Both types of people, those on the broad road and narrow road build houses. Both go through the same storm. One stands, and the other falls.

Hearing God’s Word and acting upon it give evidence that someone has chosen to build his or her house upon the unshakable foundation of Jesus Christ. Choosing to build one’s life on anything other than Christ and His Word leads to disaster.

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