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Lessons on Life & Business

Weekly deep-dive Bible studies to help you thrive

John 1:19-23 (12/4/24)

December 4, 2024 • Benham Brothers • John 1:19–23

* How you see yourself determines how you behave yourself. * Satan knows this. * If he can get you confused about who you are, he's won the battle. * One of the keys to knowing who you are is knowing who you are not! * John the Baptist is a great example. * vs. 19-21 - “And this is the testimony of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” * God is the great I AM. * John knew he was the great I AM NOT! * EX: Joseph & Daniel * vs 22-23 - “So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” * John knew he was simply the voice to prepare the way for Jesus. * EX: Christ’s donkey * As such, John never took credit from Christ; he gave it all to Him. * And when he was thrown in prison, even though he went through a real trial of his faith, he knew that his job as preparer was over. * His lap of the race was done--and now it was time for Jesus to shine. * Note - John aligned his identity with God’s Word. * Notice how he pointed back to an OT scripture. * vs 23 - “He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” * We too should align our identities with the truth of God’s Word. * The more time you spend in God’s Word the more you learn about yourself! * Then, and only then, Satan cannot rob us of our identities.

Acts 8:12 (12/4/24)

December 4, 2024 • Benham Brothers • Acts 8:12

* Jesus came to usher in the Kingdom of God on the earth. * Kingdom = King’s Dominion. * Kingdom of God - God’s comprehensive rule in every area of life. * Jesus is the one who brought that kingdom to earth. * The Kingdom has come “down” - it’s our job to have the kingdom come “out” - out of us into the world. * But we are often confused about the gospel of the kingdom. * We think it only has to do with salvation. * But that’s one part of the kingdom - the pivotal part - but not the full message. * Acts 8:12 shows salvation and the kingdom as two distinct things - “But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” * Kegan Chandler notes: * “Though preaching “the gospel of the kingdom” was Jesus’ solemn charge to his followers, in mainstream Christianity “the gospel” has widely been diluted to involve only a message about Jesus’ sacrificial atonement. But Jesus, who never spoke of dying for sins, and did not even mention his own death until late in his ministry, is said to have gone everywhere “preaching the gospel”, that is, announcing “the kingdom” and its impending restoration. Modern Christianity has largely traded Christ’s apocalyptic vision of an impending real-world theocracy (Kingdom) for a hope in an escape to heaven.” * How much of our view of Christ’s role has been truncated by a fixation on “getting to heaven”? When was the last time you actually thought about the kingdom of God as a real-world empire rising in opposition to the empires of human history? * Chances are you never thought of Jesus as anything more than the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. In the evangelical world, Jesus equals sacrifice. No one ever speaks of the anointed king who will dismantle the world as we know it, including our religious structures. Yet Jesus says that he came to proclaim precisely this: that the world as we know it is about to end, that God Himself will remove opposition to His reign, and that this earth will be returned to its intended purpose of glorifying the Father. * Curiously, in today’s popular preaching and writing, much more emphasis is placed on the person of Jesus than on the kingdom of heaven. There is more interest in the final coming, in the rapture, and so forth, than in the many times Jesus comes to those seeking the kingdom of God here and now.” * Our assumptions about the “gospel” often unconsciously direct our behavior. If we think knowing Jesus is the same as being saved so that we can be assured of heaven, we will treat others very differently than if we believe we are involved in a war against the empires of this world. * What message is yours: the way to heaven or the reign of God on earth?"

Luke 24:32 (11/27/24)

November 27, 2024 • Benham Brothers • Luke 24:32

* Tony Evans - “The purpose of the written Word is always to lead us to an experience with the living Word.” * What does an experience with the Living Word feel like? * It burns! * Jeremiah said that God's Word was like a fire shut up in his bones and that he could not hold it in. * Backstory - Jesus rose from the grave. * He showed up to many people - two of whom were walking to Emmaus. * He talked with them about how Moses pointed to the Messiah. * He shared Scripture. * Look how it affected them: * vs 32 - “They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” * When Jesus opened up the Scriptures to these guys their hearts burned. * The little spark of faith they had, which was clouded with doubt, was fanned into flame when Christ spoke the Scriptures. * This is how God's Word works - it requires faith in our hearts first, which becomes a little spark, but then God's Word enters the mix we will see a great burning fire inside of us. * When the devil comes along to blow our light out this very act will actually ignite us into an even greater flame! * So dedicate yourself to the devouring of God's Word and watch what happens in your heart. * NOTE - If you ever have the chance to be a public speaker, your one job is to lead people to the point where their hearts burn! * You want to set them on fire with what comes out of your mouth. * And you do this by knowing Scripture, using the right stories at the right time, and having a burning passion for God’s Word in your own heart. * The more of God's Word you put in your heart, the more of you is purified by its fire, and the more of its fire will get into others!

John 1:1-14 (11/27/24)

November 27, 2024 • Benham Brothers • John 1:1–14

* The OT and NT are supposed to be connected. * The book of John connects the two. * vs 1 - “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” * All the OT Scripture is about Jesus. * John 1:1-14 show that Jesus is the Light and Jesus is the Word! * If you don’t start here, you miss everything. * Jesus is the Word, He is the Light! * vs 4-5 - “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” * John is connecting the reader to God as Creator and Jesus as His Son that He sent into the world. * Light overcame the darkness in Genesis 1. * Light overcame the darkness in John 1. * But the world had no clue that Jesus was this Light. * Only when you surrender to the Light can you have a true kingdom impact. * Impact is the “collision of two opposing forces.” The two forces are colliding. * Kingdom Impact is the “Kingdom of Light colliding with and overcoming the Kingdom of Darkness.” * It started in creation at Genesis 1 and it came to a culmination in Jesus at John 1. * Which side will you be on? * Tony Evans - “When we read the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, the story begins in history with Jesus Christ conceived by the Holy Spirit and born to Joseph and Mary. But in the Fourth Gospel, John reaches back even further—into eternity. We are given access to the prequel, so to speak.”

Luke 19:21 (11/20/24)

November 20, 2024 • Benham Brothers • Luke 19:20–21

* God did not create a socialistic system of economics. * He created a capitalistic system. * Sin messed up the product of the system, but the system of capitalism is still good. * Understand the difference between the two: * A socialist wants equal outcome for everyone. * A capitalist wants equal opportunity for everyone. * A socialist wants limited freedom with maximum oversight (Government). * A capitalist wants maximum freedom with minimum oversight (Garden). * A socialist relies on government, while a capitalist is supposed to rely on God. * Problem - when God gives freedom, we can easily abuse it. * We’ve seen this happen in America, and it’s why many don’t like capitalism. * If we bring God back into the mix, it will fix the problem. * Capitalism that is accountable to God is good economics. * Jesus shows us this in the parable of the talents. * Luke 19 - the master gives ten of his slaves a sum of money each. * The first guy 10x’s and the second guy 5x’s. * This is maximum freedom with minimum oversight. * They knew they would one day give an account to the master. * The master commended them for their faithfulness to multiply. * The third guy didn’t multiply, he maintained. * His response reveals his socialistic mindset. * vs 20-21 - “…Master, here is your mina, which I kept and put away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow..” * He refused to put his money to work because he saw the master as getting something for nothing. * He pointed out that this wealthy master made money from things he didn't have to go out and do physically. * I bet this servant thought about it a lot. * He began thinking about how unfair it was that he would do all the work and that his master would be the one making the money. * So what did he do? He refused to work for his master. * He saw him as a hard man when, in reality, the master was the kindest, most generous man around. * This unfaithful servant didn’t realize the master had blessed each of these guys with an equal opportunity. * Their job was to make the most of the opportunity, and then the master would reward them accordingly. * But the unfaithful servant was too busy comparing what he had with what the master had, and he couldn't stop thinking about the unfairness of the whole situation. * He became a socialist in his thinking. * The result was punishment rather than profit. * This man wanted equal OUTCOME, not equal OPPORTUNITY. * So ask God for opportunities to maximize what He gives you. * Refuse to compare with others. * And watch what He does!

Luke 22:62 (11/20/24)

November 20, 2024 • Benham Brothers • Luke 22:62

* I heard a message by Chuck Swindoll about the life of Moses and how it went in three stages: * Stage 1 - He was convinced he was somebody (ages 1-40). * Stage 2 - He learned he was nobody (ages 41-80). * Stage 3 - He saw what God could do with a nobody (ages 81-120). * We see this same progression in Peter’s life. * He knew he was somebody - Jesus even commended him multiple times in front of the other disciples. * He discovered he was a nobody - After he denied Christ three times and the rooster crowed… * vs 62 - “And he went out and wept bitterly.” * He then learned what God can do with a nobody. * The book of Acts shares how Peter was the rock upon which the church was built! * There are also three stages to a dream: * The birth of the dream. * The death of the dream. * The fulfillment of the dream. * Everyone is in one of these three stages in life. * The key is to fully surrender to God wherever you are and let Him do what He wants to do!

Luke 16:27-31 (11/13/24)

November 13, 2024 • Benham Brothers • Luke 16:27–31

* I heard a well-known pastor say that we should “unhitch” the Old Testament from the New Testament. * He believed the only thing that matters is the resurrection of Jesus. * I understand what he’s trying to do, but the phrase “unhitch” is devastating to Biblical truth. * Why? Because the Old Testament is all about Jesus! * The OT is Jesus concealed. * The NT is Jesus revealed. * If people aren’t willing to accept the Bible as a whole, which is the NT and OT, then they won’t be persuaded, even by the resurrection. * Just look at this conversation between Abraham and the rich man. * Jesus was showing that there is life after death. * And that our faithfulness here determines our experience there. * vs 27-31 - NAS * The rich man essentially said, “Please convince my brothers to get right with God so they don’t have to come here. If they see someone come back from the dead, they will believe.” * Abe responds, “If they don’t believe the Old Testament scriptures that point to the Messiah, then they won’t believe EVEN IF SOMEONE WERE TO RAISE FROM THE DEAD!” * He was alluding to the resurrection of Jesus! * Listen to what the Evangelical Commentary says about this: * “This suggests that the message of Jesus does not invalidate Old Testament revelation. The rich man, however, protests that the Scriptures are not enough. They need the definitive proof that a resurrection would provide. Abraham retorts that this is incorrect. Those who do not put credence in the Scriptures will not be persuaded by a resurrection. Certainly Jesus’ resurrection was in Luke’s mind when he wrote this. The point of the last part of the parable is clear. No miracle can convince anyone of the credibility of the kingdom message. The Scriptures are sufficient for salvation, and those who reject their message will rationalize miraculous phenomena as well.” * Tony Evans - “If one will not believe God’s Word, a miracle will not convince him. Though Jesus had performed countless miracles, still the Pharisees refused to believe he was the Messiah. And while he would rise from the dead, even that miracle would not persuade them. Their hearts were hard. They were unwilling to believe.” * Jesus Himself, after His resurrection, used the OT to reveal the truth about the Messiah. * Luke 24:27 - “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” * The point is this - the OT and NT should remain hitched and we should study both of them with a heart of full surrender.

Luke 17:10 (11/13/24)

November 13, 2024 • Benham Brothers • Luke 17:10

* One of our core business principles is this: * “Give more in value than you take in pay.” * Our goal was to underpromise and over-deliver. * This would give customers a great experience and keep them coming back. * EX: Zappos - 2nd Day delivery was really overnight. * EX: Lagniappe - a French word meaning “a little extra.” * As believers, we need to give a little extra to those around us so they have a good experience with us. * This will get them to want what we have. * Jesus taught the principle of a second-mile mindset. * Matthew 5:41 - “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” * The first mile fulfills our duty, but the second mile fulfills the law of love. * If Christianity is to spread, believers must give more than expected! * Now, in Luke 17, Jesus gives another parable that takes this concept one step further. * vs. 7-10 - “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8 Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that, you may eat and drink’? 9 Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” * In the KJV, the word “unworthy” is “unprofitable.” * Jesus says we are "unprofitable" when we do only our duty. * Essentially, if we don't go the second mile, then we are unprofitable! * We must do MORE than our duty if we want God's love to manifest through us. * Going the second mile - doing more than our duty - is what God desires of us. * What can you do in your marriage, family, and work to go the extra mile?

Luke 8:45 (11/6/24)

November 6, 2024 • Benham Brothers • Luke 8:45

* My wife is reading this great book, Your Body Keeps Score. * It’s about how your body speaks to you. * What happens to you in life will affect your physical body. * The thoughts you think and the experiences you’ve had all take a toll on your body. * So when you feel something physically, you should pay attention to what it is because your body is talking to you. * Jesus paid attention to what His body told Him. * He was on His way to heal a 12-year-old girl. * A woman with a 12-year sickness touched His cloak in faith. * Jesus responded: * vs 45 - “And Jesus said, “Who is the one who touched Me?” And while they were all denying it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing in on You.” But Jesus said, “Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me.” * Jesus was so in touch with the Holy Spirit that He felt power come out of His body. * And, because He was so in tune with His own spirit, He knew it had to do with His healing power. * KEY - the same Spirit that lived in Jesus while He was on the earth lives in us. * And we can listen to our bodies just as He did. * EX: B&B book story. * I felt a pit in my stomach having someone help us on this book. * Until I decided to write it myself - the pit went away. * Now, when that old familiar feeling comes around, I ask myself, “What am I NOT doing that I should be doing?” * When I discover what it is, my simple action toward the thing is what removes it. * Our bodies keep score. * It’s time to start paying attention.

Luke 16:1-9 (11/6/24)

November 6, 2024 • Benham Brothers • Luke 16:1–9

* God wants us to use the things of the world to influence others. * He wants people to have a relationship with Him. * Wealth is one such worldly thing we can use to accomplish it. * Jesus told a story to make His point. * vs 1-8 - read all verses in NAS. * The verb for “shrewdly is epoiesen. * It means “creative activity.” * This is not just performing a routine task, completing an assignment, or getting the job done. * This is brilliance manifested. * Skip Moen - “Christ’s point is that men who are savvy about the ways of the world often show greater imaginative execution than those concerned about following God. Yeshua uses this man’s unconventional action to highlight the necessity for thinking outside the box regarding Kingdom work.” * vs 9 - “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.” * Bible Knowledge Commentary - “The disciples’ wise use of wealth would help lead others to believe the message of the kingdom and bring them to accept that message.” * Henry Fielding wrote, “Make money your god and it will plague you like the devil!” Jesus said, “Make money your servant and use today’s opportunities as investments in tomorrow’s dividends.” Be a wise steward! There are souls to win to the Saviour, and our money can help get the job done.” * Here are three ways we can use money to make friends (bless others): * 1) Generate it - you cannot bless others if you have nothing to bless them with. * Yes, you can give of your time, but in this instance, Jesus specifically talks about blessing people financially. * You need to get good at something, making yourself valuable in a particular niche, so you can generate money! * 2) Give it - you must have a heart to help others. * When you're willing to give to those who can't give back, it reflects the heart of God to those people, and He will richly reward you for it. * Maybe not financially, but certainly with peace. * 3) Grow it - Once you’ve generated money and given money (tithe first) you can grow your money so that you have more to give. * Three ways to grow your money: * Work for it - you become valuable and make money through your work. * Other people work for you - create a business and hire employees (this gives them an opportunity to make money). * Put your money to work - actively invest your money so that it grows. * When you generate money, give it, and grow it, God will reward you for using it for kingdom impact.

Luke 6:1-5 (10/30/24)

October 30, 2024 • Benham Brothers • Luke 6:1–5

* In the OT, the Sabbath was a day. * It set the stage for people to find their “rest” in God. * In the NT, the Sabbath is a Man - Jesus. * In Him, we find our rest. * The Hebrew word “sabat” means “rest.” * In Christ, we find our rest. * The OT Sabbath was a symbol pointing to the upcoming NT Sabbath. * Honoring the Sabbath “day” prepared you to honor the Sabbath “man.” * Jesus came to change the way people saw the Sabbath. * On several occasions, He deliberately broke the Sabbath traditions. * This ticked the religious leaders off. * vs 1-2 - “On a Sabbath, while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. 2 But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” * Jesus broke the rules to point to a relationship. * The religious leaders questioned Him for it. * Notice the two examples He uses in His response: * vs 3-5 - “And Jesus answered them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?” 5 And he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” * He talked about David eating the consecrated bread on the Sabbath day "in the temple" and the priests doing their Sabbath duties "in the temple." * In the OT, the temple was where God's presence was, so being "in the temple" on the Sabbath signified being in God's presence. * Christ’s disciples were “in His presence” when they did these things. * Jesus redefined how to honor the Sabbath—if you walk in His presence, you will honor God no matter what you do. * Christ was more important than the day. * Being in His presence made everything they did holy. * Jesus is our Sabbath rest. * When we live a life of honor to Jesus by doing our work with a heart of gratitude to Him, we will experience His rest. * When we honor Him with our work, He honors us with His rest. * This is honoring the Sabbath.

Luke 8:21 (10/30/24)

October 30, 2024 • Benham Brothers • Luke 8:21

* It's not enough to simply hear the Word; we must do it. * To drive the point home, Jesus uses the context of family relationships. * He was out teaching, and His family came to hear Him speak. * Several people told Him they were there. * vs 19-21 - “Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. 20 And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” 21 But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” * You need to hear it - spend time with God daily. * Then “do” what you hear. * Doing God’s Word is two-fold: * 1) Live it - our actions must align with our understanding. * Truth never gets from your head to your heart until you actually "do" what's in your head by an act of your will. * We read that the Bible says, “Don't covet," so when we're faced with the temptation to covet, we refuse to do it even though nobody will know. * This is living God's Word. * 2) Speak it - Faith comes by hearing, so we must share what we know with others. * The more we share, the more God will give us to share. * You'll discover that amidst the sharing process, God will give you new insights. * The reward for doing God’s Word is two-fold: * 1) It makes us a part of Christ's family - "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice." * 2) We gain more understanding of the Word. * The more we give the understanding we have, the more God will give to us. * EX: Apple tree. * If we don’t do the Word, we won’t gain a better understanding of it.

Luke 5:12-13 (10/23/24)

October 23, 2024 • Benham Brothers • Luke 5:12–13

- Prayer is not about getting things; it’s about getting God! - The more time we spend with God, the more we come to know Him. - But God still wants us to ask Him for things in prayer. - He is a good father and likes to bless His kids. - Asking aligns us with authority. - It reminds of that we rely on God for everything. - There is a proper way to ask God for things in prayer. - Let’s look at this example: - vs 12-13 - “While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.” - Notice the man said, "If you are WILLING you CAN make me clean." - He didn't say, "If you CAN make me clean, would you be willing to do it?" - He first believed in Christ's ability to heal, then simply asked Jesus if it was His will to do so. - This is an incredible picture of how we're to approach the Lord. - "God, you CAN do all things, but I ask that you do what you will." - Jesus modeled this in the Garden of Gethsemane with a three-step prayer. - Mark 14:36 - ““Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” - 1) Recognize God’s power and sovereignty - 2) Request what you want from God - 3) Release it into His hands

Luke 3:18-20 (10/23/24)

October 23, 2024 • Benham Brothers • Luke 3:18–20

- We know that all Scripture is used for teaching, training, exhorting, correcting, reproving, and rebuking (2 Timothy). - We see a real live picture of what this looked like by John the Baptist. - In these verses, we see John exhorting and teaching the crowds, but when the civil leader of his day took his own brother's wife, John reproved him for it. - Quick side note - why would John get into the political scene? - Because John knew that there's no division between the sacred and secular. - If a leader of people is doing something that is a sin against God, he must be reproved for it. - vs 18 - “And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.” - This is the fun part - training and exhorting! - John proclaimed the “good news” - what news is that? - It’s not just salvation - that is a part of it. - The good news is that God's kingdom has come into the world and overthrown Satan's kingdom. - And as God's followers, we can participate in that kingdom. - That's the gospel - the full gospel. - But Good news doesn't discard reality. - John wasn't going to duck and dodge this fact because he didn't want to hurt peoples' feelings. - Watch what John does: - vs 19-20 - “But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, 20 Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.” - We love to teach, train, and exhort with the Scripture, but we're not fans of reproof, rebuke, and correction. - We fear those things - we want approval too bad. - But John didn’t, and it got him in BIG trouble. - We should heed John's example and use the Scripture for "everything" it was intended to be used for, not just for half it's purpose. - This means we have to be willing to stand against the evils of culture when the fight comes our way. - The AMP version says John (repeatedly) told Herod about his fault. - This wasn’t a one-time reproof. John kept reminding him. - Why couldn't John have just kept quiet about Herod's adulterous relationship? - He could have protected his platform if he did. - MLK said, “The church must be reminded that it is not the master or servant of the State. Rather, it is the conscience of the State.” - John was the conscience for Herod - he spoke truth to power. - Christian leaders must remind ruling authorities in our nation when they have overstepped and broken God’s law. - If God's kingdom truly reigns supreme, then we can't keep quiet when His law is trampled on. - EX: How would you respond if someone maligned your spouse? - If John had kept quiet, he would have stayed out of jail, but he would have forfeited the power of the Holy Spirit, which only dwells in the heart of a believer willing to follow Jesus and speak His Truth boldly, whatever the cost.

Mark 15:21 (10/16/24)

October 16, 2024 • Benham Brothers • Mark 15:21

- As believers, our job is to pick up our cross daily and carry it. - A cross is a place of death. - The Christian life is not easy - it involves suffering. - But strength comes through strain. - Sometimes, our duty is so unbearable that God brings people into our lives to lighten the load. - This is the beauty of the church - a community of people doing life together to help shoulder the load when others cannot carry it alone. - Jesus, as He carried His cross, met someone along the way who was pressed into helping Him. - But notice what Mark says about this man who was pressed into service. - vs 21 - “They pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear His cross.” - The gospel of Mark was written decades after Christ left the earth. - Mark mentioning Simon’s sons means they were known to the apostles in the church when his gospel was written. - Because of Simon’s faithful service to carry the cross, his sons’ lives were changed forever! - They became well-known Christ followers themselves. - Alex and Rufus certainly never forgot the day their dad carried His cross. - I can imagine years later, when the gospel spread that these two boys had a story nobody else had. - “Our dad carried Christ’s cross - we watched it with our own eyes!” - Soon after, they placed their faith in the man whose cross their dad carried. - As parents, we have a cross to bear. - If we pick it up and carry it, faithfully with a heart to honor God, our kids will see it - and they’ll never forget it. - We don’t know how long after this episode Alex and Rufus placed their faith in Jesus, but it happened. - And I like to think it had much to do with their dad carrying that heavy load for them to see.