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Remember Lot's Wife
Sermonette by Mike FordIn the days of Lot, as recorded in Luke 17:28-32, life in Sodom continued with eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, and building, until the day Lot left the city. On that day, fire and brimstone rained from heaven, destroying all. This serves as a warning for the day when the Son of Man is revealed, urging us not to turn back for our possessions, but to remember Lot's wife. Turning to Genesis 19, Lot welcomed strangers, who were angels, into his home and prepared a feast with unleavened bread. These angels urged Lot to gather his family and leave, warning him in verse 17 not to look behind. Yet, Lot's wife lingered and looked back, her heart still tied to Sodom. As a result, in Genesis 19:24, the Lord rained brimstone and fire upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and she became encrusted with salt, a lasting symbol of her unwillingness to forsake the city and its possessions. Lot himself, though a righteous man as described in II Peter 2:7-8, was vexed by the wicked behavior surrounding him in Sodom. Dwelling among them, he saw and heard their unlawful deeds daily, which tormented his soul. Despite his lingering, as noted in Genesis 19:16, it was not for material things but perhaps a desire to save the people with whom he had deep ties, having married a woman from Sodom and raised his children there. Earlier, in Genesis 13, Lot chose the well-watered plain of Jordan, near Sodom, described as like the garden of the Lord. Over time, he moved into the city, becoming involved, possibly as a magistrate or mayor. This immersion in a sinful environment likely invited the infection of sin into his life, making it harder to remain untainted. The memory of Lot's wife stands as a critical reminder to keep our hearts focused on obedience to God, not on the world or its possessions. As we strive to come out of sin and forsake the ways of this world, we must not look back, lest we become unfit for the kingdom of God, as Jesus warns in Luke 9:62. Like Lot, we are called to escape the coming destruction, ensuring our hearts are fully committed to leaving behind the sins of this age.
A "Lot" of Credibility
Sermonette by Joseph B. BaityWe need to resist the lure of the world to pitch our tent toward Sodom as Lot did. Love for the world's ways constitutes enmity for God and His law.
Remember Lot's Wife
'Prophecy Watch' by Ted E. BowlingLot's wife is best known for locking back and becoming a pillar of salt. What was so important that she yearned for Sodom? The same pull can draw us away.
Righteous Lot?
Sermon by Bill OnisickWhile Lot's decisions may seem grievous to us, the repetitious references to 'righteous' indicates that God penetrates through to the heart.
How Expensive Is Your Religion? (Part Three)
CGG Weekly by Mike FordChristianity is not for the faint of heart. Jesus urges us to count the cost of discipleship. Many of the patriarchs had to make hard choices, as do we.
A Pillar of Salt
Sermonette by Joseph B. BaityWe have a mandate to flee idolatry and the contagion of worldliness. If we seek to save our lives by embracing worldliness, we will lose our lives.
Our Spiritual Climb
Sermon by Bill OnisickOur journey to the Kingdom of God is not easy, requiring the same kind of physical and mental stamina that climbers need to climb Mount Everest.
How Expensive is Your Religion?
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Mike Fordwe must soberly count the cost before we embark on our spiritual trek. Are we willing to give up our job, our family, or even our life to follow God's plan?
Abraham (Part Nine)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughGod helps us to overcome our problems in an unraveling process, sometimes taking us back through the consequences of the bad habits we have accumulated.
Deceived by His Eyes
Sermonette by John W. RitenbaughAbram learned that God gives material prosperity to those who are not seeking it. Those who seek riches are destined to fall into a snare.
Abraham (Part Ten)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughLot equivocated with God's instructions, looking for escape clauses, showing him to be self-centered and worldly wise, compromised by the values of the world.
Check Your Culture
Commentary by Richard T. RitenbaughGod's people living in America must prioritize God's Commandments over the U.S. Constitution and over American culture. We have a heavenly citizenship.
Faith (Part Four)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe example of Lot's wife teaches us that God does not want us to maintain close associations with the world because it almost inevitably leads to compromise.
Life in Sodom
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughSodomites were industrious people, but they cared nothing for God, mirroring the worst aspects of modern Israel. We need to make sure that we live soberly.
The Momentum of Sin Redux
Sermonette by Joseph B. BaityLike Lot, many of us are rapidly running out of time to take corrective action. All of us are subject to inertia and momentum, resisting needed change.
Faith (Part Three)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughFar from being blind, faith is based on analyzing, comparing, adding up from evidence in God's Word, our own experience, and our calling by God's Holy Spirit.
Leadership and Covenants (Part Seventeen)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Because the world is under the sway of the wicked one, if mankind were left to its own choices, the world would revert to the condition before the Flood.
A Place of Safety? (Part 2)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughMany biblical examples, including Jesus, David, and Jacob, all fled for their lives in a prudent common sense move. Discretion is often the best part of valor.
It Was Bound to Happen
Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Acceptance of transgenderism has created a malignant character defect in our culture, which is now accepting sin as a norm, calling evil good and good evil.
Habakkuk: A Prophet of Faith (Part Two)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsAll of God's people should be watchmen like Habakkuk, living continually by faith, discerning, listening to, and responding to God's instructions.
Abraham (Part Five)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughWe learn from Abraham's experience to trust God even when we have incomplete information. When we attempt to take the expedient way out, we will run into trouble.
Building Relationships
Sermonette by Ryan McClureThe Scriptures provide many examples of how difficult relationships were dealt with by humility, deference, longsuffering, and prayer.
Leaving Sodom
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughAmerica resembles the days of Lot and the culture of Sodom. The days of Lot were also productive and wealthy, leading to an excess of idle time.
Abraham (Part Three)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughAbraham did not come from a primitive, but a highly advanced civilization, having huge multi-storied dwellings with running water and indoor bathrooms.