Bishop Graham draws on Paul's Letter to the Ephesians: when we are root our lives deeply in Christ's love we can achieve more than we could ever have asked or imagined.
Paul reminds the the gentiles that Jesus, through his death and resurrection, has broken the walls of enmity and division between God and between his people. We are all, because of this, one family of God, a new creation, a new humanity.
Jesus told this story, not to the one lost person but to the ninety-nine devout followers. He told it to illustrate to the ninety-nine where they were going wrong. If we go astray, God feels loss. When we return, God rejoices. We are irreplaceable and our personal salvation matters deeply to God.
The story of David's coming to Kingship demonstrates how it is better to pass on the mantle to the next generation with joy, servant-heartedness and blessings.
God helped Joseph overcome his arrogance and helped him put his resentment aside and forgive his brothers. He freed Joseph from the prison of bitterness.
The resurrection of Jesus changes everything. In his first letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul recounts his own experiences of the resurrection of Jesus.