First Christian Church of El Centro

Jesus selects his twelve disciples but there are two who receive a nickname, He calls them “The Sons of Thunder”.

Why would He give a nickname?

The reason is found in Luke.

1) There was a Reaction

Let’s destroy them

· Quick reaction, based on an inconvenience

· A hot-headed reply to an unwanted situation.

· But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.

2) There was a Prejudice

· Jesus came to change all of our prejudices.

· We are called to love, and be renewed in our thinking

There was an assumption.

· 6 times God had sent fire in the Old Testament

· Sodom and Gomorrah

· The soldiers sent by the wicked king Ahaziah to arrest Elijah

· To consume Elijah’s sacrifice on Mt. Carmel, in response to the prophet’s simple prayer. (the duel of the “gods”)

But God wants everyone to come to the truth about Him. Let’s not be assuming in how God Works---but assume God is working

4) There was a rebuke

· He had not come “to condemn the world, but to save the world”