* Jesus is talking about the kingdom of heaven and gives several stories of what people need to do to prepare for the coming of His kingdom.

* He gives two parables - one about a wedding and one about work.

* They talk about being ready until He comes and what to do while we wait.

* They are to be LIGHT!

* We’ll talk about the first parable.

* It was custom for men to propose, then go off and work to build a house, then come back to her house and get his bride.

* She would wait with her friends for his arrival.

* The job of the friends was to wait FOR him, then when he arrives to wait UPON him.

* Vs 1-13 - Five shined their light but let the light go out - they had no oil.

* So when the bridegroom showed up they weren’t ready.

* Preparedness can’t be shared.

* They started out right but they didn’t keep it going.

* Oil is the Holy Spirit - it’s our job to keep our light shining by the oil of the Holy Spirit.

* We grow in our relationship with Jesus - that’s the oil.

* Foolish - the word means “the propensity to make wrong choices.”

* These foolish girls refused to change their way of doing things.

* We need to be lights!

* One of the main places we shine our light is where we work.

* How do we shine it?

* 1) By how you do your job - it should be excellent.

* 2) By how you handle conflict - it should be empathetic.

* Be a coal, not a candle. A coal requires conflict to shine.

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