This page is about the project I completed for CBC illustrating 11 parables. |
Parable references / Teaching / Outline by Steve Hixon
Original Concept by Brenda Baker
Photography by John Newton
Assistants Katheryn Grant, Edna McDaniel
Art and Design by Cheryl White
Acrylic on canvas, 3ft wide x 12 ft. tall
currently on display at Crossroads Bible Church, Double Oak, TX
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1) The Taste of New Wine Matthew 9, Mark 2, Luke 5
Am I in Christ? Am I allowing Him to run my life?
Am I in Christ? Am I allowing Him to run my life?
A huge wine skin in the center with wine flowing down but not contained in the wine skin illustrates that the old wine skin would not contain it. This parable tried to teach that the old religious system at that time in history could not contain the new covenant of Christ without bursting open at the seams.
2) Why Grace Makes Us Angry Matthew 20:1-16Vinyard workers – Grace is a gift
Three vineyard workers lined up, each holding up their portion of the harvest for that day. They are oriented like a bar graph illustrating their attempt to measure up the amount of work done and figure out what their fair pay should be. The tallest figure represents the worker who worked all day from early in the morning. The medium figure showed up halfway through the day and got less work done. The smallest figure came very late in the day and worked the least amount of time. The vineyard owner however, paid all the workers the same no matter how much time they spent working. This angered those who had worked longer and harder. They thought it wasn’t fair. The parable teaches that grace is freely given to everyone regardless. It isn’t really fair, but that’s what makes it grace. God gives it to us because of who He is not who we are or what we do.
3) Spiritual Investment Strategies Matthew25:14-30Talents, using what God has given you, stewardship
Large hands in this banner to remind us of how we use them to serve. Each section shows a different amount of talents given out in the parable. One person got five,multiplied them and you can see five more falling into their hands to add up to ten. Another got two, multiplied them and two more are fallinginto their hand. One person got one and buried it, illustrated by the tight fist clenching onto a sack holding onto the talent inside. The talent he had was then taken from him, and given to the one with ten. The talents are spattered with color making them look like something you would want to keep if you could. This makes the sharing of them all the more precious.
4) Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner Luke 14:7-14Taking the lowest seat, humility and ambition
A large banquet table cuts the banner in half. It is full of color representing good things to eat. The oversize large figure is full of pride and represents the one who took the best seat. His size and empty face make us dislike him. Then we are drawn to the bright but humble figure in the corner…and we love him. That is how we are supposed to be.
5) The Cost of DiscipleshipLuke 14
Count the CostThe Kingdom of God is like a pearl of great price; once found one will sell all the other pearls just to buy that one. A variety of color and the same pattern as the talents earlier make the pearls to look like something you would want to keep.
6) People Matter to God Luke15: 1-31
The Heart of the Father for the LostThis banner shows the story of the Prodigal Son. He is the smaller red figure kneeling with bowed posture to show his humility for his actions. The large yellow figure is the father, arms encircling his son in love, acceptance and forgiveness.
7) Prayer and theFather Luke 11 & 18
Desperate neighbor, unrelenting widow and the hard judge
This banner shows a figure knocking at a door. His persistence is shown by the figure’sarm actually turning around the door and becoming part of it. His prayer for help is wafting upwards speckled with color and light.
The Kingdom goes on, the spontaneous work of God’s Spirit
The dark bottom half of the banner shows the seeds and entwined roots underground. The top half shows the stalk and fruit of the plants. They are large and the contrasting reds and greens quickly draw our eyesup the stalk to the top representing how God’s kingdom grows mysteriously and quickly. It actually is a relief to know that we are not responsible to make a seed grow, God is.
9) The Rich Man and Lazarus Luke16:19-31
The Reality of Hell
The rich man is the bottom figure, surrounded with his gold coins. One hand is near his face,weeping. The other is reaching up with a coin, as if he is now willing to give it back if he could. The top figure is surrounded by color, praising God. Both are reaping their eternal rewards.
Four kinds of soil; how people respond. Are you in the kingdom? Are you bearing fruit?
The four kinds of soil are the divided sections of the banner. From bottom to top they are the road, the rocky soil, the thorns and the good soil. The sower is scattering his seed everywhere,on all four parts of the banner. The seeds are fun and colorful and guide your eye around the figure. It seems like his is gliding along in motion. Only the good soil is green and growing. That’s how we should be. Mike Messerli has a great entry in his blog about this.
11) The parable of the Good
Samaritan
Luke10:25-37
Samaritan
Luke10:25-37
Who is my neighbor?
The lowest purple figure is the battered man lying on the road. The three other characters in the parable are red and orange. The two farthest away have no eyes, because they failed to see this man as a neighbor in need. The good Samaritan is the largest red figure with eyes and arms open ready to help.
