When we wonder what God is like, all we have to do is look to the Cross of Christ. It teaches us that God forgives, if we will simply turn to Jesus in faith. Today’s passage shows us God’s forgiving heart, and how we can turn to Jesus for forgiveness.
Luke 23:26-31 - "The Way to the Cross"
In this life, suffering is inevitable, so the issue isn’t whether we will suffer, but rather HOW we will choose to suffer. In our passage, we see two very different options: we can choose to suffer with Jesus, or we can suffer without Him.
Luke 22:63--23:25 - "The Trials of Jesus"
In today’s passage, we see two of the effects of human injustice: the innocent being abused and accused, and the guilty being excused. But in the midst of these grave injustices, God is working out His plan of redemption so that the very effects of human injustice would become the foundation stones of divine grace and mercy.
Luke 22:47-62 - "Rejecting Jesus"
We all have sinful natures, so we all have selfish tendencies. Most of the time, we just don’t understand how destructive these can be to our Christian calling. In today’s passage, Luke highlights the fact that selfish motives will lead us to reject Jesus, and so we must prayerfully consider our motives.
Luke 22:31-46 - "Difficulty + Dependence"
Today’s passage addresses the issue of our dependence on God. All too often, we think we can depend on ourselves. That’s why circumstances that reveal our weakness can actually become wonderful opportunities to experience God’s strength.
Luke 21:5-38 - "Clarity + Certainty in Christ"
Looking at the world without a Christian worldview leads to confusion and uncertainty. We begin to place our hope in earthly things, and run the risk of walking away from the faith when the going gets tough. But listening to Christ leads to clarity and certainty, so we should always look at life through a Christ-centered lens.
Luke 20:45--21:4 - "Keeping Up Appearances"
Today’s passage is a great reminder that the “glittery” external of our spiritual lives can mask over sin. Sometimes we cover over things like pride or greed by simply trying to look and act more spiritual. And this issue of spiritual integrity affects all of us in some way. But keeping up spiritual appearances keeps us from spiritual growth, so we need to abandon pretense and embrace the Spirit-enabled process of becoming like Christ. In today’s passage, we see Jesus heavily criticizing the mere appearance of spirituality and sacrifice.
Luke 20:19-44 - "Questions + Answers"
In today’s passage, the religious leaders go toe-to-toe with Jesus for three rounds. Each round centers on one of three questions, which, together, illuminate Who Jesus is and what He taught concerning the legitimacy of Roman rule, the reality of the resurrection, and the identity of Messiah.
Luke 19:45--20:19 - "The Authority of Jesus"
At the end of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus says that He has been given “all authority in Heaven and on earth.” And since Christ has absolute authority in all things, then we must learn to submit to His authority in every area of our lives. In today’s passage, Jesus demonstrates and defends His authority, but the religious leaders dismiss Him because they’re too stubborn and prideful to submit to His will.
Luke 19:28-44 - "The Triumphal Entry"
Christ modeled bold obedience, and we will, too, as we grow in Christ-likeness. In today’s passage, we see how an understanding of His identity and purpose played a role in Jesus’ bold obedience.
"Our Core Values"
The better we understand our core values, the better we can live out our unique church identity with clarity and resolve, for the glory of God.
Luke 19:11-27 - "The Return of the King"
When we lose the hope of Jesus returning tomorrow, we tend to lose sight of His purpose for us today. But Scripture is clear that our King is coming back, and so we must remain faithful in the meantime. Today’s passage first focuses on the recognition of the returning King, and then turns to what will happen when He returns.
Luke 19:1-10 - "Greediness Healed"
We often fail to see ourselves and others in light of Christ’s purpose and power. So today’s passage is a wonderful reminder of His purpose, which is also our purpose, which He empowers us for. Jesus came to seek and save the lost, and He does it through us.
Luke 18:35-43 - "Blindness Healed"
Christians and non-Christians alike are affected by spiritual blindness, and it keeps us from seeing God, ourselves, and others as we ought to. But if we respond to Jesus with faith, then He will heal our spiritual blindness. In our passage, we see a blind man responding with faith in vv. 35-39, and then we see the incredible results of that faith in vv. 40-43.
Luke 18:31-34 - "Boldness & Blindness"
Jesus was bold because He understand His purpose, and we will be bold, too, as we better understand our purpose as Christians. Today’s passage contrasts the boldness of Christ in vv. 31-33 with the blindness of His followers in v. 34.
Luke 18:15-30 - "Receiving the Kingdom"
God’s Word teaches us that we have no reason to boast about ourselves before God. The kingdom of God is for those who can only boast in Jesus, so we must come to Him from a position of humility. As we will see in today’s passage, we must come to Jesus like a baby, NOT like a boss.
Luke 18:9-14 - "True Righteousness"
True righteousness comes from God, so we must look to Him to become righteous. In today’s passage, we see this true righteousness contrasted with a false, man-made sort of righteousness.
Luke 18:1-8 - "Prayerfulness & Discipleship"
Jesus gives us the antidote to spiritual burnout, and it is simply to pray. Without persistent prayer, we will not persevere in this life. But if we believe that God is loving and loyal to His people, then we will always be able to turn to Him in prayer and trust in Him for provision, even in times of pain or frustration.
Luke 17:20-37 - "The Coming of the Kingdom"
*Due to technical issues, no audio available for this week
Luke 17:1-10 - "Forgiveness & Discipleship"
When we forgive others, we are imitating God and His merciful character. But forgiveness is not something that any of us are very good at, and when we fail to forgive, we harm ourselves and others. This is the opposite of God’s will for our lives. But forgiveness accomplishes Christ’s purposes, so we must learn how to forgive.
