Luke
Preview Day
Up to this point in Jesus’ ministry, we’ve seen his power and authority in his preaching and miracles. But this Sunday, we’ll look at the transfiguration as a few of his disciples see a glimpse of the transformation of Jesus’ body to match his glory. Pastor Mike shows us that the more clearly you see the glory of Jesus, the better you will listen to him. So we’ll talk about seeing the glory of Jesus clearly, and then we’ll talk about listening to him.
Q & A
We’ve been building up over the last few weeks to one big question: who is Jesus? This week, we’ll look at Peter’s answer to that question and Jesus’ teaching about his own death and resurrection. Pastor Mike shows that Jesus is the unparalleled king on an unexpected path, and we’ll see that from this passage by looking first at the question we all must answer, then at what the answer meant for Jesus, and finally what the answer means for us.
Soul Provider
Have you ever had a boss that gave you work to do, but not the resources you would need to do the job right? Do you maybe even feel that Jesus is a master like that? Today, Pastor Mike shows us from Luke 9:1-17 that Jesus is not like that. Jesus richly provides for people through his people. He’s provided for the gospel to get to us, and he provides above and beyond our deepest needs.
Where is Your Faith?
In recent weeks we’ve been looking at the question presented by Luke: “Who is Jesus?”. This week, we’ll keep exploring that question, but also look at a question that Jesus asks his disciples: “Where is your faith?”. From Luke 8:22-56, we’ll see that because Jesus has power over the creation, over the demons, and over sickness and death, our faith should be in him. We can believe without fear, because Jesus has all power and authority.
Hearing Test
Hearing God’s Word is not enough – we must respond to it. That’s Jesus’ teaching in Luke 8:1-21: When you hear the word of Christ, make sure you receive it with a sincere heart. We’ll look first at the spread of that word, then at the responses to that word, then at the weight of that word, and finally we’ll see the family formed by that word.
Our Sins They Are Many, His Mercy is More
This week, Pastor Wayne Lee from Chinese Christian Church joins us to preach on Luke 7:36-50. We’ll see that much forgiveness leads to much love, our biggest need is the forgiveness of sins, and that the opposite of sin is not virtue, the opposite of sin is faith
Recognizing Jesus
In Jesus’ time on earth, even his cousin John asked, “are you really the one that we were promised?” From Luke 7:1-35, we’ll see that there is never a need to move on from Jesus and there is no one greater than him coming because no one greater than him exists. Jesus is the one who was to come. So we’ll see in this passage what it looks like to recognize him, then how to recognize him, then the privilege of those who do recognize him, and finally why some don’t, and others do, recognize him.
Hearing without Doing
Even though they are “just words”, there are real consequences to ignoring things like stop signs and weather forecasts. So, as we conclude the Sermon on the Plain, what are the consequences of ignoring Jesus’ words? In Luke 6:46-49, we’ll see that the one who hears the words of Jesus and does not do them will come to ruin. We’ll look at the problem of hearing without doing, the alternative to hearing without doing, and then finally at the outcome of hearing without doing.
Mercy Triumphs over Judgment
Therapists know that “cognitive distortions”, like discounting positives and thinking in all-or-nothing terms, can affect your relationships. In Luke 6:37-45, Jesus teaches about an ever more serious “cognitive distortion”: the sin that causes us to harshly judge others. Jesus teaches his disciples to treat others with the mercy you need from God. First he tells us why to do so, and then he tells us how to do so: Why? Because God will treat you the way you treat others. How? By repenting of the sins for which you need mercy.
Revenge Ain’t Sweet
You might already know that Jesus says, “love your enemies”? But, why would anyone possibly want to do that? We’ll see that God promises a better reward, and that loving your enemies makes you like your heavenly Father. Finally, we’ll see how to love your enemies like God loves his enemies.
New Kingdom People
Being a citizen of a country is a big deal: it can determine where you’re allowed to live, where you pay your taxes, and which laws you have to follow. But being a citizen of Jesus’ kingdom is an even bigger deal. Pastor Mike teaches, “Blessed are the people of Jesus’ kingdom”. To see that in this text we’ll look at the leaders in his kingdom, the power of his kingdom, the people of his kingdom, and then finally at the people outside of his kingdom.
New Age Spirituality
Once in a while, something new comes along that changes everything. Pastor Mike shows us from Luke 5:33-6:11 that Jesus has brought a new age with a new way of life. Jesus brings about this new age because he’s the greatest joy, he’s the highest lord, and he’s the lawful savior.