The gospel of luke

This Sunday C.J. taught from Luke 11:1-4 on The Lord’s Prayer. He walked through 5 petitions we are instructed to use when we pray (God’s glory, rule, provision, forgiveness, and protection). This prayer from Jesus, like so many of His teachings, shattered the categories and expectations of the disciples as to how they (and we) are being invited to converse with God, as a loving Father who welcomes His beloved kids.

In the story of Mary and Martha, Luke contrasts the discipleship of two sisters. Mary follows Jesus by being a humble learner; Martha follows Jesus by being an anxious servant. Listen as C.J. teaches how the humble learner receives more of Jesus than an anxious servant.

2020 will be remembered for many things, one of which will be protests over injustice. What we see in these riots is how there is no justice without judgment. This helps us understand Jesus' woes to the cities that rejected him. But, unlike the protests of 2020, Jesus did not come to condemn cities but to extend grace. Dave explains how this difference should shape our protest.

As Jesus heads toward Jerusalem, he sends his disciples out in pairs to tell people about the kingdom of God. To follow Jesus is to simultaneously be his heralds. Luke 10 is Jesus' advice on how to go about our mission. C.J. breaks down that advice for us, and also encourages us to find the "mission within the mission."

Have you ever made a decision that you later regretted? It required more of you than you expected. In Luke 9, Jesus warns three wannabe disciples about the cost of discipleship. But Jesus isn't wanting to discourage us. He's wanting to free us. Freedom is found in the cost of discipleship.

Across history and even today, Christians have disagreed a lot about what it means to be a Christian. One slogan that helps us navigate these differences is: "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, freedom; in all things, love." But what is essential and non-essential? These two stories from Luke 9 help us with the answer.

When Jesus finds the disciples arguing about who among them is the greatest, he reminds them that his kingdom is not like anything they're used to. To be great, you must be the least, and you can't get more "least" than receiving a child.

When the disciples return from preaching the gospel and performing miracles throughout Judea, they want to spend some time resting with Jesus. Jesus' idea of rest, however, was different from theirs. At first, they were frustrated, but in the end, all were satisfied.

After watching Jesus perform miracles and announce the arrival of God's Kingdom, he sends the twelve disciples out to do the same. Isn't this a little risky, though? Luke 9 reminds us that following Jesus always involves risk. Indeed, we can't follow Jesus without speaking out.

In Luke 9, the disciples finally connect that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah! But do they know what that means for Jesus? Do they know what that means for them?

When people learned Jesus was a healer, they flocked to him in droves. In today's story, we not only learn that Jesus has the power to heal and raise the dead. We also learn that Jesus is after more than just healing. What else does Jesus want for us?

What is behind the world's brokenness? The gospels not only show Jesus performing miracles to restore people's life and health. That alone is not enough, because behind these physical needs is a spiritual enemy ready to hurt and kill again. In this passage, Jesus casts out demons -- proving that demons are real but that Jesus is stronger.

So far in Luke, we've read a lot of miracle accounts. That's because Luke believes they prove Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. Do we believe in miracles, though? What are they and what do they mean for us?

Jesus knew that not everyone heard him the same. The gospel lands differently in different hearts. To help us understand ourselves, he told the Parable of the Soils. Listen as C.J. walks through the difference between hard hearts, shallow hearts, infested hearts, and good hearts.

Christians believe that our sins are forgiven when we have faith in Christ. But how do I know that I have faith? Is forgiveness what I really need from Jesus? In Luke 7:36-50, Jesus confirms that forgiveness is what we most need and identifies superior love as the best evidence for the experience of forgiveness.

What do we do with doubt? Is doubt ever productive? In Luke 7, one of Jesus' most devoted believers doubted Jesus. Listen as Dave finds five healthy qualities in the example of John the Baptist.

Our world is haunted by death. We don't always see it, but it's always there. In Luke 7, we read two stories of how Jesus haunts death. He can stop it. He can reverse it. And one day he will destroy it altogether.

It's easy to agree with Jesus that loving one's enemies is good. It's hard to practice, though, which is why hypocrisy is tempting for every Christian. Jesus concludes his sermon on love by teaching us how to identify and root out hypocrisy.

"Judge not lest you be judged." It's one of Jesus' most famous sayings, and one of the hardest to practice. We judge without thinking. How can we stop? Listen as C.J. finds himself and our church in this passage, and calls us to remember the gospel of grace.

What does it mean when Jesus asks us to love our enemies? The idea sounds true and good and beautiful, but the reality is so hard. Is Jesus being good to us when he asks us to endure hostility from others? Listen as Dave walks through the who, what, why, and how of loving our enemies.

Jesus begins his first big block of teaching in Luke with, "Blessed are you who are poor, hungry, sad, and hated... Woe to you who are rich, full, glad, and liked." Jesus' Beatitudes are both famous and baffling. This is not normally how we would describe blessing. What do they mean and why do we need them?

Both the Pharisees and Jesus agreed that the Sabbath was important, but the Pharisees forgot why. In Luke 6, Jesus shows how legalism confuses the signs of faith with its substance, and replaces a relationship to God with rules.

Jesus is doing a new thing, and he invites us to reframe the way we think about him by using three illustrations: you wouldn't fast at a wedding, patch an old garment with a brand new piece of cloth, or pour new wine into old wine skins. Jesus always surprises us, and this story is no exception.