The opening lines of the Parable we’re reading this Sunday almost sounds like a tired joke: “A Pharisee and a Tax Collector walk into the temple….”. It isn’t a joke though, quite the opposite. We’ll be progressing in our exploration of the Gospel of Luke this Sunday, reading ch 18:9-14. Interestingly, This is the onlyContinue reading “Getting Right by Getting Real”
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Prayerful Faith
This Sunday we’ll be reading the parable of the Unjust Judge as we continue our study in Luke, reading ch 18:1-8. Luke introduces it as a parable about prayer, but a surface reading of it actually raises more questions than it does provide answers. It’s another unusual parable where the title character is a scoundrelContinue reading “Prayerful Faith”
Kingdom Come
“It’s the end of the world as we know it….and I feel fine.” ~ REM Our passage this week is Luke 17:20-37, where Jesus talks about the end! (For the rest of this blog post I dare you not to hum “its the end of the world as we know it” by REM. If you DOContinue reading “Kingdom Come”
Creating a Clean Heart
Last week in the beginning of Luke Chapter 17 we read about Jesus’ strong emphasis about intentional humility. This week, we will see intentional humility played out by the last person anyone (at that time) would expect. In the passage that we will be learning about this week (Luke 17:11-19) we will witness Jesus’ interactionContinue reading “Creating a Clean Heart”
The Practice of Humility
“Humility is not my virtue? False – as per everything else, I excel at being humble.” ~ Dwight Shrute In our study of Luke this Sunday we’ll be reading ch 17:1-10. We’ll move into a section where Jesus will give a warning, a command, an encouragement and a parable – all with an underlying themeContinue reading “The Practice of Humility”
Living Now Like it’s Then
Have you ever experienced the 20-20 vision of hindsight? I can remember so many times when I’ve looked back on a confusing situation and had a much clearer picture in light of all the things I discovered along the way. What if we could get the clearer picture beforehand – not having to wait untilContinue reading “Living Now Like it’s Then”
Faithful Living
“Great eagerness in the pursuit of wealth, pleasure, or honor, cannot exist without sin.” ~ Desiderius Erasmus “Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.” ~ 1 Tim 6:6 There is probably no philosophy or religion on earth that doesn’t contain at least some warning about the dangers of wealth. Jesus’ teachings are noContinue reading “Faithful Living”
Wealth Management
Have you ever tried to explain something but the person you were trying to inform just could not grasp the idea? This is where this weeks teaching begins. We find Jesus, simply exhausted of trying to have the pharisee’s understand this new upside down kingdom. So, turning to the other part of His audience, theContinue reading “Wealth Management”
Prodigal Grace
The holiday season is over, and we’re all finding our way back to our normal routines, and this Sunday we’ll be returning to our study in the Gospel of Luke, reading Luke 15:11-32. In this section is one of Jesus’ most famous parables, The Prodigal Son. As you’ll have noticed, I’ve re-named the parable toContinue reading “Prodigal Grace”
Lost Valuables
This Sunday we’ll be reading two familiar parables in our study of Luke – the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin. They are found in Luke 15:1-10. The first two verses set the stage for the stories Jesus tells. What is at issue, and how do the stories relate to that issue? What is itContinue reading “Lost Valuables”