Luke 11:1-13 tells us about Jesus training his disciples regarding prayer. As we begin 2021, our study of the Gospel of Luke has slowed down so that we can savor Jesus’ teaching in this passage, thus making January a “prayer emphasis month.” In the service this Lord’s Day, we will focus on the fourth request…
“Teach us to pray,” was the request made by an unidentified disciple. Jesus’ response bequeathed to the church in every generation, requests to be offered and a pattern to be followed.The model prayer contains five petitions in proper priority, two that give priority to God’s interests and three that express our needs. Today we consider…
This Lord’s Day, the last Sunday of 2020, we will resume our study of Luke. The text is a famous one, usually called the Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:1-4). The next paragraph continues the Lord’s teaching on the subject of prayer. Each year we take a Sunday at the end of January to focus on prayer—a…
Throughout the tenth chapter of Luke, Jesus guided his disciples into a deeper understanding of what is means to follow him. In the final paragraph, Luke makes certain that we understand the devotion to Jesus and his teaching is a disciples’ one essential priority.
Jesus was the itinerant preacher who lacked all credentials but God’s approval. As he made his way toward Jerusalem, a lawyer put him to the test asking, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus in turn asked him his interpretation of the Law regarding that subject. The Lawyer responded correctly, citing the great…
In Luke 10:17-24, 72 of Jesus’ followers return from a preaching tour, rejoicing at the outcome. Jesus joins in with their enthusiastic joy, connecting their part his mission with the grand plan of God for the outcome of history. He also sorts their priorities, encouraging them to rejoice that the Sovereign Lord has made them…
For a second time, Jesus sends his followers out on a preaching mission. This time, he did not limit the ministry to the Twelve. Their goal was to announce the coming of the long-awaited Messiah in every city, village, and hamlet. The text serves as a precursor to the church’s mission. In the sermon, we…
As Jesus traveled through Samaria and on toward Jerusalem, he encountered three would-be disciples. They understood that discipleship meant following Jesus, but had not counted the cost. Jesus challenged their priorities, revealing the unconditional nature of discipleship. Follow Jesus. Nothing is more important.
The sermon text for this Lord’s Day contains an unusual story from the life of Jesus. On his way toward Jerusalem, Jesus was rejected by the people in the city of Samaria. James and John instinctively wanted them punished, but Jesus showed them mercy. Even so, the story develops with the idea of judgment lingering…
The sermon text for this Lord’s Day (Luke 9:37-50) is made up of a series of short stories about the disciple’s failure. Taken together, these undergird the importance of faith that exalts Christ and excludes all selfish pride.