Glorifying God by making disciples.

Luke 6:12-16 | Who gets picked first for the sports game? The best athlete. Who wins first chair in the band? The most gifted musician? Who gets accepted into Ivy League schools? The brightest. Who wins the lead role in the musical? The most talented singer. We are used to being chosen based on merit and resume. As Jesus chose the twelve and called them to him as apostles, his process looked much different. Let's look together at the calling of the twelve by the praying, grace-giving Savior.

Luke 6:1-11 | The Pharisees' Sabbath rules prevented them from seeing the Lord of the Sabbath right in front of them. Their rules made the Sabbath a burden on God's people rather than a gift from God to his people. Jesus exposes this reality and explains the good heart of a good God, who gives good gifts for the good of his people. This passage frees us from the burden of any " manmade, red-tape regulations" and into the joy of a good God's good gifts to his people.

Luke 5:33-39 | This group raised a valid issue. People who were serious about God devoted themselves to the weekly rituals of prayer and fasting. So why weren't Jesus' disciples doing the same? Weren't they serious about God? Jesus used their inquiry to teach important truths: the new wine he has brought will not fit in old wineskins of ritualism, legalism, or any other -ism. This teaching has the potential to change our lives by ushering us out of any old ways of ritualistic legalism and into the joy of the new wine, new heart, and new covenant realities Jesus offers. 

Luke 5:27-32 | In this passage we come to know more of Jesus’ heart toward sinners. Jesus not only calls sinners and loves them deeply, He draws near to the places of their souls where they are most struggling with sin. Jesus is the perfect doctor who deeply desires to bring spiritual healing and care to the sick.

Luke 5:12-26 | In this text, we are going to see a theme of restoration. Restoration is taking something damaged, deteriorated, or altered and bringing it back to its proper, designed state. Luke here shares two stories that on the surface are physical healings, but as we look deeper, we will see that these are not just examples of repair of broken bodies, but examples of restoration that have implications for us today. The summary point of the sermon is this: Jesus has the authority to forgive sins and thus restore our relationship to God forever.

Luke 5:1-11 | After a career defining catch of fish, a group of fishermen left it all to follow Jesus. Jesus had shown his power and authority so clearly that these men were willing to leave everything and follow Him. When we see Jesus for who He is, we will follow Him wherever He calls. These 11 verses on Sunday might just change the entire trajectory of how we follow Jesus.

Luke 4:31-44 | Jesus begins his Great Commission with the statement, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." This authority didn't begin only after his resurrection, but we see his authority on display as Luke unpacks the beginning of his earthly ministry. This week we will see the authority of Jesus' word, his authority over the demonic, his authority over disease, and his authority to preach the good news of the Kingdom! Our Lord truly is the one with ALL authority!

Luke 4:14-30 | Jesus stood up in the synagogue at Nazareth, unrolled the scroll of Isaiah, found Isaiah 61, and unapologetically declared who he was. He is the good news preacher, the bondage breaker, and the strong Savior. This revelation of who He is demands a response. His declaration demands a decision. Will we submit to Him for who He is?

Luke 4:1-13 | The scriptures tell us that Jesus was tempted in every way as we are and yet was without sin. Luke 4 gives us a powerful scene of Jesus being tempted by the devil in the wilderness. This passage shows us the schemes the enemy uses to tempt, and more importantly, how Jesus used God's word to withstand temptation. When we are tempted to sin, the Word has the power to win. 

Luke 3:21-38 | Jesus is the Son of God. The theology of Jesus as the very Son of God is central to our understanding of his work as Lord and Savior. As we walk through the end of Luke 3, we want to look at the Father's affirmation of the Son and the genealogy of Jesus. With both of these Luke desires us to see and worship Jesus as the Son of God. 

Luke 3:18-20 | John the Baptist came preaching a baptism of repentance. This demanded he confront people in their sin and point them to the coming Savior from sin. And John was willing to confront everyone in their sin, including Herod. His confrontation of Herod proved very costly from an earthly standpoint. Obedience is costly. Confrontation often costly. But it's a worthy cost. Let's look at that together. 

Luke 3:15-17 | John the Baptist reminds us that life and ministry were never meant to point to us, but to Jesus. In a moment where people could have easily elevated him, John makes it clear: he’s not the Savior, he’s just pointing to Him. And that same calling is on us. Our lives are meant to function like a signpost, directing people to Christ.

Luke 3:7-14 | Wrath. Repentance. Judgment. Response. Some of these words carry heavy connotations. Sometimes, people may even want to avoid these words. John the Baptist didn't. His preaching confronted the crowds with the reality of God's wrath, the need for genuine repentance, the nearness of God's judgment, and the demand to respond. On Sunday, we will see what he had to say and open our hearts to any ways the Holy Spirit seeks to confront us through the power of His Word. 

Luke 3:1-6 | There are two massive and connected statements regarding the life of John the Baptist. The first is something he said: "He must increase, and I must decrease."" The second is something Jesus said of him: "...among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist..." These realities are connected. John understood the best way he could spend his life was to humble himself in a way that exalted Jesus. This is the picture of true greatness. We begin a four week look at the life and ministry of John the Baptist seeking to understand what a life of decrease so Christ increases can look like.