Glorifying God by making disciples.

1 Peter 2:1-10 | Growing up we grew in community. Whether we consciously think about it or not, we all grew up within the context of family, friends, neighbors, etc. This community contributed to our growth. In the same way, we are to grow in Christ within the community of the Church. This week we turn to 1 Peter 2:1-10 to dwell on a powerful reality of what it looks like for us to be growing up in Christ together. 

Hebrews 5:11-14 | Every follower of Jesus Christ is somewhere along this pathway, whether you have just begun your journey of faith or have matured in Christ for many years. Use this resource as a tool to determine how you can take your next steps of discipleship and help disciple someone else too.

Luke 7:36-50 | Those who understand how deeply they have been forgiven by Christ live with a deep love for Christ. The gospel announces to us that we have all been forgiven a debt we never could have repaid and a chasm we never could have climbed out of. This radical forgiveness should lead to radical love. Luke 7:36-50 shows us a dinner scene of a sinful woman who got it, and a self–righteous man who didn't. 

Luke 7:18-35 | John the Baptist preached about the coming Christ. He shared a bloodline with Jesus Christ. He baptized Christ. And yet in Luke 7:19, we see John the Baptist ask a staggering question: “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” Some of us may ask the same question, “who is this Jesus?” John the Baptist had expectations for Jesus that went unmet, but Jesus still came worthy of our worship. Like John, we may have unmet expectations. As we get our eyes in Luke 7, we the Savior who came, how we behold him rightly, and that He is worthy of our worship.

Luke 7:1-17 | Why should we trust Jesus with every part of our lives? Luke 7 answers that question by revealing not only what Jesus can do, but who he truly is. Through the healing of the centurion's servant and the raising of the widow's son, Jesus displays unmatched authority over death alongside astonishing compassion for the broken. Seeing his glory doesn't merely produce admiration—it gives us confidence to follow him with our whole lives.

Luke 6:46-49 | Every single one of us is building our life on a foundation. We will either build our life on rock which will withstand all the floodwaters this world brings, or we will build our life on sand and be washed away by the storms. This passage gives us the blueprint to build a life on the rock that will withstand life's floodwaters.

Luke 6:43-45 | Like a tree bears fruit, so do our hearts — and it matters where we’re rooted. Where are you rooted? What is your treasure? And how do we find out what we treasure? In Luke 6:43-45, Jesus illustrates that our fruit comes from the treasure of our heart and is exposed by our words. But this is more than behavior modification, Jesus is telling us we can’t bear fruit on our own, but only through fervent dependence on Him.

Luke 6:35-42 | God has shown us great mercy. In his sermon on the plain, Jesus tells us to be merciful as our Heavenly Father as shown us mercy. But what does that look like? How do we do this? As we open our Bibles to Luke 6, we’ll see dos, don’ts, and come to understand that we can only show this mercy by following Jesus well.

Luke 6:17-36 | What if the blessed life is different from everything we have heard? What if the blessed life isn't just the American Dream with Jesus riding shotgun? What if instead it's nearly the exact opposite? And love? What if when we follow Jesus, we love with a love that isn't just extraordinary, but supernatural? What if Jesus can give us a heart to actually love people who dislike us? This passage leads us into the radical redefining of blessings and love. 

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.