Text: Luke 3:1-22 | Listen to Message Repentance Bears Fruit When caught red-handed in sin, anyone can say, “I’m sorry.” Anyone can feel guilty and even remorseful. Anyone can promise to change. But many – perhaps even most – will not actually repent. The New Testament uses a compound word for repentance that literally means “to change your mind.” True repentance is the complete reorientation of your thoughts, attitudes, and desires, which ultimately drive your behaviors. So how do you know if you’ve done that? And how do you know if you really meant it? John the Baptist answers in Luke...
Text: Luke 2:41-52 | Listen to Message Is Jesus Confusing To You? If something confounds you, it amazes and astonishes you, but it also puzzles and perplexes you. It leaves you awestruck, bewildered and confused, all at the same time. This is the effect Jesus has on people. Picture this scene. Jesus is 12 years old and he’s gone up to Jerusalem with his family for the Passover. After a week, his parents return home to Nazareth with a caravan of family and friends. Unbeknownst to them, Jesus hangs back in Jerusalem. When his absence is discovered, his parents race...
Text: Luke 2:22-40 | Listen to Message Salvation Is A Person In some form or another, every religion claims to offer some kind of salvation. Maybe it’s eternal life. Maybe it’s heaven. Maybe it’s reincarnation. Maybe it’s higher consciousness. Maybe it’s your best life now. But every religion claims, “I can save you from this, to this.” How you get that salvation is another question altogether. And there’s no question virtually every religion offers its version of salvation as a reward for good behavior: Obey these rules. Be a nice person. Walk this path. Go to these religious services. Read...
Text: Luke 2:1-21 | Listen to Message Why Was Jesus’ Birth So Ordinary? He is the eternal Son of God. His hands stretched out the heavens at the beginning of time. His voice called forth life out of nothing. And now the King of heaven and earth is coming to reign on David’s throne and to rescue his people. This is the moment – and the Messiah – the world has waited for! We expect the King to be born in Jerusalem, or perhaps Rome. We expect throngs of people to be waiting in the streets – waiting to get their...
Text: Luke 1:57-80 | Listen to Message What’s The Point of Salvation? Many professing Christians live as if the only point of salvation is to punch their ticket to heaven. They’ve prayed a prayer, they’ve asked for forgiveness, they’ve maybe even joined a church, but they go right on living as if Jesus has nothing to say about how they live here and now. Their faith is little more than fire insurance. Do you think that way? Do you default to acting as if salvation has something to say about your future, but not your present? Or maybe you don’t...