Text: Luke 5:1-11 | Listen to Message Where Are You Putting Your "But"? How do you like it when people who have no idea what they’re talking about tell you how to do your job? Don’t you just love getting unsolicited advice? In Luke 5, Jesus the carpenter tells Peter the fisherman how to do his job: “Put out into the deep and led down your nets in the middle of the day.” This is absurd, and Peter knows it! You can’t fish with big, heavy nets in broad daylight! These fish that spook easily will see the nets and simply...
Text: Luke 4:31-44 | Listen to Message The Power of Jesus' Words When Jesus spoke, sinners heard THE Good News. When Jesus spoke, the demon-possessed were liberated. When Jesus spoke, the sick and diseased were healed. When Jesus spoke, the dead were raised. When Jesus spoke, countless people found purpose for their lives. You see, when Jesus spoke, power came out. Everyone saw it. Both his words and the manner in which he spoke them were authoritative. They were like dynamite – except the explosions they touched off were explosions of truth, hope, and grace. These words – the words of...
Text: Luke 4:14-30 | Listen to Message Faith First, Then Sight When Jesus returned to his hometown as an adult, he had some explaining to do! If he was really the Messiah – as he was beginning to claim – then why did he have such an ordinary upbringing? Where’d he been hiding his powers for the past 30 years? What proof was he willing to give to convince people that he was who he said he was? Those who questioned Jesus like this were good, law-keeping Jews. They believed the Bible. They faithfully worshiped God at the local synagogue. They...
Text: Luke 3:21—4:13 | Listen to Message More Than A Model Christians are often quick to assume that the temptation of Christ – like everything else in the Bible – is all about us: “Jesus overcame temptation in order to show you how to overcome the temptations in your life.” Not so fast. It’s fair to say that, in Luke 4, Jesus fought temptation with the Word of God, in the power of the Spirit of God, leaning on his confidence in the will of God. Jesus’ actions were always exemplary, so – yes – wise people will try to walk...
Text: Luke 3:1-22 | Listen to Message Phony Repentance In Part I, we saw that real repentance requires a reorientation of mind and a renovation of actions. Changed thoughts produce changed fruits. But so often we substitute some cheap alternative for actual change. For example… Punishment avoidance: Children and adults alike often protest how sorry and penitent they are … the moment they know they’ve just been caught. So long as they think they’ve gotten away with their sin, they don’t feel an ounce of remorse; but once the instant they know they’re in trouble, they rush to avoid any and...
