Luke 18:18-43 “A certain ruler” came up to Jesus to ask him what he could do to get eternal life. Not a bad question! This ruler seemed to be concerned with the big questions of life, but we quickly see he was more concerned with something else. His money kept him from something greater. His heart, like ours, only had so much room in it, and his cash crowded out the space for Jesus. He asked the r...  Read More

Luke 18:1-17 When I do pre-marital counseling, I tell couples that communication is key. How well they communicate will largely determine the quality of their relationship. This is not only true for marriages but also for our relationship with God; which is why Jesus seems to be constantly teaching about prayer. Luke 18:1-17 gives us three things Jesus wants us to understand about prayer. First, w...  Read More

Luke 17:11-37 Are you aware of all the ways you experience God’s grace? Are you aware every single person is currently receiving God’s grace? The theological idea of God’s universal grace is called common grace. Whether people acknowledge God’s existence or his work in their lives, he is still at work in their lives. Part of the proper response to God’s work is to be thankful. The ten lepers model...  Read More

Luke 16:19-17:10 How big of a deal is your sin? Do you think your sinful struggles are mere inconveniences, or are they terrible acts against the God of the universe? Often, we fail to understand the gravity of sin, and also the greater power of grace. Tim Keller summarized this by saying, “The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very s...  Read More

Luke 16:1-18 What do you view as the purpose of money? If you were to jot down a list of things, you might include paying for basic necessities or saving for the future. But would you include making friends? Jesus says, "Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves" (v.9a). God proclaims the purpose of money as being very different than what we might think. Jesus’ statement in Luke 16:9 is no...  Read More

Luke 15:1-32 When you picture God, what comes to mind? For many, God is like is a stern, old man in the sky. Luke 15 tells us he is nothing like a grumpy old man; instead, he is a God of rejoicing. Does this match how you envision him? Jesus often told a story when he wanted to teach theology. This time Jesus tells three stories to make one point—God is loving toward all and rejoices in those who ...  Read More

Luke 14:7-35 One of Jesus' most common settings for his parables is a feast. He loved to talk about parties. Does this fit with your view of Jesus? When you picture Jesus, do you see him as a stoic shepherd like so many paintings depict him or as someone with whom people enjoyed being in his presence? Though he was obviously a fun-loving guy, he used stories of parties to teach lessons. He wanted ...  Read More

Luke 13:22-14:6 My wife and I tell each other, “Remember the oxygen masks.” This comment is a reference to the pre-departure announcement flight attendants give. For those of us who zone out during the announcement it goes something like this: remember to affix your own oxygen mask before assisting others. It makes sense. If you lose consciousness, it’s going to make it very challenging to help so...  Read More

Luke 13:1-21 What causes difficulty and suffering in your life? Is it your personal sin? Is it the sin of others? Is it the brokenness of the world? It is often difficult to pinpoint one specific cause, but what is certainly true—and experienced by all of us— is we live in a broken world. Luke directs our attention to some Galileans who were murdered, a tower that fell and killed eighteen people, ...  Read More

Luke 12:35-59 Ready, set, go! All races begin with this instruction. This saying is especially true in sprints because how quickly someone gets out of the starting blocks can mean the difference between victory and defeat. As in a race, so we are to be ready for Christ’s return. We need to have eyes open and ears listening. Jesus tells multiple parables in Luke 12 about his return. The main takeaw...  Read More

Luke 12:8-34 One of the most common themes Jesus teaches is on money. Luke 12 challenges us to open up our wallet, savings account, and investment portfolio for God to see, a very practical thing indeed. Jesus’ overarching teaching in Luke 12 is we must not be consumed by greed, but value things of God over things of the world. He first warns the rich they must not be the kind of person “who store...  Read More

Luke 11:37-12:7 Do you find yourself more focused on having a transformed heart or simply external conformity? It is far easier to blend in to the behavior of God’s people than to gain a heart that reflects the love and grace of God. Jesus speaks to the greater value of our hearts than simply our behavior in Luke 11. Jesus addresses the most religious people of his day, the Pharisees. They were th...  Read More