Luke 21:1-28 How do you feel about the future? Are you able to approach it with confidence and courage, or are you overwhelmed by fear and anxiety? The disciples ask Jesus a question about the future; in his answer, he not only responds to them but also teaches us how to respond to the future that awaits us. Jesus tells his disciples the temple would be destroyed, which happened in 70 AD, but clea...  Read More

Luke 20:27-47 Where do you look for answers when you have a question? Where do you turn for wisdom and insight for life? My son was on his school’s scholar bowl team and when they were asked a question they looked to textbooks, mathematical formulas, atlases, and history to provide an answer. As we continually see from the example of Jesus, the place we are to go to for answers is Scripture. When ...  Read More

Luke 20:1-26 Who has authority over your life and decisions? Is it you or God? This issue of authority becomes the central question that Luke 20 addresses. The Jewish leaders were questioning Jesus’ authority because his credentials were not part of the religious establishment. Rather than answering their question he responded with a question. “John’s baptism? Was it from heaven, or from men?” The...  Read More

Luke 19:28-48 What is a king supposed to do and how does he accomplish this? Is he supposed to come with a massive army and subdue his enemies at the sword? Is he supposed to use diplomacy and bartering to achieve his ends? In Jesus, we see a king who is very different from all the others. Jesus announces himself as king to Israel through his triumphal entry. The crowds responded with shouts of, “...  Read More

Luke 19:1-27 How has Jesus transformed your life? In what ways are you different now because you have encountered Jesus? Both now and during Jesus’ earthly ministry, when people came to know Jesus, they were transformed. Zacchaeus is a powerful example of one transformed life. He was a wealthy man who by worldly standards would have seemed like he had everything. Yet his pursuit of Jesus shows he ...  Read More

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