Luke 15
One of the most well-known of Jesus parables, there is something for everyone in the story of the prodigal son. At the heart of Jesus's teachings here is the heart of our loving Father for his lost children, you and me included.
Luke - What Are You Worried About?
Luke 12:13-34
One of the themes that comes up regularly in Luke's Gospel is wealth and what we are to do with it. In this parable unique to Luke's gospel, Jesus warns his listeners against the temptations of greed and the futility of chasing material wealth in this life. Instead, he reminds his disciples of God's great love and generosity, and to put their trust in his provision instead.
Luke - Who is my Neighbor?
Luke 10:25-37
The first part of Luke's gospel spends a lot of time exploring the questions "Who is Jesus?" and "What did he come to do?". Luke chapter 9 serves as a point of transition in Jesus' ministry as he begins to move toward Jerusalem and the cross. But as he does he confronts us with the question we each have to answer for ourselves - "But what about you? Who do you say that I am?".
Luke - Jesus Revealed
Luke 9:18-22, 28-36
The first part of Luke's gospel spends a lot of time exploring the questions "Who is Jesus?" and "What did he come to do?". Luke chapter 9 serves as a point of transition in Jesus' ministry as he begins to move toward Jerusalem and the cross. But as he does he confronts us with the question we each have to answer for ourselves - "But what about you? Who do you say that I am?".
Service Standard
Mark 6:30-44
The feeding of the 5,000 is the only one of Jesus' many miracles that is recorded in all 4 Gospels. This week, we will take a very different look at the narrative. We will not focus on the miracle, nor the boy who offered the loaves and fish. Instead, we will delve into how Jesus uses the situation to teach the disciples a lesson about the service standard he expects of them. This same service standard he expects of us also.
Luke - Ethics of the Kingdom
Luke 6:17-49
In Luke 6 Jesus delivers his 'Sermon on the Plain' where he gives much of his ethical teaching in this gospel. Jesus describes for his listeners some of what it looks like to be his disciple. Not surprisingly, much of what he says runs counter to what his audience would have expected (and what we might want to hear), leaving us with the challenge to love others in the same way God has loved us in Christ.
Luke - Let Down Your Nets
Luke 5:1-11
As Jesus embarks on his formal ministry in, he quickly gains a following by people drawn to his teaching and miraculous healings and works. In this passage Jesus begins to call his first disciples and we see how their encounter with him, experiencing both his mighty power and gracious provision, changed the purpose and direction of their lives.
Luke - Common Temptations
Luke 3:21-22, 4:1-13
Just before beginning his public ministry, two significant events occur in Jesus's life: his baptism and his time in the wilderness. Both are important in preparing him for ministry, and both continue to reveal to us just who this Jesus is.
Luke - Growing in Wisdom
Luke 2:41-52
As we continue to look at Luke's gospel, we come to a passage this week that is unique in all of the accounts of Jesus's life as it shares an episode from his boyhood. As the young Jesus attends the passover with his parents, we catch a glimpse of the ways he already understands who he truly is and what he has come to do.
Waiting for Good News
Luke 1:5-45
As we begin the season of Advent this Sunday we turn to a well known passage from the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 61 tells about the mission of the coming Messiah and the great liberation he will bring to God's people. It raises the question of how Israel would have received it so long ago, and how do we receive it as God's people today? It's a passage that gives us great hope in this life, and one that Jesus claims for himself in the Gospel of Luke.
Waiting for Good News
IsAiah 61
As we begin the season of Advent this Sunday we turn to a well known passage from the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 61 tells about the mission of the coming Messiah and the great liberation he will bring to God's people. It raises the question of how Israel would have received it so long ago, and how do we receive it as God's people today? It's a passage that gives us great hope in this life, and one that Jesus claims for himself in the Gospel of Luke.
The Living Church: Summing It Up
Acts 2:42-47, 1 Timothy 6:11-12
We finish our sermon series this week on The Living Church, considering what it means to live as God's people in the world, and how we are to do it together as the body of Christ. What are the qualities of a church that is alive? This Sunday we'll look back over what we've covered, along with some instructions Paul gave to Timothy regarding the life of discipleship that remain relevant to Christ's followers today.
The Living Church: Prayer
Luke 18:1-14
We continue in our sermon series this week on The Living Church, considering what it means to live as God's people in the world, and how we are to do it together as the body of Christ. What are the qualities of a church that is alive? This Sunday we'll be looking at two of Jesus's parables as we consider prayer and it's importance in the life of the church.
The Living Church: God's Word
2 Timothy 3:14 - 4:5
We continue in our sermon series this week on The Living Church, considering what it means to live as God's people in the world, and how we are to do it together as the body of Christ. What are the qualities of a church that is alive? This Sunday we'll be considering the importance of God's Word in the life of the church, both hearing and proclaiming it.
The Living Church: Salt and Light
Matthew 5:13-16
We continue in our sermon series this week on The Living Church, considering what it means to live as God's people in the world, and how we are to do it together as the body of Christ. What are the qualities of a church that is alive? This Sunday we will consider the way God uses his Church to influence the world around us. What does it mean to be "salt and light" as he describes us in the Sermon on the Mount?
Marks of a Healthy Church
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
How do we know if we have a healthy church? What factors nurture a healthy church? What kinds of things happen when a church is spiritually healthy? We’ll discover answers to these questions when we explore the first chapter of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians.
This week we welcome to the pulpit Mike Tilley. A long time staff member with Cru, Mike now serves as Pastor Emeritus and elder at Lake Baldwin Church in Orlando, Florida, USA and as pastor at large for International Christian Community (ICC) Eurasia.
The Living Church - Gospel Centered Conduct in Difficult Days
Philippians 1:27-30
We live in challenging times marked by spiritual and moral rebellion and confusion that appear to threaten the church. The church at Philippi lived in similar times, and Paul’s instruction to them points us to what we as a local church need to conduct ourselves consistently with the gospel.
The Living Church: Giving
Matthew 6:19-21, 24
2 Corinthians 9:6-15
We continue in our sermon series this week on The Living Church, considering what it means to live as God's people in the world, and how we are to do it together as the body of Christ. What are the qualities of a church that is alive? This week we are talking about giving and the importance of being generous in our lives together.
In the sermon on 25 September, the Lausanne Covenant was mentioned as being an important statement on the priority of evangelism in the Church. It is a good resource and worth reading and studying. You can find it at this link - https://lausanne.org/content/covenant/lausanne-covenant#languages (it is available in different languages at the top of the page).
The Living Church: Evangelism
2 Corinthians 5:11-21
We continue in our sermon series this week on The Living Church, considering what it means to live as God's people in the world, and how we are to do it together as the body of Christ. What are the qualities of a church that is alive? This week we are talking about evangelism - sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. .
The Living Church: Worship
Psalm 96
Revelation 7:9-11
Last Sunday we began a new sermon series for the autumn - The Living Church. Throughout the series we will be considering what it means to live as God's people in the world, and how we are to do it together as the body of Christ. What are the qualities of a church that is alive?
This week we will talk about our main task as God's people - Worship.