Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25, Micah 6:8

Being in the Scripture is a great place to be because God DOES speak in His Word, both 2,000 years ago and today!  

Today’s text from the Bible is a powerful Word, a life-changing Word…

Matthew tells the Christmas story from the vantage point of Joseph, who after finding out about Mary being pregnant decided to divorce her quietly, but…

Joseph receives a visit by an angel in a dream and the angel tells him that he is not to divorce Mary, that she is pregnant by the Holy Spirit, and that he is to name the child Jesus because He will save His people from their sins.  Following the dream, Joseph stays engaged to Mary, doesn’t consummate the marriage until after Jesus’ birth, and he names the baby, Jesus.

A virgin birth is implausible if there is no god. But there IS a god!  He is the God who reveals Himself in the Scripture and through His Holy Spirit and like in today’s reading, through angelic beings.

What prophets predicted, is fulfilled in the Person of Jesus of Nazareth. 

Immanuel: God with us. 
Fully human: suffers as our substitute for our sin
Fully God: eternal redemption by His blood

Apart from Christ our lives hold no hope. No matter how good we are it’s not good enough. We cannot save ourselves for we have all sinned and we need the Perfect One to save us. Apart from Jesus – nice guys finish last. With Jesus there is life, forgiveness, peace, strength, joy, hope and the assurance we will live forever with Him.

Today’s Bible story still speaks powerfully to us today. God revealed the identity of Jesus to Joseph – and for us God is still speaking and revealing His identity to each of us through Joseph’s story.

In Joseph we see an example of what a godly person ought to be:
    ⁃    Our faith is based on the truth that God has revealed to us in His Word
    ⁃    Our faith is more than head knowledge
    ⁃    Our faith informs our behavior

Joseph’s example:
    ⁃    Faithful to God’s Word and wanted to live for God. He knew God is to be trusted, honored and obeyed.
    ⁃    Merciful in a culture that looked at Mary’s pregnancy as a disgrace, that recommended a public divorce, Joseph did not want to humiliate Mary.
    ⁃    Obedient to what God revealed in his dream and also obedient to the Word in the Bible of “the virgin will conceive and bare a son” and so he took her as his wife.
    ⁃    Courageous individual who put family first and God over all. An individual who did what God told him to do despite pushback and persecution.  He understood that it is more important to follow God than to worry about public opinion.

Joseph wasn’t saved because he was a good man.
He was a good man because He was saved.

So we too are encouraged to live lives as a response to the incredible gift of the grace and goodness of God in Christ.

Micah 6:8 says:
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

May we exhibit that kind of a life-style in response to the revelation of who our Lord Jesus Christ is.

Lord Jesus help us live courageous lives for You!

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Luke 1:39-56; “Elizabeth’s Story” 

The story of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth is often a forgotten story. But what it shows us should not be ignored. It is life-changing, powerful, dynamic and has impact on the way we understand the Bible, the way we perceive and understand God and how he moves in our lives today. 

Earlier in the chapter we learned Elizabeth was now about 6 months pregnant with John the Baptist and Mary is just newly pregnant with Jesus. When Mary arrives and greets Elizabeth, Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit, In this first chapter of Luke the Holy Spirit is mentioned three times. Why is this significant?

When we look at the Old Testament – which contains 23,145 verses, the Holy Spirit is only mentioned a total of 3 times. But now in the New Testament in this first chapter of Luke in the first 41 verses, the Holy Spirit is mentioned three times! What this indicates is a profound truth: with the coming of Jesus, EVERYTHING CHANGES! It ushers in the age of the Spirit that will continue until Jesus’ return.

The three Holy Spirit incidents:
        Mary’s told by the angel announcing her to be Jesus’ mother, that the Holy Spirit will come upon her. 
        Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit as Mary arrives at her home and greets her.
        John in Elizabeth’s womb leaps in the power of the Holy Spirit.

In points one and two we see they are women receiving the Spirit, this prompts us to look to see if a woman being filled with the Holy Spirit is mentioned in the Old Testament and there is not a mention of that. 

So let’s look at Joel 2:28-29 “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.” Here we read God will pour out His Spirit on both men AND women!  In Luke 1 – we see this prophetic word coming true. God is pouring out His Spirit on young (Mary) and old (Elizabeth) and both men and women. God’s Spirit in fullness to all!

At this point everything changes because God is now dealing with His people in a dynamic NEW WAY by pouring out his Spirit in abundance. Why? Because the Messiah has come – within the womb of Mary! it is in Him that the Spirit comes and we are freed to live in this power.

Additionally, we hear in our story that as Mary greets Elizabeth and Elizabeth is filled with the Spirit, the baby (John) inside her womb leaped and was filled with the Spirit.

Elizabeth immediately responds: “Blessed are you among women, Mary, blessed is the child (Jesus) you will bear. But why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your voice reached my ears, my womb leaped for joy!”

The angel foretold this about Elizabeth’s baby (John the Baptist) when he announced to Zechariah (Elizabeth’s husband) he would have a son: “for he (John) will be great in the sight of God…and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born!”  Luke 1:15

All these pieces coming together! What happens next? Looking  at Joel 2:28-29 we see everything prophesied happening EXCEPT for this line: “your sons and daughters will prophesy” but in the very next verse of our story what happens? Mary prophesies in a beautiful song, The Magnificat. (Luke 1:46-56)

In this song of praise to God verses 51-55 are also prophetic. Pastor Dodge, using Hebrew context, goes on to explain and describe how these verses are prophecy. (Our hope is that you will listen to this most interesting and revelatory insight on Mary’s song). 

Jesus ushered in the age of the Spirit when He came to earth and even while still in Mary’s womb this is still true. Just like Mary, Elizabeth and John, we too are told we are filled with the Holy Spirit. It’s through the Spirit that we can say, “Jesus is Lord!” (1 Corinthians 12:3 “Therefore I want you to know that… no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.”)

In this story we see the evidence of God keeping His word. Every promise of God’s will be fulfilled.

We read Mary stayed three months with Elizabeth and oh the conversations they must have had! Our Christian faith is personal and communal: shared with families, friends, and others. When God’s people talk together about faith and what God is doing, we are encouraging each other in our faith and exalting God’s Name together! Just as Mary and Elizabeth did 2,000 years ago!

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St. Luke’s Account is part three of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. This book written by Luke, a non-Jew, offers a unique perspective into the story of Jesus’ life.

This study is great for large group, small group or home group study.

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This teaching is from Matthew 26:1-28.

As we come to these final chapters of Matthew we are exploring the final days of Jesus’ ministry on earth; His time with the disciples, His suffering, His death, His resurrection.  These are days that truly have changed the world and that’s not hyperbole – it’s fact.

In today’s reading – Jesus tells the disciples yet again of His coming crucifixion. He continues to let them know what’s coming and what’s ahead so that when it happens they will remember He had told them these things and they can then begin to put the pieces together.

In verses 3-5 we read of the chief priests and elders scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill Him. But they decide to wait until after the Passover festival is over to avoid rioting by the crowds that are in Jerusalem during the festival time frame. BUT something happens to change their minds from that decision to a decision of “let’s do it now!”

It is no coincidence the timing of what’s coming for Jesus in the timing of the Passover Festival. 

The day before Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem – what we call Palm Sunday – Jesus is at a dinner at Simon the Leper’s home. While Jesus is dining, Mary pours perfume on Jesus’ head. When the disciples call it a waste of money that could have gone to the poor, Jesus says, “When she poured this perfume on my head and body, she did it to prepare me for burial.” Yet another way of letting the disciples know what’s to come.

Next we read about the reason the Chief Priests change their minds to arresting Jesus earlier than originally planned.  Judas, one of the disciples, comes to them and asks what they would give him for delivering Jesus one to them. He was given 30 pieces of silver and then began to watch for the opportune time to hand Jesus to them.

As the day for the Passover meal approaches, the disciples ask Jesus where He wants to make preparations to eat the meal. They gather around the table of an upper room for the Passover meal at the place the disciples had secured according to Jesus’ directions. During the meal, Jesus mentions more clues of what is to come, “My appointed time is near.”

During the dinner Jesus announces, “Truly, I tell you, one of you will betray Me” and gives a harsh word of judgement. 

As the Passover meal continues, Jesus institutes the “Lord’s Supper” as a New Covenant. He takes the bread and wine of the Passover meal and reveals Himself as the Passover Lamb, the body (bread) and blood (wine) of the Passover Lamb meal.

There are multiple correlations between the Passover Festival activities and activities of Jesus during His last week on earth.

Jesus is the perfect, unblemished Lamb of God.

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Scripture: Luke 1:26-38, Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6-7, Daniel 7:14, 1 Samuel 16:7

In today’s Scripture, we look at an incredible and great announcement from the angel Gabriel to Mary that she would be the mother of the Son of God, Jesus. In this season of Advent we also look with anticipation to the incredible and great announcement of Christ’s return.  This will not be a quiet visit to just one person, this will be an announcement the whole world will see and hear!

As we look at today’s reading, the question for us is how will we react to the announcement of the Savior’s birth? We can learn from Mary…

The angel Gabriel came to Mary, saying, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you!” (Hold onto that word favored – we’re coming back to that!) She was pretty shocked, but the angel said to not be afraid and he announces to her that she will conceive (even though she is a virgin) and have a son.  She is to name Him Jesus and he will be the Son of the Most High – His kingdom will never end. This child being announced is the long awaited Messiah! He is the fulfillment of the prophetic word all through the Old Testament.

Call Him Jesus
1. Jesus = God Saves
2. Son of the Most High – God with us
3. Reign on David’s throne
4. Kingdom will never end!!

As the story continues, Mary asks how this could be as she is a virgin. The angel tells her that the Holy Spirit will come on her and the power of the Most High will over come her and that the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.  The angel concludes with, “No word from God will ever fail!!”

What a great line! Sometimes that seems hard to believe, especially if we are going through a difficult time, but we have a clear word from God that His word never fails, that in the end all who trust in Jesus will share in His victory!  In the end WE WIN!  GOD KEEPS HIS WORD – no word from God will ever fail!

But there’s a word here that speaks directly to us today as we walk by faith in our Savior – “Why was Mary CHOSEN (favored) to be the Mother of Jesus?

Highly Favored
1. 1 Samuel 16:7 we learn that “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the HEART.”  God is concerned about the heart and that’s the heart of the reason He chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus.  We want to have her heart. People look from the outside in, God looks from the inside out.
2. Devout (see Luke 1:46-47) – She knew God and His faithfulness
3. Humble (see Luke 1:48) The Lord noticed her humble state – she understood she deserved nothing from God, but she also knew God is good and everything good comes from Him.
4. Obedient (see Luke 1:38) Her reply to the announcement was, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” She was willing to go along with the divine plan. She takes this Great Announcement as God’s truth!  Our Savior is coming to earth!

We want the Lord to look at our hearts and we want Him to see hearts that are faithful before Him: devout, humble and obedient.

Our reaction to this Great Announcement is to respond in joy and thanksgiving and praise to the goodness and grace of God in Christ.  This is a “WOW” gift!

What an incredible announcement and living in response to it is an incredible way to live!!

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Luke 1:26-38; “Mary’s Story” 

The Christmas story is familiar to most of us, but Pastor Dodge gives us a fresh view of this well know story over the next few weeks beginning today with the story of Mary, Jesus’ mother.

Mary’s name means bitter.  She was born in an obscure village, raised in a difficult time when the children of Israel were in bondage to Roman master. BUT her Son would not only redeem Israel – He would redeem the world.

Very little is know about Mary. What we know is that she was a virgin born in the town of Nazareth, a town not even mentioned in the Old Testament. However, God chose an obscure little town and an unknown young woman to be the carriers of His promised Savior. Though Mary’s name means bitter, God changes things! He turns bitterness into joy! A unique birth, a unique mother and a unique child!  

Today, Christmas is under attack. Yet perhaps it’s more than that. The battle is larger than the attack on Christmas, it’s a battle that goes back to the garden of Eden. It’s not a war on Christmas, it’s a war on God.

The human race, since our fall, has been hostile to the things of God. But! The magnitude of God’s love is that He breaks into our world even when we are His enemies.

Let us pray that God would move in the lives of people to reveal His incredible goodness.

This well-known story shows us many things:
    ⁃    God breaks into the life of Mary and He still breaks into our lives today.
    ⁃    Mary willingly listened to God’s message to her through the angel Gabriel and His Word is still active and alive today!
    ⁃    Gabriel tells her what to name her son. She is to name Him Jesus, meaning “God saves” and God continues to save His people today through faith in Christ Jesus.
    ⁃    Mary asked “I am a virgin, how will this be?” Gabriel responded through the Holy Spirit and the angel goes on to say in Luke 1:37 “For no word from God will ever fail.” God’s promises are assured. He does the impossible!  He does what no human being can accomplish – our redemption! Jesus alone redeems and saves.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit using the Virgin Mary to conceive and bear a Son – God’s one and only Son – Jesus breaks into our world with His saving grace!

Today’s reading ends with Mary saying, “I am the Lord’s servant, may your word to me be fulfilled” and then the angel left her. Such a powerful example of trust – she hears the word of God, receives it, believes it and rejoices in it.

So much to learn from Mary. She’s not just our Savior’s mother, she is an amazing role model for any who desire to be servants of the Lord.  Things that stand out about Mary that we can apply in our own lives as well:
    1.    Devout Faith – trusted God even when what Gabriel told her seemed impossible.  We too are called to devout faith in God today.
    2.    Humility – humble individual who knew it wasn’t about her, but about God. A truth for us to internalize too.
    3.    Obedience – she listened, obeyed and followed God. Faith saves and when we have faith we will obey!  Faith shows itself in obedience.
    4.    Worship – sing praises- thank God for what He has done.

As we celebrate Christmas we’re not simply looking back to what happened long ago at Jesus’ first coming. We’re also looking forward to His final coming when He returns – when He reigns and rules forevermore!

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St. Luke’s Account is part three of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. The Gospel of Luke takes a look at the life of Jesus, beginning with the well-known Christmas stories. Luke, a non-Jew, offers a unique perspective into the story of Jesus’ life.

This study is great for large group. small group or home group Bible study.

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This teaching is from Matthew 25:31-46 with a review of Matthew 24:3, 30-31 with 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17

Pastor Dodge opens on the topic of the “Rapture?” Yes, he adds the “?” as his purpose is to plant in our minds’ questions that need to be addressed around the topic of the rapture.

The word rapture is not used in the New Testament, but Pastor takes a look at the teaching in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 in the light of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 24:3, 30-31.

Many believers hold to a quiet, unannounced, silent rapture that’s only noticed after people have disappeared and that happens before the tribulation.

The Rapture is a young teaching going back to the 1830s by John Darby who brought forth the teaching of the a Pre-Tribulational Rapture.

Pastor believes in a rapture – but does not believe it will be silent or unseen, nor does he believe it will take place before Jesus’ final appearing.  Why? He bases his view on scripture and draws a comparison between the two sets of verses using some of the original Greek words to impart additional insight that shows both are talking about the same day – the final coming of Christ. – Not a quiet or unobserved coming but rather something all will see and hear. (Take a listen to the teaching for further insight by going to the link below.)

Pastor then moves on with our progression through the book of Matthew by exploring Matthew 25:31-46 – the Parable of the Sheep and Goats.

Pastor shares a personal story that taught him the difference between sheep and goats.  There are physical differences like sheep graze, eating grass and goats are browsers, eating anything and everything. Sheep tails go down, goat tails go up. But there are other significant differences: Goats butt heads to gain control, they go off on their own and are fiercely independent. Sheep view the shepherd as in control, follow him and thrive under his care and put themselves under the authority of the shepherd. As we dig deep into the differences between sheep and goats it becomes very apparent why Jesus chose the illustration of sheep and goats for this parable on His Return.

Now let’s examine the story. The parable tells how when Jesus returns He will separate the goats from the sheep.  Goats to His left and sheep to His right. He separates them not by what they have done but ON WHO THEY ARE and whose they are. The sheep belong to Him, the goats do not.

After the separation, He talks about what each did or did not do showing the difference between those who have received Him as Savor and Lord (sheep) and those who have not (goats). 

Followers of the Lamb
 vs
Those who are followers of the devil 

To those on the right (where the sheep are – the ones who have put themselves under the authority of the Good Shepherd.) Jesus gives them an inheritance, eternal life forever with Him.

To the goats on the left (those who did not hear or heed the Shepherd’s voice) He commands them to depart from Him to eternal punishment.

Noteworthy: Jesus does NOT say, “I know my goats and my goats know me.” He does Not say, “I lay down my life for my goats.” And He does NOT say, “I am the good goatherd.”

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep and who laid down His life for His sheep and we, as His sheep, will follow Him.

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First Sunday in Advent – The Great Awakening
Scripture: Luke 1:5-25 and Malachi 4:5-6a  

The season of Advent is a time we prepare to celebrate that Jesus came, but it is also a time we eagerly anticipate that He will return!

When asked about the Great Awakening, people most often mention the The Great Awakening of the 1700s, an awakening that fundamentally changed what would become the United States of America, and imparted America’s destiny and the make up of our country.

But THE Great Awakening Pastor refers to today is the one that far out strips the awakening in the 1700s.

This is THE Great Awakening that started just over 2000 years ago!  And it has completely changed the world!  Pastor suggests that it began in Luke chapter 1 verse 5, that THE Great Awakening began with Zechariah and Elizabeth’s story.

In the Gospel of Luke chapter 1 verses 5-25 we read the story of the coming one who would prepare the way for the Promised One, the Savior, the Messiah.

The Great Awakening
    1.    Started with Zechariah – the priest
    2.    His son, John, would prepare the way for the coming of Jesus
    3.    Jesus Christ – the Messiah, our Savior who is coming back and the One who sent out disciples to the nations is the message of THE Great Awakening.
    4.    The message of Jesus spread throughout all Israel
    5.    Then the message of Jesus went to the Gentile world
    6.    And then all of Israel – the final step of the Great Awakening – is when the Jewish people return to faith in Jesus the Messiah.

Zechariah doubted what the angel was telling him, and yet, God came through with everything the angel announced and in Christ, God fulfilled every promise of a Savior.  Zechariah’s story serves as a reminder of the faithfulness of God even amidst doubt. 

During this season of Advent we joyfully prepare for Christmas and celebrating Jesus’ birth and we also focus our hearts and minds on the anticipation of His return.  

Let us also be encouraged to pray by the power of the Holy Spirit for THE Great Awakening to overwhelm the Jewish people in coming to a knowledge of Jesus the Messiah, their Savior, the Promised One. 

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Luke 14:1-24; “Dinner Disaster”

Today’s story is of Jesus attending a dinner with His enemies – who have an agenda and it’s not a good one. Yet Jesus has a heart even for those who oppose Him. 

Jesus is invited to the house of a prominent Pharisee on a Sabbath day and they are all watching Him. There in front of Him they have placed a very sick man with a serious health condition of being severely swollen. 

Keep in mind: 

• It’s a Sabbath day

• Previously Jesus had done healings on the Sabbath and the synagogue leaders were extremely angry 

• No “work” was to be done on a Sabbath 

• Healings were considered “work” 

Entrapment: 

We can see this sick man placed in front of Jesus, is a set up for entrapment so that they could say Jesus broke the Sabbath by healing someone. 

Jesus recognizes the trap and He addresses it head on saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” But they did not answer Him, so Jesus healed the man and sent him on his way. They all witnessed it. 

What was that like to see the healing of this very sick man? As the swelling disappears and he goes away whole and healed. No longer critically ill. Can you imagine the murmurs and whispers of the dinner guests? 

Jesus’ concern and love for the lost (including the religious who in reality do not know the Living God) compels Him to take the conversation further because he loves the Pharisees and those that are hostile to Him. 

So Jesus asks them, “If one of you has a child or ox that falls into a well on a Sabbath day will you not immediately pull it out?” And the Pharisees made no response. 

As Jesus looks out over the table where people had worked to get the best seat reclining near the host, He continues with a parable. The summary of the parable is that you don’t go to a party and take the seat of honor, as you’ll just embarrass yourself. The lesson is one of humility before God and man and as Jesus continues the story He speaks these powerful words: “for all those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” 

Rebuttal: 

Jesus is rebutting their arrogance, their pride, their self-aggrandizement. He’s saying – when you really know the Living God it affects how you behave. Not that we are saved by our behavior – but that when we know the love of God and the forgiveness He offers in Christ Jesus, the Messiah, it changes our behavior. 

When we truly understand how much God loves us and how much Jesus paid to redeem us, that news changes our attitude about ourselves and we realize we bring nothing to the heavenly party. 

It’s not about what I can achieve, it’s about what God offers and therefore my attitude changes and how I act changes and what I think changes. 

The story continues with Jesus challenging the host to not invite friends who will simply reciprocate the invitation to his next party. Rather Jesus says to invite the poor, lame, crippled, and blind and then he will be blessed. Though they can’t repay him for the invitation – Jesus adds that he would be repaid at Chris’s return. 

Diversion: 

A dinner guest attempts to change the subject, clear the air, calm the tensions and says, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” What does Jesus respond with? 

With this profound story about an owner inviting many guests to his banquet. When it was time for the party he sent his servant out to let those who had been invited that it was now time to come.But all invitees had excuses. So the host ordered his servant to bring in the poor, crippled, blind and the lame and after doing so, the servant told the owner there was still room left. So the Master sends out the servant into the country roads to compel more to come so that his house would be full. Jesus ends the story with the owner saying that not one of those who were invited and changed their minds in coming would get a taste of the banquet. 

Jesus is saying this is what’s happened with His own people. The very one God invited rejected God and refused to accept all that He was offering through Jesus. 

These people were religious but they didn’t really have a heart for God. And when you reject Jesus, you reject the Father who sent Him. 

This story is not just for 1st century Israel – these words are for us today. Jesus is telling us that nothing is to get in the way of our relationship with the Living God through faith in Jesus. We are not to allow anything to get in the way of God’s purpose through Christ for each one of us. 

There are eternal consequences to rejecting God’s mercy through Jesus, but God is faithful and works to show them then and us now the consequences of rejecting Him, rejecting the open door to coming to Him, rejecting His love for each of us. 

There is a forever party coming! The joy of life forever in the presence of God! We don’t want to miss the heavenly banquet!

Surrender to the Living God. Jesus is summoning us to Himself. He offers life to all who repent and believe. He desires all to experience the joy of daily following Him. 

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Watch the video from our website! https://www.awakeusnow.com/2-year-study-of-the-gospels-upper 

Watch the video from our YouTube Channel!! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOzMkhPyiNWwlJRpV6Bwpu01 

St. Luke’s Account is part three of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. The Gospel of Luke takes a look at the life of Jesus, beginning with the well-known Christmas stories. Luke, a non-Jew, offers a unique perspective into the story of Jesus’ life. 

This study is great for large group, small group or home group Bible study.

Check out this episode!

Happy Thanksgiving!

A question: For you is thanksgiving a cultural tradition or a cultivated lifestyle?

If thanksgiving is just a cultural tradition then it all centers around a one day get together and it’s over until next year.

But if thanksgiving is a cultivated lifestyle then it flows out of a living relationship with the Living God and THAT is a really excellent way to live because it leads to a life of genuine purpose that never ends.

Ps 106:1 and 136:1 speaks to the  “never ends.” Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His love ENDURES FOREVER!

God is TRULY GOOD!

Psalm 100:4-5 
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.

Did you know that combined, the terms thank, thankful, thankfulness, thanks and thanksgiving appear in the Bible 150 times!!!

We are called to a cultivated lifestyle of thanksgiving.

Benefits of living in thankfulness:
    ⁃    Faith grows and strengthens
    ⁃    Humility is produced
    ⁃    Contentment is the outcome 

Faith in Jesus Christ produces a humble heart of thankfulness that results in contentment because we know the final victory in Christ is ours – forever with Him!

Colossians 2:6-7 
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

If you have not received Jesus Christ as Lord of your life – today is a good day to claim Him as your Savior!

Be encouraged to live a life of cultivated thanksgiving.  A life of genuine faith that overflows with thankfulness.

Thankfulness comes out of a relationship with the Living God and thankfulness produces even greater faith in the lives of all who trust in Him!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

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Luke 13:10-17; “Real Meets Ritual”

Jesus is the Real Deal! He is the Messiah. He really desires that we know Him more and more and spend eternity with Him. So what does the Real Jesus have to say to us today? 

Today’s story in Luke tells how Jesus was in a synagogue teaching and there was a woman in attendance that had been crippled by a spirit for 18 years and was bent over and could not straighten up. (Note not possessed by a spirit but crippled by a spirit.) Luke recognizes that there is a spiritual dimension to our world. This was not just a physical illness. 

Jesus does something surprising. He calls the woman to come up to Him. He understands her plight, says, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” The Word of Jesus is a word of power! When He speaks, even the demonic spirits listen! 

He laid His hands on her. Don’t you wonder what that was like to experience the loving hands of Jesus on her? Then she immediately straightened up and praised God because she was healed but also because she understood the Living God, come to earth, spoke a word of power that defeated the 18 years demonic hold. 

How does this story call us today to re-evaluate our worldview and what is real?

Challenge #1

• Will we accept a Biblical or Western worldview? 

Today the Western worldview dominates even within Christian circles. The Bible tells us there is an ongoing spiritual war. There are demons, though not responsible for every difficulty or trial, we are to be discerning, to seek God first, trusting that he is real and can be relied upon. 

We are called to adopt a Biblical worldview and allow the scriptures to guide and direct our thinking, to allow God’s Word to speak into our lives. 

Our God is real and desires to move in real ways in our lives. He is challenging us in the Western world to set aside a ritual understanding of the Christian faith and to adopt a Biblical worldview, to take him seriously. 

Continuing with today’s story – after seeing the miraculous healing (done by Jesus on the Sabbath) the synagogue leaders are angry – Basically, after seeing divine power manifested before them, the leaders’ reaction is that this is not what we do 

in our worship time! The leaders say there are 6 other days in the week for healing, so he told the people to come then, we are not to work (heal) on the Sabbath. Thereby accusing Jesus of sinning by doing the healing on the Sabbath. 

However, Jesus does not let this stand and He says, “You hypocrites! Don’t you each on the Sabbath untie (unbind) your ox and donkey from the stall and walk them to water.” (This was considered work on the Sabbath). Jesus continues, “Then shouldn’t this woman bound 18 years be set free on the Sabbath?” Meaning, they will loosen the bonds on their animals on the Sabbath but then turn around and say it’s wrong to loosen the bonds of this woman on the Sabbath. 

It’s not about the rituals, it’s about encountering the Living God, the Real God who:

Transforms

Heals 

Forgives 

Is gracious and merciful 

And who calls His children to Real Life 

Challenge #2 

• Will we receive and believe the Real Jesus or will we simply go along with the church culture? 

Church culture today says come to church and then go back to life as usual. It says accept yourself the way you are and don’t judge anything or anyone. It says it doesn’t matter what you do – just be happy. Basically it says, give God lip service and then go back to your life. 

This is not what God calls us to – His message is a message of truth and it is life changing! When we receive Him as Savior our lives are forever changed. We too are delivered like the woman bound by the demonic spirit we are delivered from demonic spirits, demonic teachings and demonic beliefs. 

Jesus is asking us to move beyond a mere church culture and recognize Him for who he is, our Savior, Healer, Deliverer, our Lord, the One who frees us from the bonds of sin, death and the devil and gives instead Life and Hope! 

Today our culture calls truth evil and lies good. Jesus is asking us to turn our back on that kind of culture and instead to hear His voice calling us to Himself. 

He calls us from ritual to relationship! 

He does the miraculous: 

Redeems 

Restores 

Renews

And He offers Real Life! 

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St. Luke’s Account is part three of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. The Gospel of Luke takes a look at the life of Jesus, beginning with the well-known Christmas stories. Luke, a non-Jew, offers a unique perspective into the story of Jesus’ life. 

This study is great for large group, small group or home group Bible study.

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