A "summons" is an authoritative call to action. You can be summoned by a judge, by a school principal, or by your mother when it's time for dinner! But Jesus is about to give his disciples a summons. Three scenes in Luke 9 illustrate this call to action.
Faith or Fear Luke 8:22-56 For the past couple of weeks, we’ve been exploring this thing called FAITH as we look at the ministry of Jesus. This began back in…
Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). Jesus explains in Luke 8 that the way you know you're hearing is when you put what you hear into action.
Jesus and the Twelve continue to move from town to town as Jesus proclaims the good news of the kingdom, but that traveling entourage might not look the way you think. There are women with them – possibly more women than men, and they have very important roles.
As the people of Galilee continue to come into contact with Jesus, they know something is different, but they can't all put their fingers on it. Is he a prophet? The Messiah? One woman who was a known sinner made a bold move, putting her faith in action.
Can faith and doubt exist in the same person? Am I unsaved if I have doubts? Do I have to have perfect faith in order to be saved? John the Baptist shows us it's okay to have questions about Jesus.
Jesus follows up the Sermon on the Mount with two encounters with people that were very much different and yet very much alike. The end result? Jesus breaks social and religious boundaries in order to show mercy, and prove that he has the power to overcome death.
Jesus said that people who come to him, hear his words, and act on them, are like a person who built their house along a hurricane coast fully equipped to handle "the Big One."
What does Jesus mean when he tells us "Don't judge"? What does he mean by "get the beam out of your own eye"? Are we supposed to just mind our own business and never speak into anyone's life?
“Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours.” Does that mean having money is bad? And what are we supposed to do with this bit about loving your enemies? Or did we miss something in those 4 words: “Yours is the kingdom”?