Posts with the tag “luke”

Whatever is right (Just) Philippians 4:8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.Another word for “right” that is used often in translations is “whatever is Just.” So maybe we need to look into what it means to be Just. Justice ha...  Read More

DAY 33 - LUKE 9:37-43 37 The next day, after they had come down the mountain, a large crowd met Jesus. 38 A man in the crowd called out to him, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, my only child. 39 An evil spirit keeps seizing him, making him scream. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It batters him and hardly ever leaves him alone. 40 I begged your disciples to cast ...  Read More

DAY 32 - LUKE 9:28-36 28 About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray. 29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30 Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. 31 They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about t...  Read More

DAY 31 - LUKE 9:18-27 18 One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”19 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.”20 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”Peter replied, “You are the Messiah sent from God!”Jesu...  Read More

DAY 30 - LUKE 9:7-17 7 When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about everything Jesus was doing, he was puzzled. Some were saying that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead. 8 Others thought Jesus was Elijah or one of the other prophets risen from the dead.9 “I beheaded John,” Herod said, “so who is this man about whom I hear such stories?” And he kept trying to see him.Jesus Feed...  Read More

DAY 25 - Luke 8:19-21 19 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they couldn’t get to him because of the crowd. 20 Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to see you.”21 Jesus replied, “My mother and my brothers are all those who hear God’s word and obey it.”Wherever Jesus went, there were those disciples who followed him. Many had given ...  Read More

DAY 24 - Luke 8:16-18 16 “No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house. 17 For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all.18 “So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my ...  Read More

DAY 23 - Luke 8:4-15 4 One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him: 5 “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. 6 Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. 7...  Read More

DAY 22 - Luke 8:1-3 8 Soon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, 2 along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; 3 Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s business manager; Susann...  Read More

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPEN QUESTIONSJohn the Baptist had gone before Jesus to prepare the way.  When you think about your journey of faith, who went before you ...  Read More

DAY 20 - Luke 7:48-50 8 Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”49 The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?”50 And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”Finishing up this week is finishing up this story. The almost addendum to the story is that Jesus was interested in going further than simply apprec...  Read More

DAY 16 - Luke 7:11-17 11 Soon afterward Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed him. 12 A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said. 14 Then he wal...  Read More

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPEN QUESTIONSWhen you were growing up, were there certain do and don’ts your parents gave you that you thought at the time seemed silly, ...  Read More

Day 13 - Luke 6:27-36 27 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. 30 Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. 31 D...  Read More

Day 12 - Luke 6:20-23 20 Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said,“God blesses you who are poor,   for the Kingdom of God is yours.21 God blesses you who are hungry now,   for you will be satisfied.God blesses you who weep now,   for in due time you will laugh.22 What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. 2...  Read More

Day 10 - Luke 6:12-16 12 One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. 13 At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Here are their names:14 Simon (whom he named Peter),Andrew (Peter’s brother), James, John, Philip,Bartholomew,15 Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus),Simon (who was called the zealot)...  Read More

Day 9 - Luke 6:6-11 6 On another Sabbath day, a man with a deformed right hand was in the synagogue while Jesus was teaching. 7 The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees watched Jesus closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath.8 But Jesus knew their thoughts. He said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” So t...  Read More

Day 8 - Luke 6:1-5 6 One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples broke off heads of grain, rubbed off the husks in their hands, and ate the grain. 2 But some Pharisees said, “Why are you breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?”3 Jesus replied, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He went into the ...  Read More

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPEN QUESTIONSDescribe to others in your group how you imagine Jesus.  What does he look like?  What’s he wearing when you spend time with...  Read More

Luke 6 - Day 5:33-39 33 One day, some people said to Jesus, “John the Baptist’s disciples fast and pray regularly, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why are your disciples always eating and drinking?”34 Jesus responded, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. 35 But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”36 Then Jesus gave ...  Read More

Day 5 - Luke 5:27-32 27 Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. 28 So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.29 Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them. 30 But the Pharisee...  Read More

Day 3 - Luke 5:12-16 12 In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.”13 Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly, the leprosy disappeared. 14 Then Jesus instructed him ...  Read More

Day 2- Luke 5:5-11 5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” 6 And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! 7 A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.8 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, h...  Read More

Over the last year, we have studied the Book of Luke for several different seasons. We finished 2023 in Luke. We took our Easter series from Luke and quickly moved to Acts for our Experience Seasons 1 and 2  Read More

“But before all this occurs, there will be a time of great persecution. You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will stand trial before kings and governors because you are my followers. 13 But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me. 14 So don’t worry in advance about how to answer the charges against you, 15 for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that non...  Read More

5 Some of his disciples began talking about the majestic stonework of the Temple and the memorial decorations on the walls. But Jesus said, 6 “The time is coming when all these things will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”7 “Teacher,” they asked, “when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to take place?”“The believer become...  Read More

20 Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. 28 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. 29 Now, there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. 30 The second 31 and then the third married her, an...  Read More

9 He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. 10 At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-han...  Read More

20 Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies who pretended to be honest. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. 21 So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. 22 Is it right for ...  Read More

1 One day, as he [Jesus] was teaching the people in the temple courts and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. 2 “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?”Occasionally, as little kids, arguments would devolve past any point of logic, and someone would blurt out, “You’re ...  Read More

“Then Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people selling animals for sacrifices. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.” After that, he taught daily in the Temple, but the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the other leaders of the people began planning how to kill him. But they...  Read More

“But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. You...  Read More

“After telling this story, Jesus went toward Jerusalem, walking ahead of his disciples. As he came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead. “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?...  Read More

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPEN QUESTIONSWhen it comes to prayer, is there a practice that you have found particularly helpful or meaningful to you?  What’s your que...  Read More

9 Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 10 “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector...  Read More

18 One day, Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. 2 “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. 3 A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ 4 The judge ignored her for a while, but finally, he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care a...  Read More

Welcome to the journey of studying scripture together. We assume you have someone in mind that you would love to help grow in a relationship with Jesus Christ, the Church, and with you. It is an exciting proposition: to take on the responsibility of leading someone through a scripture journey and helping them understand who Jesus is more profoundly. It is a sacred task, and you are up for it! We p...  Read More

Luke 4:1-2 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was  led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty  days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing  during those days, and at the end of them, he was  hungry. When we are hungry, we are more susceptible to  moral shortcuts. In an experiment with college  students after fasting for 12 hours, the hungrier they  were, the less ...  Read More

Luke 22:20 “…after the supper he took the cup, saying,  ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood,  which is poured out for you.’” So, what is in this “cup of God’s wrath,” and  who made it? We have all the clues to  figure it out.We know Jesus died from our sins on the  cross of Calvary. (1 Corinthians 15:3) In fact,  1 Peter 2:24 says, “He himself bore our sins in  His body on the tree…” So when...  Read More

“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed…” Luke 17:6I’m amused by passages of scripture that contain an apparent contradiction. In the eighth chapter of his book, John told the story of a woman entrapped in a compromising sexual encounter and brought as a case study to Jesus. The religious leaders and legal experts hoped to catch Him being more gracious than the law permitted. Side note: I lo...  Read More