Luke 21:20–24

Luke 21:20-24

English Standard Version 

  For many years, I have set hopes in the Cincinnati Reds to win another World Series.  To be honest, I'd be happy with a victory in a playoff series, which has not happened since 1995 (the longest playoff victory drought in professional sports).  Unfortunately, the Reds leadership is not very serious about winning, and so that drought will continue for the foreseeable future.  To set my hopes in them is to set myself up for disappointment.

  Jesus is warning us about where we set our hopes.  The thought of Jerusalem under siege was heartbreaking to all, including Jesus (remember that he wept over the city).  No one wants to see destruction, but Jesus is warning that it will come, and in 70 AD, the Romans proved him correct.  

  If our ultimate hopes are in mortal things, whether it is money or power or beauty or youth or sports teams or other people, we will end up disappointment.  Destruction can come for all of it - while sin and death were defeated at the cross, they have not yet been fully vanquished, and will not be until Christ comes in fullness.  

  Our ultimate hope should be in something that is worthy of ultimate things, and is strong enough to bear that hope.  Only Christ and his Kingdom can make that claim, and only Christ and his Kingdom have the strength, power, and wisdom to support that.

  Choose wisely where you focus your thoughts and your loves, and order your life appropriately.

Luke 21:16-19

Luke 21:16-19

English Standard Version 

  This feels a little different than the promises some of those TV preachers make about you ending up rich if you send in $50 at the right time, doesn't it?

  Jesus is clear to his followers -- it will not be easy to remain faithful.  There will be division and difficulty and suffering at the hands of those who oppose Christ and his church. Some of his followers will be put to death.

  Can we all admit that if we were listening to this, we'd be wondering if following Jesus was really the best plan?  I don't know many people that get excited to be hated.  

  And then you'd hear Jesus telling you that not a hair on your head will perish, right after he said that some of the people will perish.  Death sounds perishing.  

  So many of the teachings of Jesus are trying to help us refocus, to lift our eyes from the immediate world around us and teach us to focus on the eternal Kingdom of God.  When we think about investing our money and time and energy and love -- do we think first about the Kingdom?  When we think about legacy, do we think about God's Kingdom?  We get very, very focused on the here and now, and Jesus isn't saying this is bad -- but he wants us to know there is more than what we see, and that our ultimate legacy and security is in God's Kingdom, which transcends this one.

  So setbacks in this world are not eternal.  Even death has been defeated.

  Hold on to hope.  Jesus wins.

Luke 21:10–15

Luke 21:10-15 

English Standard Version 

  Christianity isn't always setting up for the most positive publicity.  The prosperity Gospel always amuses me -- preachers proclaim that being a Christian will set you up for success and fame and wealth, and then I read the Gospels... and it seems to offer a different kind of world vision, one that recognizes the reality of suffering and pain and struggles.  Jesus doesn't shrink from any of this.  It's part of a broken world.  What Jesus does assure us is that when we are caught up in the midst of it, the Holy Spirit will give us the words to proclaim the Truth in the midst of it all.  He tells us not to get caught up in planning ahead of time, but rather to trust that God will be near.

  When there is strife in the world, Jesus has not abandoned us, or the world.  I don't claim to understand the plan, but I trust in God, and so may we faithfully follow Christ through whatever is next, taking life one step at a time, trusting God to give us what we need for today, for this moment.

Luke 21:5-9

Luke 21:5-9 

English Standard Version 

  It's hard to see landmarks struck down.  25 years later, it was still difficult to remember the terrible events of 9/11.  We look at the pictures of those towers and think about what they meant and the tragedy of their loss -- in so many ways, it has shaped the last few decades of American life.  We remember what things were like before that awful day.

  For those around Jesus, it was tremendously hard to hear them talk about the destruction of the temple.  The temple was massive and magnificent and the center of religious life.  They didn't want to think about life without it.  Tragically, that would be destroyed by the Roman army in 70 AD when they devastated Jerusalem.  

  Jesus doesn't want us to set all our hopes and dreams on temporary things.  The Kingdom of God is eternal, and we are to focus all of our aspirations on that Kingdom, for it cannot be taken, cannot be shaken.  Our hopes and dreams are safe there.  If we run in fear at each person who speaks of the end, then we'll be darting through shadows, unable to live as Christ calls us to live.  

  So may we boldly focus ourselves on Christ and his Kingdom, and strive to live in such a way that brings glory to God but doesn't chase every rumor and run in fear from every power in this world.  Remember, every knee shall bow before Christ the Lord. 

Black Belt Tests and the Gospel

Luke 21:1-4

Luke 21:1-4 

English Standard Version 

  I've always thought it was interesting that Jesus sat around with the disciples and watched people put their offerings into the box.  It's not what I would expect -- and I wonder how I would feel about it if I were making an offering.  Regardless, what happens here is interesting -- for all the gifts that Jesus watched go into the offering box, it was this one small gift that elicited a remarkable comment.  Jesus called out this woman who contributed a meaningful gift into the box.  Not out of her abundance, but out of her meager possessions.

  Jesus clearly cares about how we give.  Do we stretch?  Does it hurt a little?  That seems to be where Jesus is pointing us -- to thinking about financial giving as a meaningful part of our life.  He doesn't tell everyone to give everything away, but to think about what we have and give generously.

Luke 20:45-47

Luke 20:45-47 

English Standard Version

  Jesus is warning his disciples about the dangers of using spiritual leadership for personal gain that is driven by exploiting others.  This is not the last time that the church needs to hear these warnings... as we grow closer to Reformation Sunday, Martin Luther's warnings about indulgences, which prey on the fears of the poor to drive financial collections for the church, fit in with Jesus' words here.  God cares about what we use our influence to achieve.  If we're focused on what we get out of it... then that will corrupt us over time.  Some more quickly than others, but greed will consume us.  If we can focus on the Kingdom, however, and use our prayers to serve the glories of God's Kingdom, then God is glorified and the church is strengthened.  

  It's not a choice we make one time.  Those who are corrupted are often done so through a series of small decisions, many of which seem inconsequential.  As CS Lewis says, we have to think about them over the course of eternity.  Which direction are we trending?  The smallest of decisions, when amplified over an eternal time frame, can shape our hearts in ways we don't fully comprehend.  

  So may we spend time examining our decisions and watching our own hearts, praying for humility and thinking deeply about how we serve Christ's church and the members of it.

Luke 20:41–44

Luke 20:41-44 

English Standard Version 

  Everyone is trying to figure out just who Jesus is.  In Jesus' time, the Pharisees were thinking at most, he was another king in the line of David.  But Jesus didn't conform to their expectations -- he had much grander plans than that.  

  In the same way, Jesus doesn't conform to our expectations, either.  He has much grander plans than that.  He takes a large and universal approach, working to redeem God's beloved humanity and the creation in which we live.  God is at work to solve the problems of sin that separate us from each other and that creates a division between us and creation.  God looks at things beyond time and space, so while we see the veil of death, Jesus recognizes that there is life beyond the veil, even if we cannot see it.  

  And so we must trust in Jesus, in the Jesus who sees a greater life than we can and the Jesus who sees problems differently than we do.  It isn't always easy.  When our children were young and we took them to the doctor and they received vaccinations, they didn't really like it... but we thought it was best for their long-term health.  In the same way, there are things in this life that we cannot grasp the good in.  We must learn to trust, to lean into Jesus, and remain faithful, day after day.

Learning Contentment: A sermon on Philippians 4 (Oct 11, 2026)

Luke 20:34–40

Luke 20:34-40

English Standard Version 

  What will marriage look like in heaven?  Will I see the friends I have loved along the way?  Will we recognize one another?  Will I be able to enjoy the beauty of a sunset?  Will every car have a 6-speed transmission, or will some have automatics?  Will it be possible to eat too much ice cream?  Will the Reds still be mediocre then?

  All vital questions to answer.  Many of these, we don't have answers to -- we will only find out when we pass through the veil.  The character and words of God set clues for us, though.  We know that God has compassionate love for us, and that God made us to be in relationship with one another.  It seems likely that the God who forms us for community will not have an aspect of community, of relationship, with one another.  What does that look like exactly?  Hopefully I won't find out for another 60+ years.  

Will relationships in heaven be less loving than the ones here on earth?  I doubt it.  It seems like they would be more.  Again... I don't know exactly how it will work, but I trust in the God who has been crafting and guiding relationships for millennia to continue to do so for eternity to come.  

  What's vital here is that Jesus speaks of the dead as though they are alive.  God does not allow death to have the final word over God's beloved, which includes you.

  So trust in God, and lean into the Savior who came and conquered death so that you might live.

Luke 20:27–33

Luke 20:27-33

English Standard Version 

  This is likely not the burning question that many people have about the resurrection.  Well, at least it's not mine.  You may wonder what the Sadduccees are doing.

  One thing to note is that the Sadduccees didn't believe in the resurrection of the dead.  (Which made them Sad. You See?  Preacher jokes...)  So they're constructing this absurd scenario to make the resurrection look like just an extension of this world, only with comical scenarios caused by the forward projection of some laws.

  But that's what the resurrection is like.  It's not simply this world, only with a few things changed.  God isn't simply trying to tweak this world.  God is transforming us, at work in us and through us by the power of the Holy Spirit.  The resurrection is something new, something different, and the focus isn't on us and what our living quarters will be like.  It's about a new relationship with God, one with unlimited worship and joy.  

  So let's not get caught up in debates about what exactly dancing on clouds will be like.  Instead think about the dynamic relationship with your Creator, who is awesome in power and might, filled with love and mercy forever and ever.

Sermon on Philippians 3 for October 4, 2026

Luke 20:20–26

Luke 20:20-26 

English Standard Version 

  The Pharisees set up a trap for Jesus -- they're always working to catch him in his own words.  If Jesus says that they should pay tribute to Caesar, then he's acknowledging and perhaps approving of the Roman occupation of Jerusalem, which would upset some people.  If he says that it's not lawful, then the Romans might want to arrest him for sedition.  There's no right answer.  

  So Jesus doesn't directly answer the question.  Instead, he acknowledges the reality -- that some things belong to Caesar, but much more belongs to God.  Who are we to limit what God has a claim on?  Are the Pharisees going to define this?  

  We often try and offer God some meager corner, or believe that if we do one thing over here, then we've taken care of our offerings to God for the week.  We'd be wise to think seriously on what Jesus has to say here, and recognize God's claim on all of us.  How do we think about giving everything over to God, since God has created all?

Luke 20:17-19

Luke 20:17-19 

English Standard Version 

  Jesus knew the Pharisees and scribes and chief priests objected to his teachings -- but he didn't back down.  He continued to confront them with the Truth, to open their eyes to the ways that sin and brokenness was at work in their lives, hearts, and community. 

  So naturally, they heard his words and repented, right? 

  No... they decided they'd see about getting him arrested instead.  Which looks really bad on your resume when you arrive at the pearly gates and have to explain to St. Peter that time you tried to have Jesus thrown in jail and possibly killed.

  Where would God confront you?  What hard words might God say to you to open your eyes to the ways sin is at work in your heart, in your life, in your relationships?  I think we all know what some answers to that might be, but we often try and avoid asking the hard questions or thinking about these things.  We'd much rather ignore them.  

  But God wants to see us grow, every day.  Sometimes that means stretching, sometimes that means pruning.  

  What might God be asking of you today?

Blue Jackets hockey and the Gospel

Luke 20:13–16

Luke 20:13-16

English Standard Version 

  If you knew that someone was going to turn you away, how much effort would you put into the outreach?  Most of us would limit our effort.  It's the rational thing to do -- direct that energy towards someone more receptive, right?

  Here, the vineyard owner has sent multiple messengers, and they've all been rejected.  The owner hopes that his own son won't be rejected, but he has to expect that, right?  The tenants have shown no interest in receiving messages from the owner.

  God comes anyway.  Despite our hardened hearts, God persists, such is the love that God has for you.  It's easy to underappreciate this love -- we grow accustomed to hearing about the unconditional love, so it's important to take a few minutes and truly appreciate how amazing it is that God persists in pursuing us.  God loves you, and God continues to send the Holy Spirit to awaken our hearts to hear the message of grace once more.

Luke 20:9-12

Luke 20:9-12 

English Standard Version 

  If you owned the vineyard, how would you react?  Would you keep sending servants?  Your patience would certainly be thin after the first was rejected, and you might well blow your top after the second.  When the second one was rejected, you might simply send in the troops.  Would you exercise patience and continue sending servants?  

  One of the lessons that Jesus is teaching us about God is that God has tremendous patience for us.  God continued to send prophets, even when they were rejected and ignored.  God didn't give up on us.  God loves us too much to leave us, which is what leads God to come in Jesus Christ so that we might find healing and wholeness and hope.  

  Thanks be to God for the tremendous patience God shows -- Paul tells us in Romans 2 that 'God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?'

Luke 20:1-8

Luke 20:1-8 

English Standard Version 

  Here we see the chief priests and scribes trying to trick Jesus.  They aren't genuinely interested in the answer... they simply want to make Jesus look bad.  

  Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus engaging with all sorts of people.  Some of them know religion, some do not.  Look at Zaccheaus -- he is honestly seeking Jesus, and Jesus goes in to his house and eats with him.  The same is true of Nicodemus -- he comes with honest inquiry, uncertain of what it means when Jesus is teaching.

  These individuals are not coming honestly.  They have an agenda.  

  So when you have big questions, do not be afraid to ask them.  Seek with an open and honest heart.  Ask tough questions.  Christianity has the intellectual depth to engage with your questions as you seek the Truth.

Luke 19:45-48

Luke 19:45-48

English Standard Version 

  There's only 1,000 different conclusions as to what it means for Jesus to drive the traders out of the temple.  The temple economy and the trading that took place was important to the activity of the temple, but things clearly weren't serving the purpose that the temple was built for -- it wasn't serving as a meeting place for the people and God.  Something was getting in the way, so Jesus clears it out, and then he remains, teaching daily.  He is filling the space with his Word, so that the people can hear the teachings of God.  

  There's things in all of our lives that interfere with our connection with God.  Are we willing to be honest and admit the places where we fall short, and find a way to let God's Word fill that space in our lives?

Luke 19:41–44

Luke 19:41-44 

English Standard Version 

  Jesus has foreknowledge of the destruction that is coming to Jerusalem in 70 AD. Roman forces will besiege and destroy much of the city, and Jesus has heartbreak for the devastation that will occur.  

  It's an important aspect of our faith to hold onto -- God weeps when destruction is visited upon God's people.  God made the world and all that is in it, and it is all precious to God.  In an age where we are bombarded by bad news from all over the world, it's easy to become numb to it.  But God still feels pain for the tragic loss that occurs around the world.  May we remember that and let it soften our hearts as we seek to follow Christ and love the world the way God loves it.

Sermon for Sept 27 on Philippians 2

Political Ads and the Gospel

Luke 19:35-40

Luke 19:35-40 

English Standard Version 

  One of the things that's interesting here is that the Pharisees are trying to have Jesus hush the disciples, but Jesus acknowledges the reality -- God will be praised.  

  Sometimes, it's easy to praise God.  The sun is shining and life is grand.  

  Other times, it's harder.  Things are going against us.  But this doesn't mean that God has abandoned us, or that God doesn't care.  It simply means that God is at work in ways we cannot understand, but God is still mighty and good, even when we cannot comprehend it.  God will be praised, and creation itself will praise the God who has made it.  When we are silent at times, the song of praise continues, unabated, until such a time as we rediscover the words and our hearts learn to praise God once more.  

Luke 19:28–34

Luke 19:28-34 

English Standard Version 

  The Lord Jesus Christ is, without a doubt, the most powerful human being who ever lived.  He has the power to create the universe through his speech, and we'll see here in a few chapters that he can conquer death.

  And yet, he rides an ordinary colt in to Jerusalem.  He didn't come on a mighty warhorse meant to intimidate all those who were near.  He rode something that was on their level -- he didn't want to be separated from the people.

  We don't know much about the people who provided the colt.  They were likely ordinary, too.  Did they realize that their animal would be discussed for thousands of years?  I doubt it.  They were simply filling their role, doing what they were called to do, perhaps not even wondering what the long-term consequences of their actions would be.

  We are mostly ordinary people, with ordinary gifts.  But God can and does use them, all the time, and they have eternal repercussions.  That's one of the great things about being a part of the eternal church -- the ways we serve and love echo over generations.  

  So treasure your ordinary gifts, and use them wisely.  They'll linger in the halls of heaven forever.

Cookies and the Gospel

Luke 19:20–27

Luke 19:20-27 

English Standard Version 

  In summary, what do you believe is the defining characteristic of God?

  The servant here believes that his master is a severe man, and so his fear drives him to act in a certain way.  Everything is shaped by his fear of the master.  Imagine how this might have been different if he believed that his master was kind and gentle -- he would've thought differently about the money that was entrusted to him.

  In the same way, our belief about God will shape how we live and act.  If we believe that God is harsh and severe, then we'll respond in fear.  We'll be enveloped by it, and will think about obedience in terms of how we can avoid punishment. 

  If, however, our belief about God is that the same God who comes to judge is the God who comes to save, and we read the New Testament and see a God there who comes searching for us, then we'll respond differently.  We'll be motivated by love and gratitude rather than fear.  

  So what do you believe?  What does the broad witness of Scripture tell you about God?  It's important that we read widely and form that belief for ourselves, for we'll act out of that over all our days.

Sermon on Philippians 1 for September 20

Luke 19:16–19

Luke 19:16-19 

English Standard Version 

  Do you measure yourself against others?  It feels like this happens a lot in our culture -- we're always looking around to see how we're doing compared to others.  It's only natural that we assume that God is doing the same --  measuring us against the competition.

  But the master here doesn't scold the servant for only making five minas.  There is satisfaction and reward.  We are expected to be faithful stewards, and that looks different for each of us.  Stop worrying that your life and ministry don't look like someone else's life and ministry.  You have particular gifts for your particular call.  You are equipped for ministry that only you can do, so go and do that.  Serve and love the world in a way that only you can.  No one else can do what you are uniquely gifted to do.

Luke 19:11–15

Luke 19:11-15 

English Standard Version 

  Who here loves waiting?

  Most of us don't get terribly excited about the prospect of waiting.  We want things now, and the modern economy does a fantastic job of reinforcing immediate gratification.  The challenge for the economy now is to perfect same-day delivery, because next-day simply wasn't good enough.  We've got to get faster!

  Jesus is talking about a ruler who has gone away, and his followers were charged to wait faithfully.  This is the mission of the church -- our ruler has come, and yet he has departed, and we're charged to wait faithfully.

  What will we do while we wait?  How will we serve in the meantime?  What gifts has God given us, and how will we use them while we wait for Christ's kingdom to come in fullness?

Luke 19:5-10

Luke 19:5-10 

English Standard Version 

  Going through these section by section, it stands out how much grumbling there is in the Gospels.  People are always grumbling at what Jesus is doing and how he is doing it with.  Here is Jesus, healing people and changing lives dramatically... and rather than applause from everyone, he hears grumbling.  Remember that when you're pressuring yourself to keep everyone happy!  

  The people are grumbling because Jesus is granting legitimacy to Zacchaeus by dining with him while he's still a sinner, but it's a remarkable pattern that Jesus is establishing.  Jesus doesn't wait for Zacchaeus to change his life before dining with him.  Jesus goes in to eat with him, and then his life changes.  

  He does the same with us, too.  May we receive Jesus and fully acknowledge our broken state.  We are not worthy of the King, but he makes us worthy by coming to us.  Such is his unconditional love.  We are broken, but we are his and we are precious to him.  He has come to seek us out, and may we celebrate as he finds us, in whatever state he finds us.

Luke 19:1–4

Luke 19:1-4 

English Standard Version 

  The Gospels give us lots of stories about a variety of people -- some very rich, some very poor, to demonstrate the desperate need that all people have for grace.  Modern America would have some of us think that we're isolated from need... but the Bible knows better.  It understands humanity better than we do, because it was inspired by the same God that created humans in God's own image.

  Zaccheaus is one of the ones who is very rich, but he has recognized that his wealth has not filled the hole he has in his life.  He needs God, and so he goes looking.  He cannot see Jesus due to the crowd, but he is so driven that he climbs a nearby tree in the hopes of getting a glimpse of Jesus.  In a society where it was considered shameful to run and show your legs (thus part of the scandal of the parable of the Prodigal Son when the father runs to his son), I can't imagine they'd look kindly on a man climbing a tree.  But Zaccheaus doesn't care.  He needs to see Jesus.

  Zaccheaus doesn't realize that all along, Jesus has been looking for him.  Tomorrow, we'll read about the surprising way that Jesus calls out to Zaccheaus.  Who is seeking who?  God is seeking you.  God is on the move, reaching out to you before you can even form the thoughts and motions to seek him out.  This is how God's love works -- God reaches out to us, and we respond to God.

  Thanks be to God for such wondrous love as this.

Luke 18:40-43

Luke 18:40-43

English Standard Version 

  How would you answer Jesus' question?

  Sometimes when we pray, we can be very vague and non-specific.  When you're praying for something, ask God directly for it, whatever it may be.  One of the things we see throughout the Psalms, the prayerbook of the Bible, is that the Psalmist can be very upfront and honest with God.  Sometimes, I read them and think that perhaps something could have been worded differently... but then I remember, who am I to judge?  That was on the Psalmist's heart, and so he prayed it.  

  May we take after the Psalmist, and may we follow the example of the blind man.  Just because we ask, that doesn't mean that we'll receive, but we should be direct when we pray and ask God specifically.  May we pour ourselves out honestly before God at all times.

Luke 18:35–39

Luke 18:35-39 

English Standard Version 

  What I love about this blind man is that he refuses to let the pressure of others change his interactions with Jesus.  Think of all the ways that disappointment, embarrassment, and pressure changes the way you act.  We like to blend in with the crowd.

  This man was desperate, and he was not about to let the pressure of the crowd disrupt his relationship with Jesus.  May we all have such a single-minded focus on Jesus, that praying to God is sitting so heavily on our minds and hearts that we simply pray, aloud or silently, whenever necessary, such that God hears our prayers.

Western Michigan, Big 10 officiating, and the Gospel

Luke 18:31–34

Luke 18:31-34

English Standard Version 

  Have you ever tried to assemble something from IKEA with those instruction booklets and you're staring at the picture and it seems like it should make sense but it just doesn't and you have no idea what the next step is?

  That's the world the disciples are in during this passage, and it's often a similar place we end up in.  It feels like we have faith, and therefore the next step of life should make sense.  

  But sometimes, we understand none of these things.  It doesn't make sense why something happened when it seemed like something else should have happened.

  The disciples were still thinking that Jesus was going to lead a triumphant victory over the Roman army.  They expected victory.

  Crucifixion was not in the cards in their minds.  Jesus was talking about death, but they didn't grasp the fullness of what would seem like defeat.

  That defeat would go on to be the first step in a massive victory over sin and death, but the path to get there didn't make sense to the disciples, any more than the path we wander in life sometimes doesn't make sense at all.

  But just because we cannot make sense of it, this does not mean that God is not at work.  Stay on the road with Jesus, take the next step, and entrust the destination to God.

Sermon on the Parable of the Persistent Widow (Luke 18)

Luke 18:26–30

Luke 18:26-30 

English Standard Version 

  With 3 kids, there aren't many meals that everyone agrees on.  As tastes have changed, foods slowly were eliminated.  Some nights, it feels like there isn't anything that everyone agrees on, except for ice cream, so maybe it is the perfect food and we should simply start with that.

  As Jesus has taught the crowds, it feels like he's whittled away all the paths to salvation that we can try and create on our own.  Religious obedience, morality, achievement, possessions -- each of these has been taken off the shelf and discarded.  The disciples might have thought that their sacrfices would be enough, but even those fall short.  What is left?

  This is where faith begins, Jesus says, because where humans fall short, God steps in.  The Kingdom is something to be received.  Peter is looking at all that the disciples have sacrificed, but Jesus is redefining what it means to follow God.  There isn't a scoreboard that they are tracking, but rather through Christ, they are entering into a new identity, a new creation, where there are riches untold.  Can they entrust themselves to God?  

  May we lean into the Kingdom of God, even in the midst of uncertainty.  May we pursue Christ, trusting in God that what is ahead is far greater than anything that is behind us.

Luke 18:18–25

Luke 18:18-25 

English Standard Version 

****************

  This guy sounds like the model for all of us to follow, right?  He has kept the commandments from the time he was a child, and he's ascended to a level of power and influence as a ruler.  He's rich as well.  What's not to like?

  Like each of us, he has one thing that he loves more than God and is hard for him to give up.  Jesus, knowing all, is aware of exactly what it is for him.  Money can easily come to rule our hearts -- we desire it and begin to think about it, day and night.  We are saddened by the thought of losing it, just as this rich young ruler is.

  What would be the hardest for you to surrender?

  We should each be willing to ask ourselves this question.  It's so hard for us to keep our hearts in line.  We start to have disordered loves, opting to love something more than God.  It's probably different for each of us, but we all have something.  

  Thanks be to God that Jesus comes to show us what those things are, and he loves us and redeems us to give us hope.

Luke 18:15–17

Luke 18:15-17 

English Standard Version 

  In those days, children had no power of influence.  They weren't regarded as terribly important.  Many people didn't give them much thought.  The disciples assumed Jesus had far more important things to do than to spend time with people who didn't bring much to the table.

  Jesus is teaching us that this is how we come to God.  We are sinful and broken, and we don't bring anything to the table.  

  God loves us anyway.  God makes time for us.  God saves us.  

  Not because we bring something that God is lacking. 

  But because God loves us.

Luke 18:9–14

Luke 18:9-14 

English Standard Version 

  I just preached a sermon on this passage on Sunday -- this is a story of comparison.  The Pharisee defines himself on a basis of comparison.  The sin of the tax collector is useful to him because it makes the Pharisee feel better about himself.  He looks at the tax collector and feels pride.  The Pharisee will also look at anyone who is ahead of him and feel envy.  He's looking around to his peers to find his own place in the standings.

  The tax collector looks only to the holiness of God.  His spirituality doesn't rest in the status of another person.  It's rooted in God's mercy.  He finds his justification in God and in God alone.  

  So when you look to the people around you, what do you see?  Comparison, we're told, is the thief of joy.  If you're anxiously wondering how you measure up, then relationships with others are only going to give you stress.  If you stop looking to others to see how you're doing and instead opt to look to Christ to define yourself, then you can experience others as a community of people working together to serve one another.  We're not competing for a limited supply of grace, but instead enjoying one another's company on the road to discipleship.

Luke 18:1–8

Luke 18:1-8 

English Standard Version 

  Every once in a while, I can cook a pretty good meal.  But if you go to a restaurant with a professional world-class chef... how much more consistent will the food there be?  How much better will it be?  Any person who cooks regularly will get it right every now and again... but a trained chef is in a different league.

  Jesus is telling this parable as a lesson for us -- broken and sinful people every once in a while get something right.  In this story, the judge doesn't fear God or respect man, but he eventually grants this widow's request.  

  How much more, Jesus is telling us, will God look to serve us?  If a broken and sinful man can get it right, then God is so much greater than that.  Jesus is telling us this so that we won't lose heart.  He wants us to persevere.  Jesus knows that waiting can cause us to lose heart, so he encourages us to be patient, to persist, and to keep praying.

Wheel Bearings and the Gospel

Luke 17:34–37

Luke 17:34-37 

English Standard Version 

  I remember the Peanuts cartoon where Snoopy is perched in a tree, waiting for a victim to come by... when Linus comes by and tells him that he's looking the wrong way.  Snoopy didn't make a great vulture.

  When you see a group of vultures circling in the sky, you can conclude that something has died.  It's not a lovely visual, and I wish Jesus would've picked something happier as well, but this is what we have.  We all know what a group of vultures mean.

  In the same way, Jesus is telling us that when the end times come, it will be very obvious.  We won't miss it.  There aren't going to be signs that are unclear or ambiguous about whether Jesus has returned.  It'll be clear.  

  Since we don't have to worry about that, we can instead focus on how to live in the here-and-now.  I think that's why Jesus is telling us that the end times will be clear -- once we stop worrying about that, we're free to focus on living faithfully today.  

  So what does it mean for you to be faithful to God this morning?  Maybe even leave the afternoon and evening for later.  What can you do now to serve Christ, to be a faithful disciple, to invite Christ into this day, into this moment?  Perhaps it is to stop and pray now, or to pick up a book and read, or to make that call you've been putting off.  There's something that could wait if you get distracted... but you can also take the next step now.  Glorify God this morning.

Parable on the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Luke 17:31–33

Luke 17:31-33 

English Standard Version 

  There's so much to try and hold onto!!!  There are often so many good things, and we want to hold them tightly in our hands, never letting go.  

  Do we trust God enough to put everything into his hands?  What we place there is ultimately preserved in a way that it cannot be if we hold onto it on our own.  Life is safe in God's hands.  

  It's a constant choice.  Everything we have is a gift from God.  We can offer it back to God, or we can try and keep it on our own.  

  How can we make each day, and whatever is in it, an offering to God?  How do we set out hearts on that mindset, so that we're aware of what a gift the good things are?  May we pray for an open mind and open heart and open hands, so that we treasure God's gifts while offering all of life back to God.

Luke 17:28–30

Luke 17:28-30 

English Standard Version 

  What occupied most of your time 10 years ago?  What about 20?  Jesus is being incredibly serious here -- he's challenging people to think about all the substitutes we use in life that grant us security, and he wants us to think about what grants us our deepest sense of security.  We use all sorts of things in different phases of life, but we ultimately learn that the things we often hold onto in life aren't ultimate things.  They can be good, even great, but we have to look at them, appreciate them, and then look beyond them to the One who is the giver of every good thing.  If you look to your job for affirmation that you're a smart and successful person, then what happens when you lose it?  Or you can look to your job as a gift and an opportunity to use the gifts that God gave you, and if the job goes away, you still have the gifts and can find other opportunities.  Which approach prepares us for change?  

  God alone is able to be an ultimate thing for us.  Only God will not fail us if we define our lives based on him.  May we choose wisely what the most important thing in our life is.

Political Ads and the Gospel

Luke 17:26–27

Luke 17:26-27 

English Standard Version 

  What were you doing before your life changed?  Many of us remember what life was like before 9-11, a turning point in our country and our world.  I remember getting up that morning and living an ordinary day, not thinking that everything was about to change.  What about other monumental days?  

  Jesus is talking about the days of the Son of Man, and he points people back to Noah.  When Noah was building the ark, no one thought everything would change.  They thought Noah was nuts, and they lived their ordinary lives, ignoring whatever God might be doing or calling them to do.  They didn't have the time or patience for paying attention to God -- everything was fine.  

  We often busy ourselves to the point that there's no extra room, sometimes even leaving God out.  We are eating and drinking and running around... are we missing the larger point, paying attention to how God is at work in the world and our lives?  Do not neglect to make time to listen to God.  God is calling, each and every one of us, whether we're listening or not.

Sermon on the Prodigal Son (Luke 15)

Luke 17:22–25

Luke 17:22-25

English Standard Version 

  The disciples must have been uncertain about the day of the Lord -- they were afraid they were going to miss it.  Here is Jesus, assuring them that it will be like lightning racing across the sky, something unmistakable that they cannot miss.

  But rather than stare into the sky and wait, there is much for the disciples to deal with in these present times, because there is much suffering in front of them.  I don't think this message ever resonated well with the disciples, no better than it resonates with us.  We don't like suffering, or really even the idea of suffering.  We want victory in Christ and we want it now! 

  Unfortunately, that's not how the Kingdom of God works.  It's not on our timing, and our minds cannot wrap themselves around the ways that God is at work.  God is infinite and eternal, and there's an element of trust that comes into play.  If we are to remain faithful, then we are called to trust God, even in the midst of our suffering.

Luke 17:20–21

Luke 17:20-21

English Standard Version 

  We were driving home the other night from Cincinnati and saw a massive storm ahead of us, with lightning and some rather imposing clouds.  We stopped for dinner, and by the time we were done, there was a huge rainbow going clear across the sky.  It was all very dramatic.

  That's what we expect when we think about the coming Kingdom of God.  The Pharisees were waiting for the same.

  Jesus tells us that the Kingdom often comes in quiet ways, and it's already in our midst, for in the coming of Jesus, the Kingdom has come.  There is much still in the future, but it's already breaking in, and we're invited to live into it in the here and now, to join with Christ in forgiving and loving and serving.  The Kingdom has come, and the transformation Christ offers us is available now, through the often quiet work of the Holy Spirit, calling us in our midst to live as disciples.

Luke 17:15–19

Luke 17:15-19 

English Standard Version 

  You've likely given and received lots of gifts in your life.  We can debate which is better, but regardless of where you land, a gift between people who know each other very well is something wonderful -- the gift is special, but it's special because it's wrapped up in the midst of a relationship.

  That's what Jesus is getting at here.  The gift of healing is a wonderful thing, and Jesus doesn't take the gift away from any of those who were healed.

  But one of the former lepers realizes that there is more than just a gift.  There is an opportunity to have a relationship with the one who gives every good gift.  His life has been transformed in more ways than just one -- he wants to enjoy God.  

  It's a fine thing to enjoy God's gifts, whatever those may be.

  But may we never lose sight of the reality that the gifts are meant to encourage us to dive deeply into a relationship with God, to immerse ourselves in the love and grace of the one who gives.

Luke 17:11–14

Luke 17:11-14

English Standard Version 

  Lepers stayed at a physical distance -- they were separated in so many ways from the community.  Jesus, at a distance, tells them to go show themselves to the priests, and they are healed.  

  Notice when they're healed.  It's as they are going.  It wasn't as soon as Jesus spoke.  They started to go before they were healed, and it was in the process of obeying Jesus that they were healed.

  Sometimes, we need to move before we see results.  So often, we do the reverse -- we wait for God to show us something dramatic or move in some way, telling ourselves that we'll move once God does.  

  But Jesus sometimes sends us with a command, and then results happen along the way.  So let us focus on obedience, and trust Jesus to be at work as we live.

Luke 17:7-8

Luke 17:7-10 

English Standard Version 

  Here, I believe Jesus is trying to ensure we don't develop a sense of entitlement, where we start thinking that God is the vending machine in the sky, where we deposit an act of faithfulness and get a reward.  The expectation is that we ought to be faithful in response to the grace that God showers upon us.  We have not earned it, and yet salvation and hope are given to us.  

  So we're encouraged to live and interact with humility.  All that we have is gift, and we should live with that in mind.  Our Christian duty is a response to God's initiating love.  We love and serve because we have been loved and served.

Luke 17:5–6

Luke 17:5-6

English Standard Version 

  This reminds me a little of the idea that we'd be more generous once we have more money, or that we'll do something differently once we have more time.  It's easy to imagine how things might be different once we have more of something... but the reality is that we often don't change like that.  We like to imagine that we'd live differently if we had more faith, or stronger faith, which is what the apostles said to Jesus.  They hear about so many amazing things, but they don't think they have enough faith.

  Jesus tells them that it isn't about the size of their faith, but rather about who they are placing their faith in.

  The reality of our lives is that we often place our faith in ourselves, and we think of relying on God as a backup plan.

  Jesus wants us to flip those things, and to rely on God completely.  God is strong enough and faithful enough to support us.  Start your day, Jesus encourages us, by casting ourselves upon Christ, and depending completely upon God.  Place our faith in God first, who cares for us, and we'll discover that our faith is strong enough as long as it is in God.

Luke 17:1–4

Luke 17:1-4 

English Standard Version 

  What does it mean to forgive someone?  Let's say I let you borrow my car, and it comes back with french fries spilled everywhere, two unpaid parking tickets shoved into the glovebox, and three new dents.  I would be somewhat unhappy with this development.  Would I lend you my car again?  Absolutely not. Would I expect you to provide financial compensation for the damages incurred?  Absolutely.  Could I approach you without a desire for vengeance in my heart, with grace in our conversation and a willingness not to allow my anger to define our relationship?  I would hope so.  This is the important part.  Forgiveness doesn't mean there cannot be repercussions for actions.  Forgiveness means that we do not keep score, that grace defines the relationship, that we seek what is best for the other, rather than allowing our desire for punishment to be the most important thing.  

  Jesus was open and honest about the reality that we will fail.  We will sin, and others will sin, and we'll be frustrated and upset.  That can pass.  What matters is that we're striving to help one another grow and that we're practicing extending the same grace we receive from Christ to one another.

Roller Coasters and the Gospel

Luke 16:25–31

Luke 16:25-31 

English Standard Version

  If you decide to do the rim-to-rim hike in the Grand Canyon, linking the North Rim to the South Rim, you'll hike about 24 miles and deal with over 10,000 feet of elevation change.  Serious preparations are advised.

  In this story from Luke, a rich man is in torment in hell and asking for comfort.  Abraham replies that there is a great chasm fixed between heaven and hell, and there is no passing over.

  It's easy to think of this chasm as the Grand Canyon -- something that might be challenging, but ultimately overcome-able through a great effort.

  But we cannot atone for our own sin.  We keep sinning, and are unable to make the perfect sacrifice.  Only Jesus can do this, and thanks be to God that he has done just this -- he has stood in our place and done what we could not do.  Because of Christ, we have hope.

  So give thanks that the chasm is not our destiny, because of what God has done.

Sermon on the Parable of the Lost Coin

Luke 16:19–24

Luke 16:19-24 

English Standard Version 

  The rich man and poor man in this story live very, very different lives, and yet they both die.  Death is the great equalizer -- and here we discover these suffer very different fates.  The poor man, who is given a name, is taken to heaven, and the rich man, who has no name, ends up in torment.

  Is it because he is rich?  No, for Abraham was very rich.  The rich man never noticed the poor man who lived at his gate.  He believed that his wealth was all that he needed, so he lived in comfort, unable to open his eyes to the opportunities that God had placed before him.

  What opportunities has God put in your midst?  How can we pray for God to open our eyes to what surrounds us, to the people near us who are in need?  May we look to serve others first.

Luke 16:18

Luke 16:18 

English Standard Version 

  Jesus is in the midst of talking about the Pharisees and money, and suddenly he mentions divorce.  What gives?

  Remember, the Pharisees' hearts had drifted from God, and they looked to the letter of the law and tried to find loopholes to justify whatever behavior they wanted.  For example, in those days, divorce was almost always initiated by the man, in which case he left his wife without income or social standing.  There were religious teachers arguing that a man could divorce his wife for almost any reason, such as spoiling dinner.  They were trivializing the covenant of marriage and leaving women incredibly vulnerable.  

  Jesus, as always, is looking out for the vulnerable.  Just a chapter ago, we had the parables about how God sought out the lost coin and the lost son.  The theme has not suddenly pivoted away from God racing to protect and embrace the vulnerable and those who have erred.  Jesus is still welcoming and restoring, but he's also warning those who see people as disposable.  He's rebuking religious leaders who are missing the point and using the law as a weapon against others and as a way to bolster their own power.  He's pointing to the faithfulness of God, calling us all to reflect on the unfailing love of God and to seek to reflect that in every corner and aspect of our lives.

Luke 16:14–17

Luke 16:14-17 

English Standard Version 

**************

  Imagine that you're hearing Jesus critique your behavior.  How do you respond?

  The Pharisees, who were likely defensive, ridiculed Jesus.  It must have been terribly uncomfortable for them to hear Jesus speaking directly to them.  They loved money, and they wanted to keep loving money.  They had wandered into a land where they loved money more than God... but when they heard someone confront this, rather than wrestle with the uncomfortable reality, they simply laughed at the one who was criticizing them.

  None of us like criticism.  It stings.  But Jesus doesn't criticize because he wants to hurt the Pharisees.  He wants them to grow into the disciples they were called and created to be.  He loves them too much to leave them as they are.

  Jesus likely has harsh words for us, too.  We are far from perfect.  My heart certainly wanders.

 Can we find the humility to go to God daily and ask for God to shine a light on where we need to grow and change?  God wants you to grow into the disciple you were crafted to be.  God loves you too much to leave you where you are, no matter your age.  So ask God to show you how to grow, how to change, that we may all be transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 16:10-13

Luke 16:10-13 

English Standard Version 

  It's easy to be envious of other people's lives.  Every day, there are reminders of people who have far more material wealth.  In my parking garage, there are countless cars that serve as status symbols and cost more than I make in a year.  

  Jesus tells us that being faithful isn't about waiting until you've made it big.  He says that what you have now matters, regardless of how much or how little it is.  If you focus on faithfulness every day, whether it's in little moments or big choices, then we train our hearts to learn how to handle bigger things.  

  In all of this, we're leading our hearts.  If we allow the world to lead them, our appetites will devour us.  We'll get caught in an endless cycle of wanting more.  Jesus talks directly about the dangers of money... if we allow our hearts to serve wealth, that ends up first in our hearts and we miss serving God.  Jesus doesn't say there's anything wrong with possessing wealth, but the moment we stop thinking of it as a tool and we start looking to it as part of our identity, then we crowd out God.

  So think of some small moments that are upcoming in your day.  How can you pray your way through them?  Who will you talk to today, and how can you pray ahead of that for God to lead the conversation in a way that is a blessing?

Dessert Carts and the Gospel

Luke 16:5–9

Luke 16:5-9

English Standard Version 

  It's an odd story to find in the Bible, right?  Not everything in the Bible makes sense to me.  That doesn't really bother me, as it doesn't all need to make sense to me, but it'd be nice if it all made sense.  

  Again, the question to ask is what Jesus is trying to teach us.  And here, I think he's trying to lift our eyes beyond the monetary importance of today.  He wants us to see that money today isn't the most important thing -- what long term relationships are you building?  Jesus tells the people to make friends by means of unrighteous wealth, which doesn't fit with a lot of other things Jesus says, but he's pushing our vision beyond today.  Money will fade.  The rich don't stay rich.  But investing in eternity?  That is a place where thieves cannot break in and steal, where the moth cannot destroy.  Jesus is telling us to put our trust there and invest in what lasts.  

  So what's that mean for you today?  Again, no easy answers there, but it's something we should think about.

Sermon on Jesus as the Shepherd (8.2.2026)

Luke 16:1–4

Luke 16:1-4

English Standard Version 

  This parable has always confounded me.  Jesus lifts up the tale of a dishonest manager who doesn't seem to be admirable, but he does act decisively.  Perhaps this is what Jesus is trying to help us grasp.  Perhaps Jesus is trying to help us understand the importance of acting urgently.  When we recognize that we are falling short, and that God is calling us to be faithful servants, we should strive to act immediately, to seek to grow in faithfulness.  It's easy to put that off, to promise ourselves that we'll focus on discipleship later, but Jesus doesn't want us to wait around until later.  Jesus calls us to grow now, to focus now, that we might put the Kingdom of God above all the other urgent things calling out to us now.  

Luke 15:28–32

Luke 15:28-32 

English Standard Version 

  Do you remember how the Father watched out for the younger son, and when he was coming home, he ran to him?

  The Father comes out to the older son, too.  

  He comes with a reminder -- all that is mine is yours.  The Father has never left the older son, and the older son is not missing anything.  He has the love of the Father and the presence of the Father.  Perhaps he has forgotten how to rejoice with his Father, but the Father has come to remind me of that and to invite him into the celebration -- for the feast is rich and ready.  The celebration is prepared.  Does the older son remember how to celebrate?

  The Father comes to you, no matter where you are, no matter who in the story you relate to.  You are welcome to come and celebrate, to taste rich food and relax at the table.  God is good and loves you, and there is grace for you.

Luke 15:25–28

Luke 15:25-28 

English Standard Version 

  There's an old joke where St. Peter is giving a tour to some new inhabitants of heaven and he tells them to be quiet when passing a certain room, because that's where one group is and they think they're the only ones there.  Depending on the denomination you grew up in, that group's label will have been different, but the joke still lands.  It reminds me of John 21 when Peter and Jesus are talking about Peter's future, and Jesus is giving Peter all the details, but Peter sees John and asks Jesus, "Well, what about him?"  We're always wondering about how other people stand with God, and we often think we know that certain people or groups are on the outside looking in.  

  The prodigal son has returned, and now the story turns to the older brother.  He's the one who watched his younger brother demand his inheritance and cut himself off from the family.  The older brother has opinions about his younger brother, and when he hears of the radical grace extended upon the return, he is shocked and angry.  He refuses to go in to the party.

  We can all grasp his point of view.  He's so upset that he can't bring himself to be at peace with how the father is treating the younger son.  The father isn't operating according to his calculations of who deserves what.  This is the struggle of the Pharisees -- they see Jesus mingling with people who they think are less worthy than they are, and they're shocked and offended.  Do they see themselves as needing mercy, as needing grace?  Do we all recognize how dependent we are on God's reaching out to us in grace?  It's hard to set aside self-righteousness and pride and recognize our complete need of grace.  Are our hearts in love with the God who gives generously and freely?  

  Thankfully, the Bible portrays God's grace as abundant and unlimited.  Grace given to another doesn't lessen grace available for us.  It widens the community and makes the feast richer, more pleasing, as God longs for God's house to be full.  There is room for each at the table, so may we pray for hearts ready to celebrate another sinner finding grace, coming just as we are, fully reliant on God.

Luke 15:21–24

Luke 15:21-24 

English Standard Version 

  The son had a lengthy speech prepared.  

  Grace interrupted it, and the restoration is shocking in its totality.  The son was hoping to go to work and be recognized as an employee, not a treasured son.

  But grace overwhelms.  The transformation is complete -- from death to life.  God doesn't simply want us to be a little bit better than we were before... God wants to move us from death, ensnared by sin, into life, fully claimed by the Gospel.  That's what God intends for you.  That's what grace wants for you.  For you to be changed into something new.  You are a child of the living God, claimed in the waters of baptism and marked as Christ's own forever.  

  Grace has interrupted.  Thanks be to God.

Bear Spray and the Gospel

Luke 15:20

Luke 15:20 

English Standard Version 

  So the son is returning to the father, and what I love is that he's been gone for a while -- long enough for the son to squander his inheritance in reckless living and for a famine to arise -- and the Father is still watching.  All this time, the Father is looking out for the son.  He never gives up.

  I wish we could all remember that about God.  It's so easy to despair -- there are always plenty of reasons to do so.  I have vivid memories of certain days and times stamped in my mind, times when I received terrible news, but it's not only those... there are plenty of little defeats as well, and we suffer from discouragement.  Life is hard.  Faithfulness is hard.  

  But God doesn't give up.  Jesus is telling us this parable to remind us that God is watching out for us.  We have other images where God goes actively looking for those who are lost, but I think this moment is worth sitting with.  The Father doesn't give up on the children, no matter what.  

  There is an embrace for you.  No matter what.

Sermon on Luke 14 (7-26-2026)

Luke 15:17–19

Luke 15:17-19 

English Standard Version 

  We find the prodigal son in a terrible predicament.  He is serving the pigs, and he is despairing.  We also see the beginning of wisdom -- he comes to himself.  It reminds me of the first step of AA -- admitting that a life has become unmanageable, acknowledging the problem.  If we skip this step, we can continue to live in denial of any problems.  

  The son has come to himself and sees the problem, and he sees what the next step on his journey will be like.  

  However, he is making himself the center of the story, assuming that he knows how the Father will react.  He doesn't count on grace, for he recognizes the shameful way that he has treated the Father before his departure.  We often do the same -- we recognize our sin, and as we go to God, we don't count on grace, for we haven't earned any.

  What is wondrous about this story, about the Gospel, is that we haven't earned it, but we receive it anyway.  We are the recipients of treasure far greater than the world can understand.  God is ready, as we'll see over the course of the week, to receive and to bless, far more ready than our minds can grasp.

Luke 15:15-16

Luke 15:15-16

English Standard Version 

  For a Jewish man, this is the bottom, right?  He's envious of the food of the pigs that he is caring for.  His inheritance is gone.  His community is gone.  He is broken.

  But God has not abandoned him.  A quote that has always stuck with me is someone who has been through rough times said, "I have been to the bottom, and it is solid."  This is not the end of his man's story -- God meets us where we are, even at the bottom, and provides a reason to hope.  When we experience despair, it's so important to remember stories like this one -- because they don't end here.  The story keeps going, such that the Psalm makes sense when it says that we wander through the valley of the shadow of death.  We don't stay in it, and God is with us on the walk.  We may not realize it at the time, but God is with us, and we are not lost in a place of despair.  God leads us out of here into glory.

  This doesn't always make the bottom easier, but it does allow us to hold onto hope and keep moving forward, trusting that these chapters of life do not come to stay.  They come to pass, and God provides enough light so that we can keep moving forward.

Luke 15:11-14

Luke 15:11-14 

English Standard Version 

  

When the younger son asks for this, he's telling his father that he wishes he were already dead.  It's not a promising start to the story, and it devolves from here.  He takes this money and squanders it all.  I'm guessing he never thought this would happen -- surely he could spend and spend and live as he wanted.  He thought he would be free... but he discovered that he was ensnared in turmoil, only different this time.  

  How many of us have wandered this road?  We think we are on the road to freedom, only to discover that we are still trapped.  The devil will show us plenty of things to lure us away, to distract us, to avoid us being honest with our situation.  We are broken and need a Savior to come from outside of ourselves.  Until we can confess this, things often only get worse.  

  At the end of this section, the man is in need.

  As are we.

Luke 15:8–10

Luke 15:8-10

English Standard Version 

  Have you ever dropped something under your car seat while driving, and you try and contort yourself to dig it out under your seat without crashing into something?  In that moment, the object you dropped can do nothing to help.  Only you can find a way to rescue it.

  Jesus is teaching us about ourselves, and our inability to rescue ourselves, and about God, who desires to save us.  God values us deeply, and our state of being lost is noticed by God.  God not only notices, but also desires to find us, and so God searches for us.  In our case, God sends Jesus Christ, lamp of the world, so that we might be delivered.

  Angels in heaven rejoice over you as you are found.  Remember that next time you feel discouraged.

Detours and the Gospel

Luke 15:1–7

Luke 15:1-7 

English Standard Version 

  As a man who hates losing things, this is one of my favorite parables.  Do you know the frustration of searching and searching and searching for something, but not being able to locate it?  Even if it's something trivial, you want to find it.  Often, it becomes more than just a search for the item -- it's a quest to prove that you're not crazy, that you remember where you put something.  I spent 4 days searching for a pair of sunglasses lately.  I had other sunglasses, but I couldn't find these at all, no matter where I searched.  

  Here is Jesus, telling us that the desire to save the lost is rooted in the way God looks at us.  We are the lost sheep, and Jesus is the Good Shepherd, the one who comes searching, the one who rejoices upon finding us.  We don't have to always find our way out of the mess we've got ourselves into.  We, the sheep who have run off, can trust that Jesus comes searching for us and is ready to host a party to celebrate reunion.  This parable allows us to have hope in the Christ who searches and saves, in the Christ whose joy is found in the reunion of the lost with the God who never stops loving.

Sermon on Parable of the Rich Fool

Luke 14:34–35

Luke 14:34-35 

English Standard Version 

  I've never been a big fan of fake meat.  If I want to eat meat, I go for the real thing, and if I want to eat vegetables, there are plenty of options there.  I don't like food that pretends to be something it isn't.

  Here, Jesus is asking people if they'd buy salt that didn't taste like salt.  Salt was (and remains) precious, as a flavor enhancer as well as a preservative.  But if salt isn't salty... then it's not good for much.  

  He's telling us about the role of the church.  The church has a part to play in the world -- we're called to be witnesses to the Good News of the Gospel.  We're called to be servants.  To tell the world about our hope in Christ.  

  If the church isn't doing that, then what is our role in the world?  What purpose are we serving?  We're called to be active and involved, so that the world may see the light of Christ shining in us and through us.

Luke 14:28–33

Luke 14:28-33 

English Standard Version 

  A response to Christ can often be an emotional moment, but to sustain over a life, it needs more than just emotion.  It needs to be a whole life commitment, one where you consider everything -- the cost of making Christ the central part of life, as well as everything that must be given up.  This is not a small decision -- it sets a course for eternity.  Jesus says that we should be prepared to renounce everything, but the interesting piece is that nothing we renounce has eternal value -- what we receive is of infinitely more value and will endure forever.  

  Jesus wants honest commitment.  He wants to ensure that when we make heartfelt commitments, we mean them, and that we're prepared to let God lead us for our entire lives.  This is a prayer every day -- to ask the Holy Spirit to lead us, to renew our hearts each morning.  God's mercies are new every day, and it takes the leadership of God to follow God like this every day, to train our hearts to love God more than anything else, to notice when other loves are competing for our hearts and distracting us away from God.

Luke 14:25–27

Luke 14:25-27 

English Standard Version 

  When Jesus speaks of hating father and mother, the word he uses is a word of comparison -- he's not telling us to literally hate, but rather that our love for God needs to be degrees of magnitude greater than our love for anyone else.  That is what discipleship looks like.  How do we love like that? 

  Such love is even willing to embrace shame.  The cross was a matter of public shame and suffering.  To embrace this means that one is so completely surrendered to God that even shame does not discourage them from a life of discipleship. 

  This is a hard teaching -- there's no getting around this.  It's Jesus being clear that to follow Christ means faith needs to be our first and highest priority.  Jesus is not one more thing in a life like this -- it's the central thing around which everything turns.  

  I think a life like this follows inspiration by the Holy Spirit.  Can we pray for God to move like this, in our own life and in our community?  

Luke 14:15–24

Luke 14:15-24 

English Standard Version 

  The Kingdom will be full.  God wants to have a full house.  Do you want to be included?

  Jesus tells this story about a man who gave a banquet and invited many people, but they all came up with other things to do.  Seems like they have valid excuses -- there isn't judgment given on the excuses given.  The reality is that life is busy... but will we prioritize faith?  Will we put Christ first?  God wants you to come in to the Kingdom, but the host is not forcing those initially invited into the banquet.  Their excuses are honored.  

  So how can you prioritize the Kingdom of God today?

Luke 14:12–14

Luke 14:12-14 

English Standard Version 

  Jesus is trying to teach us about transactional love.  We make lots of transactions in life, and the problem is when we wander into transactional relationships.  We look to people and think about what we can get out of them.  

  So Jesus wants us to be intentional about spending time with people who can't do anything for us, to learn to love people for the sake of people, to find joy in them as fellow people made in the image of God, the way God loves us -- not because God needs something from us, but because God is love and treasures us.  

  

Fireworks and the Gospel

Luke 14:12–14

Luke 14:7-11 

English Standard Version 

  In human life, so much revolves around status.  Even while watching the World Cup, it's clear when they cut to the shots of the fans in the stands that some are more important than others.  Those with status have more space and comfort.  Status matters.

  In God's economy, things are measured differently.  Humility is celebrated because it's an acknowledgement that we only join God's Kingdom because of what God has done for us.  We haven't earned our way in there.  God has welcomed us with open arms and atoned for our brokenness.  

  The path of humility is seen most fully on the cross, where Jesus was willing to ascend to humiliation so that others might be healed and made whole.  His humility makes a path forward, a way through the wilderness.  

  The Kingdom is different.  Down is up.  

Sermon on the Good Samaritan (July 5, 2026)

Luke 14:1–6

Luke 14:1-6 

English Standard Version 

  This reminds me a little of Teddy Roosevelt's Man in the Arena portion of his speech.  In it, he's lauding those who actually do, to the derision of those who opt to criticize.  

  Here is Jesus, asking those present at the dinner if it's lawful to heal him.  None are willing to object, for that would be discarding mercy, but they also aren't willing to defend the act of healing him, for that might entail breaking what had become a rather onerous set of rules to guide Sabbath observation.  None of the people there, many leading religious figures, is willing to take a stand.  They instead will sit back and wait to criticize Jesus, regardless of what he does.

  Jesus opts to heal, showing mercy, for such acts are not a violation of God's law.  If you have the chance to rescue another, you should choose that.  None of those present at the dinner is able to defend not healing the man.  They're speechless.

  So worry not about those who sit back and criticize.  They will always be present.  Seek mercy for the world, working for healing, and trust that in following the example of Christ, the Gospel is being proclaimed.