Carolina Family Church (audio)

When a father is disrespected and betrayed by his own children, how would we expect him to react? The religious leaders of Jesus’ day believed that those who were sinners and traitors to God’s people were not deserving of love. However, Jesus tells three dramatic stories that describe the depth of compassion and desire God has for every person.

Who gets to sit at the table with Jesus when the time comes? Is it the religious or the powerful? Is it the rich or the influential? In our passage this week, Jesus tells a story that explains who will have a seat at the table.

While we wait for Jesus’ return, it can be very easy to get distracted. But Jesus told His followers to keep their belts tight and lights on every day expecting His return. There’s a blessing for those that do and a consequence for those that don’t. In this passage, He tells us the importance of staying watchful.

“Do not worry.” Easier said than done. But Jesus said it and it is certainly possible to do. In this passage, we will uncover the key to escaping anxiety with regard to our earthly needs, starting with a story about a man who had more than he could have ever dreamed.

As simple as the idea of prayer sounds, many people are intimidated by the idea of hearing from and speaking to God. Since a disciple of Jesus wants to do everything just like Him, it makes perfect sense for us to look to Him to understand how to pray. That’s what we examine in Luke 11 as Jesus gives His followers a prayer model to follow.

We could easily misunderstand Jesus’ message about following His commands and think it means checking off a list of accomplishments. Activity is not a substitute for abiding. Our passage this week contrasts two women and how their responses to Jesus prove this to be true.

We know we are supposed to love our neighbor, but who qualifies? When Jesus is asked this question, He doesn’t answer it. Instead, He tells a story that leads us to a completely different question.

Things look really exciting in Jesus’ ministry when we get up to chapter 9, but the reality of His mission is not revolution but rejection. Jesus begins explaining to His disciples what it will take to stick with Him when the going gets tough.

Any farmer can tell you that you need good soil to grow productive crops, so Jesus uses this picture to teach His followers how to be productive disciples. As we read Jesus’ first parable, we will be challenged to ask, “Which kind of soil am I?”

What is faith, and what can it do? In two incredible moments, we see Jesus respond to two very different people’s faith and completely change their lives. We will discuss how to have faith today and how Jesus will respond to it.

What is the result of choosing to live like Jesus? If we choose to do this, what difference will we see in our lives? In this example, Jesus dramatically compares the life built on His foundation and the life built on a human foundation.

Resurrection Day is the most significant holiday on the Christian calendar. Our forgiveness was secured on the cross, but our hope was assured with the empty tomb. Today, we remember the resurrection and the life it promises.

Our character reflects whomever we follow. A disciple should ultimately be a carbon copy of their teacher. As He continues The Sermon on the Plain, Jesus describes what it tangibly means to follow Him and be transformed into His likeness.

Anybody can love a person who loves them back, but Jesus expects more of His followers. As the Sermon on the Plain continues, Jesus upends His disciples’ understanding of how to react when they are taken advantage of because of their faith.

Despite the incredible things that are happening through Jesus, He needs the disciples to understand the reality of what they are doing. This will not be a path to wealth and power; quite the opposite. In our message this week, Jesus sets the stage for what true blessing and success look like.

Things are starting to heat up with Jesus’ ministry, and the religious establishment is getting more and more uncomfortable with this new teacher. In an attempt to trap Jesus, the Pharisees question Him on Sabbath rules and end up getting put in their place.

This week we are discussing how Luke describes the initial calling of some of the disciples. They left everything to follow Jesus! The insight we learn from their stories can encourage us. We must recognize that Jesus is the LORD, choose to FOLLOW Him daily, while acknowledging that we need Him because we are SINNERS.

After being baptized, Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days. There He was tempted by Satan in three significant ways. How did Jesus handle these temptations? Let’s look together in Luke chapter 4 to learn how to handle temptations we might face.

To begin His ministry, Jesus chose to be baptized by John in the Jordan River. John was baptizing people for the repentance of their sins. But why would someone who had no sin to repent choose to be baptized?

Luke is a first-class historian. His orderly account of what God did through Jesus’ ministry is captivating and eye-opening. As we start our study, we will better understand who Luke is, who he was writing to, and why he took the time to record these events in such meticulous detail.