Posts with the tag “luke”

The wonder of possible impossibilities Luke 1:67-7967 Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy:68 “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. 69 He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, 70 just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. 71 Now we will be saved from our enemies...  Read More

The wonder of possible impossibilities Luke 1:65-6665 Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills. 66 Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way.Awe, wonder, fear, even dread, fell among those who knew what had tak...  Read More

The wonder of possible impossibilities Luke 1:46-5646 Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed.49 For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me.50 He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him.51 His mighty ar...  Read More

The wonder of possible impossibilities Luke 1:3838 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.I doubt that Mary fully understood all the implications of what the angel Gabriel told her in this moment.  Like the Christmas song, “Mary Did You Know,” I think there were a whole lot of things that Mary had no idea about.Did sh...  Read More

The wonder of possible impossibilitiesLuke 1:35-3735 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth m...  Read More

The wonder of possible impossibilities Luke 1:3434 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”Throughout Scripture, it is common for someone who receives a call from God to first look at themselves and see all the reasons why they can’t possibly do what God has called them to do.Sarah was too old.Moses was a scared stutter..Jeremiah was too young.Isaiah was too sinful.Zechariah...  Read More

The wonder of possible impossibilitiesLuke 1:30-3330 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will n...  Read More

The wonder of a promiseLuke 1:23-2523 When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home. 24 Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months. 25 “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.”A few years ago I was at a conference in another country, at a place where they were a little m...  Read More

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