In our modern consumer-driven culture, Luke 12’s parable of the rich fool provides a relevant warning against the danger of greed, as well as a timely cure for the anxiety that ails us when we seek first our own kingdom rather than God’s.  In this chapter, we read about Jesus being interrupted from His teaching to break up a civil squabble between two brothers fighting over...

The disciples often witnessed Jesus communing with His Father in prayer. They recognized this spiritual discipline as one He committed much time to when He drew away from the crowds. Jesus’ followers became curious about this practice and desired to better understand it.  One disciple stepped up and boldly asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. Rather than lecturing them on the insufficiencies of their own prayer lives or directing...

It can be easy to believe the lie that we need to attain a certain standard of productivity or purity before approaching the Lord. Today’s passage, however, reveals that the Lord is pleased when we approach Him in humility and in our weakness.  In Luke 7, we find Jesus in the home of Simon the Pharisee, reclining at a table in the presence of a...

Jesus had only just finished healing the centurion’s servant in Luke 7:1-10 when He came upon the funeral procession of a widow’s only son. Jesus didn’t merely feel sorry for the grieving widow; He demonstrated His compassion by publicly raising her son from the dead. In this passage, we witness the truth that only Jesus has the authority to restore the dead back to life. ...

John the Baptist was a faithful messenger of the gospel. Though he was persecuted by a wicked leader, he was commended by Jesus for his faith. Scripture’s accounts of John’s imprisonment and beheading illustrate his devotion to Jesus, even as John suffered for advocating for the truth.  John was arrested for publicly rebuking Herod’s affair with a young woman who was both his niece and his brother’s wife. Herod wanted to kill John but was mindful...

The Sermon on the Mount is one of the most well-known and recognizable sermons in all of history. The truth it contains, however, is quite polarizing, calling people into a new way of life that runs counterintuitive to our sin nature.  When Jesus taught His followers the ways of His Father’s kingdom, He shared truths meant to guide them in repentance, obedience, and love for God and one another. Much of what Jesus shared in the...