In the most recent "EXTREME Preaching" occasion, we covered three subjects\: (1) if Jesus was angry when he drove the moneychangers from the temple, when can we be angry in the face of wrongdoing today? (2) is sharing "Fake News" a type of false witness, and if so, how should Christians engage social media? and (3) what does the image of the 'Peaceable Kingdom' inaugurated by Jesus teach about Christians and animal welfare? Pastor Luke preaches from Matthew 21:12-14 in "EXTREME Preaching."
Apr 29, 2018
The Christians who developed the Apostles' Creed were determined to profess their belief that God created heaven and earth. Why was it such a big deal to them? Does anyone but a few theologians really care who created the universe? Pastor Luke preaches from Genesis 1:1-31 NLT in "Creator- Article One, Part 2," part 2 of his 4-part series, "Article One."
Apr 22, 2018
Creeds are confessional statements in which Christians try to discern what Holy Scripture teaches about various matters. Like other ancient creeds, the Apostles' Creed describes God as our 'Father.' More recently, some have argued that fatherhood language is patriarchal and problematic. What difference does it make? What's at stake in the way that Christians refer to God? Pastor Luke preaches from Matthew 7:7-11 NLT in "Father - Article One, Part 1," the first message in a new series, "Article O...
Apr 15, 2018
April Fool's Day is a natural fit for Easter. The breathless report of the women seems like the setup for an April Fool's prank. The joke would have been on the disciples, if Jesus hadn't been raised from the dead. But what if Christians are right, and Jesus did rise? What then? Pastor Luke teaches from John 20:1-18 NLT in "April Fool's Easter."
Apr 01, 2018
With his last agonizing breaths, Jesus made arrangements for his mother, and from that moment, one of his disciples cared for her. How could he remember something like that in the middle of his agony? What does it teach us, who will die, but may never be crucified? Pastor Luke teaches from John 19:23-30 NLT in "Final Arrangements - Maundy Thursday."
Mar 29, 2018
It's tempting to place the blame for Jesus' crucifixion on Pilate, or the Jewish leadership. But the crowd was also complicit, and their error is one we're especially likely to make today. Where did they go wrong, and how can we avoid making their mistake? Pastor Luke looks at John 19:1-16 NLT in "Passion Play - The End of the Beginning, Part 5," part 5 of his 6-part series, "The End of the Beginning."
Mar 18, 2018
We live in a golden age of lying, from little white lies to an epidemic of fake news. Do facts even matter any more? And if they don't, how should we live? The night Jesus was arrested, two interrogations took place. What do they teach us? Pastor Luke teaches from John 18:12-27 NLT in "Hazards of Truth Telling - The End of the Beginning, Part 3," part 3 of his 6-part series, "The End of the Beginning."
Mar 04, 2018
Hours before he was arrested, Jesus instituted a practice so counter-cultural that even the people who knew him best couldn't believe what he was doing. What was the significance of foot-washing? Why don't we do it today? Pastor Luke teaches from John 13:1-17 NLT in "Washing Day - The End of the Beginning, Part 2," part 2 of his 6-part series, "The End of the Beginning."
Feb 25, 2018
When it's the last straw, what do you do? When circumstances seem to conspire against you, what does that say about God? If our only hope is a miracle, is it realistic to expect one? John tells us about a time when Jesus raised a dead man back to life. What does that story have to teach us? Pastor Luke looks at John 11:1-44 NLT in "The End of the Beginning - Part 1," the first message in a new series, "The End of the Beginning."
Feb 18, 2018
Do miracles happen? Did they ever happen? People reading the Bible sometimes wonder about the miracle stories. How can we take miracles seriously, and what will we learn from them if we do? Pastor Luke preaches from John 9:1-41 NLT in "Seeing What Matters - Come and See, Part 6," the concluding message in his series, "Come and See."
Feb 11, 2018
A woman came to a well one day looking for water. Instead, she found Jesus. It didn't just change her life, but the life of everyone in her town. What would it be like to have that kind of encounter with Jesus? What difference would it make to your community if you did? Pastor Luke looks at John 4:1-42 NLT in "Naomi at Noon - Come and See, Part 5," part 5 of his 6-part series, "Come and See."
Feb 04, 2018
John 3:16 has been called the entire Gospel in summary form. It answers any number of theological questions about God and Jesus. But it's not a bumper sticker. It's something Jesus said to a man named Nicodemus. Why was this message especially relevant to him? What about Nicodemus makes the message so relevant to us today? Pastor Luke looks at John 3:1-21 NLT in "Nick at Night - Come and See, Part 4," part 4 of his 6-part series, "Come and See."
Jan 28, 2018
Jesus did something unimaginably shocking, John tells us, at the beginning of his ministry, when he drove the moneychangers from the Temple. What made him do it? And is this incident just a historical curiosity, or does it still say something about how people should approach God in worship today? Pastor Luke teaches from John 2:13-25 NLT in "Cleaning House - Come and See, Part 3," part 3 of his 6-part series, "Come and See."
Jan 21, 2018
Anything can happen when Jesus comes to your party. It might keep going instead of breaking up early. Instead of being humiliated, people might be made to look generous. And we might learn something about how the world works something amazing. Pastor Luke looks at John 2:1-11 NLT in "Water to Wine - Come and See, Part 2," part 2 of his 6-part series, "Come and See."
Jan 14, 2018
"What is it you want?" Jesus asked the first people to follow him. What are we looking for? Most of us are looking for something, or feel there's something maybe we ought to be looking for. Jesus told those first followers they would find what they were seeking -- and far more than that. All they needed to do was "come and see." Pastor Luke preaches from John 1:29-51 NLT in "There He Goes - Come and See, Part 1," the first message in a new series, "Come and See."
Jan 07, 2018
In our occasional "EXTREME Preaching" series, we covered two subjects\: (1) what kind of teaching we find in the book of Ecclesiastes, and how we can apply it in our lives, and (2) what lesson can we learn from Paul's instruction to Titus in Titus 2? Pastor Luke preaches from Ecclesiastes 1:2-11 in "EXTREME Preaching."
Dec 31, 2017
Who is Jesus? That question has been asked by song-writers and by scientists, by artists and archaeologists. What would we see if we could see the real Jesus? Pastor Luke looks at Luke 2:1-20 NLT in "What Child Is This?."
Dec 24, 2017
Advent is a season of preparation. We've seen how helpful it is to have hope, and purpose, and motivation. But the story of the shepherds shows us one final thing to help us order our lives: the magic word "Let's." Pastor Luke looks at Luke 2:1-20 NLT in "Do You See What I See? - The Hope of Christmas, Part 4," the concluding message in his series, "The Hope of Christmas."
Dec 24, 2017
We've seen how hope and purpose are good, but neither one is a guarantee of success. How can we live lives that make a difference? How can we have an impact? Joseph, the husband of Mary and Jesus' foster father, certainly made a difference. How did he do it? Pastor Luke teaches from Matthew 1:18-25 NLT in "Companions - The Hope of Christmas, Part 3," part 3 of his 4-part series, "The Hope of Christmas."
Dec 17, 2017
When Gabriel told Mary that she would become pregnant with Jesus, God turned Mary's whole life upside down. Her plans went flying ... but we know how her story turned out. How about when it happens to us? What does it mean when we get new assignments from God? Pastor Luke looks at Luke 1:26-38 NLT in "Commission - The Hope of Christmas, Part 2," part 2 of his 4-part series, "The Hope of Christmas."
Dec 10, 2017
Christmas is the season of hope, but hope has gotten a bad reputation. What's the point of hoping for something? Isn't hope just a type of escapism? Pastor Luke looks at Luke 1:5-20 NLT in "God Has Heard - The Hope of Christmas, Part 1," the first message in a new series, "The Hope of Christmas."
Dec 03, 2017
Jesus taught that he was the King and that when he returns in glory he will judge everyone. But that judgment won't be based on how much trouble we stay out of, or how often we go to church, or pray. The criterion Jesus will consider is how we treat people on the margins of society. What did he mean, and what should we do about it? Pastor Luke teaches from Matthew 25:31-46 NLT in "Hiding in Plain Sight."
Nov 26, 2017
Despite what many people think, Christians aren't supposed to be aescetics who deny themselves all kinds of pleasures. Indeed, Christians are expected to feast more often than we fast. So what does the Bible teach us about how to have a good feast? Pastor Luke preaches from 2 Chronicles 30: 1-23 NLT in "Is the 'T' for Turducken, or for Tofurkey?."
Nov 19, 2017
We covered 3 subjects in our occasional "EXTREME Preaching" series: (1) what Jesus means when he talks about a reward (Matthew 10) (2) what kind of threat does the devil pose (1 Peter 5) (3) when and how God created humanity (Genesis 1). Pastor Luke teaches from Ecclesiastes 1:2-11 in "EXTREME Preaching."
Oct 29, 2017
A major concern of the Reformers was that people were to give glory to God, and God alone, when the medieval church encouraged people to admire saints and martyrs. What's wrong with that? -- and more importantly, why is God so worried that someone else might get the glory? Pastor Luke teaches from Hebrews 11:32-12:4 NLT in "Hall of Famer - Long Live the Reformation, Part 5," the concluding message in his series, "Long Live the Reformation."
Oct 22, 2017
Jesus reconnects people to God as a gift. Our role is simply to trust that he has. But trusting is hard, and sometimes we try to turn trusting Jesus into an act on our part. How can we know if we're trusting Jesus, or trying to trust ourselves? Pastor Luke teaches from Genesis 15:1-6 NLT in "Trust - Long Live the Reformation, Part 4," part 4 of his 5-part series, "Long Live the Reformation."
Oct 15, 2017
The reformers stressed that Jesus reconnects people as a gift. You don't have to do anything to earn it or to qualify for it. But what happens if you try anyway? Even if you need Jesus to do some or all the work, isn't it a good idea to contribute your own effort as well? Pastor Luke preaches from Galatians 5:1-6 NLT in "Emancipation - Long Live the Reformation, Part 3," part 3 of his 5-part series, "Long Live the Reformation."
Oct 08, 2017
Who can speak to God? We believe that God listens to our prayers ... or do we? Are there prayers that God won't listen to, or won't answer? Can we make sure that God will listen, by having someone holier than us speak on our behalf? Pastor Luke teaches from Hebrews 4:14-16 NLT in "Pontiff - Long Live the Reformation, Part 2," part 2 of his 5-part series, "Long Live the Reformation."
Oct 01, 2017
Who can speak on behalf of God? God can speak without an intermediary, but it doesn't seem to happen very often. Yet we believe that God cares about us and the world we live in. If God cares, if the Christian Faith is relevant to the issues of our time, who can say how? And gives them the authority to speak on God's behalf? Pastor Luke looks at Mark 7:1-13 NLT in "Long Live the Reformation - Part 1," the first message in a new series, "Long Live the Reformation."
Sep 24, 2017
Like most churches, JLP launches its fall program year with a kick-off Sunday. We invite people to join a small group and find a place to serve in the church and, with the church, in the community. That's great, but Jesus tells his disciples to do something else first. Why? What is it? Pastor Luke looks at Luke 14: 15-34 NLT in "The Cost of Discipleship."
Sep 17, 2017
