Jesus said the Day of the Lord isn't something to fear, but rather, it means our salvation is coming. But whose salvation did he mean? Does the Day of the Lord mean that salvation for everyone? Pastor Luke teaches from Luke 3:1-6 NLT in "Leveling Up The Coming Light, Part 3," part 3 of his 5-part series, "The Coming Light."
"Can things get any worse?" is a dangerous question, because sometimes we find out exactly how they can. But Jesus invites his disciples to consider this question, so he can teach them what happens when things are as bad as they can possibly be. Pastor Luke looks at Luke 21:25-36 NLT in "The Coming Light The Coming Light, Part 2," part 2 of his 5-part series, "The Coming Light."
The church year begins with Advent, the season when we prepare ourselves to welcome Christ when he returns. But it's been 2000 years! How can we take the idea of his return seriously? And what should we do while we wait? Pastor Luke looks at Revelation 1:4-8 NLT in "Alpha and Omega The Coming Light, Part 1," the first message in a new series, "The Coming Light."
If God is all-powerful and loving, why is there so much suffering in the world? This final question in our series of challenging questions gets at the very root of belief. What does Christianity say about evil in the world? Pastor Luke teaches from Matthew 13:24-30 NLT in "Evil Questions, Part 5," the concluding message in his series, "Questions."
How can anyone worship a tyrannical, bloodthirsty god like the one depicted in the pages of the Old Testament? The Bible contains so much of beauty and wonder, but there are troubling passages as well. Some people say they cannot believe a good God would be responsible for such violence. How can believers answer this question? Pastor Luke preaches from 1 Samuel 15: 7-15 NLT in "Wrath Questions, Part 4," part 4 of his 5-part series, "Questions."
Why is faith a virtue? Shouldn't people wait for evidence? If God rewards belief, doesn't that just make people gullible? What's wrong with demanding proof? How should followers of Jesus respond to questions like these? Pastor Luke teaches from Luke 15:11-32 NLT in "Faith Questions, Part 3," part 3 of his 5-part series, "Questions."
Why do Christians think they have a monopoly on truth? If you're a Christian, that question might make you wonder, but plenty of non-Christians are asking it today. A related question asks, Aren't all religions basically the same? How are these questions related, and how can followers of Jesus answer them in way that's helpful? Pastor Luke looks at John 1:14-18 NLT in "Truth Claims Questions, Part 2," part 2 of his 5-part series, "Questions."
If you have to believe in Jesus to go to heaven, what happens to virtuous people in places and times who never heard about Jesus? We're in a series looking at how our faith answers hard questions. In our survey, this question received the most requests from people hoping to hear an answer. Pastor Luke looks at Luke 13:22-30 NLT in "The Virtuous Heathen Questions, Part 1," the first message in a new series, "Questions."
New Creation is the idea that God will eventually restore Creation to achieve his original purpose for it. But when? For some people, "eventually" seems like it's too soon, but for others it can't come soon enough. So when will these things take place? Pastor Luke preaches from Revelation 21:9-27 NLT in "New Covenant Roadmap, Part 5," the concluding message in his series, "Roadmap."
We've seen how Jesus makes his Kingdom available to his followers. But do we qualify? What are the rules to get in, and to stay in? What, in other words, is the basis for relationships with Jesus? Pastor Luke preaches from Hebrews 8: 6-13 NLT in "New Covenant Roadmap, Part 4," part 4 of his 5-part series, "Roadmap."
In the most recent "EXTREME Preaching" occasion, we covered three subjects\: (1) What does it mean in Joshua 5 for someone to be on the Lord's side? (2) What does it mean for God to be a "rock" and a "shield" in Psalm 18? (3) What should we make of bracketed passages in New Testament writings like in John 8 and Mark 16? Pastor Luke teaches from Joshua 5:13-15 in "EXTREME Preaching."
God has covenanted to restore creation to its original goodness. How would you answer, if God asked you for advice about how to proceed? What would be your first step? What kind of supernatural assistance would you need? Pastor Luke looks at John 19: 12-22 NLT in "King Roadmap, Part 3," part 3 of his 5-part series, "Roadmap."
We've seen that something has gone wrong with the good world that God made. What is God's response? To walk away? To start over? Or is God able to fix it? If he does, what happens to us? Pastor Luke preaches from Deuteronomy 10:12-21 NLT in "Covenant Roadmap, Part 2," part 2 of his 5-part series, "Roadmap."
Every journey begins somewhere. Our journey begins at the beginning, with creation. We believe that God made everything that is available to our senses even the sense of time. What does this starting point tell us about our journey? Pastor Luke looks at Job 38:1-40:2 NLT in "Creation Roadmap, Part 1," the first message in a new series, "Roadmap."
How should Christians approach work? Is it something we do to pay the bills, or something else? What if we don't like work? Pastor Luke preaches a special Labor Day message from Colossians 3 in "Hi-ho, Hi-ho." Pastor Luke teaches from Colossians 3:22-4:1 NLT in "Hi-ho, Hi-ho - Labor Day."
If you've ever felt that you were in the presence of God, you might have wondered why we don't feel that way all the time. Maybe you've even felt God's absence. What can help us process the sense that God isn't present? Pastor Luke teaches from Acts 18:1-18 NLT in "Breather Greetings from Greece, Part 4," the concluding message in his series, "Greetings from Greece."
When the Apostle Paul found himself in Athens with time to kill, he did what anyone would do: he took in the sights. Some of what he saw disturbed him. What bothered him so much? How did he respond to it? Does it teach us anything about how we can live in a culture that can be troubling? Pastor Luke preaches from Acts 17:16-34 NLT in "Your Own Poets Greetings from Greece, Part 3," part 3 of his 4-part series, "Greetings from Greece."
After a brief stay in Philippi, the Apostle Paul traveled to Thessalonica, where he faced new opposition -- and this time, they weren't satisfied when he left town. This conflict from about 50 AD has parallels in our super-polarized society today. What was the problem, and what can we learn from it? Pastor Luke looks at Acts 17:1-15 NLT in "Three Weeks and a Day Greetings from Greece, Part 2," part 2 of his 4-part series, "Greetings from Greece."
Paul's second missionary journey is studied by historians because it shows how the Church first came to Europe. But for people of faith, it answers important theological questions. When we study Paul's visit to a Greek town called Philippi, we learn who the Gospel is for. Pastor Luke looks at Acts 16:11-40 NLT in "Greetings from Greece, Part 1: Philippi," the first message in a new series, "Greetings from Greece."
In the most recent "EXTREME Preaching" occasion, we covered two subjects\: (1) in Genesis 1, the first humans were given a diet of vegetables. After the Flood, however, in Genesis 9, their diet now includes animals. What can we infer from this? (2) What should be the role of women in the church? Pastor Luke preaches from 1 Timothy 2: 8-15 in "EXTREME Preaching."
Jesus concludes his Sermon on the Mount with a promise, but it's not what we might expect. He doesn't promise that everything will go well for his followers -- their circumstances are likely to be the same as those of anyone else. So what does he promise? And is it something we still want today? Pastor Luke looks at Matthew 7:24-29 NLT in "Home-Building In Conclusion, Part 5," the concluding message in his series, "In Conclusion...."
When Jesus talks about judgment day, it makes us uncomfortable. He says that people will point to their good deeds--even miracles! --and he will tell them to go away. What is the relationship between good works and salvation? Are Christians required to achieve a certain level of good behavior to be saved? If so, what is it? If not, what is Jesus talking about? Pastor Luke preaches from Matthew 7:21-23 NLT in "It's Not About Fruit In Conclusion, Part 4," part 4 of his 5-part series, "In Conclusio...
Jesus cautioned against false prophets, but is that even relevant in today's largely secular society? Who are the prophets in our world today, and how can we be on guard against them? Pastor Luke looks at Matthew 7:15-20 NLT in "By Its Fruit In Conclusion, Part 3," part 3 of his 5-part series, "In Conclusion...."
Theology has long recognized the importance of fathers. Increasingly, so does secular science. If fathers have an important job, how should it be done? What does our faith teach us about how to be a good father? Pastor Luke teaches from 1 Thessalonians 2:6-12 in "Like a Father - Father's Day."
Have you wondered what God's will is for your life? When you come to a fork in the road, especially when it's a big decision, wouldn't you like to know which way to go, to stay on the "straight and narrow?" That might not be as difficult as we imagine. Pastor Luke preaches from Matthew 7:13-14 NLT in "Narrow Minded In Conclusion, Part 2," part 2 of his 5-part series, "In Conclusion...."
The "Golden Rule" is Jesus' solution for the problem of what to do with people who might not always be agreeable. But more than that, Jesus teaches that it is how things work throughout God's Kingdom. Pastor Luke teaches from Matthew 7:7-12 NLT in "The Golden Rule In Conclusion, Part 1," the first message in a new series, "In Conclusion...."
The first Sunday after Pentecost is, traditionally, a celebration of the doctrine of the Trinity. This doctrine states that there is only one God, but God is three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Why do we care? What do the inner workings of God matter to us? Is it even any of our business? Pastor Luke teaches from Isaiah 6:1-8 in "Holy, Holy, Holy - Trinity Sunday."
Centuries before Christ, the prophet Ezekiel had a vision of a valley filled with dry bones that came to life. This uncanny vision is strangely reminiscent of the fascination with zombies we see in today's popular culture. What did the vision mean, and what does it have to do us today, or with Pentecost? Join us Sunday as Pastor Luke brings a message from Ezekiel 37 about the "Giver of Life". Pastor Luke teaches from Ezekiel 37:1-14 in "Giver of Life - Pentecost."
Christians have historically affirmed that God is "almighty" or "omnipotent." What does it mean that God is all-powerful? And if God is so powerful, why is God's world such a mess? Pastor Luke teaches from Exodus 33:12-23 NLT in "Almighty - Article One, Part 4," the concluding message in his series, "Article One."
The early church described God as a loving heavenly Father and the creator of heaven and earth. Later Christians said they didn't say enough, that "Creator" alone doesn't accurately describe God. What did they leave out? And is it really all that important? Pastor Luke teaches from Genesis 50:14-21 NLT in "The Missing Word - Article One, Part 3," part 3 of his 4-part series, "Article One."
