Jesus warned us that we would have troubles in this world, but he established the church to help us get through them. Because the church is made up of people, and when things go bad, people make it better. Pastor Luke preaches from Ruth 1:1-18 in "Chesed," the first message in a new series, "Ruth."
People resist the idea of stewardship because we like to think we deserve to have the things we've obtained. But that sense of entitlement can keep us from appreciating what we've been given. Pastor Luke teaches from Mark 12:38-44 in "Lopsided."
Divorce rates have been going down for decades, but so have marriage rates. Is that a good thing? What does our faith tell us about marriage and divorce? Pastor Luke teaches from Mark 10:1-16 in "One Flesh," the concluding message in his series, "Restoring Harmony."
Have other Christians ever done something that made you cringe? Where you don't know what's in their heart but you wish they would find a different way to live out their faith? Yeah. Jesus tells us what to do when that happens. Pastor Luke looks at Mark 9:38-50 in "Doing It Wrong," part 5 of his 6-part series, "Restoring Harmony."
In this installment of “Ask Me Anything,” Pastor Luke had time to address three questions. This message was delivered in gathered worship on Sunday, September 29, 2024 at Jewel Lake Parish in Anchorage, Alaska. TIMESTAMPS 00:29 Why did Jonah get eaten by a whale? 06:00 How do we know that God is real? (a repeat) 06:25 What's the status of the recent overtures from the PC(USA) General Assembly? 13:50 Who are the 'holy ones' mentioned in Jude 14-15? Pastor Luke looks at Jonah 1:1-17 in "Ask Me Any...
How can you be great? History is filled with people who long for power and status and never achieve it, but Jesus teaches that it's not hard to become great. And it's usually fun to do. Pastor Luke teaches from Mark 9:33-37 in "Who is Great?," part 4 of his 6-part series, "Restoring Harmony."
Jesus has overcome the darkness in the world, but there's still a lot of it hanging around. How can the church shine the light of Christ in this still-dark world? Pastor Luke teaches from Mark 8:1-10 in "Compassion and Foolishness," part 3 of his 6-part series, "Restoring Harmony."
The ability people have to team up and work on a common goal is a huge part of our success. But the stronger the bonds in the group, the bigger a barrier it is to others. Jesus shows us how to navigate crossing those barriers. Pastor Luke teaches from Mark 7:24-37 in "Breadcrumbs," part 2 of his 6-part series, "Restoring Harmony."
Where do our problems come from? We live in a world full of bad influences. People do terrible things to other people and sometimes to us. Isn't that the answer: our problems come from people around us? According to Jesus, it isn't. Pastor Luke teaches from Mark 7:1-23 in "Guardrails," the first message in a new series, "Restoring Harmony."
Christian Hope is about Eschatology, the doctrines related to the Last Things when Jesus returns to bring this age to a close. Does that make sense? Because most people have hopes about this age -- maybe for this week! Why should our hope be rooted in the age to come? Pastor Luke preaches from Romans 8:9-11,18-23 in "The Resurrection of the Body," the concluding message in his series, "Creed III."
Jesus came to forgive sins. Christians have believed this truth from the very first. What does the doctrine of forgiveness have to do with the Holy Spirit? And why is it included in the third article of the Apostles' Creed? Pastor Luke preaches from John 6:7-15 in "The Forgiveness of Sins," part 3 of his 4-part series, "Creed III."
Spiritual experiences can be intense, and church might pale in comparison to them. But the New Testament tells how, even so, church life is meant to be superior to those "mountaintop" experiences. Pastor Luke looks at Luke 5:27-35 in "The Communion of Saints," part 2 of his 4-part series, "Creed III."
Some people hear God's promises about eternal life and wonder if they can be trusted: After all, you don't know until ... eternity. Other people have more immediate concerns: will God give me any help this week, or today? The Holy Spirit answers both types of questions. Pastor Luke teaches from 2 Corinthians 1:20-22 in "I Believe in the Holy Spirit," the first message in a new series, "Creed III."
It can be hard to forgive someone — especially a family member — when they've hurt you. But when you're the one who did the hurting, accepting forgiveness from the one you've hurt can be even more difficult. Pastor Luke teaches from Genesis 33:1-17 in "Family Reunion," the concluding message in his series, "Stairway to Heaven."
It's wise to look back occasionally to see where you've come from, as people often learn from experience. If we believe God is at work in that history, it can also give our lives meaning. Jacob found this out the night that he wrestled with God. Pastor Luke looks at Genesis 32:21-32 in "On the Ropes," part 5 of his 6-part series, "Stairway to Heaven."
In this installment of “Ask Me Anything,” Pastor Luke addressed eight questions. This message was delivered in gathered worship on Sunday, June 30, 2022 at Jewel Lake Parish in Anchorage, Alaska. TIMESTAMPS 00:15 What is the peace that passes all understanding? 07:54 What is a theophany? 11:29 What is 'third wave?' 11:46 What doctrine is worth fighting over? 12:03 What color was Jesus' robe at the crucifixion? 16:00 How did the Bible come together and who put it together? 23:31 How can we offer ...
No matter how bad (or good) your circumstances might be, there's one thing you can do—something you'll probably do automatically without even trying—that is guaranteed to make them worse. The good news is you don't have to do that. You can do something else instead. Pastor Luke preaches from Genesis 29:31-30:24 in "Father's Daze," part 4 of his 6-part series, "Stairway to Heaven."
The story of Jacob and Leah and Rachel is more of a cautionary tale than fairy tale. But underneath everything, it is a love story. Pastor Luke looks at Genesis 29:14-30 in "Surprise Party," part 3 of his 6-part series, "Stairway to Heaven."
Christians are acutely aware (most of us) how far we are from being like Christ. Maybe we struggle to be better, and maybe we don’t. Do you think people like that belong in church? Why or why not? Pastor Luke looks at Genesis 28:10-22 in "Heaven's Gate," part 2 of his 6-part series, "Stairway to Heaven."
Some people like us a lot, but others like us not-so-much. Even within families, parents sometimes have favorites. Is God like that? Are some people his favorites, while he doesn't like others? Pastor Luke teaches from Genesis 25:19-34 in "Stirring Up Trouble," the first message in a new series, "Stairway to Heaven."
Christians affirm that all things are possible with God, but sometimes we've heard it so much we forget that it's true. God gave the prophet Ezekiel a vision so vivid it's almost impossible to forget. Pastor Luke teaches from Ezekiel 37:1-14 in "You Will Live Again."
Christians affirm that all things are possible with God, but sometimes we've heard it so much we forget that it's true. God gave the prophet Ezekiel a vision so vivid it's almost impossible to forget. Pastor Luke preaches from Ezekiel 37:1-14 in "You Will Live Again."
We've been talking about how Christ's Resurrection changes people from the inside out. But that means other people can't tell it's happening, and sometimes they say that Resurrection is "pie in the sky" or wish-fulfillment. But pie in the sky might be better than you think. Pastor Luke teaches from 1 Corinthians 15:19-58 in "Stay the Course," the concluding message in his series, "Reinvigorated."
The Christian faith states that through his Resurrection, Jesus gives us protection from our enemies. But even in New Testament times, people like Paul and James were harmed and sometimes killed by their enemies. What kind of protection are we talking about? Pastor Luke looks at Acts 18:1-11 in "None Will Harm," part 4 of his 5-part series, "Reinvigorated."
Christians believe that because of what Jesus did, their sins are forgiven. But what does that mean for us today? Is it like getting out of prison? What happens if you sin again? Pastor Luke preaches from 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 in "Not Counted Against," part 3 of his 5-part series, "Reinvigorated."
We’ve begun a conversation about why Christ’s Resurrection matters to us today. A lot of people guess it's “So you can get into heaven when you die.” That matters when you die, but what if you don't die today? How does the Resurrection matter to us *today*? Pastor Luke looks at Ephesians 2:1-10 in "God's Workmanship," part 2 of his 5-part series, "Reinvigorated."
Easter is the high point in the Christian year. Why? Why does the Resurrection matter anymore? Pastor Luke looks at Mark 16:1-11 in "Reinvigorated," the first message in a new series, "Reinvigorated."
Palm Sunday isn't really about palms. It isn't even about Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. What it is is the hinge between the darkness of the world and God's answer to the darkness. Pastor Luke teaches from Mark 11:1-11 in "The Day of His Coming."
Has God permanently abandoned his people? That is the question that concludes the book of Lamentations. Maybe you've wondered sometimes if God has deserted you, or if he hasn't, why it feels like that? When God is silent, what can Lamentations teach us? Pastor Luke looks at Lamentations 5:1-22 in "Deserted," the concluding message in his series, "Lamentations."
Lamentations describes the aftermath of Judah's conquest by Babylon. One result of the conquest was clarity about the things that could be trusted and those that couldn't. It can teach us a lot about the things we put our trust in, too. Pastor Luke looks at Lamentations 4:1-22 in "Fire in Zion," part 4 of his 5-part series, "Lamentations."
