Entering the Kingdom like a Child Luke 18:15-43 The Village Chapel - 07/06/2025 In Luke 18, Jesus makes a stunning claim: “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” It’s a simple sentence—but it raises an important question: What does it actually mean to have child-like faith? How we answer that shapes not only how we relate to God, but how we understand the gospel itself. Through the contrasting stories of a wealthy ruler and a blind beggar, Jesus paints a vi...
Jul 14, 2025•47 min
Does Prayer Work? Luke 18:1-14 The Village Chapel - 07/06/2025 Does God actually hear our prayers—or is prayer merely wishful thinking and positive self-talk? In a world that sometimes feels the weight of heaven’s silence and is drowning in the hopelessness of skepticism, Jesus told two parables—one about a widow and a judge, the other about a Pharisee and a tax collector. These stories speak directly to our own questions about prayer. And they’re more than just lessons about talking to God or a...
Jul 07, 2025•46 min
Thy Kingdom Come, My Kingdom Go Luke 17:20-37 The Village Chapel - 06/29/2025 In a world where uncertainty and fear often dominate the headlines, Jesus’ words in Luke 17:20-37 invite us to look beyond the chaos and consider a deeper reality: the Kingdom of God that has come in Jesus and that will come in its fullness when He comes again. As Jesus nears the cross, his message becomes urgent—challenging spiritual blindness, warning against indifference to the things of God. This passage presses us...
Jun 30, 2025•39 min
What Does it Mean to Follow Jesus? Luke 17:1-19 The Village Chapel - 06/22/2025 When Jesus speaks, disciples lean in. Not just because His words are powerful, but because they are also personal. Luke 17 is one of those moments. Jesus isn’t speaking to the crowds here—He’s talking to His disciples. To those who claim to follow Him. What He says isn’t flashy or sensational. It’s not the kind of content that trends or would go viral. But it is the kind of teaching that builds the deep foundation of...
Jun 23, 2025•45 min
Across the Great Divide Luke 16:14-31 The Village Chapel - 06/15/2025 Luke 16 begins with a conversation Jesus has with his disciples about faithfulness with money and righteous stewardship in the kingdom. He continues that conversation with the Pharisees, who are lovers of money and need to be reminded of the sanctity and reverence of God’s Law. Jesus tells them a fascinating story of two men and five brothers, separated by a great chasm, both in this life and the next. Join us as we look at ho...
Jun 16, 2025•39 min
Shrewdness, Stewardship & Submission in the Kingdom Luke 16:1-13 The Village Chapel - 06/08/2025 In the three parables of Jesus in Chapter 15 of Luke's gospel, we saw how precious lost people are to God. The parable of the prodigal son ended with the father explaining to his older son that all the father has already belongs to him. In Chapter 16, Jesus speaks to his disciples about faithfulness with money, a small thing compared to eternal treasure. We are reminded that righteous stewardship...
Jun 09, 2025•37 min
The Fellowship of the Forgiven Luke 15 The Village Chapel - 06/01/2025 Have you ever lost something precious—something you feared was gone for good—only to experience the overwhelming relief and joy of finding it again? In Luke 15, Jesus tells a trio of parables about lost things: a sheep, a coin, and two sons. Each story offers a window into the heart of God for those who are lost. This week, join us as we explore what it means to be lost and what it means to be sought and found by a pursuing G...
Jun 02, 2025•38 min
Real Discipleship, Real Cost, Real Impact Luke 14:25-35 The Village Chapel - 05/25/2025 You were made for more. More than mere survival. More than greater success. More than just discovering your “self”. Beneath every craving for purpose, every longing to belong, and every restless ache for something more—is a deeper call. It’s the voice of Jesus, saying, “Follow Me.” But His call on our lives isn’t a casual invitation. It’s a summons to a whole new way of being and living—to a life where Christ...
May 26, 2025•41 min
The Table Set by Grace Luke 14:1-24 The Village Chapel - 05/18/2025 What if true freedom begins with honesty? What if real joy grows in the soil of humility? What if grace doesn’t ask you to earn your seat—but simply invites you to come? There is a table—where you don’t have to be a somebody to get a seat, where the humble become the joyful, and where outcasts, outsiders and the overlooked are all invited in. Join Pastor Jim as he leads us into the house of a leader of the Pharisees in Luke 14 a...
May 19, 2025•43 min
The Narrow Door Is Open Wide Luke 13 The Village Chapel - 05/11/2025 In Luke 13, Jesus reminds his listeners that there is a universal need for repentance, no matter the circumstances of their lives. The door to the kingdom is narrow, and for now, is flung open wide with an invitation to all to enter. But Jesus also warns us that at some point, that door will be closed. Join Pastor Matt as we study this passage and hear more about the relentless grace of God that pursues each and every one of us...
May 12, 2025•43 min
This Day and That Day Luke 12:35-59 The Village Chapel - 05/04/2025 Waiting is rarely easy, but in Luke 12:35-59, Jesus calls His disciples to wait with a watchful readiness that is anything but passive. His call is to stay dressed for action (be ready), to keep our lamps burning (stay awake), and to live each day with hearts anchored in the promise of His return (eager for His arrival). Our waiting is not wasted–it is shaped by the character and promises of God in Christ and should transform ho...
May 05, 2025•40 min
Tune My Heart Luke 12:22-34 The Village Chapel - 04/27/2025 We live in a world drowning in fear, crippled by anxiety, and drifting into endless distraction. From the rising of the sun to its going down, our hearts are often tossed about—scrolling, striving, worrying and wondering. But what if our restless souls could be tuned, like an instrument, to the joyful music of heaven? In Luke 12, Jesus calls us away from a life of anxious striving into the secure embrace of the Father's love—a love that...
Apr 28, 2025•39 min
The Rest of the Easter Story Acts 1: 1-11 The Village Chapel - 04/20/2025 Acts 1:1-11 captures a pivotal moment in redemption history—the resurrected Christ prepares His disciples for their mission and then suddenly ascends into the heavens to be seated at the right hand of God the Father. Immediately, two angels appear and reiterate the powerful promise of Christ’s second coming. This passage reminds us that the gospel is not just about what Jesus has done in the past but also about what He is ...
Apr 25, 2025•34 min
The Return of the King: Palm Sunday Luke 19:28-48 The Village Chapel - 04/13/2025 Why have Christians observed Palm Sunday each year for the past 2,000 years? Why is it often called the “Triumphal Entry”? And why did Jesus choose to ride into Jerusalem on a donkey? Some misunderstood what Jesus was doing that day—and many still do. Some expected a political liberator. Others rejected or ignored Him altogether. A few even tried to silence Him and His followers. And yet, millions throughout histor...
Apr 14, 2025•39 min
Full Barns and Empty Hearts: The Gospel According to Luke Luke 12:1-21 The Village Chapel - 04/06/2025 Fear is a powerful force. It can drive us to action or paralyze us in uncertainty. But the question Jesus asks us in Luke 12:1-21 is not whether we fear, but whom we fear. The solution Jesus gives us to our fears may come as a surprise. Rather than fearing man, He calls us to fear the One who holds eternal authority—God Himself. But what does it mean to truly fear the Lord? When feared rightly,...
Apr 07, 2025•49 min
Wisdom in Warnings: The Gospel According to Luke Luke 11:33-54 The Village Chapel - 03/30/2025 We often picture Jesus as the ultimate example of being kind-hearted and soft-spoken, but he is also unafraid to speak hard words of truth in love when necessary. In Luke 11:33-54, Jesus encounters Pharisees and lawyers at a dinner and severely criticizes them for their external religion and adherence to man-made laws, which lead others astray. Join Pastor Matt as we reflect on how Jesus confronts hypo...
Mar 31, 2025•44 min
The Stronger One: The Gospel According to Luke Luke 11:14-32 The Village Chapel - 03/23/2025 The mercy of God often arrives in ways we don’t expect. In Luke 11:14–32, Jesus confronts spiritually hardened hearts and warns of vulnerability to the schemes of Satan. When He casts out a mute demon, the crowd marvels—but others resist, question and accuse. Jesus doesn’t simply silence the critics; He reveals a greater reality: a cosmic conflict between two kingdoms, and only one King brings lasting fr...
Mar 24, 2025•41 min
The Gift, Privilege & Power of Prayer: The Gospel According to Luke Luke 11:5-13 The Village Chapel - 03/16/2025 Prayer is one of God’s greatest gifts—an open invitation to commune with the Creator of the universe. Yet, if we’re honest, we often approach it with mixed motives, distracted hearts, and uncertain faith. In Luke 11:5-13, Jesus teaches that prayer is not only a gift but also a privilege and a source of transforming power. He urges us to ask, seek, and knock, revealing that our Hea...
Mar 17, 2025•40 min
Lord, Teach Us to Pray: The Gospel According to Luke Luke 11:1-4 The Village Chapel - 03/09/2025 Do you ever wonder if prayer really works or makes a difference? Does God truly hear and answer our prayers? In this sermon, Pastor Jim dives into the Lord's Prayer (Luke 11:1-4), uncovering what prayer is—and isn’t. Is prayer simply making requests for what we want, or is it our lifeline to God, a way of developing a life-altering communion with the Lord? As we explore Jesus’ own teaching on prayer,...
Mar 10, 2025•50 min
First Things First: The Gospel According to Luke Luke 10:38-42 The Village Chapel - 03/02/2025 In a world that glorifies much-ness, many-ness, productivity and busyness, are we missing what matters most? When Jesus visited Martha and Mary, one was distracted, worried and bothered with her hospitality and preparations, the other was sitting close to Jesus, listening to His Word. How does their story reflect the way our own hearts can be at times? Are we prioritizing productivity over presence, se...
Mar 03, 2025•44 min
Unexpected Mercy: The Gospel According to Luke Luke 10:25-37 The Village Chapel - 02/23/2025 The parable of the Good Samaritan is one of Jesus’ most well-known teachings, but its depth goes far beyond a simple moral lesson. In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus responds to a lawyer’s question about inheriting eternal life by pointing to the heart of God’s law: love for God and love for neighbor. Yet, through this encounter, Jesus exposes the impossibility of perfectly fulfilling the law on our own strength an...
Feb 24, 2025•32 min
Field Notes From the Harvest: The Gospel According to Luke Luke 10:1-24 The Village Chapel - 02/16/2025 Did you know that there is only one place in the New Testament where we read that Jesus rejoiced? What was he rejoicing about? What captured his heart and soul? It was the saving of souls, because it is the desire of God that none should perish, but that all should reach repentance. Join us as we study through Luke chapter 10 and learn how Jesus equips his followers and sends them out on this ...
Feb 17, 2025•43 min
The Greatness of Humility: The Gospel According to Luke Luke 9:46-62 The Village Chapel - 02/09/2025 In Luke 9:46-62, Jesus confronts two of the most pressing issues in the life of a disciple— ambition and commitment . As the disciples argue over who is the greatest, we see a reflection of our own struggle for significance and recognition. Jesus turns our idea of greatness on its head by teaching us that true greatness in the Kingdom of God is not found in status or success but in learning to lo...
Feb 10, 2025•39 min
A Glimpse of His Glory The Gospel According to Luke Luke 9:28-45 The Village Chapel - 02/02/2025 Some moments change everything. The disciples had walked with Jesus for a while now—learning as eyewitnesses of Jesus' healing, teaching, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom. Now, at the Transfiguration of Christ, on a high mountain, Jesus peeled back the veil between heaven and earth, revealing his divine glory in a way they’d never seen before. Then right after that, they all descended back dow...
Feb 03, 2025•53 min
The Christ, The Cross, The Call The Gospel According to Luke Luke 9:18-27 The Village Chapel - 01/26/2025 Who do you say Jesus is? This is the most crucial question every human heart must respond to. In Luke 9:18-27, we witness a pivotal moment in the ministry of Jesus and the growth of the disciples. For the first time, Peter confesses Jesus as "The Christ of God" (v. 20). It is after this confession that Jesus begins to reveal to His disciples the trajectory of His mission—suffering, death, an...
Jan 27, 2025•33 min
Living a Sent Life The Gospel According to Luke Luke 9:1-17 The Village Chapel - 01/19/2025 The Galilean portion of Jesus’ ministry is drawing to a close. The disciples have witnessed miracles of Jesus’ power and authority over demons, disease, nature, and even death itself. Jesus now calls his disciples and sends them out on a mission to do the very things they have witnessed him doing. Join us as we learn how Jesus is preparing the disciples for their mission and how we are being called, equip...
Jan 20, 2025•45 min
Faith in the Waiting: Trusting the Timing of the Unhurried Healer The Gospel According to Luke Luke 8:40-56 The Village Chapel - 01/12/2025 In Luke 8:40-56, we read the account of two desperate individuals who reach out to Jesus in faith - one a father with a dying daughter, the other a woman who has suffered for years. Despite their urgent needs, Jesus moves with perfect, unhurried timing, demonstrating His authority over both sickness and death, and his delight in encouraging their faith. In t...
Jan 13, 2025•41 min
A Savior in the Storm, A Deliverer from the Darkness: The Gospel According to Luke Luke 8:22-39 The Village Chapel - 01/05/2025 In Luke 8:22-39 we read about two miracles of Jesus. The first was when Jesus was with His disciples out on the stormy sea, and the second occurred when Jesus was confronted by a raging, demon-possessed man. In the storm, all seemed lost. In the confrontation with the demoniac, all the darkness of hell was on full display. What did Jesus do in each situation and what do...
Jan 06, 2025•50 min
Keep Your Eyes on Your Ears: The Gospel According to Luke Luke 8:1-21 The Village Chapel - 12/29/2024 This Sunday we will be diving into Luke 8:1-21 where Jesus teaches the transformative power of truly hearing and living out God's Word. From the women who followed Jesus, the parable of the sower, and the illuminating call that His family is made up of those who hear and obey, Jesus challenges us to examine the soil of our hearts. Are we merely hearing the Word, or are we allowing it to take roo...
Dec 30, 2024•45 min
Advent Proclaimed: Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus Luke 2:1-20 The Village Chapel - 12/24/2024 Wonder, Worship and Witness Disenchantment. It’s a word that describes much of our modern and post-modern ennui. We live in a world that has turned away from transcendence and perhaps that is why wonder has been eclipsed by cynicism, worship is given to ephemeral pleasures, and witness so often feels hollow and hypocritical. In Luke 2:1-20, we find an antidote to this disenchantment. The birth of Christ...
Dec 24, 2024•19 min
