People remember songs very easily. We also tend to remember acronyms, which is why we usually use them to recall things that may not so easily be remembered otherwise, like the corresponding musical notes on the lines and spaces of the pentagram and other useful things. Jesus used something a little different to help us not only remember spiritual teachings but to also reflect on the depth of His teachings. He used a common literary device to teach profound spiritual truths which are still reverberating in our collective consciousness.

YT:  https://youtu.be/abEBUg74IR4

Too often we think people don't understand what we go through. We look for validation, empathy, or even just a little sympathy. We don't get it. Really, there's only One who can totally empathize with you. There's only one who literally stood in your shoes - He gets you. He not only made you, he became like you and took upon Himself some serious suffering - suffering of the kind you can't even imagine to set you free from your sin and trouble.

Judging others is frowned upon. People say, "don't judge or you will be judged," which is actually a quote from Jesus. What goes around comes around, and many other proverbs from yore. We make judgments every day, though. You can't make it through the day without judging. You judge for yourself what you must do and what decisions you must make just to make it through the day. Judging sometimes takes a lot of work and it often takes an emotional and mental toll.

Today we will learn how to judge because we must judge. We will qualify the kind of judgment Jesus is speaking of when He says, "do not judge". Judging rightly is something a disciple is called upon by God Himself. But if we judge wrongly, we will find ourselves alone, exhausted, and ostracized by people and God.

https://youtu.be/SeyUgOimqPc

We want to be "seen". We crave attention. What is social media but the place where we can get an easy audience any time of the day or week; the satisfaction that we were "seen" by the number of likes, reposts, or comments generated.

Our judgment is fundamentally flawed. We are not good judges. We lack perspective, experience, and cannot shake our bias and prejudice. This is why God is the only one who holds on to the right to judge and has given judgment to the Son.  I want you to think about this as you listen to this account this afternoon.

Where does faith come from and how is it that it saves?  For many, faith is akin to a wish, like “I wish, I wish upon a star”.  Some say faith is superstition or mythical, like believing in legends or bedtime stories. Today's episode reveals how true faith is forged in the account of the healing of a government official's son. 

YT:  https://youtu.be/wKWTT96nYn8

Peter shows us what it really means to call Jesus Lord (Master)

Some considerable time has passed since Jesus' birth. How old was Jesus when He started His ministry? Luke 3:23 tells us He was thirty years of age. Jesus enters the ministry at the age priests were eligible for service under Mosaic Law (Numbers 4:23; 4:47). It was customary to be considered mature by age 30.

We are looking at some events that occurred after Jesus' birth. We will continue to do a character study of some of the people in these events. By studying their character we will also be learning about the evidence given that He was the Messiah to come. Their message is more important than their reputation.

YT: https://youtu.be/tQC_98Vdtco

In reading the New Testament Chronologically, you will notice Luke has a lot to say before the actual birth of Christ occurs. As a thorough investigator (Luke 1:3), he gives us a backstory to consider before writing about Jesus Himself.