James 1:1-12

Isaiah 11:1-9

Isaiah 9:1-7

Micah 5:1-5

When the Old Testament prophets spoke prophecies concerning God’s coming Savior they are very hope giving. Not only because they point us to Jesus our Savior, but also because their messages are good news messages spoken right smack-dab in the middle of real life. Micah’s good news to a waiting people is that in the midst of our daily lives we do have a Shepherd-King who has come, who is compassionate, who shepherds his people, who brings us the peace we need given to us. This is nuclear-grade hope from the prophet…that a shepherd is coming who will be our peace. And this side of the cross we know who this Shepherd-King is…Jesus Christ!

Malachi 2:17-3:4

The Old Testament prophets were a waiting people who lived among a waiting people. Their message was a consistent proclamation—don’t lose hope, God’s help is coming! Malachi is one such prophet. The people of his day were swimming in a jumble of untrue words and messages about God and into this God speaks His message—A messenger is coming who will speak a better word. The New Testament reveals that Jesus is this messenger. In Malachi we see the promise of Christmas bright on the page!

Luke 18:1-8

As the Savior’s people live their lives in the in-between of Christ’s two arrivals, we can lose heart as it relates to prayer for any number of reasons. Thus Jesus tells the parable of the persistent widow so that we would always pray and not lose heart. Jesus is so kind and He is shepherding us with this parable. Prayers of justice for God’s people will find an answer. This brings strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. Praise God!

Luke 17:20-37

In these verses we discover Jesus speaking with confidence about the already arrival of His kingdom and His certain unmistakable return. As it relates to these things the danger is that anyone can lose sight of these main and plain things—the Kingdom is here because the King is here AND Jesus will be back. The call of the text is = Don’t lose sight—the certain return of Jesus will be unmistakable.

Luke 17:11-19

A new discipleship theme has started. Luke reminds us that Jesus is heading to Jerusalem. It is there that Jesus will do what must be done in order for sinners to be saved. It’s the work of the cross that will accomplish what we need for salvation. This miraculous healing is Luke’s way of reminding us of what’s important. As this last discipleship theme will concentrate on the coming of the Savior’s kingdom, we must be reminded that all this info about God’s kingdom rests on the foundation of salvation through faith in Jesus alone. Main Idea—Don’t stop believing—sinners are saved through faith in Jesus.

Luke 17:1-10

Repentance is the way. With the last words of Jesus in this third discipleship theme of Luke’s gospel, Jesus invites His followers to continue in repentance. The Luke 15 reality of one lost sinner repenting isn’t one and done act for a disciple. Repentance and faith are to be the ever-deepening, ongoing, give and take habit of our every day lives. This looks like taking care to help others repent. Trusting in Jesus to do this. And fighting the temptation to think too highly of ourselves as we can be prone to do.

Philippians 4:10-20