Generations United Church

In Luke 15 Jesus tells the story of two brothers who responded to their father's love and generosity in two very different ways. Both were invited to a pretty lavish party, but only one showed up. Why? What does this show us about our ability to accept love? To accept ourselves? Find out in this week's session.

In Matthew 25 Jesus tells a story of a master who gave to his servants enormous sums of money. The way each one used it revealed not only their competence, but their perspective of the master. Two doubled their resources; one buried his. Why? How are we like this person? Learn more in this week's session.

This is Jesus at his storytelling best. A good question is worth its weight in gold. A religious lawyer thinks he's asked Jesus a brilliant question, but Jesus has a better one. Who is my neighbor? Good start. Who became the neighbor? That's a better one. Let this parable, traditionally called The Good Samaritan, do its work on you.

Treasure stories have long captivated imaginations and lured seekers into unknown lands. In the Parable of the Stashed Treasure (Matthew 13:44), Jesus invites hearers to seek a treasure that is closer than they think. Filmed early in the morning before Pastor Tommy had finished his morning routine of coffee (and combing his hair, thus the John the Baptist appearance you'll see), this parable couldn't wait to be considered. Leave your thoughts and share with friends.

In Luke 15, Jesus is confronted by religious leaders who are upset that he receives sinners. What does he do? He tells them a story that any child can understand. Do the adults have ears to hear? This is the parable of the lost coin.

Parables are stories that surprise and catch you off guard. They're like really good jokes where you don't see the punch line coming. Jesus was a master storyteller, and parables were his go-to for getting a point across.

This Psalm is full of wisdom for what to do when you are attacked. We find that when the battle finds us, God fights our battles.

Your mindset matters. Your words help create your mindset. David shows us how important our words are in this psalm and invites us to experience the goodness of a Godward life for ourselves.

David said that his soul waited for God alone. Why? How? In tonight's session, we consider the role of suffering in deepening desire for God and how desire is the language of the heart by which we approach God.

In Psalm 24 we see that the earth is the Lord's and God will act in it. We also learn that those who trust God are called the "pure in heart, those with clean hands," and are invited to scale the holy north-face and meet with the Lord.