Grace City Denver

In the familiar parable of The Prodigal Son, one son runs away and squanders his inheritance while his elder brother stays home and works. When the father welcomes home the prodigal, even hosting a feast to honor him, the elder brother loses his mind. In this story, Jesus teaches us about the subtle danger of feeling entitled to God’s grace – and hating those who need it.

When Jesus visits the home of two sisters, Mary sits at his feet and listens to his teaching while Martha is busy playing host. Martha finally vents her frustration about having to serve alone, and Jesus takes the opportunity to teach about the true heart of service.

When Simon the Pharisee invites Jesus to dinner at his home, the scene is interrupted by a notoriously sinful woman of that town. She lets down her hair and washes Jesus' feet with her tears and perfume. Jesus uses the scandalous incident to teach the connection between forgiveness and love, graphically illustrating how disgrace is converted into unashamed worship.

Jesus was surrounded by crowds, but that didn’t hinder two desperate people from getting to him. Jairus, a synagogue ruler, sought Jesus out because his daughter was dying (and subsequently died). A woman sought Jesus out because she had a serious medical condition that couldn’t be cured. Both had faith and hope in Jesus, and both found healing in his touch.

On the far side of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus encountered a demon-possessed man called “Legion.” His life was scarred by the domineering presence of evil, but Jesus had come to break that power and set him free. Once healed, the man found a new mission in telling others about Jesus.

When Jesus ate with some of the religious leaders of his day, he was immediately confronted by their externalism. They were more concerned with looking good than with being good. Jesus spoke a series of woes, pointing out the hypocrisy and superficiality of their motives. He offered them – and us – a better way forward through inside-out transformation.

Instead of taking the customary Jewish route between Judea and Galilee, Jesus passed through Samaria and struck up a conversation with a woman at a well. He showed her that a series of failed marriages had left her deeply dissatisfied and he offered her the free gift of eternal contentment. Discover what this story says about your own dissatisfaction, what you're doing about it, and what God wants to do.

A rich, young ruler approaches Jesus and asks him what he must do to inherit eternal life. Boasting in his performance, he tells Jesus he’s obeyed the commandments of God since his youth. Jesus challenges him to stop building his identity on money and morality, to give everything he has to the poor, and to come empty-handed and follow him as a disciple. What can we learn about the remedy for self-reliance from this encounter?

Life is filled with storms that leave us frustrated and fatigued. We often wonder where God is or where we went wrong. Why is this happening to me? This text is the assurance that God is present with you in the storm, always actively working for your good.

What is your most valuable possession? Why that thing? Does it possess intrinsic value, sentimental value, or something else? What would have to change in your life to feel this way about the rule and reign of Christ -- to value his kingship as your greatest treasure?