In the final week reading through Luke 19–24, Wesley interviews longtime Immanuel member and teacher Betty Minor. They discuss fear as a major theme in Luke’s ending, noting religious leaders’ fear of the people rather than God, their self-interest in preserving ritual, position, “our temple,” and “our nation,” and how fear can boil into anger, contrasting this with Jesus’ lack of fear. They encourage reading each Gospel as its own “portrait” of Jesus, staying focused within Luke, and describe Bible-reading practices such as underlining, note-taking, journaling, praying for understanding, and expecting Scripture to transform the reader. They conclude by introducing Luke as a doctor and author of both Luke and Acts, who later travels with Paul and writes using eyewitness sources.

00:00 Welcome and Introductions

00:24 Betty’s Story at Immanuel

01:04 Fear in Luke’s Final Chapters

03:30 Leadership and Losing Control

04:32 Reading Each Gospel Well

06:16 Bible Reading Habits and Notes

08:48 Prayerful Reading and Being Changed

10:11 Who Is Luke and Why Acts Matters

12:48 Wrap Up and Next Steps

The podcast wraps up week three of the reading plan through Luke (Luke 13–18) and introduces Alan Gill, Immanuel’s church administrator, who oversees facilities, finances, communications, and HR and recently moved from Greensboro, North Carolina. Alan reflects on Luke 15’s three “lost” parables (lost sheep, coin, and son), noting their repeated structure of loss, intentional searching, communal celebration, and restoration, and identifies with the “older son/99” while hearing a caution against judgment toward those who are lost. The conversation also discusses Luke 13’s call to repent and the parable of the barren fig tree as a merciful but urgent final warning to Jerusalem. They highlight Jesus’ increasing confrontation with Pharisees over hypocrisy, pride, and Sabbath practices as he heads toward Jerusalem, and encourage listeners to continue to Luke 19–24 before moving into Acts.

00:00 Welcome and Setup

00:16 Meet Alan Gill

01:42 Luke 13 to 18 Overview

01:50 Lost Parables Deep Dive

04:16 Older Brother Warning

05:30 Why Jesus Told Them

06:21 Repent or Perish

07:20 Parable of Fig Tree

10:05 Mercy and Second Chances

11:56 Heating Up to Jerusalem

12:53 Next Week Reading Plan

13:20 Final Encouragement and Goodbye

The New Testament Challenge podcast discusses this week’s reading in Luke 7–12 with youth minister Jacob Booher, encouraging listeners to keep a daily/weekly reading rhythm, use the Immanuel website’s New Testament Challenge page for resources (BibleProject, the podcast, and Through the Word audio devotionals), and join the plan at any time. Jacob highlights Jesus’ parable of the sower as a picture of different heart “soils,” emphasizing broadly sharing the gospel, recognizing personal spiritual roadblocks, and remembering hearts can change, illustrated by a Trek Ministries teen who initially came for pizza but later became receptive to God’s Word. The hosts also reflect on Jesus healing the demon-possessed man, noting the townspeople’s fear, the healed man’s testimony, and Christ’s power to break bondage, including a youth conference chain-breaking response moment. They explain starting the reading plan with Luke-Acts for continuity and preview Luke 13–18 next week.

Set Me Free by Casting Crowns:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_WNDIybIXs&list=RDs_WNDIybIXs&start_radio=1

00:00 Welcome and Reading Plan

01:10 Parable of the Sower

02:42 Youth Ministry Soil Types

04:22 Pizza to Gospel Shift

05:50 Heart Check and Growth

08:35 Healing the Demoniac

10:24 Chains Broken at Camp

12:59 Jesus Power Today

14:36 Why Luke and Acts

15:28 Wrap Up and Next Week

Pastor Wesley and Kelly Potter, Immanuel’s Director of Women’s and Children’s Ministries, discuss the week’s reading in Luke 1–6 and introduce the Immanuel Kids Daily Devotional as a simple family companion guide. Wesleyconnects the resource to Deuteronomy 6:4–9 (the Shema), emphasizing God’s word as part of everyday family rhythms. Kelly explains she created the devotional after prayer and staff goal planning, motivated by growing family participationand parents’ uncertainty about discussing Scripture and prayer at home. The format includes a brief synopsis, “think about it” questions (content, feelings/why, and application), and a scripted prayer to help families begin. They reflect on Luke 1, contrasting Zechariah’s doubt with Mary’s receptivefaith and her treasuring and pondering. Practical advice includes leaving materials visible, not stressing missed days, and using kid-friendly highlighting to track progress.

00:00 Welcome and Overview

00:37 Shema and Family Rhythms

02:17 What Inspired this Devotional Guide

04:19 Helping Parents Engage

05:14 Devotional Format Explained

07:51 Scripted Prayers and Modeling

09:02 Luke 1 Faith Contrast

12:43 Mary Treasures and Trusts

15:25 How Families Can Use It

18:20 Wrap Up and Next Reading

Download the Immanuel Kids Daily Devotional: https://immanuel-church-ky.cls.co/Rjbn

The Immanuel New Testament Challenge podcast launches as a weekly show designed to support participants reading through the New Testament with discussion, common questions, and guests. In this opening episode, Pastor Wesley and Pastor Mike address the question of what Bible translation to use. They explain that Scripture was written in Hebrew and Greek and describe translation philosophies on a continuum from more word-for-word (e.g., ESV, NASB) to more readability-focused (e.g., NLT), with NIV and CSB in the middle. They note comparing translations can help in study and application, and encourage listeners not to let finding the “perfect” Bible become an obstacle to reading

00:00 Immanuel New Testament Challenge — Bible Translations

03:19 Translation Philosophies Explained

05:44 Comparing Translations in Practice

09:53 Which Translation Is Right for You?

11:29 Closing & Sign-off

Digging Deeper: https://www.logos.com/grow/best-bible-translation/