Last week we introduced our new series in Amos. This week we come to the meat of his first rebuke to Israel. Yet this is not just a history lesson. In many ways, we see precursors for the New Testament Church in how God deals with his people in the Old Testament. Amos is showing us what his people were meant to be and how we've gotten off track. Ever felt like churches have lost their way? Not only are we seeing God's commitment to transform his wayward people, but this is how churches heal and mature as well. Let's talk about how "The Lion Confronts His Church" (Amos 2:6-16).

This Sunday we begin a series in the book of Amos. The series title ("the Lion roars") is taken directly from the opening verses, but it would be a mistake to envision the lion of MGM, announcing coming entertainment. God is roaring - not at the other nations, not at his people's enemies, but directly at his people. Why? For their injustices and hypocrisies. Buckle up. This is a hard book, but one loaded with a love that yearns to see real change in our lives. If you've never heard a sermon series in one of the minor prophets, then all the more reason to ask: why not? After all, aren't these the books that prepared God's people for Jesus? Let's talk about "Amos: the Lion Roars" (Amos 1:1-2:6).

Anne Lamott famously summarized prayer with these words: “Help. Thanks. Wow.” It is not always just those three things, but it serves as a good reminder and overview of what we often lay before Him. What do we usually pray about? How do we frame our prayers? What do we expect in our prayers? We ended our Parable Series last Sunday at our wonderful and amazing Easter service, and before we start our new series on the book of Amos, we will look at a passage in Ephesians 3:14-21, Paul shares this beautiful prayer for the people of Ephesus. He prays that they would have the strength to grasp how great God's love is for them and to be filled with His fullness. We hope to see you this Sunday as we come together in worship, fellowship and prayer, looking to the One who gives us strength, and who can do far more abundantly than all that we ask for (Ephesians 3:20)!

We end our series in the Parables on Easter Sunday with an unusually terse passage for the resurrection. Jesus tells the story of a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus who end up in very different scenarios after death - but they can see and hear each other. The rich man was comfortable in life yet is the opposite in death. Meanwhile, Lazarus had suffered greatly but now finds comfort with Father Abraham. The rich man calls out for help, but no help can come. So he asks for word to be sent back to his living brothers. However, Abraham tells him that if they won't believe Moses & the prophets, then they wouldn't believe "Even If Someone Rises from the Dead" (Luke 16:19-31). Could our hearts really be so hard, even if a loved one rose from the dead? How can this stern warning from Jesus actually guide us to genuine Easter joy? Let's look to the hope of Jesus' victory together.

Parades often showcase an event like the Annual Rose Parade in Pasadena or celebrate a great achievement like the Dodgers winning the World Series. But rarely does a parade lead to a devastating or tragic ending. We will be taking a break from our Parable series this Sunday to look at a different parade, when Jesus enters Jerusalem during Passover week. On the outside, Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem looks a lot like a triumphant and festive event, with the crowds cheering and Jesus receiving a hero’s welcome. But ultimately this event will look much different in a few days, as the crowds will stop cheering, and His closest disciples will be nowhere to be found. As Passion Week begins on Sunday, let us recognize the Son of Man, our Savior King (Mark 11:1-11), parading not to a throne, but on His way to the Cross, as the suffering servant who came not to be served, but to serve as a ransom for many!

Gentle Jesus saved his harshest words primarily for one group -- elder brother types. A quick read of the Gospels demonstrates how often Jesus debates, rebukes and even roasts this group. Smug, self-righteous, holier-than-thou people do not tend to find Jesus very likeable. Yet there's at least one place where he publicly and genuinely appeals to them. He tells a parable that ends with a father pleading with a literal elder brother to come into the party where they are celebrating the return of his wayward younger brother. Yet he refuses. His self-righteous superiority requires rejecting his brother, his father's joy over his return, and anyone (even heaven itself) who would join such a party. This is one of Jesus' central themes in his preaching that is often misunderstood. Why is our superiority such a barrier? How could our distorted sense of 'justice and goodness' lead us to refuse the justice and goodness of heaven? Let's talk about why it is so much harder to recover elder brothers than prodigals: "Refusing the Party of Life" (Luke 15:1-2,11-32).

We are nearing the end of series on the Parables, and I've saved my favorites for last. For the next two weeks, we will study the Parable of the Prodigal Son and Elder Brother. This week we will focus on the younger brother's part in the parable, especially his desire to get out from underneath his dad's rules so he can really enjoy life. He's convinced that life is a party which his father is keeping him from experiencing. And he is willing to burn his dad and his family to get to the party. But when he finally gets what he wants - like so many 'coming of age' stories - it turns on him. It enslaves him in a way his father never would. And now he is left wondering, is there any way to get back home? And all he can imagine is making himself a slave to his father to grovel his way back. Yet again, he is "Mistaking the Party of Life" (Luke 15:11-24). So how do we not repeat the same mistake? Let's dive in together.

Sometimes it is the simplest things. Jesus is at a party and watches how people choose where to sit. And from that, he tells a parable. He encourages his followers to take the worst seats. Why? So we'll be asked to move up into better seats and look good in the process? Isn't this just social maneuvering and manipulation? If we read him that way, it sounds like some bad Hollywood "how-to-promote-yourself-through-reverse-psychology" pamphlet. No, our goal is just to get the best seat possible. Jesus' goal is to get us to ask why we were so deeply longing for that seat in the first place. We want to use feigned humility to advance ourselves. Jesus wants us to find a lasting joy in genuine humility. But how does that answer the longing for promotion? Let's talk about "Places of Honor" (Luke 14:7-11).

This Sunday we come to the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Many of us have gotten used to the term "Good Samaritan," yet it struck me this week that Jesus intended this label to shock his hearers. They did not regard any Samaritans as good. It might be more like hearing the phrase "good terrorist" or "good enemy" today. It is a master class from Jesus on breaking down our prejudices. A man wants to justify himself, so he asks "Who is my neighbor?" How far does love-of-neighbor require me to go? And Jesus tells a story in which that man's worst enemy is a real neighbor to him - without qualifications. But this is not a guilt trip. And it is not just a model for us to copy. Jesus is doing heart surgery. Let's talk about his scalpel in "Go & Do Likewise" (Luke 10:25-37).

This week we come to the famous Parable of the Sheep and the Goats. Jesus appeals to the image of sheep and goats returning from daily grazing, intermingled. As they come in, a shepherd separates them on his right and left. So will he separate us, he says. Sheep go to heaven. Goats go to hell. And suddenly that serene image gets loud in our minds. Gentle, pastoral Jesus... the Judge who separates. For eternity?! How does he decide? "As you did it to the least of these, so you did it to me. Hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, stranger, imprisoned? That was me." What do we do with this beautiful and challenging statement? Sadly, we often just debate it. But for the early Church, it was a joy that drove their ministry. What are we missing? Let's talk about "As You Did It to Me" (Matthew 25:31-46).