Luke 12:49-59 // Jesus’ life and message redefines what true peace is and what it costs.

Luke 11:1-12 + Luke 18:9-14 // Prayer is about surrender and intimacy first, before it is about direction and provision. When we know who our Father is and we know who we are – we prayer with impudence and humility.

Luke 8:1-3 + Luke 9:1-6 + Luke 10:1-12 // We are the Lord’s ambassadors sent to represent Him in this world. We are also neighbors looking for opportunities to show mercy in the name of Christ. But at the heart of it all is devotion to Christ. We must be worshippers who take time to listen to His word and to commune with Him. As God’s ambassadors: who are we, what do we do, and how do we do it?

Luke 8:4-15 + Luke 13:6-9 // The most important aspect of a parable is what it reveals about Jesus and His Kingdom, how it functions and therefore how we as His followers should function. Fruitfulness in Formation (fruit of the Spirit) and Fruitfulness in Mission. Am I becoming more like Jesus? Am I engaged in the Great Commission?

Luke 7:36-50 // Our self-righteousness hinders our ability to stand in awe of a Christ who redeems even the most wicked, depraved, and broken of us, because it blinds us from the reality that we are those things. Who do I reject because they don’t live up to my standards or expectations? What ways do I let my self-righteousness control how I interact with Christ and others? Look to Christ. He sees you, He welcomes you, and He knows you.

Luke 7:18-35 // Expectations are tricky and dangerous. Cynics expect nothing from anybody - or the polar opposite - naive persons have high expectations and believe everyone. No matter where we land along the spectrum there is always a gap between reality and our expectations. Jesus exposes and confronts our expectations.

Luke 6:1-11 // How do we rediscover the lost art of the Sabbath rhythm? How do we establish strategic rhythms of rest that allow us to heal and recover so that we avoid injury or burnout and continue to progress in our journey of becoming more like Jesus? A strategic prescription for deep and effective rest: Stop. Rest. Delight. Worship. When we spend time with God, the lies that satan has planted in our minds are uprooted and our true identity is restored in our Creator.

Luke 5:27-32 // Jesus intentionally and individually pursues us. Pursued people are generous, awkwardly inclusive, and joyful! Holiness is not the enemy, self-righteousness is.

32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

Luke 4:16-44 // What was Jesus’ agenda here on earth? His motivation was always His identity before activity. It is His identity that gives His activity authority. Spend time with God. Knowing that we are children of God and spending time with the Father will align our motivations with God’s heart. There is so much in our lives that try to pull our attention and distort our view of Jesus. Our number purpose is to operate out of our identity in God. That relationship will guide every action of our lives.

Luke 4:1-14 // How can we be prepared for temptation? How do we understand how we are tempted? Satan tempts us to give in to sensual desires. Our flesh also tempts us to pursue praise and significance. We resist temptation by admitting and confessing it, re-orientating our lives, and restraining/replacing things that are leading us into temptation.