This morning’s passage beautifully reveals the heart of Jesus. He doesn’t only invite us to call Him Lord; He invites us into friendship. Jesus calls ordinary, everyday people to follow Him, to leave their own way behind, and in that calling, we find relationship, welcome, and fellowship.

On the very same day Levi responds, the story unfolds into a celebration where everyone is invited to the table — not just the religious elite of the time. What an incredible and joyful invitation that still speaks to us today. As we sit with this passage, let’s take a moment to reflect and listen for how the Spirit may be inviting us to respond.

Today’s passage invites us to an awareness of our human need at deeper levels not just to what we perceive on the surface but what will both satisfy and nourish us in mind, body, and soul. The Lord sees far beyond what we comprehend and is intentional in his care for our whole being beginning with fulfilling the need for a relationship with him and beyond. Let’s lean in together and discover more of His loving heart and faithful care for us.

As we continue our sermon series, Encountering Jesus, we dive deeper into the heart of Jesus and His forgiveness as it relates to the Mosaic Law. Today, we’ll explore how sin separates us from God and from one another and the beautiful truth that Jesus meets us in our brokenness. As the true temple and the perfect sacrifice, He opens the way for us to be welcomed back, restored in our relationship with God and reconciled to each other.

As we dive deeper into our series Encountering Jesus, we step into a powerful moment where Jesus meets Simon (and James and John!) right in the middle of their work in Luke 5.

Though they were experienced fishermen, Jesus reshapes their understanding of him and invites them into something far greater than they imagined. In that moment, Simon in particular, begins to see both who Jesus truly is and who he is in light of him. Through this story, Jesus reveals the new values of his kingdom—reshaping what it truly means.

As we continue in our series of Encountering Jesus, we’ll reflect this week on what mattered to Him. We’ll look at how Jesus spoke with authority, acted with compassion when healing the sick, and delivered people from unclean spirits all while choosing humility over fame. Though He could have sought recognition and power, Jesus chose a different path—the way of the cross.

As we begin 2026, we’re excited to start a new sermon series, Encountering Jesus. In the Gospels, people were often surprised by Jesus—his teaching, miracles, and compassion were unlike anything they expected.

Today, many assume they already know him or settle for a familiar, comfortable version. But in Luke chapters 4–7, we’re invited into real encounters with Jesus that reveal who he truly is: challenging, compassionate, and life-changing. Join us as we explore these passages together and encounter the real Jesus.

This is the fourth sermon in our new series, "Good News for All People", preached by Rev. Charles Chung.

This is the second sermon in our new series, "Good News for All People", preached by Rev. Charles Chung.

This is the first sermon in our new sermon series, "Good News for All People", preached by Rev. Pete Nicholas.

This is the thirteenth sermon in our new sermon series, "After God's Heart", preached by Rev. Pete Nicholas.