Why does Luke spends more time telling the story of John leading up to the birth of Christ than any of the other gospels? That's the question that we explore in this sermon, called "preparation".

Good stories let you in to the heart and mind of the main characters. In part 3 of Luke's story of Jesus, we get a glimpse into the heart of Mary, who is overjoyed to discover that Gabriel's promises to her were true. Out of that joy, Mary sings the "Magnificat", a song declaring the magnificence of who God is.

The most interesting stories are the ones that take us on an unexpected adventure, filled with twists that we never saw coming. Luke begins the story of Jesus with the unexpected, in an unexpected town with an unexpected young woman. We discover that if we want to live interesting lives, we also need to learn to embrace the unexpected.

The story of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke begins in an unexpected place: with an elderly priest and his barren wife. Yet this is where God chooses to announce to his people that the Messiah will be arriving soon–only, Zechariah won't be able to tell anyone. In this sermon, we'll learn what Luke intends for us to understand about anticipation as we await the return of Jesus.

The purpose of our gratitude is the glory of God. Whether we are thanking him for what we have already received or we are asking him to increase our blessings, we should strive to make his name great and not our own.

Remembering what God has done provides us with a template for what God will do in the future. We pass it on to our children and future generations so that they will know and believe God's faithfulness.

In Psalm 40, we approach God in the position of the worshipper. We must have the proper posture, perspective, and praise in order to reflect wisely on what God has done. When we are able to do that, we reap the benefits of reflecting on God's work, including protection from the things that might otherwise derail our future.

The command to honor our father and mother is given to us with a promise: that it will go well for us in the land God is giving us. The assumption is that the legacy that is left to us will be one worthy of honor; the question for us is whether or not we will leave that sort of legacy ourselves.

In part 9 we consider how the church was God's intention. All that we are will find its fulfillment when we are a part of the gathering of people proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord.

In part two of God's Design for Parenting, we consider how it is that we can fulfill God's intention that we raise our children to love God and build the culture. Paul's instruction may seem simple, but it points towards the lofty requirement of parents to demonstrate the love of God to their children and raise them to be Christ's disciple.