SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS - Pewaukee, WI

Text: Luke 16:19-31
Title: The Rich Man and Lazarus
Theme:  The Great Reversal - Jesus is talking directly to the Pharisees (with others in earshot, of course) about the condition of their heart.  Earlier in his teachings, he said things like "The first shall be last and the last, first..." This is a parable to show the eternal impact of these words.  Outer appearances mean nothing - it's the condition of someone's heart that sets their eternal course. We will explore the nuances of the parable to help people evaluate their condition of their hearts...

Title: The Prodigal Son
Text: Luke 15:11-32
Theme: In this parable Jesus teaches that the Father's love is for all. We tend to fall into either camp of the younger son or the older son. Sometimes we think we can earn God's favor if we work for it - like the younger son. Other times we can fool ourselves and think that God owes us his love because we have been faithful - like the older son. May we all come to grasp the Gospel, that says the Father's love is given freely to all who would receive it. He is the one who welcomes us into his family, and as his children we live in response to his love. 

Luke 12: 13-21

Text: Luke 11:14-28 
Title: The Strongman and Empty House
Theme: Satan seems to think that he's got the upper-hand (strongman) position when it comes to controlling peoples' lives - but there is one who is Stronger who is coming to defeat the strongman and take away his 'possession'.  This is the parable revealing the nature of the mission of Jesus - not only Who he is (liberator) but how he's going to do it (defeat the strength of evil).  This is a parable highlighting the Power of Jesus - and giving people an invitation: Receive Him and Be Filled By His Presence.

Text:  Mark 12:1-12
Title: Parable of the Tenants
Theme:  In response to the Religious leaders trying to trap Jesus into saying something blasphemous, He responds with a story that tells about tenants who have been put in charge of a vineyard and how they ignore the will of the owner and even kill his son to get the vineyard for themselves.  The story highlights how the religious leaders were holding Israel captive by their leadership and their rigid application of the Torah - going so far as to claim more rights to Israel than God himself... We can see ourselves in this text as we can sometimes claim to have more authority over our lives and God's plan than God does himself...  In both cases, the Father wasn't afraid to send his Son - and his Son will be the way through which restoration of the vineyard will be accomplished whether they like it / know it or not.

Text: Luke 10:25-37
Title: The Good Samaritan 
Theme: Jesus calls us to love one another in radical ways that go beyond superficial niceties. It sounds like a sweet sentiment at first, but it is a calling that can quickly become uncomfortable and inconvenient when we actually put this kind of love into practice. Loving our neighbor as Jesus calls us to love our neighbor requires mercy first. As we are given mercy by our heavenly Father, it's that mercy that stirs us to have mercy on one another.

Text:  Matt 9:14-17
Title: Out With Old, In With the New!
Theme:  As Jesus begins his ministry and it doesn't seem to make sense to people, he uses the illustration of trying to put new wine into old skins - it doesn't work because the new isn't the same as the old.  It's still wine, but to enjoy it, you need a new skin.  We often try to confine our reception of God to our old lives or our current belief systems - when Jesus is inviting us into something completely new!  Everything we are and do is reshaped by what he is bringing - it conforms to him, not the other way around.  And this is most powerfully seen in how he bring salvation.  It's not through all of the old ways we thought, but he's doing something new...  

Text:  Jonah 1:1-17
Title: Running from God
Theme: Jonah attempts to run from God - and in so doing, tests God's patience. He sins against God by doing the exact opposite of what he asked...  God deals with this sin in a unique way: He exposes it, He reveals consequences for it, then He swallows it...  This is a picture of how God deals with our disobedience.  We'll use the story of Jonah 1 to help us come to terms with our own sin and discover what God does about it.