In the beginning of Luke 8, Jesus tells two parables and has a strange interaction with his family. The point of this is to show us how followers of Jesus react to his word.

This week, Vince, Kirsten, Eric, and Rex dive deep into Luke 7:36-8:3. Topics include:

• Response vs. hoops to jump through
• Duty or delight in following Christ
• Love vs. manufacturing gratitude
• Christ's pursuit of sinners
• Prairie dog revolts

Through a parable at a dinner party, we see that gratitude and love are responses to God's grace, not a way of earning the God's grace.

Vince, Kirsten, Ellie and Eric further explore -

• John the Baptist seeking greater certainty about Jesus (!)
• The meaning of v.35
• Some ways the text shows us what God is like
• A few ideas for application

John the Baptist is looking for certainty about Jesus. Jesus answers by pointing to Scripture, holding up high the life of John, and eliciting our own response to him.

Vince, Kirsten, Jory and Eric explore and apply a bit more the themes of the two stories following Jesus' Sermon on the Plain - the centurion's faith and the raising of the widow's only son.

• God moving toward the outsider
• Jesus' authority as both cosmic and compassionate

Plus, what one topping in the entire world would you put on pizza if you could only choose one?

In focusing on two interactions displaying the authority of Jesus, Luke gives us more certainty about who Jesus is.

In his conclusion to the sermon on the plain, Jesus asks the listeners to consider themselves, the fruit of their lives, and their foundation. 

This week, Eric, Kirsten and Rex talk about the beginning of the sermon on the plain. Topics include:

• Blessings that don't look like blessings
• The mercy of God
• The importance of community
• Eric's birthday

Featuring as a special guest the spider that crawled on Rex's arm. 

This passage begins Jesus's Sermon on the Plain. In it, Jesus shows the blessing of following Him, the sorrow of following self, and the overarching call to love in the Christian life.