Dear Theo: The Gospel According to Luke
EPIC! Easter Celebration
April 12, 2020 • Raj Pillai
As a church, our hearts and prayers are with people facing the impact of Covid-19. I proposed to our elders and trustees and have received full support from our leaders to designate a tithe of our giving from the Easter week to go toward Covid-19 Relief. We will be partnering with several local initiatives and also with our hardest hit partner churches overseas. Together, we can be a community of light by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, bringing relief, care, and hope to the hurting around the world. Truth is, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central hinge in human history, declaring the greatest victory over the foulest enemy by the greatest hero for the greatest cause ever. As I shared in the video, the question we are all facing is how do we live this truth in the midst of our current reality? I want to encourage you to join us online for our Good Friday service. And then visit our YouTube channel for one of our six identical Easter services as I will be sharing my thoughts on how to live with undying hope and courage in the in
Palm Sunday-Dear Theo: The Gospel According to Luke- Part 17
April 5, 2020
For the last several weeks, we’ve been following Jesus as He makes His way towards Jerusalem. This coming Sunday, Palm Sunday, we celebrate Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem. The King has arrived! There’s reason to celebrate! There’s reason to hope. But as we’ll come to see, we’ll go from celebration to weeping. For Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem is leading to his betrayal, arrest, and death. Where, we might ask, is God in the tragedies? Michelle and I are expectantly looking forward to our online services, where we’ll spend time with you. We pray for God’s peace over you, and for the hope we have in Christ to further anchor your hearts in him.
Dear Theo: The Gospel According to Luke- Part 15
March 22, 2020
I'm so excited for our time together this weekend online, and I'm looking forward to seeing what God does in us and through us. This week, I'll have the privilege of being our guide through the gospel of Luke. We're looking at Luke 17:1-10. It’s all about faith. I’m praying God gives us the courage to do what He’s calling each of us to do, as we continue to take our next right step.
Dear Theo: The Gospel According to Luke- Part 14
March 8, 2020 • Raj Pillai
Theologians almost universally agree that the parable of the shrewd manager in Luke 16 is the most difficult and complicated teaching of Jesus and one of the hardest to interpret. While there are many ways to interpret this parable, we will look at how this teaching of Jesus can shake us out of complacency, instruct us on who God is and who we are in Him, remind us how we only have a small window of opportunity to do something meaningful with our lives, and jolt us into action. Take 4 minutes and 30 seconds this week (I timed it!) and read Luke 16 and come ready to be blessed and discover and take your next right step. See you this weekend!
Dear Theo: The Gospel According to Luke- Part 13
March 1, 2020 • Roger Record
The Joy of finding lost things! I am so excited for this week’s message based on the Gospel of Luke Chapter 15. In this chapter, the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin prepare us for the parable of the prodigal son and his brother. The lostness of the younger prodigal son is no accident. It is willful. He sins his way out of the house. But this story is about more than the son who left and came back. It’s a story also about the son who stayed and never entered. It’s a story in two parts, with two different ways of living, both taking us far from the Father’s heart. But this story teaches us about the very nature of God the Father. A message that will touch many hearts again and some for the very first time. A story about a God who loves so much, He runs after His creation to bring them into relationship with Him and to bring them home. Invite a friend; this message may change the direction of their life into eternity.
Dear Theo: The Gospel According to Luke- Part 12
February 23, 2020 • Raj Pillai
This weekend, we will attend a dinner party with Jesus at the home of a prominent Pharisee. But inviting Jesus into your home (or your life) can be risky, as the people assembled soon find out. Things start off tense, then get progressively edgy. Jesus refuses to follow social norms or even engage in polite, but superficial conversations. His words and conduct leave the people at the dinner party speechless. But, it also elicits from Jesus a fantastic vision of what the Great Banquet in the Kingdom of God looks like, and who gets to be a part of it. Take five minutes this week (I timed it!) and read Luke 14 and come ready to be blessed. We will also share an update about our All In Generosity Journey. See you this weekend!
Dear Theo: The Gospel According to Luke- Part 11
February 17, 2020 • Raj Pillai
I feel a deep sense of urgency regarding this weekend’s message. Every day, we are presented with two ways to live. How we make that choice impacts the narrative arc of our life’s story. Jesus says a lot of deep and profound things in Luke chapters 12 and 13. Toward the end of His discourse, he says something that a lot of us who have grown up in church have probably heard more than once. He says, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.” What is this narrow door? How is it different than the wide door? What’s on the other side of these doors? So much of what we do is to help each other (and others) recognize the right door to walk through. Because the stakes couldn’t be higher on which door you choose to enter through. Eternity hangs in the balance. Set aside 13 minutes this week and read Luke 12 and 13 (I timed it!) and come prayerfully as we look at one of the most powerful sayings of our Lord.
Dear Theo: The Gospel According to Luke- Part 10
February 9, 2020 • Jason Earle
Isn’t it annoying when you discover that your phone has only 5 percent battery left? Ever feel like you’re walking around on near empty battery? You know God is there and He has a purpose for your life, but most times it just doesn’t feel like it. You start to wonder; Is there purpose in the everyday mundane rhythms of my life? Be encouraged! There is fuel for your soul! Watch as our Executive Pastor Jason Earle unpacks the power source available to us.
Dear Theo: The Gospel According to Luke- Part 9
February 2, 2020
Do you feel like you have a lot of questions about Jesus – who he is and what his call on your life really means? Do you ever think you need to get all your questions answered or have a better understanding of the Bible and God before you can fully surrender and get in the game? This week we look at how Jesus’s followers were full of confusion and questions and misconceptions about Jesus, God, and the Kingdom – and yet, that didn’t stop Jesus from inviting them to start proclaiming his kingdom and sharing his power and authority with them. The Christian life is a “learn as you go” enterprise – and perfect people with perfect understanding are not expected or required. We will look at how Jesus invites his followers to join him in the work that - up ‘til now - they have watched him do – and they are super excited when they find that they can do the very things they see Jesus doing! Yet at the same time they also continue to struggle with understanding this new kingdom and how it works. Time and time again they learn that their vision is much smaller than Jesus’s vision, yet he graciously shares and teaches and mentors them in all their confusion – comforting and inspiring for those of us in the same boat today!
Dear Theo: The Gospel According to Luke- Part 8
January 26, 2020 • Blake Dunlevy, Elder
Many of us have experienced disappointment, loss, loneliness, and missed expectations; these are all an unfortunate fact of life on this side of eternity. As a result, we often try to protect ourselves and our emotions by lowering our expectations, guarding our hope, and dreaming smaller to avoid being hurt and let down. We all learn to establish “realistic expectations” … but what happens when we step out in faithfulness, give Jesus our obedience, and invite Him into the equation? Join us this week as we take a look at several different stories in Luke 8 and see what happens when Jesus steps in and shatters what we thought we knew about our relationships, our lives, and our dreams for the future. Take a few minutes this week to read through the chapter and meditate on what these stories tell us about the role that Jesus wants to play in our lives.
Dear Theo: The Gospel According to Luke- Part 7
January 19, 2020 • Raj Pillai
We continue our pilgrimage through Luke and stop at the town which served as a base for much of Jesus’ ministry – Capernaum. In an event that will mark a turning point for Jesus’ ministry, we see His reach extending to those outside the Jewish people. In a particularly fascinating exchange, Jesus praises the faith of a man who has much to teach us. Read up on Luke 7 (it only takes 7 minutes) and join us this weekend as we walk with Jesus and listen in on a conversation that teaches us how to live in a way that makes Jesus, in essence, say “Way to go!”
Dear Theo: The Gospel According to Luke- Part 6
January 12, 2020 • Raj Pillai
Many people think God is distant, disengaged, and detached from us. This raises an interesting question: Just how approachable is Jesus? We will look at that question as we continue to walk with Jesus through chapters 5 & 6 of Luke this week. As Jesus makes His way through the towns of Galilee, He teaches, preaches, heals the sick and brings hope and healing to the discouraged and the despaired. We will pause in one particular town and look at the remarkable story of Jesus doing the unthinkable as He responds to the plea of a lonely and desperate person. Set aside 12 minutes this week and read Luke 5 & 6 as we discover how the Kingdom of God was and is breaking out in unexpected places in unpredictable ways. And every time Kingdom stories break out, it touches the human soul in ways that are deep, profound and life-changing.
Dear Theo: The Gospel According to Luke-Part 5
January 5, 2020 • Raj Pillai
Happy New Year! It is that time of the year when hundreds of millions of us around the world will be making resolutions for the new year (and many will break them by the end of January). What if I told you there is one particular resolution you can make that can have a cascading effect on all other aspects of your life? This weekend, we will dwell in Luke 4 and hear Jesus clarify His mission (and that of His followers) and how that might influence our lives and our mission in 2020. Set aside 6 minutes and read up on Luke 4 and come with expectant hearts. And consider the one resolution that can have the maximum impact in your life in 2020.