Luke
Good news for all people
Who is the Greatest?
August 14, 2016 • Pastor Bill Riedel
This text brings us to Jesus' last night with His disciples. After they had shared a meal together and reflected on the Passover they heard from Jesus that a New Covenant was coming in His body and blood. Luke 22:23-38 shows some final conversation and instructions from Jesus. Like any good holiday meal, there was some tension and argument around the table. There is a lot for us to learn as we look to hear the words of Jesus, though, and see ourselves in the disciples.
The Lord's Supper
August 7, 2016 • Pastor Bill Riedel
This text brings us to the Upper Room and the Last Supper Jesus would have with His disciples. We will take time to understand more fully what it means that Jesus is the ultimate Passover lamb. We will also see how the meal that Jesus instituted then has carried through to the church today.
Destruction, Judgement, The Son of Man
July 24, 2016 • Pastor Bill Riedel
We explored a passage that is often called “The Olivet Discourse”. Jesus looks ahead to the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of all things, and gives some explicit instructions to His followers. It may be the most debated passage in any of the Gospels. So, we will work together to untangle the knot a bit and see what God’s Word has for us together.
Pretense & Prayers
June 26, 2016 • Pastor Bill Riedel
In this text, we see a stark contrast between the religious pretentiousness and true faith. The Scribes were respected religious leaders in Jesus’ time and He brought a scathing rebuke and warning to them. Even as He did, Jesus lifted up a poor widow as an example for us. We will see the dangerous trap of religious pretense and a call to true faith.
Life After Death
June 19, 2016 • Pastor Bill Riedel
There are only two certainties in life: death and taxes. In last week’s passage, Jesus taught about taxes. In this passage, we see what He has to say about death. In Luke 20:27-44 Jesus paints a portrait of the “age of the resurrection”, the life to come. It’s a great opportunity for us to remember who is the Giver and Creator of life.
God & Country
June 12, 2016 • Pastor Bill Riedel
In this text Jesus was asked about paying taxes to Caesar. It’s a particularly ironic text for us in a place whose license plates read “Taxation without Representation”! We will take the time together this week to explore the relationship of Christians to the government in the place in which they find themselves. This is particularly important in our context and at this time.
Weeping for the City
May 29, 2016 • Pastor Bill Riedel
Jesus’ long journey to Jerusalem finally comes to an end. As He arrives in the city, we see a swirling emotions of joy, dismay, frustration, anger, and sorrow. In all of it, there is a dichotomy between those who follow Jesus and the religious leaders of the time. In their responses, we can see the characteristics of true and false worship.
Ten Minas
May 22, 2016 • Pastor Bill Riedel
Throughout the Gospel we see Jesus responding the to grumbling of religious people, and the expectations that He shatters. While it is all too easy for us to read even these sorts of texts self-righteously, there is a reality that they stand as a confrontation to each of us – to our wrong-headed expectations of how God ought to work. Ultimately, we will see in this parable that each one of us has been given a sacred trust to steward. And we will answer to our Master in the end for how we have invested His abundant generosity.
Jesus & Zacchaeus
May 15, 2016 • Pastor Bill Riedel
Zacchaeus was a wee little man (and a wee little man was he…). His encounter with Jesus is a funny story that cuts to the heart of Jesus’ identity and mission. It also shows us how we can respond to Jesus, and reveals some of the obstacles that get in our way.
Once Was Blind
May 1, 2016 • Pastor Bill Riedel
This text begins with Jesus making a call to his disciples to see the path laid out in front of them. He called them to see and understand the mission he had come to accomplish. Yet, the disciples were blind. In a beautiful and stunning turn in the story, it is a blind man who really sees Jesus for who He is. We explored spiritual blindness and sight and saw that Jesus is the One who can make those who were once blind see.
Leave It All Behind
April 24, 2016 • Pastor Bill Riedel
This is the story of Jesus’ interaction with a rich young ruler. Money is a recurrent theme throughout Luke’s Gospel. In this text we see the difficult call of Jesus on His followers’ lives. We also see that wealth makes following Jesus more difficult, contrary to our hardwired perspective on God’s blessings. It’s a challenging text on considering what real stewardship looks like.
Let the Children Come
April 10, 2016 • Pastor Bill Riedel
Children are so often either idolized or seen as an annoyance. We see elements of both as people strain to get Jesus just to touch their kids, and the disciples try to block them so that Jesus can attend to more important things. Jesus welcomed the children, though. He held them and treasured them. He also called us to be like them.
The Pharisee & the Tax Collector
April 3, 2016 • Pastor Bill Riedel
This is a familiar parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. In this parable we see two men who go to the Temple to pray. Only one leaves justified. This parable may even be a little too familiar to some of us, and too often gives us a false sense of comfort rather than the gracious discomfort Jesus intended.