Luke 22:31-53

Jesus warned Simon that Satan was trying to attack him. Then Jesus told him that He had prayed for him to remain strong and to strengthen the others. Simon replied that he would stay by Jesus even if it meant prison or death, but Jesus told him that he would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed. When we stumble and fall, it's good to know that Jesus is there for us, acting as an intercessor on our behalf. Even if we slip up in our walk with Him, He makes sure we don't stay down.


Jesus reminded the disciples of the first time He sent them out to preach and how He instructed them not to take anything and their needs were met. Now He said they would need to take provisions for the next time they went out to preach, perhaps because they would be going to foreign countries this time and could not count on finding hospitable homes in each city they would go to. God will provide for our needs, but that doesn't excuse us from making preparations and planning for what we will need. Unless God has made a specific promise to meet a need, we should assume the responsibility is ours. Sometimes the way that God provides for our needs is giving us the wherewithal to provide for ourselves.


Jesus went to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was agonizing so much over the pain He knew was about to come that He began to sweat blood. When He was done praying, Judas came with a mob to arrest Him and betrayed Him with a kiss. When we think of Jesus' suffering, so often we think of the cross or the scourging He received before being nailed to the cross, but the suffering in Gethsemane was just as intense. Knowing what was coming took a lot out of Him, but He still submitted Himself to it out of love for each of us. Salvation is a free gift for each of us, but the price paid by Jesus was immeasurable. It was the greatest example of love the world will ever know.

Luke 22:1-30

Jesus and His disciples were in Jerusalem for the Passover feast. It was at this time that Judas made a deal with the chief priests and scribes to betray Jesus. Judas had walked with Jesus and listened to Him teach. Still, nothing seemed to have sunk in. He should have recognized Jesus as Messiah and worshiped Him and followed His commands. Instead, he decided to give it all up and turn his back on Jesus. Just because we sit in church every Sunday or read our Bible, it doesn't mean anything if we don't take the message we find there to heart and allow God to change us.


While Jesus was eating the Passover meal with His disciples, He used the bread and the wine to represent His body and blood, symbolizing His imminent death on the cross. The Lord's supper, as it has come to be known, contains such powerful imagery. The bread and the cup are tangible things we can touch to help us remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross. Each time we partake of it, we have a chance to reflect on the love that was shown so long ago on a cross on Calvary.


Jesus told His disciples that one of them would betray Him. After hearing this, they started to discuss amongst themselves which one it might be. They also began to discuss which one was the greatest. Jesus broke into the conversation to remind them that greatness as God sees it comes from serving. Just as Jesus served, they were to serve others. How humbling to remember that Jesus made Himself a servant. He didn't go after glory, but rather spent His time healing and helping people wherever He went. It's hard to be arrogant and expect everyone to cater to us when faced with the example that Jesus - God in flesh- gave to us. To be like Jesus is to humble ourselves and serve others.

Luke 21:20-38

Jesus spoke about His second coming and the signs that would signal His return. He also said that we should always be alert and ready for His return. We should not get so bogged down in the monotony of every day life that we forget our main purpose here. Each day, we should make a conscious effort to live our lives for Him so that when He does return, we will be ready instead of being caught off guard.

Luke 21:1-19

Jesus watched as people came to the temple and gave their offerings. He brought the disciple's attention to a poor widow who put in two small coins. Even though the amount was small, Jesus pronounced it to be more than what the rich people were putting in because even that small amount was a sacrifice for her. The rich people were giving out of their surplus, but this woman didn't have a surplus to give from.

God wants us to give to Him out of love, not compulsion. He wants us to give sacrificially, not whatever we feel we can do without. This is a tough lesson to learn - especially in our materialistic society. There seem to be so many other things we could do with our money besides putting it in an offering plate on Sunday morning. Money is a good indicator to where your heart is.


Jesus foretold the destruction of the temple and the disciples wanted to know what the signs would be leading up to it. He gave them some signs along with some warnings to be alert for false prophets and about the persecution they would face because they were His followers.

Persecution comes in many forms - being shunned by friends and family, loss of employment, imprisonment, physical abuse, and even death. Those of us who live in America are blessed because the types of persecution we suffer here when we stand up for the faith don't compare to the suffering in other countries. We are in a unique position to spread the gospel in the open without putting our lives on the line to do so. The voices of true Christians carrying the salvation message should rise above the false prophets who prey on the trusting and unsuspecting people to lead them astray. Even if we do suffer persecution because we do what Jesus has told us to do, we will be compensated in heaven far beyond any pain or suffering we endure here on earth.

Luke 20:27-47

Some Sadducees came to challenge Jesus by asking Him a question designed to trick Him into saying something that could be used against Him. They basically asked what would happen after the resurrection in the case of someone who had been married multiple times - they wanted to know which of her earthly spouses would be her spouse in heaven. Now, the Sadducees didn't even believe in the resurrection and believed that this question, by the nature of being unanswerable, would be a way to prove the resurrection to be a false teaching. Jesus answered though, saying there was no marriage in heaven. He further answered the root issue of resurrection by pointing them to the account of Moses and the burning bush. Moses referred to God as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Since God is not the God of the dead, each of these Jewish patriarchs must have been alive when moses made this statement - via resurrection. Jesus challenged the Sadducees with a question of His own: If the Christ is David's son, why does David call Him Lord?

Skeptics are constantly trying to prove God to be false by some seemingly clever argument. They like to think they have all the answers, but they really don't. Knowing the truth about God and knowing His word are the best defenses against attacks by skeptics. We need to educate ourselves, becoming so strong in our faith that we cannot be shaken by people who formulate arguments against the truth that may seem logical at first glance. Rely on God to interpret anything you see or hear from men and double check it against what the Bible says.

Luke 20:1-26

The chief priests confronted Jesus and asked who had given Him authority to perform the miracles He had been doing. Jesus agreed to tell them if they could tell Him whose authority John the Baptist had worked under. They couldn't admit that John's authority came from heaven because they hadn't believed him before. They didn't want to say that his authority came from men because they feared the backlash from the crowds who had believed and followed John. Therefore, their answer to Jesus was that they didn't know. Because they could not answer His question, Jesus declined to answer theirs.

The answer to both questions was the same: both John and Jesus were given authority from God. There was no point in Jesus answering their question directly - since they had not accepted the source of John's authority, they would not accept Jesus' either. They were merely trying to trap Him into saying something they could use against Him later.


Jesus told a parable about a landowner who rented his land to some growers. When harvest time came, he sent one of his servants to collect a portion of the harvest. The growers beat him and sent him away with nothing. This happened two more times before the owner decided to send his son thinking he might command more respect. The growers killed the son in the hopes that they might gain his inheritance. The response of the owner, Jesus said, would be to destroy the growers and give the land to someone else.

This parable was directed at the chief priests to condemn the fact that they were about to have Jesus killed. The history of Israel was that nearly every prophet that God sent was beaten and/or killed. God tried to reach out time and again and was trying once more with His only Son and still they would not listen. Human nature causes us to want to have things our own way. We don't like people telling us what to do and pointing out our shortcomings, but that's just what we need. God uses the people around us to help us see the things we tend to overlook in ourselves.


The chief priests sent people to Jesus to ask Him questions in order to catch Him saying something wrong to use against Him. One question was whether it was right to pay taxes to Caesar. Jesus pointed out that the picture on the coins used to pay the tax was that of Caesar. Therefore, he said that they should give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's.

We are told in the Bible that we are to be in the world, but not of it. We have a duty to the kingdom of God, but that cannot overshadow our duties as citizens in this world. So long as the laws of this world don't make us do something that violates God's law, we should obey them - and that includes paying taxes.

Luke 19:28-48

Jesus made His entrance into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. The people were laying down their coats and palm branches in front of Him and praising Him, giving glory to God. At some level these people knew that Jesus was sent by God, but more than likely, had their own idea about what He was going to do. Most were expecting a conquering king to come in and free them from Roman oppression, but Jesus never said that was what He was going to do. We must listen to what God has to say about what He is going to do and praise Him based on what He reveals to us, not what we want to believe.


When Jesus came into Jerusalem, He kicked the people out of the temple who were selling things. The church belongs to God and should stand apart from the rest of the world as a place where we worship God. When we use it for our own personal gain, we are worshiping ourselves and not God.

Luke 19:1-27

A tax collector named Zaccheus was trying to see Jesus as He walked by, but he was so short he couldn't see over the crowd. In order to get a better view, he climbed up a tree. Jesus saw him in the tree and told him to come down so He could go to Zaccheus' house. When the people saw what Jesus was doing, they grumbled about how Jesus was going to be the guest of a sinner. Zaccheus declared that he was going to give half of what he had to the poor and pay back everyone he had cheated four times what he took. Upon hearing this, Jesus stated that salvation had come to Zaccheus' house that day.

Zaccheus was a true seeker. He did whatever was necessary to see Jesus. Once he saw Him and Jesus called on him to do something, he did it. He was convicted of his sins and made a plan for reparations. It is important to take an inventory of our lives and determine who we have wronged. When possible, we should make reparations to the person and ask for forgiveness. In doing so, we do more than just assuage our own guilt, we allow the other person to heal as well.


Jesus told a parable about a man who left on a long trip to take care of some business. While he was gone, he gave three of his servants some money to do business with while he was gone. The first and second second servant used the money to earn more in their masters absence, but the third servant merely hid it away and gave his master back the same amount. The master was pleased with the first and second servant and gave them more responsibilities. He was displeased with the third servant and took away what he had and gave it to the other two.

Everything we have comes from God. If we take the things He gives us and use them for His glory, He will bless us and fulfill our needs. If we sit on them and keep them to ourselves, He will not give us more and has every right to take away whatever He chooses. By giving away what has been given to us, we truly receive the best from God. This is completely different from what the world at large teaches about taking and taking and taking. God doesn't want us to live like the world though. He has shown us a better way.

Luke 18:18-43

A rich man asked Jesus what he needed to do in order to inherit eternal life. Jesus first told him to keep the commandments. When the man said he had done so, Jesus told him to sell all he had and follow Him. Because he had so much, he didn't want to do this and became sad. Everything we have belongs to God. When we try to hold on to it, we are refusing to give God what is His. Things aren't the problem. It's the love of things that is the problem. When we cling tighter to our possessions than we do to God, we have proven where our allegiance truly is. No matter how well we keep the commandments, nothing can make up for that.


As Jesus was going along, he healed a blind man by the side of the road. The man was calling out to Jesus and even though the people around him were telling him to be quiet, he kept calling to Jesus until he was heard. When we need Jesus, we need to call out to Him no matter what anyone else says. Don't let other people influence your decisions and make you turn away from our Lord. God rewards those who persevere, even in the face of opposition.

Luke 18:1-17

Jesus spoke about praying constantly. He used a story of a judge who didn't care about God or other people, but when a certain woman kept coming to him to ask for protection, He finally gave in because he figured she wasn't going to stop until he gave in. Unlike the judge in the story, God cares deeply for us. He does not give in to our requests because we annoy Him, but because He loves us. We should pray constantly for what we need from God, believing He will hear us and provide for us.


Jesus told another story about two men who went into the temple to pray. The first, a Pharisee, was full of himself while he prayed, thanking God he was not like the tax collector who was also there to pray. The tax collector prayed to God confessing he was a sinner and asking for God's mercy. Jesus said the tax collector was the one who was justified. To be forgiven, we must admit that we need to be forgiven. We need to confess what we have done wrong and ask God for mercy. We should not compare ourselves to others or brag about how we have it all together. God blesses the humble because we all have plenty of reason to be humble before Him. We are all guilty in the eyes of e perfect God and ignoring that fact does not endear us to Him in the least.


People were bringing babies to Jesus in order for Him to bless them. The disciples turned them away, but Jesus said to let them come. Perhaps the disciples thought Jesus was too busy or important to be bothered with babies, but He wanted to see them. Children are the future of the church. We need to bring them up in the light of God's word in order that they will grow up to be faithful servants. Don't discount anyone because of their youth. We need to teach them what we know and maybe even learn a little something from them in return.

Luke 17:20-37

Jesus was asked by the Pharisees about when the kingdom of God was coming. His answer was that it was already here. When Jesus came, He started calling people into the kingdom of God. Whoever follows Christ, and therefore God, is in the kingdom. Perhaps the Pharisees were thinking of an earthly kingdom, but by His answer, Jesus showed it is much more.

To His disciples, He gave a more full answer about His second coming and told them there would be no sign of His return. It would happen without warning and people would be living their lives as they always have. Because of this, we need to be ready every day for Christ's return. He could return tomorrow, next year or ten years from now - we can't know. And if we can't know, we need to make sure we are in right standing with Him now. No one is guaranteed another day on this earth, so putting off a decision to follow Jesus and do His will could turn out to be a huge mistake. How many have died before making a decision thinking they had more time? Don't be one of them.

Luke 17:1-19

Jesus said that stumbling blocks are inevitable, but that doesn't excuse someone who causes another to stumble. Each of us has enough in our lives that we create ourselves to stumble over - we don't need help from somebody else. The opposite is just as true: we shouldn't become stumbling blocks for others. As much as possible we need to strive to help people instead of making their lives harder.


When the apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith, he told them that they only needed the smallest amount of faith to do great things. They were looking to be rewarded, but Jesus told them they did not deserve to be rewarded since they had only been doing what they were told to do. A rewards based mentality is not in line with God's ways. If we only do things in order to be rewarded, we show we don't understand how God works. Sometimes we just need to do the right thing because it is the right thing and not expect to get something back from man or from God.


Jesus healed a group of ten lepers. After they were healed only one came back to give glory to God and thank Jesus. Do you come to God only when you need something? When God answers your prayers, do you thank Him? Too often, we take God for granted or treat Him like a magic wish granting genie. This type of attitude does not honor God. He wants to hear from us when things are good as well as when they're bad. He wants our thanks and praise when He provides for us. Basically, He wants to hear from us all the time. Make sure there's a slot in your daily schedule to talk to God no matter how your life is going that day.

Luke 16:19-31

Jesus told a parable about a man named Lazarus who was poor and sick (covered with sores) who sat outside a rich man's house hoping for some food. The rich man did not help him and after some time Lazarus died and was taken to heaven. When the rich man died, he was sent to hell. He looked up and saw Lazarus in heaven and cried out to Abraham for Lazarus to bring just a drop of water to cool his tongue. When he was told this wasn't possible, he asked if Lazarus could be sent to his brothers to warn them of the fate awaiting them in hell. To this, he was told that they had Moses and the prophets - if they didn't listen to them, someone rising from the dead wouldn't sway them either.

Many non-believers will say that they won't believe in God or Jesus until some incredible thing happens (God physically appearing to them, some grand miracle, etc.). The truth is we have been given enough signs and evidence to accept or reject God's plan and if what we have isn't enough, a big display won't make much difference. The hardened skeptic will dismiss anything that might have been considered spectacular by explaining it away by natural causes or ignoring it all together. Abraham said that someone rising from the dead wouldn't sway the rich man's brothers. Jesus rose from the dead nearly 2000 years ago and people weren't swayed then. They found ways to ignore what happened or come up with some other way to explain it. Things haven't changed a whole lot in two millennia.

Luke 16:1-18

Jesus told a story about a steward who lost his job due to mismanaging his master's money. Before he left, he settled some of his masters accounts for less than what was owed in order to endear himself to the debtors. His hope was that he would be able to collect on the favors when he was no longer employed. His master saw what he was doing and commended the steward for his shrewdness.

This kind of shrewdness is what Jesus saw as lacking in His followers. We need to take opportunities to do God's work and store up treasure in heaven the same way this dishonest steward secured a place for himself when he realized he was losing his job. This does not mean that we should cheat people, but just that we are always to be looking for circumstances which God places us in where we can do some good. Especially when it seems as though things are going bad, we should look to God for how he can work in our lives at that time.

Luke 15:11-32

Jesus continued with a third story of something being lost and then found - the story of the prodigal son. This son demanded his inheritance early from his father. He then moved far away and spent all the money imprudently. He wound up broke and having to feed pigs to get by and still had nothing to eat. He came to his senses and decided to go home to his father and become one of his hired hands, since even they had it better than he did at that time. When he returned, his father threw a big party to welcome him back.

We have all turned away from God at some time in our lives. It's not always as dramatic as the prodigal, but even in the small decisions when we choose our way over His, we effectively turn our backs on Him. The desire to do things our own way gets the best of even the strongest Christians, but when we are ready to come back, God welcomes us with open arms. Coming back means confessing our sins and humbly asking for forgiveness. That is when God's grace pours out on us and heaven rejoices at another lost son come home.

Luke 15:1-10

The Pharisees were grumbling about how Jesus was associating with sinners. In response, Jesus told a set of three stories. The first was a shepherd leaving 99 of his flock behind to go find one lost sheep. The second told of a woman who had lost a coin and carefully searched her entire house until it was found. In both stories, there was rejoicing due to the lost thing being found.

Jesus came to seek and save the lost. In order to do this, He had to go where they were. His message was meant for sinners because only sinners need a Savior. By deeming people unfit for socializing with, the Pharisees were missing the opportunity to share God's love and grace with others. God didn't save us so that we could become high and mighty and look down our noses at others. We were all lost once, and someone reached out to us, found us, and brought us to God. Be like that person and do the same for someone else.

Luke 14:25-35

Jesus spoke about what it meant to be His disciple. We need to be willing to leave behind our family and even our own self interests and make Him the utmost object of our love and attention. We also need to be ready for trials and hardships. The life of a Christian is not a pain-free life. Christ was despised by many and suffered at their hands. We should not expect better treatment than He had.

All of these things were said so that the people would know what was in store before they followed Him. It would not have been right for Him to do a bait-and-switch by saying everything would be great for those that followed Him just to let them find out later that it wasn't so. Likewise, when sharing with others about Christ and what He's done for us, we shouldn't sugar coat things to make it seem like the Christian life is a problem-free life. We all have problems. The difference as a follower of Christ is that we have Him to lean on to get us through whatever comes our way.

Luke 14:1-24

Jesus challenged the Pharisees by healing a man on the Sabbath. The Pharisee's interpretation of God's law was flawed and Jesus took every opportunity to challenge them. The reasoning Jesus applied to this situation was that if one of their sons or oxen fell into a well on the Sabbath, they would help him. Helping someone is always the right thing to do regardless of the day.


Jesus talked about being invited to celebrations and how we should not presume upon the host to take the honored place, but rather take the lowest place and allow the host to offer the honored place if he chooses. He also said when hosting a dinner party, not to invite only friends and family, but also the less fortunate who do not have a way to repay the favor. This thinking is contrary to what we naturally tend to do. We tend to believe we are more important than we are and look for repayment for our actions. What Jesus modeled and what He wants to see in us is humility and kindness. By thinking of others first, we gain more than we could ever get by grabbing attention for ourselves.


Jesus told a story of a man who put together a large dinner and invited many, but when they were called to come, they had excuses for why they couldn't. This angered the man, but he sent his servant out again to call any people he could find in the streets who were crippled or poor to come. After this was done, there was still more room, so the man sent his servant out further to the highways to invite more people to come. This pattern can also be used for how we should preach the gospel - first to our friends and family, then to the people locally, and finally going out to the rest of the world to spread the good news. This has been going on for around 2000 years now and there is still room at the table! God wants us to invite people to come. If they reject the offer, go to someone else. There is still room at the table!

Luke 13:18-35

Jesus said that the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed that grows into a large tree or a small bit of leaven which leavens a much greater amount of flour. God doesn't start things off big - He starts off small. That way when that small thing becomes big, His part in it can't be denied. Give God whatever you have. No matter how small or seemingly insignificant, once He gets hold of it, He can do amazing things we never could have imagined.


Jesus said that not everyone who tries to get into heaven will be able to. He gave an example of people coming to gain entrance to a house after the master has shut the door for the night. No amount of coaxing convinced him to let them in, saying he did not know them and telling them to go away. God is not fooled by people who just go through the motions of serving Him. Even just saying you follow Him is not enough. We must be fully committed to Him if we want to be welcomed by Him. He won't settle for anything less.


Some Pharisees approached Jesus and warned Him that Herod was out to kill Him and He should run. Jesus was not concerned because He knew that it was not His time and this was not the place where He would die. God's plans cannot be rewritten by any man or group of men. We can be secure knowing that God has considered every detail from Creation to Judgment Day and has a perfect plan. He has offered each of us the choice to join in and be a part of that plan. What a blessing it is to even be allowed to play the smallest part in His work!

Luke 13:1-17

Jesus spoke about people's suffering and how we can't make judgments about their sinfulness just because bad things happen to them. Just as God never promised that Christians would have everything go right for them, He also never promised that evil men would have everything go wrong for them. Simply put, good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. This is important to remember, not only when looking at the lives of others, but in our own lives as well. The fact that you are going through a tough time doesn't automatically mean God is punishing you. Look to God in the troubling times for strength and help to grow during the challenge.


Jesus told a parable of a fig tree that did not bear fruit for three years. The owner of the vineyard told the keeper to cut it down since it was useless, but the keeper asked for one more year in which he would fertilize the tree well in a final attempt to make the tree fruitful. God wanted to see fruit from Israel, His chosen people, and waited a long time for it. After it seemed all hope was gone, He tried one last time by sending Jesus. God is extremely patient, but He will not wait forever. He gives each of us enough chances to choose Him and bear fruit in our lives before He makes the decision to cut us loose.


Jesus healed a woman on the Sabbath and the leader of the synagogue reprimanded Jesus for doing so. He told all the people who were there that work should not be done on the Sabbath and to come back another day to get healed. Jesus showed how hypocritical this was by reminding them that they untied their animals to give them water on the Sabbath. How much more important was this woman's healing than watering an animal? Why should she have had to wait another day to end her suffering? We have to use common sense when applying Biblical commands to our everyday lives. God wants us to follow His rules, but we can't do so blindly. We always need to remember that people are His first priority.

Luke 12:35-59

Jesus taught that we should always be ready for His return. Until that time, we need to be doing the things He has told us to do. Think about it - we don't know when He's coming back, so we should be making sure each and every day that we are prepared for that day.


Jesus said that He had not come to bring peace to the earth, but rather division. Families would be split apart because of the message He had brought. This doesn't mean that we are to seek conflicts. Rather it is more an acknowledgment of how things are. Not everyone reacts to the gospel message the same and some who deny the gospel message aren't content to simply dissent and go on their way. Some people are so opposed to God's word that they become verbally or physically abusive toward anyone or anything connected to it.


Jesus said the people could look at the sky to tell how the weather was going to be, but couldn't see the signs of the times. We cannot ignore the spiritual side of life in favor of the physical side. We need to be able to interpret what we see and hear in order to truly have a relationship with Him. He has revealed Himself to us in many different ways (nature, the Bible, etc.) and it is our privilege to find Him everywhere we can.

Luke 12:1-34

Jesus was telling His disciples that they should be more concerned about their standing with God rather than with the Pharisees. The worst that anyone on this earth can do to you is kill you, but if you're right with God, your eternal future (the part that matters most) will be secure. If you're not in right standing with God, you'll spend your eternity in hell. Even still, He told them that the Holy Spirit would be with them to teach them what to say when they would eventually be brought before the Pharisees or other leaders.

We can become so afraid of what other people think or what they might do to us if we proclaim belief in Christ and stand up for Him. That's just short-sighted thinking. People pleasing may make us comfortable in the here-and-now, but we need to be thinking of eternity. Jesus said that if we lift Him up before men, He will lift us up before God. This isn't just a one time thing though. We need to lift Him up in the things we say and the things we do all the time. The best part is, we don't need to go it alone. We can lean on the Holy Spirit for strength and guidance, especially when things seem to be getting tough.


Jesus taught that possessions don't determine you who are. Material things are temporary and we can't take them with us when we die. Rather than worrying about how we're going to get all the things we need to get by, we need to focus on serving God and He will take care of the rest.

Wherever we store our treasure, that is where our heart will be. When we serve God, we are storing treasures in heaven. Knowing what awaits us there, our hearts long for the day we will see the kingdom and see God face to face. If our treasure is here on earth, heaven has little appeal.

Luke 11:29-54

Jesus said the only sign that that generation would get was the sign of Jonah. He said that just as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, He was a sign to their generation. The difference being that the Ninevites repented, and these people would not.

We're living in a time when more is known about the accuracy and veracity of the Bible than almost any time since it was written. Unfortunately, more information doesn't translate to more faith. Even the people who saw Jesus performing miracles did not accept Him as the Messiah, nor did they repent of their sins. It truly comes down to a matter of the heart. For those with hardened hearts, it becomes very easy to ignore the truth or build up convincing reasons for why we don't believe.


Jesus talked about how a lamp is not hidden, but is put up on a stand to light a room for everyone. He also said that the eye is the lamp of the body and that when it is clear, our entire body will be filled with light.

Jesus is the light and we need to keep our eye on Him. If we take our eye off him or if we let something obstruct our view, we can't receive the light. Therefore, we need to take great care to always be looking toward Jesus and make sure nothing gets in our way.


Jesus was invited to have lunch at a Pharisees house. When He sat down at the table, the Pharisee was surprised that Jesus hadn't done the ceremonial hand washing before He ate. Jesus used this opportunity to address some of the many things the Pharisees were letting dirty up their insides while spending so much attention to cleaning their outsides.

What good is it to look good on the outside? Only men look at the outside - God looks on the inside. Going to all the right church events, wearing your Sunday best, and volunteering for every committee is not going to impress God. If all of these things are taking the place of real, honest commitment to God, they don't mean anything. Do a self check and see if the things you are doing to please God are actually the things that please Him.

Luke 11:1-28

One of Jesus' disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray. He responded with a model prayer that recognizes God's authority over our lives, then asks for sustenance, forgiveness, and protection. Jesus also taught them that we need to be persistent in prayer. He promised that if we keep seeking God and don't give up, He will answer our prayers. He illustrated how we, as earhtly parents, give good things to our children when they ask and how God, being a perfect parent, gives perfect gifts to His children.

We need to learn persistence when going to God. So often, we get impatient and feel God is not acting quickly enough for us and give up on prayer. According to Jesus, we should to keep with it, coming back to God again and again until we have an answer. God wants to provide for us, but He does so in His own time. When you pray for something specific, listen closely to the answer. Is He saying "no" or "not yet"?


After Jesus had cast out a demon, He was accused of being in league with the devil. Using reason, He asked how that would make sense. Why would the devil work against himself by casting out demons?

Jesus used logic. He simply showed how the accusations against Him didn't stand up to simple reasoning. Too often, Christians are accused of being illogical in their beliefs when it's the people trying to tear Christianity down who often have the most problems drawing up a logical argument. God is a logical God. He made a universe that makes sense when we look at it properly.


A woman in the crowd offered up a blessing to Jesus' mother, but Jesus answered back that it is the person who listens to the word of God and does it who is to be blessed.

God does not judge people on who they are related to (for some that's blessing enough), but on how each individual follows His commands. You're not a Christian just because your mother or father was a Christian. Christianity is not an inherited trait like eye or hair color. It is a personal decision that you and you alone can make for yourself.

Luke 10:25-42

A lawyer (of the Mosaic law) asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus turned the question back to him and asked what the law said. The lawyer said to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus told him that was all he needed to know. Pressing the question, the lawyer asked who his neighbor was. Jesus answered with a parable:

A man was victimized by robbers who took all of his belongings and left him by the side of the road half dead. Three men came along: a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan. The first two saw the man and passed by on the other side of the road. The Samaritan was the only one to stop and help.

Jesus then asked which one proved himself to be a neighbor. The lawyer answered the one who showed the victimized man mercy. Jesus told him to go and do the same.

Our neighbor is anyone we come across in our life. When we see someone in need, we should act out of compassion, not thinking of the cost or what we'll get in return. This is the fulfillment of the command to love our neighbor. The way to do that is by following the first part of the command to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. It is by loving God we learn to love our neighbor.


Jesus went to the home of Mary and Martha. While Martha was busy getting things ready, Mary was by Jesus listening to Him. When Martha complained to Jesus that she was doing all the work, Jesus told her not to worry about all of that and that Mary had chosen the right thing by listening to Him.

Work is important - especially work for the Lord. The problem is that if we get so busy doing that work and don't take the time to listen to God, we'll either be spinning our wheels going in the wrong direction and/or become spiritually (and physically) exhausted. Take the time to slow down and go to God to be fed and refreshed regularly.

Luke 10:1-24

Jesus sent out 70 of His followers to spread the news of the kingdom of God and to heal people. They were instructed to travel modestly and seek food and lodging from the people in the towns they visited. If they were not accepted in a town, they were to move on, even shaking the dust from their feet.

The 70 came back with good news of how they had even been casting out demons in Jesus' name. Jesus told them it was because He had given them the authority. They shouldn't be celebrating the victory over the demons, but rather that they had been assured a place in heaven.

Jesus publicly gave praise to God the Father for revealing Himself to these 70 who it appears to have not had any formal religious training like the scribes and Pharisees. He then turned back to His disciples and told them they were blessed because of the things thy were seeing and hearing. All of history had been pointing to Jesus' ministry and many kings and prophets had longed to witness them.

Until Jesus returns, there will always be a thirst for the message of salvation through Christ. Modern missionaries are continuing to take the gospel to places far and wide. Even if we don't go to some foreign country, we can still take that message out in our daily lives. We each have our own personal mission fields called work, school, and everyday life. The thing to remember is that we don't need fancy training or years of studying before we are qualified to spread God's word. The very minute you accept Jesus into your life, you are fully qualified to share your story. Everyone has a unique story and yours could be just the one someone needs to hear to take the next step in following Christ.

Luke 9:28-62

Jesus went with some of His closest disciples to a mountain. There, He was transfigured and was talking to Moses and Elijah about His coming death. The disciples were completely amazed when they saw all of this. When they came back down from the mountain, a man who had brought his son to the other disciples asked for Jesus' help for his son because the disciples hadn't been able to do anything for him. Jesus healed the boy and everyone was amazed.

The "mountaintop" experiences we have from time to time where we can get away from the frantic pace of life and truly focus on Jesus are wonderful times for renewing our faith. It is tempting to stay in those times, but the work to be done is not on the mountain - it's down where everybody else is. We need to know when to get away to reconnect with God, but then we need to take that new strength and get back to fulfilling our purpose - caring for people and telling them the good news of Jesus.


Jesus told His disciples He was going to be delivered into the hands of men, but they did not understand. This was information they needed to hear, but were not yet ready for. Sometimes God shows us things that we don't understand at the moment, but we realize the importance of later on when we need to use it. Don't ignore the things God is trying to tell you just because you don't see how they apply to you right then. He may just be preparing you for something to come.


When the disciples were arguing about which one of them was greatest, Jesus brought a child before them and told them that whoever accepts a child like this accepts Him, and in turn, God. The key to being great is to be humble. It is one of the wonderful dichotomies in the Christian faith that to be great, you have to be humble. We need to put others' needs before our own and honestly care for them just as God cares for us.


John told Jesus about another who was casting out demons in the name of Jesus, but they tried to stop him since he was not one of them. Jesus told them not to try to stop him. Just because someone doesn't attend the same church (or a church of the same denomination) as you doesn't mean they're not a Christian. Don't judge people based on where they worship God. The fruit in their life should be proof enough of whether or not they are following Jesus.


Jesus sent messengers to a Samaritan town to arrange for food and lodging on the way to Jerusalem. When the people in the town realized where He was going, they refused Him service. James and John wanted to destroy the town in a flash of lightning, but Jesus rebuked them. Revenge is revenge even if we try to mask it in righteous indignation. The Lord says that vengeance belongs to Him. We are called to love those who do evil to us and pray for them. God sees all these things and will take care of each person according to His perfect understanding and in His time.


A few different people expressed an interest in following Jesus, but the first was told it wasn't going to be like a vacation; the second two each had something they wanted to finish up first. What can be more important than following Jesus? Everything else will get sorted out, but first you need to get the #1 priority at the top of your list. Jesus doesn't want to settle for second place in your life. Don't wait - follow Him now.

Luke 9:1-27

Jesus sent the twelve disciples out with the power to preach the gospel and to heal people. They went off and did as they were commanded, preaching and healing wherever they went.

When Jesus commissions you to do something, He also gives you the power to do it. He didn't just tell the disciples to go and preach and heal, He gave them the power to heal and to cast out demons. As Christians, we can come to Jesus for whatever we need to do the work He has for us. How exciting that we have that direct line to the source of all power. We don't have to rely on our own power (which is never enough) once we learn to depend on Jesus.


When the disciples came back, Jesus tried to go away to a secluded place with them, but a crowd followed them and Jesus decided to teach and heal them. Once it started getting late, the disciples wanted to send the people away so they could get food, but Jesus fed the entire crowd of over 5,000 with only five small loaves of bread and two fish. When everyone had had their fill, twelve baskets full of leftover bread were collected.

God's abundance never runs out. When you think you've seen all God has to give, He's only getting started. This doesn't apply solely to material things, but to intangibles like strength, courage, grace and forgiveness. God can take a little and make a whole lot out of it. And why not? He made the whole world out of nothing at all! Give him whatever you have and see what He makes with it.


Jesus asked the disciples who people said He was. They answered, John the Baptist or one of the old prophets. He then turned the question to a more personal level asking who they said He was. Peter answered that Jesus was the Christ. With that, He told them not to tell that to anyone until He had suffered, died, and risen again. He also said that whoever wanted to follow Him would have to put their own personal interests aside and be ready for a rough road to come.

Following Christ isn't easy, but if we believe He is who He said He was, we need to do what He told us to do. We each need to pick up our cross on a daily basis and consciously choose to follow Him. Each day when you get up, tell Jesus, "Today, I choose to follow You." It's not an easy decision. Following Jesus doesn't mean that everything is going to be perfect in our lives - Jesus promised just the opposite. The difference is that with Jesus, we can handle whatever comes our way.

Luke 8:22-56

Jesus was in a boat with His disciples when a severe storm came up. His disciples went to Him because they were frightened and found Him sleeping. Jesus got up and calmed the storm, much to the amazement of His disciples.

Does it feel like Jesus is asleep sometimes in your life? Like He's not paying attention and you're caught in a storm? Know that He is always with you and is always in control. You only need to call on His name and He will help you through the troubling times.


Jesus came to a place where He encountered a demon possessed man. Jesus cast the demons out and allowed them to go into a nearby herd of pigs which were subsequently driven over a cliff. After hearing of all this, the people from the surrounding area were fearful and asked Jesus to leave. The man who had been possessed wanted to go with Jesus, but He told him to stay there and tell others what God had done for him.

Not everyone rejoices with new Christians. Some are so opposed to Christ that they don't want to have any part in the new life Christ brings. Regardless of how others react to the change in our lives though, we need to carry the message of Christ and what He has done for us to everyone we can. It can be tempting to just retreat to Jesus and leave the doubters and naysayers behind, but that's not what He want us to do. We're to get out there and share what's happened in our lives so others may share the joy we have found.


Jesus was asked to come to a man's house to heal his daughter. On the way, someone came and told them the daughter had died. Jesus pressed on anyway, assuring the man his daughter would be made well and telling him to believe that she would. When Jesus got to the house, he went into the girls room and raised her from the dead.

God can redeem any situation, even when all seems lost. Never cease praying for His hand to intervene. With God there is no such thing as a lost cause - even though it may seem that way to us. If God can bring someone back from the dead, He can handle anything that comes our way as well. He is the Creator of the universe and nothing is impossible for Him.

Luke 8:1-21

Jesus told a parable about a man sowing seeds. Different seeds fell on different types of ground producing different results. This was to illustrate the general ways that the gospel message affects people. (See Matthew 13:1-23)

We can't know how people will react to the gospel message. Our job is to spread the word. Just like with the sower in the parable, the seed will fall in different places. The Holy Spirit goes before us to prepare the hearts (till the soil) of those who will hear the message. Pray that God is working on the hearts of those who you will have a chance to share the His word with. Then watch for opportunities to spread the message of salvation whenever you can.

Jesus taught that just as a light in a house is not hidden under a bed or anything else, but put up on a lampstand to give light to all, this truth they had been given was to be shared. Today, Christians still have the same responsibility - share what you have been given. If we hide our light (cover it up) it will go out. If we share the light with others, they can have the light as well, and together we shine brighter and brighter and brighter. The whole world should be lit up with the light of Jesus!


Jesus' mother and brothers came to Him while He was preaching and couldn't get to Him because of the crowd. They got someone to give Jesus the message that they were there, but Jesus answered that His mother and brothers were the ones who heard the word of God and did it.

Family can sometimes distract us from what God wants us to be doing. We are to love our families, but God should come first. This is not an excuse to be mean to our family members, but if they are keeping us from doing what we are supposed to be doing, we need to take a stand and choose obedience to God first and foremost.