Have you ever cut down a tree or bush, but it kept growing back shoots? My father-in-law is a wood-cutting master, and he and a friend helped us cut down a tree a couple years ago at my house, and we left a stump about two feet high. That thing grows little bush-like branches allContinue reading “How to kill a tree”
Tag Archives: Jesus
How to transform an over-opinionated, judgmental spirit? THE 10th MAN! – Luke 6:37-42
Last week I introduced Jesus’ next crazy Upside-Down Kingdom teaching. Simply put, he gave us two negatives that should be transformed into to two positives. “Do not judge and do not condemn” should change to “forgive and give.” Instead of being negative-minded about people, we need to be generous toward them, forgiving them. So inContinue reading “How to transform an over-opinionated, judgmental spirit? THE 10th MAN! – Luke 6:37-42”
Was Jesus’ teaching too radical? – Luke 6:27-36
Love your enemies? Give the shirt off your back? Give to everyone who asks? Last week I introduced the next section in Jesus’ sermon in Luke 6, the section he starts off famously “Love your enemies.” Jesus really has some challenging things to say here. Because Jesus’ words are so different from the prevailing truthContinue reading “Was Jesus’ teaching too radical? – Luke 6:27-36”
Show love to ISIS?
A Facebook friend posted an article which included the video below, which is a message to ISIS. Give it a look and see what you think. How do you feel about that? We continue our study of Jesus’ Words, Works and Way in the Gospel of Luke this Sunday, and we come to another oneContinue reading “Show love to ISIS?”
Why Jesus says the poor are blessed – Luke 6:17-26
We want to be rich. We do not want to be poor. In Luke 6:17-26, however, Jesus takes that normal desire and turns it on its head. He says the poor are blessed, while he says “Woe” to the rich. To understand why in the world he would say that, we need to take aContinue reading “Why Jesus says the poor are blessed – Luke 6:17-26”
Does God want you to be rich? (and healthy?)
Have you ever heard of the Health and Wealth Gospel? It is a view of faith in Christ that has been around a while that basically says “if you are faithful enough to God, he has to bless you with health and wealth.” If you believe enough, he will heal you. If you give enough,Continue reading “Does God want you to be rich? (and healthy?)”
When the world throws crazy at you, put on headphones – Luke 6:12-16
Today we welcome Phil Bartelt as guest blogger! Phil is a pastor in the EC Church, who, along with his family, are part of the family of Faith Church. After taking a couple weeks to fast-forward in Luke to the stories of Holy Week, Phil resumed our teaching series through Luke. With this post PhilContinue reading “When the world throws crazy at you, put on headphones – Luke 6:12-16”
Is there only bad news and a broken world?
Hearing the bad news coming out of Kenya these past few days has been a sobering reality about our world. I know that there is tragedy and evil like that pretty much every day of every week, but this one hit home because we have close friends who are missionaries in Kenya, and my sonContinue reading “Is there only bad news and a broken world?”
Is Sunday the new Sabbath? – Luke 6:1-11
Last week I introduced the next sermon in our series on Luke saying that Jesus told the Bible scholars they didn’t know the Bible. In Luke 6:1-11 he really gets in their face. At one point the Pharisees confronted Jesus’ disciples for rubbing grain in their hands on the Sabbath, saying the disciples were harvestingContinue reading “Is Sunday the new Sabbath? – Luke 6:1-11”
What happens when Jesus tells the Bible scholars they don’t know the Bible?
The religious establishment is on him. They’ve been following him ever since he splashed onto the scene months earlier, healing people and preaching and gaining a following of large crowds. These Bible teachers, these Pharisees, are the religion police of their day, and they have dispatched some agents to check Jesus out. Now they’re followingContinue reading “What happens when Jesus tells the Bible scholars they don’t know the Bible?”
Engaging Scripture 