Centered on Christ Podcast

Acts 1 picks up where the Gospel of Luke ends. Acts is founded upon what Jesus did and taught, as well as His resurrection from the dead. As we begin this book, we see preparation being made for the apostles’ mission after Jesus’ ascension back into heaven. Get full access to Centered on Christ at centeredonchrist.substack.com/subscribe

The news coming from the churches of Galatia was distressing to the apostle Paul. Some were perverting the gospel of Christ, and many Christians were turning away from Christ to follow this “false gospel” (Galatians 1:6-9). The false teachers claimed one must first obey the Law of Moses before being saved by Christ (Acts 15:1, 5). In refuting this misuse of the Scriptures (2 Peter 3:16), Paul remi...

God established the first home on day six of the creation week. After placing Adam in the garden of Eden and providing him with instructions regarding its care (Genesis 2:15), he concluded: “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him” (verse 18 NKJV). God subsequently created woman from one of Adam’s ribs (verses 21-22). Eve was made to fill the void that w...

We’ve all been there when a discussion turned into a disagreement, which blew up into a quarrel or a fight. Discussion, or even disagreements, are not the problem, however. The problem is when these things descend into a quarrel. The Greek word for “quarrel” (such as in 2 Timothy 2:24, NKJV) refers to a “fight,” such as in an armed struggle in war, or a “war of words”. When people fight with weapo...

The book of Acts picks up where the Gospel of Luke ends. Now that Jesus has been crucified, buried, raised, and ascended back to the right hand of the Father, the message of who He is, what He has done, and what He brings must be proclaimed. Acts shows the “good news” of Jesus being taken to all the world, beginning at Jerusalem (Acts 1:8), and shows how people responded to that message. Get full...

Church buildings are not the church. The building is a cold, lifeless structure without people. It is only wood, brick, mortar, carpet, shingles, and paint. The church is the people. The people provide the life, the animation, and the activity. It is possible, however, for a church to appear to be living, yet be dead. To the church in Sardis, Jesus said: “I know thy works, that thou hast a name th...

Luke closes his gospel account with Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and ascension back into heaven. Jesus emphasizes throughout this chapter, as He has already told His disciples, that all the things which happened to Him were “according to the Scriptures.” This was God’s plan all along. Lord willing, next time, we will continue to follow along with Luke into the book of Acts, where we will disc...

Luke tells us of the repeated demands for Jesus’ death in Luke 23, and of the blasphemy and mockery of those who wanted Him dead. But Luke also emphasizes another important detail: Jesus is innocent. The death of Jesus on the cross and His burial in the tomb around sunset on Friday set the scene for the greatest moment in the history of the world. The Resurrection is coming. Get full access to Cen...

Luke has been moving toward the cross and the events surrounding it. Luke 22 shows how these events were a “battle” between Satan and God - who would come out victorious and who would be defeated? It’s a reminder of the very first prophecy of Christ from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15). Get full access to Centered on Christ at centeredonchrist.substack.com/subscribe

Jesus shocked His disciples by warning them about a time when the temple - and Jerusalem itself - would be destroyed. Before it happened, His disciples would suffer many things, but they would have the opportunity to testify of Jesus before many people, including powerful rulers. There would be signs of the approaching destruction of Jerusalem, and Jesus warned His disciples to remain on guard so...

After cleansing the temple of the corruption and greed at the end of Luke 19, Jesus confronts the same corruption among the leaders of the people. They had taken what God had given them and corrupted it. For some of the same reasons Jesus addresses in Luke 20, we still see much religious corruption in the world today. Get full access to Centered on Christ at centeredonchrist.substack.com/subscribe

In Luke 19, Jesus knows the crowd rightfully sees Him as their King, but they misunderstand what kind of King He is and what kind of kingdom He will have. While some would serve Him, many would reject and oppose Him, and Jesus wept over what that meant for them. He was the King who had come to “seek and save the lost” - regardless of who they were. Get full access to Centered on Christ at centered...

In Luke 18, Jesus teaches about those who will enter God’s kingdom and those who will not. His teaching revolves around trusting God and humbling ourselves before Him. Get full access to Centered on Christ at centeredonchrist.substack.com/subscribe

After warning about the dangers and consequences of sin, Jesus emphasizes the importance of faith and reminds His apostles to obey their Master. At the close of Luke 17, Jesus also speaks about judgment. Get full access to Centered on Christ at centeredonchrist.substack.com/subscribe

Jesus confronts the Pharisees’ love of money by telling a parable of an unjust manager, saying God knows the true condition of their heart, and then offering a final warning through His story of the rich man and Lazarus. Although they claimed to serve God, they really served wealth and their own desires. Although they claimed to believe the Scriptures, they really did not believe God’s word (John...

Whenever I think about the blessing my mother has been in my life, and the blessing my wife has been as the mother of my children, my thoughts always turn to Proverbs 31. Thank God for the role godly mothers have in our lives! Get full access to Centered on Christ at centeredonchrist.substack.com/subscribe

Just as Luke 14 begins with Jesus sitting down to eat with the Pharisees, Luke 15 begins with the tax collectors and sinners continuing to come to Jesus to hear His teaching over a meal. In response to the complaints of the Pharisees against Him, Jesus tells three parables that show how God cares about the lost being found. Since God cares that the lost are found, shouldn’t we also care? Get full...

In Luke 14, Jesus eats a meal with the Pharisees and experts in the Law of Moses on the Sabbath Day. He wants to save them as well (Luke 13:34). He teaches them about the need for humility, the proper motives behind their deeds, and having the right priorities. There is always a cost to following Jesus. Get full access to Centered on Christ at centeredonchrist.substack.com/subscribe

Luke 13 is a passionate plea by Jesus to His audience. He urges them to repent and turn to God through Him, before it’s too late. He warns His listeners that their “window of opportunity” is rapidly closing. He wanted to save them, but many were unwilling to come to Him. This chapter urgently calls everyone today to repent and obey the gospel of Christ before the door closes and there are no more...

This section emphasizes Jesus as the Judge, and He repeatedly warns His listeners to be prepared. While wealth in and of itself is not wrong, wealth can easily become a distraction from the things that matter most. Jesus warns His audience not to allow that to happen to them. Because one day, we will all appear before Him (2 Corinthians 5:10). Get full access to Centered on Christ at centeredonchr...

Jesus interacted with many Jewish scribes and Pharisees. While these groups were very knowledgeable about the Scriptures and were deeply respected in Jewish society, they had a serious problem. Their religion was merely outward. Jesus, being God and knowing their heart (John 2:24-25), knew their inward condition and warned them about their problem. It is a warning that we all still need today. Get...

After Jesus cast a demon out of someone, many people marveled. But some challenged the Lord. Their objections centered around two things: * Challenge #1 - What Jesus Was Doing. * Challenge #2 - Who Jesus Is. Luke 11:14-32 shows how the Lord responded to each of these challenges. Get full access to Centered on Christ at centeredonchrist.substack.com/subscribe

As Jesus continues teaching His disciples as He moves closer to the cross, He teaches them to pray. Jesus emphasizes the importance of prayer, the attitude of prayer, the persistence we ought to have in prayer, and how much our heavenly Father cares for us. Get full access to Centered on Christ at centeredonchrist.substack.com/subscribe

As Jesus begins His movement toward Jerusalem - toward the cross - He starts by focusing on teaching His disciples what it means to walk in His way. Jesus places a high cost on following Him, but also promises immense, eternal blessings to those who choose to follow Him. Get full access to Centered on Christ at centeredonchrist.substack.com/subscribe

This episode concludes the first section of Luke and emphasizes who Jesus is. Although it is clear who Jesus is at this point, and His disciples know who He is, His disciples are still lacking in many critical areas. Knowing who Jesus is means we must follow Him. But knowing and following Him means we must allow ourselves to be molded by His word (Romans 12:1-2). Disciples must become more like th...