Faith and Life Podcast

Christ the King Sunday Leadership is a hot topic these days, both because of our desire to lead better and our perception of a great lack of effective leadership in our country. The way that Jesus chose to lead and reign as king was to complete the mission his Father ordained for him – dying on the cross for make us right with God and rising again to win for us eternal life. The leadership and rei...

It Is More Blessed To Give Than To Receive. These words echo much louder than the mere act of giving our time, talents, and treasures… We will look at Jesus' words and how the act of giving is a shadow of the God's grace to his children.   Lessons: Acts 20:25, 32-35, 2 Corinthians 8:1-7, Matthew 6:19-21

God doesn't need our generosity, but we do. Stewardship isn't something we love to talk about, but the Bible teaches how important it is for us.  We will look at why it is an important habit in our lives.  We will learn why we are to be good stewards of our money, not because God needs it but because God knows what generosity does to our hearts and ultimately our lives.   Make a plan for your gene...

Sermon Outline   Our Reformation 2017 As we have been wonderfully celebrating the 500thanniversary of the Reformation during this last year, we have been asking, "What is the reformation to which God is calling our St. Luke family?" The great majority of the answers given to this question at the April 23, 2017 St. Luke Member Forum focused on increasing our outreach temperature and behavior so as...

Sermon Outline   Our Reformation 2017 As we have been wonderfully celebrating the 500thanniversary of the Reformation during this last year, we have been asking, "What is the reformation to which God is calling our St. Luke family?" The great majority of the answers given to this question at the April 23, 2017 St. Luke Member Forum focused on increasing our outreach temperature and behavior so as...

Sermon Outline   Our Reformation 2017 As we have been wonderfully celebrating the 500thanniversary of the Reformation during this last year, we have been asking, "What is the reformation to which God is calling our St. Luke family?" The great majority of the answers given to this question at the April 23, 2017 St. Luke Member Forum focused on increasing our outreach temperature and behavior so as...

As we conclude this series, we will teach that occasionally we are moved to do something we don't have to do in order to start God's party in someone's life.   Reggie Joiner writes, "If you only do what you have to do, you will be limited in what you do. It's the stuff that you don't have to do that ultimately changes your faith."   Look for opportunities to go the extra mile for someone.   Lesson...

In the time of Jesus, children were considered less than fully human. Yet, Jesus engaged children, held them up as examples of faith, and so identified with them that he said that when we welcome a kid, we welcome Jesus. This was shocking in Jesus' day. We are thankfully in a significantly more kid-friendly culture and the followers of Jesus have been in the forefront of this shift in western cult...

In many churches, September 24 is being observed as Freedom Sunday, an initiative led by the International Justice Mission which seeks to free those caught in slavery and human trafficking. Using the example of Jesus speaking up for the woman caught in adultery, this sermon will teach that starting a party for someone may first mean speaking up and/or acting to defend them against those that seek...

This former German priest became one of the leading figures of the Protestant Reformation. Luther taught that salvation is not earned by good deeds or by purchasing indulgences but only by the grace of God through Jesus Christ.   This formidable theological giant also confronted issues such as greed and the necessity of interpreting scripture through thorough exegetical study informed by the Holy...

No one would ever think that having a party alone is a good idea. Such a party would be ridiculous, boring, and meaningless. God created us to discover and enjoy the party of life together in community. Life is simply better together. Jesus modeled this in his own ministry and Paul encourages us to do life together. One of the first moves that an effective party starter does is to invite people in...

When God created the heavens and the earth, he made it beautiful. God did this both out of his own eternal value for beauty and as an inspiration for us to revere God. An effective party starter creates the right and beautiful environment so that the guests can enjoy the party and each other.   Lessons: Ecclesiastes 3:9-14, Colossians 3:15-17, 23-24, Matthew 26:6-13

In our series, Sometimes It Takes A Party, we discover unconventional and simple ways to build relationships with others that can lead to a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. When we start a party that meets someone else's dream, we reflect Christ's character and draw people closer to him. Lessons: Ruth 1:8-18, Philippians 2:1-8, John 13:1-15

Habits of a Party Starter: Invite Someone New to the Party We can think of a "party" has any human encounter where a follower of Jesus cares for another person in order to show that person who Jesus is. Inviting someone can be someone you may not know well, it also means inviting someone who is not like you. Lesson: Acts 1:1-8, Galatians 3:23-29, Matthew 15:21-28

God can work through a party to break down barriers to reach lost people and encourage followers of Jesus. Through a party God can change the way we see each other, demonstrate that God cares about people who party, confirm that we are always forgiven, show that people matter more than our opinions, and teach us that everyone is invited to God's eternal party.    Lessons: Isaiah 25:6-9, Acts 10:9-...

This week features our annual look at how God is working in the lives of our students. Lessons: Nehemiah 8:5-6, Acts 9:1-6,13-16, Luke 22:39-44

Drawing on Luther's work on Christian Freedom we will talk about the paradox of liberty and slavery. Luther says, "A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all." When we truly comprehend and internalize what Jesus has done for us, then we are compelled to serve and share the Gospel with others.    Lessons: Psalm 16,...

The parables of the Sower and the mustard seed liken God's Word to seed that is planted and grows. We as Jesus' disciples are called to spread the seed of God's word. However, it is easy to get discouraged when we don't see results from our ministry. But these lessons remind u that it is God who gives the growth. Our calling is to be faithful, to continue to share the astonishing good news of Jesu...

The gospel record reports that the first reactions to the resurrection of Jesus were bewilderment, fear, and doubt. This is understandable given that someone rising from the dead is an astonishing event. Jesus continues to raise us from death to life. This is the astonishing pattern of the Christian life: we die to sin and are raised to new life. Lessons: Mark 16:1-14, 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, Luke...

When Jesus died, people were astonished that Jesus actually died. It remains astonishing that the way that Jesus brought in God's kingdom was to die on the cross.   Lessons: Deuteronomy 21:22-23, Galatians 3:13-14, Mark 15:22-36, Luke 23:44-49

Jesus taught in a way that amazed people. The parables and various teachings of Jesus often left people astonished along a spectrum of indignation to sweet freedom. Most often what we discover in the astonishing teachings of Jesus is God's unremitting love for those whom most religious people think are undeserving of God's love.   Lessons: Mark 1:21-28, Romans 5:6-11, Luke 15:1-7

This summer series will explore gospel accounts of Jesus that, when carefully read, leave us astonished at the behavior and teaching of Jesus. The goal of the series is to see Jesus in a way that will provoke our curiosity and as though we are seeing him for the first time. This will also help to better prepare us to share Jesus with others in a way where they will be astonished by Jesus and their...

The gospel record reports that the miraculous signs, wonders, and healings that Jesus performed astonished people. They still astonish us. The purpose of these miraculous signs and wonders was to give witness to the astonishing truth that Jesus is God in human flesh who came to teach us that God does not keep a religious score card on us.   Lessons: John 14:7-14, Colossians 2:13-15,  Matthew 17:24...

Our God is a relational God, whose love cannot be contained but shared with the world. You have been claimed and called by God in your baptism to experience and share the love of God in Christ with others.   Lessons: Psalm 8, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, Matthew 28:16-20