Forward Church Brant

Shaped For Mission|Derik Fuller

The One Who Redefines Family- Derik Fuller

Even in times of fear, loss, and uncertainty, God’s goodness is not absent—it is our anchor. David declares confidence in God’s goodness not after deliverance, but while still waiting. This Psalm calls us to a faith that sees God’s goodness through the fog of hardship, not just in hindsight.

As this part of Luke wraps up, we get the list of the twelve people Jesus handpicks to be His closest friends and followers—His apostles. Some of the names jump out right away: Peter, James, John. They’re all over the gospel stories and go on to become major leaders in the early church. But then there are others—guys like James, son of Alphaeus—who we honestly don’t hear anything else about, apart...

Imagine it: it’s your day off, the sun’s out, there’s a soft breeze, and you’re just walking through a wheat field with Jesus. As you stroll, you casually pick a head of grain, rub it in your hands, and pop it in your mouth—just enjoying the moment and the peace of being with Him. The whole scene just feels like rest. But not for the Pharisees. They’re watching this peaceful moment and instead of...

We kicked off this part of Luke with Jesus calling some pretty unexpected people to follow Him—but now, He takes it even further. In this story, Jesus doesn’t just invite someone unlikely… He invites someone most people would’ve seen as completely undeserving. Back in the day, tax collectors weren’t just unpopular because, well, no one loves paying taxes. In first-century Judea, they were seen as...

After watching Jesus forgive sins —and then seeing Him and His disciples hanging out and feasting with tax collectors and other outcasts—the Pharisees are done. They’ve had enough. So, they confront Him. “Why,” they ask, “don’t your disciples follow the traditions? Why aren’t they fasting like John’s disciples or ours?” Jesus’ answer probably didn’t help their frustration. He doesn’t dismiss the o...

News of Jesus has gotten out. The crowds are swelling, wanting to see this man who has the power to heal and cast out demons, this Jesus who speaks with an authority none of them had ever experienced before. And then something truly incredible happens: Jesus withdraws from the crowds who are clamoring for Him and heads elsewhere. Often our greatest moments of testing come, not in moments of failur...

Luke tells us that as Jesus ministered in Capernaum, people “were astonished because his message had authority.” In this story, Luke gives us a glimpse of the power of Jesus. There is no power or authority greater than Him. As vs.36 tells us, “he commands the unclean spirits with authority and power, and they come out.” If we are in Christ, his power and authority are available to us today. In Joh...

After his baptism, Jesus heads into the wilderness and fasts for 40 days. Upon completion of 40 days of fasting, the devil appears to tempt Him. This passage provides us with an opportunity to show our church both how the devil tempts us and how, like Jesus, we can resist that temptation. Knowing how the devil tempts us is important, so we are prepared when temptation comes our way. First, it may...

There is no such thing as a solo Christian. Coming to Christ means becoming a part of his church. From the very beginning of the church, we see that, although every individual has to make their own decision about who Jesus is, for those who decide to follow Jesus, they are not only joined with Christ, they are joined with everyone else who has claimed Jesus as Saviour and Lord. Our culture of hype...