JLP.church Sermon Podcast

If Jesus rose from the dead, then someday we can go to heaven, too. Right? Is that the message of Easter Sunday? If it is, what are we supposed to do in the meantime? What if we don't die right away? Does Christianity have anything to say about what happens to people this side of heaven? What does it say about things like pandemic disease and economic ruin? Pastor Luke preaches from Matthew 28:1-1...

When Jesus entered into Jerusalem the week before his Crucifixion, what was he doing? Did the crowd back then understand him? Why did they put palms on the road before him? Does this still mean anything for us today? Pastor Luke preaches from Matthew 21:1-11 in "Inconspicuous Kingdom."

To help public health authorities deal with the coronavirus pandemic, people in Anchorage have been asked to "Hunker Down" and join people around the world in social isolation and self-distancing. What should Christians think about this crisis? More importantly, how should we think about it? Pastor Luke looks at Luke 21:5-36 in "Hunker Down."

What would Jesus say about the coronavirus pandemic? Pastor Luke preaches from Luke 13:1-17 in "Pandemic Faith," the concluding message in his series, "Spiritual Agriculture."

Jesus cursed a fig tree, even though it wasn't the season for figs. That seems unreasonable, but really, it was just unusual. Jesus did something unusual to underscore what he was saying about how people can avoid being unfruitful. Pastor Luke preaches from Mark 11:12-25 in "Unfruitful," part 2 of his 4-part series, "Spiritual Agriculture."

Lent is the season of repentence, and repentence means rethinking everything. Even the decision about trusting God with your life. This was the most important decision Jesus made, and he said that if we followed him, we'd have to make it too. Pastor Luke looks at John 12:20-36 in "The Most Important Decision," the first message in a new series, "Spiritual Agriculture."

What makes a fast acceptable to God? How hard on yourself do you need to be be for God to be impressed with your discipline? And how will that make anything different? Pastor Luke looks at Isaiah 58:1-12 in "Hard On Ourselves."

Three of the four biographies of Jesus describe when his appearance was transfigured or changed. That event is a mystery inviting our contemplation and even our wonder. But alongside it was a much less mysterious statement about who Jesus is and how his followers ought to respond to him. Pastor Luke preaches from Luke 9:28-36 in "Come Down From the Clouds."

Most people who follow Jesus have certain expectations about their discipleship. We have at least a few ideas about what God will do in our lives. But how often do we consider the reverse? What does Jesus expect of us? Pastor Luke preaches from Matthew 10:32-42 in "Cold Water," the concluding message in his series, "Harvesters."

Jesus commanded his followers to proclaim the availability of God's Kingdom. This leads to two problems: first, God's kingdom is hard to see because of all the world's troubles, and second, the world might not thank us for telling them. Jesus said it probably wouldn't, but to do it anyway. Pastor Luke teaches from Matthew 10:16-33 in "Be Not Afraid: How Christ Changes the World," part 3 of his 4-p...

It's easy to confuse what we do with how we do it. That's just as true for Christians as for anyone else. So it's worth stepping back to look at what Jesus calls the church to do, and how he says to do it. Pastor Luke looks at Matthew 10:5-15 in "Rules for the Road: How We Can Participate in Jesus' Mission," part 2 of his 4-part series, "Harvesters."

Learning from the Scriptures and being guided by Jesus' teaching is always rewarding, especially when the Church faces new challenges. In this series we will be guided by Jesus' instruction in Matthew 10. We begin by looking at the people Jesus picked to proclaim the Good News about his Kingdom. What did Jesus see in them? How are they like us? Pastor Luke preaches from Matthew 9:35-10:4 in "What...

Jesus commanded his followers to forgive people, even for repeated offenses. But what then? What if people aren't looking for forgiveness? What if they aren't sorry, and the offense wasn't an accident, but deliberate? What should we do when forgiveness isn't enough? Pastor Luke teaches from 1 Samuel 24:1-22 in "When Forgiveness Is Not Enough," the concluding message in his series, "Junk Bonds: Som...

We've seen that forgiving makes sense whether or not you're a Christian. But it's optional. Unless you're a follower of Jesus; then it's required. Why is forgiveness so important for Christians? What if we've tried to forgive someone and it's just too difficult? What if we managed to forgive them, and then they did the same thing again? Pastor Luke preaches from Matthew 18:21-35 in "Forgiving Repe...

To forgive, it's been said, is to "give up all hope of a better past." There are good reasons, if you've been hurt by someone, to let the past go. But is letting it go the best you can hope for? What does Jesus teach us about forgiveness? Pastor Luke teaches from Mark 2:1-12 in "How to Forgive Better," the first message in a new series, "Junk Bonds: Some Debts Can't Be Repaid."

In the third edition of "Ask Me Anything" we covered these topics\: (1) speaking in tongues, (2) what the Bible says about telling truth or lies, (3) the ethical implications of the widow's two coins, and (4) what to say to people who've suffered trauma in the church. Pastor Luke teaches from 1 Corinthians 14:1-12 in "Ask Me Anything."

At Christmas, the angel came to the shepherds to announce Good News. When the Church tries to pass on this message today, sometimes we make it sound like Good Advice. What's the difference between news and advice? Can any message from so long ago still be news? And if it can, what would make it good news? Pastor Luke looks at Luke 2:1-16 NLT in "Good News of Great Joy."

When Mary became pregnant with the baby who would be Jesus, all Joseph's plans were put in jeopardy. But what he did depended more on his dreams and his hopes. When life's circumstances, and even tragedies, upset our plans, what can we learn by looking at Joseph's story? Pastor Luke looks at Matthew 1:18-25 NLT in "Square One."

The Apostle Paul said that Jesus initiated the new age, and that he made it possible for us to live in that coming age already, without waiting for it to come in its fullness. When we do, Paul said, we will experience the hope, peace, and joy that God provides. How can we start living in the age to come? What does it look like? Pastor Luke looks at Romans 15:1-13 in "Open Secret," the concluding m...

An earthquake is a lot like how the Apostle Paul described Jesus' return. It's certain to happen but we don't know when. But Paul had more to say than, "Nobody knows when." Pastor Luke preaches from Romans 1:1-7 in "Good News Long Ago," part 2 of his 3-part series, "Hope, Peace, and Joy: How Christmas Still Matters."

Advent is the season when we look back to look forward: back to Christ's first coming, forward to his future coming in glory. But what purpose does it serve to look forward? According to the Apostle Paul, it's like looking to the eastern sky before dawn. What did he mean by that? Pastor Luke preaches from Romans 13:11-14 in "How Christmas Still Matters," the first message in a new series, "Hope, P...

We're made so we would wanteven needto be generous. Why did God make us like that? Especially since it doesn't always possible to be generous. What did Jesus teach about practicing generosity? Pastor Luke preaches from Matthew 20:9-15 in "Generosity: How to Have a Life That Overflows," the concluding message in his series, "A Better Life."

If you want to be happy, or even to be healthy, you need people in your life. But they have to really be in your life, not just near it. What does Christianity teach us about how we can be part of an authentic community? Pastor Luke looks at Mark 2:2-4 in "Community: God's Plan for a Happier and Healthier Life," part 5 of his 6-part series, "A Better Life."

People generally want to be good at what they do. But is it wrong to aim even higher, at greatness? What does Christianity teach about the pursuit of greatness? Pastor Luke teaches from Mark 10:41-45 in "Greatness: How to Have a Significantly Better Life," part 4 of his 6-part series, "A Better Life."

For thousands of years, people of faith have turned first to the Hebrew Scriptures, then to the New Testament, to find direction and meaning for their lives. How can reading the Bible make our lives better? How do we actually go about reading the Bible? Pastor Luke preaches from Psalm 19:7-11 in "Text Messaging: How to Find Direction and Meaning for a Better Life," part 3 of his 6-part series, "A...