JLP.church Sermon Podcast

Who is beyond God's grace? Is there such a thing as being "God-forsaken?" Have you ever wondered? Peter, a leader in the early church, didn't wonder--he knew! He'd been taught that whole nations of people were beyond saving. But one day, Peter suddenly realized that couldn't true, because Jesus had been hung on a tree. Why did that matter? Pastor Luke preaches from Acts 10:34-42 in "Hung on a Tree...

Nobody likes to be judged: even by our family, much less by our friends and neighbors, and especially not by God. Since God is able to enforce his judgments, it's easy to see things that happen in our lives as God's judgment at work. Good things mean good approves, bad, that God disapproves. Jesus says that's a mistake, though, and offers a different way to look at God's judgment. Pastor Luke teac...

Why was Jesus crucified? One of the main reasons has to be his encounter with the religious authorities at the Temple after he drove out the money changers. What were the religious authorities doing wrong, and why were they insulted by what Jesus said? More importantly, what attitude of theirs must we guard against in the church today? Pastor Luke preaches from Matthew 21:33-41 in "Vineyards," par...

One day, Jesus got upset with what was going on in the Temple and he began flipping over tables. What was it that made him angry? Earlier that same day, he cursed a fig tree. Was it the same thing that got him angry? Are these stories even related? They are, and there's a tool that helps modern readers see how large chunks of the Bible combine to communicate a key teaching. So what is the teaching...

Everybody's heard about the Adam and Eve and the snake and the apple and fig leaves, even people who aren't Christians or Jews. But it's a kind of a downer. What does that old story about the first man and woman teach us today? Is the garden of Eden just a grim reminder of human failing, or is there some good news in it? Pastor Luke looks at Genesis 3:1-8 in "Eden," the first message in a new seri...

The season of Lent is concerned with repentance and reflection, and, often, with fasting. What makes for a good fast? Pastor Luke teaches from Isaiah 58:1-12 in "Scrub Up."

In the Bible, the Transfiguration of the Lord is described four times: once in a letter, and three times in the biographies of Jesus. So it's a important. But it's also very weird. Why? Is there some way to cut through the mysterious aspects of the story and arrive at an understanding that helps us know how to be better disciples today? Pastor Luke looks at Luke 9:28-43 in "Morph."

We've seen how our lives are better when we have margin in the areas of time and finance, but really, margin is a great idea wherever we apply it. For example, when we have emotional margin, we aren't anxious or angry or stressed-out. Margin is equally useful in areas of our physical existence like diet or exercise. But another area many of us could use margin is in the area of sleep. On average,...

In our discussions about margin, we've seen how having margin in the different areas of our lives gives us peace. But margin is also the place in our lives where we can help others. When we lack margin, our capacity to volunteer or give is constrained. The Old Testament Law shows some ways that people in Bible Times used margin to help others, and studying that Law gives us insights about how we c...

One area where many people lack margin in money. While our money goes further than ever before, somehow, we seem to run of out it before we run out of the things we need it for. Jesus taught a key principle about money, however, that he said religious people should learn from nonreligious people. If we did, we could be masters of money instead of money being our master. What is that principle, and...

Jesus had margin in his life, and he teaches us how we can have it too. Time is one of the areas where we lack margin. Too often, we find ourselves rushing from one activity to another, never catching up with all the demands on their time. Jesus teaches an important principle, however, that shows how we can have margin in the area of time. What is it? Pastor Luke looks at Luke 10:38-42 in "Time,"...

Having margin in our life makes us more like Jesus. Jesus had enough margin that he was able to be effective in his ministry even when the unexpected occurred. But Jesus also showed how God works in the margins: even when our margins aren't very broad, when we feel stressed and stretched, if we offer God what we do have in faith, God multiplies the little we have. Pastor Luke teaches from Luke 9:1...

There is only one story in the Bible about Jesus from the time of his birth to his baptism and the beginning of his public ministry. (There are a lot of stories, but they aren't not in the Bible. The others are just made up and passed down.) Why have Christians always been interested in Jesus' childhood? And more importantly, if the Bible only has this one story about Jesus' childhood, what should...

The most famous Bible verse is John 3:16 ("For God so loved the world...") and we see it all year long: on billboards and clothes, and especially in the stands at football games. What does it really mean? And what does this "year round" verse have to do with Christmas? Pastor Luke preaches from John 3:9-21 in "Love," the concluding message in his series, "Coming Soon."

"Peace on earth" was what the angels proclaimed to the shepherds. What did they mean? Did Jesus really bring peace, and how can we have it? Pastor Luke looks at Luke 2:8-14 in "Peace," part 2 of his 4-part series, "Coming Soon."

How you remember high school or college probably depends a lot on what cliques you were part of: jocks, band, stoners, geeks, etc. But cliques don't end with high school. People spend a lot of time and effort learning how to navigate their social circles, either for personal advantage, or to avoid personal hazards. What does Jesus teach about that kind of jockeying and maneuvering? What does his t...

Do you have a small god? Are there things about your god that are small? Maybe your god doesn't have much power: there are things your god would like to do if he could, but he can't? Or maybe your god doesn't have much love: your god could help, but won't, because it's not his problem? So how big is your god? The prophet Isaiah spoke a message from God that illustrates how big God really is. Pasto...

What is the purpose of the church? Why is there a church, anyway? For that matter, isn't Christianity just about the relationship between a believer and Jesus? Not according to the apostle Peter, and Peter spent more time with Jesus than probably anybody except Jesus' mother. Then what is the church about? Pastor Luke teaches from 1 Peter 1:22-2:10 in "After Infancy, What?," the first message in a...

What is the church for? Why did Jesus establish the church? Why shouldn't Christians just pray and praise God and do the other things they do as individuals? Why do we join with other Christians in community? The Book of Acts describes several occasions when the early church wrestled with what it meant to be in relation with other Christians. What can we learn from them? Pastor Luke teaches from A...

What is our role in the Kingdom of God? Jesus tells us the Kingdom of God is drawing near, and calls us to share that good news with others. How do we do that, and does it mean we have to do evangelism? Questions like these were answered by Jesus when he told his disciples how to share the good news about his kingdom. Pastor Luke teaches from Luke 10:1-12 in "Mission," part 5 of his 6-part series,...

The Cross says that God took on himself the punishment for all the evil we do and the evil we get caught up in. That's good news, but what is God's plan for dealing with the evil itself? Is God ever going to do anything about the sources of human suffering and pain? Jesus says the answer is "Yes...but not yet." Pastor Luke looks at Luke 19:11-27 in "Kingdom," part 4 of his 6-part series, "Declarat...

Last week Pastor Luke said that Grace means that, no matter what your circumstances seem to be, no matter what you may feel or what people tell you, "God doesn't hate you." No matter what you've done, no matter who you've hurt, God still loves you and wants to be reconnected to you. That may seem hard to believe, but grace really is amazing, just like the song says. But is it too good to be true?...

We think about God, but what does God think about us? Is it even possible to know what God is thinking? Christianity says that Jesus shows God's grace. What does that mean, and what difference does it make? Pastor Luke teaches from Luke 15 in "Grace," part 2 of his 6-part series, "Declarations."

Christianity makes a lot of claims about the world: about us and the universe and especially about God. But are they true? Do the ideas of Christianity align with the real world? How do we know? Pastor Luke preaches from John 1:18 in "Truth," the first message in a new series, "Declarations."

Autumn reminds us that things change. More things than just the weather change: society has been transformed, for better or worse, in just a generation's time. That includes the church. How do we relate to change? Is there a way to celebrate the past without wanting to live there? Pastor Luke preaches from 2 Kings 2:11-18 in "Replacement."