JLP.church Sermon Podcast

If Jesus has set us free from sin, why do we still sin? What is it that makes sin feel so irresistible sometimes? Pastor Luke preaches from Romans 7:14-25 in "Miserable," part 6 of his 13-part series, "Romans."

Is the Grace of God a "Get Out of Jail Free" card? Is the gospel a blank check for sinning? The New Testament says that Christ died for everyone who has faith in him. Does that mean we can sin as much as we want to? Pastor Luke teaches from Romans 6:1-14 in "Sin City," part 5 of his 13-part series, "Romans."

Because we have peace with God through Christ, we might expect our lives to be smooth sailing. And when they aren't, we might wonder if we really do have peace with God. The Apostle Paul, however, says that problems help us develop our character, so we can endure and even boast about our problems. Pastor Luke looks at Romans 5:1-11 in "Character Building," part 4 of his 13-part series, "Romans."

People can be distinguished according to race, politics, age, sex, and countless other factors. Sometimes these harden into divisions, and that seems to be taking place increasingly today. Is it possible for people to get along? Should we even try? Why? In the first century, the Apostle Paul said we can and we should. Pastor Luke teaches from Romans 3:21-30 in "Righteous," part 3 of his 13-part se...

Jesus told his followers that when he left, he would send them another helper, and sure enough, the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. But what did Jesus mean by 'helper?' What does the Holy Spirit help people do, and how does he help us? Pastor Luke looks at John 14:8-27 in "Another Helper."

What should we think about sickness? Thinking about sickness is necessary because we all get sick, and so do the people we care about. But thinking about sickness is hard to do well. An ancient document called the Book of Job can give us a different perspective that can help us as we think about sickness. Pastor Luke teaches from Job 2:3-13 in "Sickness."

In the beginning of his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul says the message of Jesus is good news for all kinds of people. People who've done wrong would welcome forgiveness. But does everyone need forgiveness? What about people who do right? Pastor Luke teaches from Romans 2:1-11 in "Just Judgment," part 2 of his 13-part series, "Romans."

Paul's letter to the Romans is his most general purpose letter, and because of that, it is an introduction both to Paul and to the good news about Jesus. Not just for the people in Rome but for us too. Pastor Luke teaches from Romans 1:1-7,16-17 in "Overview," the first message in a new series, "Romans."

The Hebrew Scriptures include some troublesome passages where God authorizes or even commands acts of terrible violence. But any conversation about those passages shouldn't ignore the passages where God prevents violence from taking place. Especially since God may use people for that good purpose. Pastor Luke teaches from 2 Kings 7:1-16 in "Spreading Hope."

The women who went to the tomb on Easter Sunday found some men there who asked them what must have seemed like a dumb question. They soon learned it was actually profound, not only then, but still today. What is the question? "Why are you looking for the living among the dead?" Pastor Luke preaches from Luke 24:1-12 in "The Empty Tomb."

It's easy to see when something has gone wrong and needs to be fixed. But fixing it can be difficult, especially when we are the problem, or part of it. God promised to provide a king who would rule forever and repair all the things that had gone wrong with creation. But what happens if the people reject God's solution? Pastor Luke looks at Luke 19:28-40 in "The Last Mile."

From ancient times, followers of Jesus have affirmed that Jesus will someday return, and when he does, he will judge "the living and the dead." But nobody wants to be judged. Is there a better way to understand what that means? Is there some way to look forward to the coming judgment? Pastor Luke looks at Matthew 24:21-31 in "Arrival," the concluding message in his series, "Creed II."

The ancient Christian document called the Apostles' Creed affirms many mysteries, in which the full truth lies beyond human capacity to understand fully. But one of the least mysterious things the Creed states about Jesus may still be the least understood. What is the Ascension, and why is it so misunderstood? Pastor Luke looks at Acts 1:4-11 in "Ascended," part 5 of his 6-part series, "Creed II."

"Why did Jesus have to die?" Jesus' death is one of the central mysteries of Christianity. We may never fully understand it, but the writers of the New Testament gave us several ways to think about it. Pastor Luke looks at Luke 23:44-54 in "Dead and Buried," part 4 of his 6-part series, "Creed II."

"Why do Christians make so much about the cross?" Jesus might have been executed on a cross, but does that make the cross itself important? Would it have mattered if Jesus was executed some other way? Pastor Luke teaches from John 18-19 in "Crucified," part 3 of his 6-part series, "Creed II."

Why do Christians come to churches on Ash Wednesday? What do they think God wants from them? What do they expect to get out of it? Pastor Luke looks at Isaiah 58:1-12 in "What Kind of Fast?."

On Transfiguration Sunday, we remember when God told the disciples to listen to Jesus. Today, Jesus' followers listen to him through prayer, study of the New Testament and Hebrew Scriptures, and discussions with other Christians. Some Christians also refer to writings like the Apostles' Creed. Why? Where role do confessional statements have in listening to Jesus? Pastor Luke preaches from Luke 9:2...

It's easy to think that since Jesus is unique, we can't do the things he did. But when he healed a man with a contagious skin disease, Jesus taught his followers how to change the world. Pastor Luke teaches from Luke 5:12-16 in "Social Distancing."

What do we do when we don't know what to do? Which way should we go, if going back seems just as hard as going forward? Pastor Luke preaches from Luke 5:1-11 in "Man Overboard."

Why don't we have riots in churches today? Where Jesus went, people sometimes got angry -- even early in his ministry -- and sometimes they rioted. People rioted wherever the Apostle Paul went. But we don't have riots today, at least not in Alaska. Why not? What are we doing wrong? Pastor Luke preaches from Luke 4:22-30 in "For Not About."

How are Christians today different from the people that Jesus spoke to in the first century? What difference does the things that Jesus said and did make? What difference should it make? Pastor Luke preaches from Luke 4:14-21 in "Fulfilled Today."

Mark describes a time when Jesus wanted to give his followers a rest so they could catch their breath and celebrate what God had been doing. But other people followed where they were going, so instead of a rest, they got a miracle. Pastor Luke looks at Mark 6:30-44 in "Jesus Followers."

In the latest installment of our occasional "Ask Me Anything" message series, Pastor Luke addressed four questions, (1) What authority does St. Peter have with the Keys to the Kingdom? (Matthew 16:13-20) (2) What happened to Esau? (Genesis 27:41;33:4,12,16-17; Deut. 2:2-5) (3) How does the Lord see divorce when one partner refused reconciliation? (Matthew 19:3-9) (4) Are you familiar with some of...

What did the angel mean when he told the shepherds, "Your savior is born today?" What is a savior? Who does he save? What does he save them from? Pastor Luke teaches from Luke 2:1-18 in "Your Savior is Born Today."

Are you ready for Christmas? Not "this year's celebration of Christmas," but the thing the celebration recalls: the coming of the King that God had promised. Are you ready for that? Pastor Luke looks at Ephesians 1:1-14 in "All the Things," the concluding message in his series, "Under the Tree."