Pastor Mike Impact Ministries

In Luke 16, it appears that the main theme of thischapter is stewardship and our accountability over what the Lord has entrustedus with. The Wall Street Journal quoted an anonymous wit who defined money as"an article which may be used as a universal passport to everywhere exceptheaven, and as a universal provider for everything except happiness." Paulwrote in 1 Timothy 6:10, that the lov...

Today, we’re finishing Luke chapter 15. In this chapter, Jesus tellsthree parables in response to the Pharisees who criticized Him for being afriend to tax collectors and sinners. The theme running through all threeparables is lost, found, and rejoicing. Keep that in mind.   At this point in theparable, the scribes and Pharisees felt confident that they had escaped ourLord's judgment, for He h...

When I was growing up, Ihad a father who was a very committed follower of Jesus, but was also verystrict, and honestly, I had a fear of him and his punishments. If I got caughtdoing something bad, I dreaded coming home and facing my dad. I knew that hewas going to meet me with a belt or paddle in his hand and that he would bevery angry at me for disgracing him. I got many whippings that I deserved...

Thestory of the prodigal son is probably one of the most read and liked stories inthe Bible. We can relate to it in some way! Either we have strayed ourselves,or someone in our family that is dear to our hearts has wandered far away fromGod. This parable, told by Jesus, is about a young man who demands hisinheritance, leaves his father’s house, and squanders everything in recklessliving. By verses...

InLuke 15, Jesus tells three parables about lost things. The first, the lostsheep, shows Jesus, the Good Shepherd, pursuing a foolish sinner far from God. The second, the lost coin, pictures a believer still in God’s house but hiddenin the dirt, perhaps useless to Him through carelessness, sin, neglect, ordistraction. The woman, a picture of the Holy Spirit, lights a candle, cleansthe house and fi...

Todaywe celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.. This morning, we’llreflect on seven incredible truths that reveal the depth of God’s love andgrace toward us—truths that change everything   TheAmazing Truth That God Loves Us – John 3:16 John 3:16 isn’t just a verse; it’s the heartbeat of thegospel. God loves you—personally, deeply, eternally. Before we go further, letthat sink in. The...

Picturea woman in a dimly lit Palestinian home, realizing one of her ten silver coinsis missing. These coins were more than money, they formed a headband worn by abride, a symbol of her marriage, like a wedding ring. Losing one was a crisis. So, she lights a lamp, grabs a broom, and searches every corner, sweeping awaydust and peering into shadows. When she finally finds that glinting coin, herjoy...

Luke15 has become one of my favorite chapters in the Bible over the years. Thispassage paints a vivid picture of God’s heart for the lost. The chapter beginswith tax collectors and sinners, people who are despised and rejected bysociety, are drawing near to Jesus, eager to hear His words. Thisscandalizes the Pharisees and scribes, who see themselves as righteous andabove such “sinners.”   Theirgru...

WhenJesus left the Pharisee's house, great crowds followed Him, but He was notimpressed by the size of the crowd or their enthusiasm. In this passage, Jesusspeaks to a large crowd following Him, saying, “If anyone comes to Me anddoes not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters,yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bearhis cross a...

Imaginesitting at a Pharisee’s table with Jesus when one of the guests exclaims, “Blessedis he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” Jesus responds with aparable: A man prepares a great supper and invites many guests. When the timecomes, he sends his servant to say, “Come, for all things are now ready.” But the invited guests make excuses. One bought land and needs to see it,another bought o...

Luke 14:12-14 12 Then He also said tohim who invited Him, "When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask yourfriends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they alsoinvite you back, and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite thepoor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because theycannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurre...

Welcometo Pastor’s Chat! Today, we’re diving into a powerful lesson from Jesus in Luke14:7-11, where He teaches us about humility through a parable told at a dinnertable. You can easily picture the scene in this passage. Jesus is at a dinner,watching guests scramble for the best seats, closest to the host, the spotsthat scream, “I’m important!” It’s a familiar human impulse, isn’t it? We wantto be...

In this passageJesus gives us at least three examples of how to silence our critics.   First, we should bewilling to confront criticism with bold truth. The Pharisees invited Jesus todinner not to learn but to accuse. They used a suffering man as bait, hoping tocatch Jesus breaking Sabbath laws. Jesus saw through their motives andconfronted them directly, asking, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabba...

Thescene opens with Pharisees approaching Jesus: “Get out and depart from here,for Herod will kill you ” (v. 31). They’re likely scheming, hoping to scareHim from Perea, which was Herod Antipas’ territory, back to Judea, where theSanhedrin could trap Him. Herod, who beheaded John the Baptist (Luke 9:7-9),was curious about Jesus’ miracles but now threatens His life, perhaps fearingHis influence. Th...

Today, in Luke 13:22-30, we will hear Jesusgive us a call to the urgency of salvation.   AsJesus is teaching, someone, perhaps curious, skeptical, or admiring, asks aboutthe number that will be saved. The scribes often debated this, but Jesusreframes it: “Don’t ask how many; ask if you will be one.” He says, “Striveto enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enterand wil...

These parables are oftentaken out of context and misinterpreted, but they have much to teach us aboutGod’s work, Satan’s schemes, and our call to discernment.   First, Jesus asks, “Whatis the kingdom of God like? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a mantook and planted in his garden; and it grew and became a great tree, and thebirds of the air lodged in its branches” (Luke 13:18-19). On the...

As Jesus journeys toward Jerusalem, He enters a synagogue in Perea,teaching on the Sabbath as was His custom. There, He encounters a womancrippled for eighteen years, bent double by a spirit of infirmity. This momentbecomes more than a healing, it’s a lesson in freedom, compassion, and theclash between God’s heart and human tradition.   Youcan imagine the scene. Jesus is preaching when He notices...

Jesusbegins, “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he cameseeking fruit on it, and found none. Then he said to the vinedresser, ‘Behold,these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none. Cut itdown; why does it cumber the ground?’” In Jewish law (Leviticus19:23-25), a new tree’s fruit wasn’t eaten for three years, the fourth year’scrop went to God, and the...

Jesus is nearing Jerusalem when some in the crowd bring up agruesome tragedy—Galileans slaughtered by Pontius Pilate, their blood mingledwith their sacrifices. Pilate, a harsh Roman governor, was notorious forclashing with the Jews. He brought Roman ensigns into the Holy City, seizedtemple funds for an aqueduct, and quelled protests with violence. Thisatrocity, possibly during a feast when nationa...

Welcome to today’s pastor’s chat as we conclude Luke 12. Jesus closes with a sobering call: beware of spiritualdullness.   First,let’s consider discernment (Luke 12:54-57). Jesus turns to the crowd and says, “Wheneveryou see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower’scoming,’ and so it is. And when you see a south wind blow, you say, ‘There’llbe hot weather,’ and there it is.”...

Welcome to today’s pastor’s chat on Luke 12, where Jesus speaks to the heart ofwhat it means to follow Him in a broken world. As believers, we are called towait, watch, and work for His kingdom, but this calling comes with a challenge:it won’t be easy. We are aliens in enemy territory, living as stewards of God’sgrace while engaged in a spiritual war. Jesus doesn’t shy away from thisreality—He con...

Remember Luke 12 begins with Jesus warning againsthypocrisy—don’t be a pretender. He cautions against covetousness—don’t chasethe things of this world, because they only bring pain, worry, and fear. And Heurges us not to be careless. Why? Because He’s coming back. “I will go away,but I will come again,” He promises. This isn’t just a distant hope; it’s acall to action. In verse 36, He paints a pic...

Welcome to today’s Pastor’s Chat! In Luke 12, Jesus warns us to beware ofhypocrisy, covetousness, worry, and fear—traps that keep us from pleasing Godin every part of life. These lead to anxiety, but Jesus says, “Do not worry, donot be anxious, do not fear.” His remedy? Believe He’s coming soon. He tells astory of a master returning from a wedding, urging us in verse 40, “Be ready,for the Son of M...

In these verses, Jesus shifted the emphasis from beingworried about the present to being watchful about the future. It is interestinghow all the themes in Luke 12 go together, for one of the best ways to conquerhypocrisy, covetousness, worry and fear is to look for the return of our LordJesus Christ. When you are "living in the future tense," it isdifficult for the things of the world to...

Again, I want to thank all my dear friends who responded toour pleas for prayer for my grandson Luke and his extensive brain surgery thispast Friday! The surgery and the recovery went well, and “Praise the LORD”, hewas able to go home yesterday afternoon! Your prayers, and the Lord’s miraculoushealing hand, made this possible! Thank you! Thank you!   It is amazing to me how this passage in Luke 12...