Three Minute Thoughts

Jesus reminds us that there will be challenges coming but those challenges are meant to make us ready for his return.

Jesus is challenged by the leaders of the church. He reminds them that just because you don't like the message doesn't mean it's not true.

Jesus teaches Zacchaeus that he's never too far from God's love. Then challenges the disciples to take a risk with their faith for the sake of the kingdom.

We can do all the right things for the wrong reason and it's still wrong. Probably ought to get the heart right before we go patting ourselves on the back for good actions.

Jesus' teaching ministry shifts to helping people understand the power of the gospel that they have with them already. He's getting them ready for his death which is very soon coming.

Jesus teaches us about being faithful with what we have before asking for more. If we can't handle what we have why would we be given more? That's just setting us up for failure. And God doesn't do that.

When lost things are found we experience relief and happiness. When we are the lost that are found we experience eternity and joy.

Jesus explains that following means life change. It means hard times. It means that we will stand out in the crowd. Are you willing to pay that cost?

Jesus describes what it means to follow him. When we make the task too easy or door too wide we lessen the value of the gift we've been given.

Jesus teaches a lot about being ready. We need to be aware of false teaching yet feast on the truth. We need to be ready to claim Christ and our faith in him no matter where we go or what we do.

Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray but not what to pray. Then he hits the locals between the eyes with some powerful truths about demons, division and details.

Jesus not only sends out the 12 but also another, much larger group called the 72. If Jesus sent the 12 and the 72, you better believe he sent me and you.

Jesus sends out the disciples with everything they need to do some pretty powerful work.

Jesus teaches in parables about who he is and what he's doing and why he's doing it. These parables are designed to lay God's truth against a current reality to help us gain a more intentional connection to what he teaches.

When we see people's faith in action we can learn a lot about their character and their understanding about who and what they believe.

Jesus begins to teach but does so in words and in ways that are not easy to hear at times.

When Jesus calls his disciples, he calls the ones that are not good enough, already tried but failed and otherwise busy. He does this so we realize he takes us where we are to do his best work in us.

As a man Jesus is able to be tempted. As God those temptations don't work. Watch how Jesus handles the 3 temptations that we all struggle with even today.

The genealogy of Jesus is given twice in the gospels. Once through Mary (Matthew's gospel) and once through Joseph (here in Luke). Why? What's the difference?

The events surrounding the birth of Jesus are important to set the stage for the rest of his ministry.

The book of Luke starts by introducing us to a familiar and really important character - John the Baptist. John will be used to highlight the importance of all that Jesus will begin to do in the next chapters.

Paul seeks to bring together a broken relationship.

The message of Paul's letter to the church in Colossians is all about how to live out the faith you claim with your words.

When we are in Christ and realize the power of the gospel in our lives, we'll quickly realize that what we used to be no longer works. So it's time to put on the new self.

Today's reading builds on the reality that Jesus is the fullness of God in human form. Let no one twist that view in your mind.