There is a ton of material in Acts and we can’t possibly cover all of it in our sermons. So one of the things we would like to start doing is encouraging all of you to engage with the text on your own time, with your families, during small groups, and so on.

So we want to point to some of the passages in Acts that we don’t get to during the sermon series. We’re going to try to encourage this in a number of ways. But mostly, we want to encourage you to dig into the text and answer some of the questions we present. Some may have specific answers but a lot of them we don’t know for sure and are just to make you think.
We’d also love to hear back from you. Did you read anything that particularly interested you? Did anything hit you in a way you didn’t expect? Did you end up in a discussion that was particularly applicable within your own life? Please, let us know!

All of us in the leadership firmly believe that there is no substitute for consistent, intentional
engagement with the Bible and we hope that this is an opportunity to make that a habit in your life!

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. 

• How would you describe the ways the disciples were living at this time?
  
• In what ways could this style of living continue permanently and in what ways were they going to be limited?
  
• Do we go through similar seasons of life where our early days as Christian are more intense in terms of?
  
• sharing time and resources in fellowship with others? And if so, how does that end up change?

 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

• What was the beggar expecting and what did he receive?
  
• How do you think God decides who to heal and who not to heal?
  
• How did others react to the beggar being healed?

12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed 

• What kinds of signs and wonders were taking place and how did they occur?
• Where scriptures says “none of the rest joined them,” who is that referring to and why didn’t they join them?

There is a ton of material in Luke and we can’t possibly cover all of it in our sermons. So one of the things we would like to start doing is encouraging all of you to engage with the text on your own time, with your families, during small groups, and so on.

So we want to point to some of the passages in Luke that we don’t get to during the sermon series. We’re going to try to encourage this in a number of ways. But mostly, we want to encourage you to dig into the text and answer some of the questions we present. Some may have specific answers but a lot of them we don’t know for sure and are just to make you think.
We’d also love to hear back from you. Did you read anything that particularly interested you? Did anything hit you in a way you didn’t expect? Did you end up in a discussion that was particularly applicable within your own life? Please, let us know!

All of us in the leadership firmly believe that there is no substitute for consistent, intentional
engagement with the Bible and we hope that this is an opportunity to make that a habit in your life!

Welcome to Engage, your monthly guide to applying the Bible's wisdom in practical ways while challenging you to think deeper. This blog is designed to help you connect biblical teachings with real-world situations.
Each month, we'll focus on a specific passage or theme, break it down into actionable insights, and ask thought-provoking questions that encourage you to dig deeper into your faith. Our goal is to make the Bible both accessible and relevant, offering guidance that inspires growth, reflection, and meaningful change.
Join us as we explore how to live out God's truth, one scripture at a time, and engage in discussions that challenge and strengthen our faith.

All of us in the leadership firmly believe that there is no substitute for consistent, intentional
engagement with the Bible and we hope that this is an opportunity to make that a habit in your life!

37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

• Are we to never judge or condemn?
• These versus say if we forgive, we will be forgiven? Is this transactional in the sense that if we forgive
• others, others will forgive us or does it mean something else?

35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

• This is one of the most famous verses in scripture. Is it truly better to give that receive? Why or why not?

17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

• What does it mean to say that riches are uncertain?
• How can one be rich in good works?

 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

• In what ways can we be living sacrifices?
• How do we test and discern the will of God and in what ways will that renew our minds?

 

Come, let us bow down in worship,
    let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;

• Have you ever literally kneeled before the Lord? What was it like and what led to it happening?
• Is this something we should be doing or is this a practice for a different time and place?

 

15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name

• How can we offer continual worship?
• How would you characterize the fruit of your lips and do you think God approves?

 

16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

• How can we teach and admonish one another within the church?
• Do you feel that you truly have thankfulness in your heart? How can one tell?

 

9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
 

• In what ways is God’s grace varied?
• How can we make sure we serve in ways that God gets the glory rather than us?

23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

• In order to work as if you are working for the Lord, how should your work look different than it does for non-believers?
• What kind of “inheritance” will we receive from the Lord?

 

35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

 

• Which of these forms of service do you feel like we do the best and the worst job of as Christians in general?
• Individually, which type of person listed do you feel like you have the strongest heart for?

 

Welcome to Engage, your monthly guide to applying the Bible’s wisdom in practical ways while challenging you to think deeper. This blog is designed to help you connect biblical teachings with real-world situations.
Each month, we'll focus on a specific passage or theme, break it down into actionable insights, and ask thought-provoking questions that encourage you to dig deeper into your faith. Our goal is to make the Bible both accessible and relevant, offering guidance that inspires growth, reflection, and meaningful change.
Join us as we explore how to live out God's truth, one scripture at a time, and engage in discussions that challenge and strengthen our faith.

All of us in the leadership firmly believe that there is no substitute for consistent, intentional
engagement with the Bible and we hope that this is an opportunity to make that a habit in your life!

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

• This verse describes the Church as a race, a priesthood, a nation and a people. Why do you think those words are used to describe the Church?

 

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

• Are there any implications to being “children of God” beyond him being our heavenly Father?
• What is meant in these verses when it says the world doesn’t know us?
• What is meant in these verses when it says we will see him (God) as he is?

• What types of leaders do we see in the Church?
• How does leadership within the Church differ from leadership within the world?
• What traits should we look for and find in our Church leaders?

 

 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews[a] among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

• Why were these seven men needed?
• What duties were the twelve apostles giving up to address those needs?
• Why did the twelve apostles lay hands on these men? Is it more than symbolic?

 

Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full[a] respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

• What are the qualifications of overseers?
• Why must an overseer be thought well of by others?

 

8 In the same way, deacons[a] are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 9 They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.
11 In the same way, the women[b] are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
12 A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. 13 Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.

• What are the qualifications of deacons?
• In what ways do the qualifications of deacons differ from overseers?

 

5 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint[a] elders in every town, as I directed you. 6 An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe[b] and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7 Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8 Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. 10 For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group. 11 They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. 12 One of Crete’s own prophets has said it: “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.”13 This saying is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith 14 and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. 16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

• Elders are called to rebuke. What does that look like in practice?
• In what ways do these verses describe the behaviors of the insubordinate?
• How can one profess to know God but deny him by works?

 

15 Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. 3 The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.
5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
12 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 13 When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. 14 Simon[a] has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. 15 The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
16 “‘After this I will return
    and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
    and I will restore it,
17 that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
    even all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things’
18     things known from long ago.[c]
19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21 For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”
 

• What specific issues were the Jerusalem Council needing to address?
• Do we have similar disputes today within the Church?
• How should we handle disputes within the Church?

 

As Drew mentioned during his recent sermon, there is a ton of material in Luke and we can’t possibly cover all of it in our sermons. So one of the things we would like to start doing is encouraging all of you to engage with the text on your own time, with your families, during small groups, and so on.

So we want to point to some of the passages in Luke that we don’t get to during the sermon series. We’re going to try to encourage this in a number of ways. But mostly, we want to encourage you to dig into the text and answer some of the questions we present. Some may have specific answers but a lot of them we don’t know for sure and are just to make you think.
We’d also love to hear back from you. Did you read anything that particularly interested you? Did anything hit you in a way you didn’t expect? Did you end up in a discussion that was particularly applicable within your own life? Please, let us know!

All of us in the leadership firmly believe that there is no substitute for consistent, intentional
engagement with the Bible and we hope that this is an opportunity to make that a habit in your life!

6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
 8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

 

• In this parable, why do you think the owner of the vineyard gave the fig tree another year to bear fruit?
• What was going to be done to the fig tree in the meantime?
• What do you think the fig tree represents?
• What specifically do think “cut it down” is describing?

18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.”
 20 Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds[a] of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

 

• Comparing the kingdom of God to a single mustard seed seems like an odd analogy. What point do you think Jesus is making?
• Sometimes leaven is used to represent sin. What do you think it represents in these verses?

14 One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. 2 There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. 3 Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” 4 But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way.
 5 Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?” 6 And they had nothing to say.

• This time, before healing a man on the Sabbath, Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees if it was lawful for him to do it. Why do you think he asked first?
• What was their answer?

 

7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” 

• Jesus seems to be giving some social advice regarding where to sit. What greater point do you think he is making?
• Should we humble ourselves with being exalted as a goal in mind?

12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
 16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
 18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’
 19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
 20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
 21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
 22 “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’
 23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”

• There is an old saying that you learn who a person really is by how they treat people who can’t do anything for them. How does that relate to this parable?
• Have you ever tried to invite friends and family to something and they just didn’t seem willing to show up? 
• How did that make you feel?
• How do the people who don’t normally get invited to things respond to invitations?

 

25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
 28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
 31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

• What is the cost of discipleship in this passage?
• What has discipleship cost you?
• What is the cross that we must bear?
• Why should we first “count the cost?”

 

34 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.
“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

• Jesus describes salt as “good.” What is so good about salt?
• What does salt represent and how would it lose its taste?

 

15 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

• What kind of people was Jesus attracting?
• Why did this bother the Pharisees and scribes so much?
• Is the one sheep more important than the ninety-nine?

 

15 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

• How does it make you feel to think the angels rejoiced when you repented?
• Have you ever celebrated someone else’s repentance?
• Do you know of anyone who celebrated yours?
• Is repentance a one-time event?

 

11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
 13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
 25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
 28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
 31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

• This is one of the most famous parables Jesus ever told. Why do you think this one is so well-known?
• Did the son who wasted his inheritance deserve to be forgiven?
• Have you even been lost in a similar fashion?
• Have you ever lost someone in the same way the younger son was lost?
• Did the older son have a valid point when he was upset?

 

Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’
 3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— 4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’
 5 “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
 6 “‘Nine hundred gallons[a] of olive oil,’ he replied.
“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’
 7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’
“‘A thousand bushels[b] of wheat,’ he replied.
“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’
 8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
 10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?
 13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

• What was so shrewd about how the dishonest manager responded to getting fired?
• Are we more trustworthy with our own possessions or the possessions of others?
• Have you ever found yourself trying to serve two masters?

 

 14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.
 Additional Teachings
16 “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it. 17 It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.

• Why do you think the Pharisees were described as loving money?
• What does it look like when people justify themselves among men?

 

18 “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

• Is Jesus condemning all divorce and all remarriage in this verse?
• What do you think is possibly a larger point Jesus is making in the context around this verse?

 

19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
 22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
 25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ 27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

• Most parables did not include named characters. Why do you think this one included someone named Lazarus?
• Why was the rich man in Hades?
• What was the first concern of the rich man in Hades? What was his second concern?

 

As Drew mentioned during his recent sermon, there is a ton of material in Luke and we can’t possibly cover all of it in our sermons. So one of the things we would like to start doing is encouraging all of you to engage with the text on your own time, with your families, during small groups, and so on.

So we want to point to some of the passages in Luke that we don’t get to during the sermon series. We’re going to try to encourage this in a number of ways. But mostly, we want to encourage you to dig into the text and answer some of the questions we present. Some may have specific answers but a lot of them we don’t know for sure and are just to make you think.
We’d also love to hear back from you. Did you read anything that particularly interested you? Did anything hit you in a way you didn’t expect? Did you end up in a discussion that was particularly applicable within your own life? Please, let us know!

All of us in the leadership firmly believe that there is no substitute for consistent, intentional
engagement with the Bible and we hope that this is an opportunity to make that a habit in your life!

12 In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.
 

• What is leaven? How does Jesus apply it to the Pharisees in this context?
• What do you think Jesus is talking about when he says all will be revealed?

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
 

• Why does Christ warn the man to guard against covetousness?
• It’s easy to identify covetousness when it’s wanting someone else’s money, home, fame, etc. that we want but other forms of covetousness may be less obvious. Do you ever feel like you struggle with covetousness in ways that you might not initially consider covetousness?
• How would you describe the foolishness of the Rich Fool in the parable?

35 “Stay dressed for action[a] and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants[b] whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he[c] would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
41 Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant[d] whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 45 But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. 47 And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more

• Who or what do you think Jesus is directing us to be dressed and ready for? Do you think it’s something one-time and specific or something ongoing?
• Why do you think Peter asked who the parable was meant for?
• What point do you think Jesus is driving at when he refers to the responsibilities of those who know their master’s will, those who have been given much and those entrusted with much?

49 “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! 50 I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! 51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

• What do you think Jesus means when he refers to casting fire on the earth?
• What “baptism” do you think Jesus is referring to and why is he distressed over it?
• Jesus and his birth are frequently associated with peace, both in scripture and in popular culture. Why do you think he said he came not to bring peace but division?
• In what situations and over what issues should there be division? Are there times when there should there not be divisions?

 

As Drew mentioned during his recent sermon, there is a ton of material in Luke and we can’t possibly cover all of it in our sermons. So one of the things we would like to start doing is encouraging all of you to engage with the text on your own time, with your families, during small groups, and so on.

So we want to point to some of the passages in Luke that we don’t get to during the sermon series. We’re going to try to encourage this in a number of ways. But mostly, we want to encourage you to dig into the text and answer some of the questions we present. Some may have specific answers but a lot of them we don’t know for sure and are just to make you think.
We’d also love to hear back from you. Did you read anything that particularly interested you? Did anything hit you in a way you didn’t expect? Did you end up in a discussion that was particularly applicable within your own life? Please, let us know!

All of us in the leadership firmly believe that there is no substitute for consistent, intentional
engagement with the Bible and we hope that this is an opportunity to make that a habit in your life!

13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades.
 16 “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

There are a lot of city names you’ll see in the scripture frequently but these might not be familiar to you. You may need to do some research to find out what was going on in these cities around the time of Jesus.

• Was there anything particularly significant happening in the cities of Chorazin, Bethsadida and Capernaum during Jesus’ time that it was mentioned by name?
• Does the text offer any clues?
• Why do you think Tyre and Sidon were mentioned? Can you find anything significant about those cities in the Old Testament?
• When Jesus says “anyone who listens to you, listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me,” how does that make you feel about representing Christ? 
• Does that make you feel empowered? 
• Does it make you feel a greater weight of responsibility?