It's Tuesday afternoon of Jesus' final week in Jerusalem, and He and His disciples are heading back to the Mount of Olives where they will camp for the night. As the road rises, going up the hillside, the Temple comes into view with the setting sun glistening behind it. Though it has been 49 years in construction, it is still not completed, yet the…

The subject of finances is one that can make us uncomfortable, but there are things we need to do with our finances as Christians in order for us to be blessed of God. And the model for us is this marvelous widow who gives all she has out of a faith-filled and generous heart. Though we are not told, we have to ask the question: What possible reason…

We begin this episode in Mark 11, and we hear Jesus use prophetic symbolism when he comes across a fig tree on the road. The fig tree was one of the major symbols of Israel, so the fact that this fig tree had leaves with no figs indicates something was wrong, since figs and their leaves always come out at the same time. The Messiah is looking for f…

It is obvious that our society is becoming a dishonest society. Lying is now normal. When things happen slowly enough around us in our culture, we become transformed by it without even knowing it. As the culture becomes a culture of lying, we don't sense the difference, and Christians can bring it right in to their lives too. We will talk in this e…

While escorting Jesus to his home, Zaccheus is overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit and born again through repentance and faith. As they stand in the street, they are surrounded by a great crowd of disciples and onlookers. According to the ancient Roman historian Josephus, approximately two million pilgrims would flood into Jerusalem to celebra…

The Lord needs to instill in each of our hearts a healthy fear of Him so that we are protected from sin and the schemes of the devil. We'll talk about the danger of hypocrisy, of developing a hidden life. We'll talk about integrity, of developing a life that is the same no matter who is watching. We'll also define the fear of God and talk about why…

In Luke 18, the rich, young ruler encounters Jesus on the highway on the road south to Jericho. This young man, probably in his late teens or early twenties, is very rich, and he has some kind of position of authority. He falls on his knees in front of Jesus, who looks intently on the man and loves him. But Jesus sees the man is in bondage. Jesus i…

In this episode the Lord is currently on His way to Jerusalem at the end of His public ministry on earth. We don't know which town He is in right now, but He is coming down towards Jericho. The crowds are huge right now in His ministry, and in the midst of the thousands of people who are coming for healing, a group of parents are bringing their bab…

The Lord told this parable to make sure His followers would never grow discouraged by God's seeming reluctance to punish their enemies. Though it would seem like God was refusing to answer their pleas for relief from persecution, they must not allow this to spoil their faith. They must continue to pray, believing God to answer all their needs. To p…

Isn't it interesting that Jesus told His disciples about events which would not take place until the end of world history? Today we can say with confidence that many of these things would not take place for at least years (1967 + 32 = 1999; This sermon was originally preached in 1999). Why would believers need to know about something that far in th…

The apostles have asked the Lord to increase their faith, and in verses six through ten Luke records two of the foundational truths with which He answered them. Both are given to them as parables. The first, in verse six, reminds us to keep our attention focused on the unlimited power of God rather than the size of our own faith. It's God's power t…

In this episode, we are talking about forgiveness. It's one of those subjects you simply have to talk about regularly because offenses come, issues come into our hearts, and we can grow bitter and hard. So God is constantly reminding us through His word to forgive each other. We will talk about two levels of forgiveness in this episode. We're not j…

In this parable Jesus pictures the death of two men. One is a rich, self-centered man who had no compassion on the poor, and the other was a beggar named Lazarus. Jesus takes us beyond the grave and lets us see what happens to each as they step into eternity. The passage is meant as a warning against hardening our hearts toward God, thinking that l…

Listeners, we are so sorry we had a technical glitch in this episode! But we have fixed it, so please listen again. You and I need to be faithful managers of God's money. But how do we do that in a practical sense? As we continue through the book of Luke, we are looking in this chapter at more of what Jesus says specifically to His disciples as opp…

People who zealously give themselves to faithful service can always be in danger of falling into "Elder Brother Syndrome." A common termused today is "burnout." This is not a problem reserved for Pharisees and scribes, but can and does affect Christians—especially Christians who hold themselves to high standards and consistently give time and energ…

Jesus has been talking to religious leaders and great multitudes of people, and He gives a severe call to discipleship, telling the full price a disciple would pay up front. And as we look at the well known parable of The Prodigal Son, it is good to keep this cost of discipleship in mind. Jesus is really talking about priorities. Following Christ c…

Every Christian can't move to a foreign nation to be a missionary, but every Christian should have the heart of a missionary. In these two parables Jesus looks deep into the heart at our motives for serving people, and the attitudes He teaches us are those which we typically associate with a missionary. Jesus' teaching should also act as a checklis…

There is a deep underlying principle in this passage which is expressed over and over again throughout the Bible. We might state it simply in this way. "God honors those who honor Him, and He disciplines those who honor themselves." With this parable of guests being seated at a wedding feast, Jesus brings us face to face with the attitudes of pride…

We want God to wave His hand over our world and change it all at once. And indeed a day will come when Jesus will return to earth bringing all evil to an immediate halt and believers will be transformed in the twinkling of an eye. But, for now, until He comes again, that's not the way God grows His kingdom. With the parable of the mustard seed, Jes…

In this episode we see a woman who has been demonically oppressed for eighteen years, yet as soon as Jesus sees her, He calls her forward and delivers her of the assaulting spirit, and lays His hand on her to heal her damaged body. In the following debate He calls her a "daughter of Abraham" which for Him is a very special term meaning much more th…

Jesus challenged the people of His day by pointing out that they were more interested in predicting the weather than they were in seeing the spiritual warning signs all around them. A person didn't have to be a prophet to see that there was trouble ahead if religious leaders did not repent soon and begin using their influence to direct people towar…

This passage in Luke 12 points to the subject of what happens to a family when the gospel comes in. Anyone who has received Christ and sought to minister to their family knows there can be issues. How do I share Christ with my family members because they don't always respond the way we think they will. In this episode we will give some practical ad…

We've added the Bible reference in the title for you! Earlier in this chapter Jesus warned His followers not to deny Him (12:9,10) and to beware of greed (12:15-21). Next, He told them to focus on the ministry to which He had called them, trusting God to provide for their needs (12:22-34). Now, as He continues speaking to His disciples. He tells th…

In Luke 12:13-34, Jesus talks about money. We are going to look over the parable He uses to explain giving, try to understand the parable, and then answer some practical questions like: Why should we give? How much should we give? And what good is money to God? To purchase Pastor Steve's newest book Understanding Romans: Life-Changing Lessons from …

In Luke 11:37-54, we are going to watch Jesus as He goes to lunch with a group of Pharisees. Have you ever been invited to a lunch where you know you are going to get raked over the coals? Yet Jesus accepted the invitation despite the possibility of a clash. We are talking in this episode about legalism. Legalism is any fear-driven attempt to pleas…

Jesus often used the image of light and its effect on darkness to teach us what happens when God's presence and truth come into our lives (Mt. 5:15; Mk. 4:21; Lk. 8:16; Jn. 1:4-18; 3:19-21; 8:12; 9:5; 12:35, 36, 45, 46). When He spoke of light, He was speaking of God explaining Himself to humans by His presence. Like light being turned on in a dark…

Why do our prayers seem to go unanswered or the answers seem cruel? Jesus teaches a disciple about prayer in Lk 11:1-13 by reminding him of the Lord's Prayer, and then He tells two parables about the heart of the Father. Anybody who has prayed for something and not seen it answered or who has been waiting for a long time for a prayer to be answered…

In Luke 10:38-42, we watch Mary's and Martha's interactions with Jesus when He visits them along with their brother Lazarus. Martha makes all the food and preparations while Mary sits at the Lord's feet. What is going on here? There are three options: did Jesus bring too many people to dinner? In other words, does God give us too much to do? Second…

Christmas is traditionally a season during which we feel prompted to be generous with others. And it's only natural considering we are celebrating God's incomprehensible generosity toward us by sending His Son to rescue us from our sins. We who have freely received such kindness are naturally motivated to treat others in the same way God has treate…

As Jesus prepares for a final evangelistic campaign, He tells His followers that after ministering through Samaria, Perea and Judea they will end up in Jerusalem where He will be arrested and killed. He warns them that the days ahead may bring hardship and even death for them as well. Then as they actually all begin to travel southward, the reality…

After a Samaritan village rudely refused to welcome them, James and John, two brothers with a reputation for temper anyway (Mk. 3:17), angrily responded by wanting God to destroy the entire town. Had God done so, a lot of innocent people would have died without a chance to hear the gospel. How frequently we give up on people by deciding they are ho…

Jesus makes some strong statements in Luke 9:43-48 about greatness in His kingdom. His idea of greatness is so radically different than what we normally find in human experience that it is shocking. In this passage Jesus talks about seeing ourselves in an entirely different light. God doesn't establish leadership based on outward appearance, educat…

Jesus has been up on the Mount of Transfiguration, and He and His disciples are now coming back into the valley and into all of the confusion, disease, suffering and strife that is going on. The disciples have been praying for a young boy, and they have failed to heal him. How many of us have prayed for things and have failed to have an answer? The…

How is it possible to "take up a cross daily" and not grow depressed or exhausted by the process? Jesus has just exhorted His disciples that He must suffer and that they must suffer if they are to be His disciples, but the prospect of this kind of life can seem overwhelming unless God has provided much support along the way. Here on Mount Hermon we…

Suffering, personal sacrifice and persecution aren't God's wil for us in tfie sense ttiat He enjoys watching us suffer, but these are unavoidable realities given the condition of the human heart and the influence of Satan. Why does Christianity always conflict with the world? To purchase Pastor Steve's newest book Understanding Romans: Life-Changin…

On this episode we are looking at Jesus miraculously feeding about 15,000 people, counting the women and children. And there's quite a lesson we can learn from it. To purchase Pastor Steve's newest book Understanding Romans: Life-Changing Lessons from Paul's Greatest Letter, visit Amazon. Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for …

Some people are not looking for God. Others are people who are ready to hear, and the Lord knows their name and is determined to reach them so they may be saved. In Luke 9:1-6, Jesus is sending out the 12 apostles which He has selected for a trial run. Their assignment is to preach the kingdom of God, pray for the sick, cast out demons. They are to…

Where does love come from? We all know we need more of it, but wanting to love and actually being able to love are two different things. In this account of Jesus in the home of Simon the Pharisee, the Lord reveals a powerful truth about the source of real love. He says that a person's love for God begins as a response to His mercy. And though this …

We are joining Jesus and the disciples in a boat on the Sea of Galilee when suddenly a storm comes up. The disciples are full of fear and full of accusation. We have a tendency to do the same thing when things get difficult. But following the Lord doesn't mean we won't encounter hardship. Listen to find out what we can learn from Jesus stilling the…

A parable is a story from practical life that has a spiritual application. So when we understand the story, we see a principle about the spiritual realm. That is true here as Jesus teaches the parable of the sower from Luke chapter 8. To purchase Pastor Steve's newest book Understanding Romans: Life-Changing Lessons from Paul's Greatest Letter, vis…

Over the years I have talked with a steady stream of people who sheepishly admit that they are wrestling with doubts about God. Even as they are telling me this, they frequently drop their voice to the level of a whisper, afraid that others might hear their confession. Do good Christians ever have doubts about their faith? Is it wrong for people to…

In Luke 7:1-10 the centurion exhibited faith that released the healing power of God to another person. That it is possible to believe God for another's healing is a very important truth. Many of us have friends and family who are ill or suffering in other ways, and we would love to be able to assist them in receiving God's miracle power. Let's gath…

A disciple is someone who believes in the Lord and intends to serve Him. That doesn't mean you don't have another job. But we are talking about the orientation of the heart. For every disciple, the call on our lives is to preach the gospel and make other disciples. A disciple is constantly in the process of bringing people to Christ and teaching pe…

What kinds of responses are we to have when we meet hostility? Jesus has just appointed 12 apostles from among his disciples. He is planning on his own disciples making other disciples. In Luke 6:27-38 Jesus talks about a disciples' attitude toward hostile unbelievers. Jesus says, "When you make disciples, you are going to hit persecution. And thes…

Disciples will test each of these areas: money, appetites & physical comfort, emotional peace and popularity. Each of these will tend to hold us back from obedient service. Jesus is not talking about personal disciplines or scolding those who enjoy humor or condemning anyone with a good income to hell (the poor aren't going to heaven because they'r…

Jesus didn't trick people into becoming disciples, neglecting to mention the hardships until people were too far in to back out. He didn't try to sell them by focusing only on the benefits. He didn't suggest people try discipleship for a little while and then if they didn't like it, they could always quit. No, He came right out and explained, in de…

In Luke 6:1-5, we're looking at an event in Jesus' ministry where the subject of the Sabbath comes up. We'll look at what the issues were, what the Lord says about it, and we'll look at some practical things about the business of giving a day to the Lord. We'll talk about whether it's required or not and what might be the benefits of it. To purchas…

The new wine is an illustration that Jesus gives. The Pharisees, along with the disciples of John the Baptist, can't understand why Jesus and His disciples are not adhering to the same rituals, like fasting and Sabbath observance, that they do. Jesus answers in Luke 5:34-39 and says, "I am bringing a new spiritual walk with God. I am not rejuvenati…

As we read Luke's account of that first Resurrection Day, we are startled by the unbelief and confusion in the disciples as they discover the Lord has been resurrected. If Jesus had never explained what would happen to Him, their response might have been understandable. But that was not the case. Jesus had clearly taught that He would die and rise …

In this account of the Lord's calling of Matthew to be His disciple, we see a stark contrast between the heart of God and the attitudes of religious people toward unbelievers. Whereas God is merciful and aggressive in seeking to rescue lost people, religion tends to build up a wall of separation. First we need to understand how and why that wall bu…