St. Luke Columbus

Jesus’ answer to wealth inequity includes that we give to the poor. When a rich young man asked Jesus what he must do to get eternal life, the conversation led to Jesus saying to him, “Go, sell your possessions and give to the poor.”   The earliest followers of Jesus took his teaching to heart. When Zacchaeus understood that salvation had come to his house, he responded by giving half his possessions to the poor. Acts 2 & 4 report that in the earliest Christian church that the believers were selling their possessions and goods in order to give to anyone as they had a need. The simple direction of Jesus to address wealth inequity is to give to the poor.   After hearing this sermon, we hope you will figure out what you can do to give more to the poor and what we can do to bring out a more just society for those who are poor.   Lessons: Isaiah 58:6-9, Acts 4:32-37, Luke 12:22-33

We are being told that the gap between the rich and the poor is growing and that wealth inequity is increasing. One sign of this may be the growing number of self-storage places where people store up their stuff. If this is true, is the growing wealth inequity just and what would Jesus say about it? In one instance (recorded in the gospel lesson) when Jesus had the opportunity to rectify the wealth inequity between two brothers, he avoided making a judgment and instead used the opportunity to teach that we are to seek first being rich towards God.  How tightly do you cling to your wealth? After hearing this sermon, we hope you will, in prayer, ask God to guide you in taking a vigorously honest assessment at how you view your wealth. Consider using these questions to help guide your self-reflection: How do I react to statements about wealth inequity growing? How does my reaction reflect the importance that my wealth is to me? How does the importance of my wealth affect my attitude towards those who are r

This week our students take the stage and share how God is working in their lives and through their camp experience.

Since we have been raised to a new life in Jesus, we are truly running on full and have our minds set on living a life that is pleasing to Christ. When we are running filled up with Jesus, we live lives that may seem peculiar and yet attractive to others. We know that we are running on full when … We put to death what violates God’s values (3:5-9) We put on the character traits and behaviors that reflect God’s heart (3:12-17) We behave like Jesus in our relationships with others. (3:18 – 4:5) After hearing this sermon we hope you will answer this question for yourself: “Based on what I live out in my life, am I running on full or empty?” If running on full, pick one of the 33 Christ-like character traits, behaviors and disciplines (one for each year that Jesus lived) listed in the lesson from Colossians to grow in your life. Ask God, the Holy Spirit, to help you understand how this can grow. If running on empty, ask God to help you understand why this is so and what is needed for you to be filled w

Lessons: Colossians 2:6-23, John 1:1-14

When Jesus is on the throne of our lives, he fills us to overflowing. Jesus does not fill us part way, he fills to overflowing. From that overflow, we are compelled by our deep Christ-like desire for all people to be filled with Jesus. Like the Apostle Paul, we commit our entire lives to the grandeur vision that all people would be reconciled with God.   After hearing this sermon, we hope you will answer this question for yourself: “Am I serving, inviting, and giving to meet the hopes and hurts of others from the overflow of Jesus in my life?” If yes, then let God’s love continue overflow to others. If no, ask God to help you understand why this is so and what is needed for you to be filled to overflowing.   Lessons: Colossians 1:21-2:5, John 4:13-14

Because of our rebellion against God, we are born spiritually empty and experience the despairing void of being alienated from our Father Creator. When we try to fill (put on the throne) the great emptiness within us with anyone or anything other than Jesus, we are running on empty. Jesus is the only one who belongs on the throne of our lives and is the only one who can authentically and eternally fill us. When anything else is on the throne, it takes away and empties us. When we are in Christ, we are filled with his holiness and made perfect with God. The love that Jesus has for us compels him to fill us. This is the restoration of our intimate relationship with God that was part of God’s original blessing.   After hearing this sermon, we hope you will answer this question for yourself: “What is on the throne of my life and how well is that filling me?” If it is not Jesus, identify what barriers you would have to remove for Jesus to be on the throne of your life. If you are ready, begin praying for God

Jesus modeled his way of being the greatest and was how human culture defines greatness. It did not involve judgmentally dividing people into “us” and “them.” It was not a grab for power. The path of following Jesus is a counter-cultural life of valuing our relationship with Jesus above everything else and sacrificing for the sake of others. While this can be a difficult path to follow, followers of Jesus continue to press forward along this path because of what Jesus did and accomplished for us.   After hearing this sermon, we hope you will take the first step of thinking that nothing else matters as much as faithfully following Jesus and accepting that this will involve sacrifice.   Lessons: Luke 9:46-62

In our lesson today, we see a woman who humbled herself before the Lord.  She gave all she had because of her love for the Lord.  Today we will dig into this story and look at how this "sinful" woman showed us what it means to lay it all down at the feet of God.   Lessons: Luke 7:36-50

Prayer #5: That you would recognize that God has purposefully placed us here – at this time, in this place – for His glory.   Prayer #6: That you would develop a taste for truth – even difficult ones.   Prayer #7: That you would embrace Biblical Christianity – not American evangelicalism.   Prayer #8: That you would experience a holy discontentment with where our lives are – and that you would espouse the hope of what our lives can be.   Lessons: Psalm 1, Acts 17:22-27, John 17:15-26

Our friend, David Drees, returns to St. Luke to give us his final two sermons before moving. In these next two weeks, he will preach through Eight Prayers he has for us as a church and individually.    Prayer #1: That you would see that the greatest problem in the universe is not mere moral failure – but rather a failure to honor God.   Prayer #2: That you would understand that discipline rarely brings about love – but love always brings about discipline.   Prayer #3: That you would realize that children of God are not under wrath – but under mercy.   Prayer #4: That you would find that the fullness of all things – including life and joy – is in Christ.   Lessons: Jeremiah 2:1-5, John 10:7-11, John 17:15-26

Faith is something that is vital for a relationship with God.  In our scripture lesson, we will read about how a Centurion has faith that amazes Jesus.  Today we will look at faith how we can strive to have a faith that amazes Jesus.   Lessons: Luke 7:1-10

We all suffer and the longer we live, the more we will suffer. According to Romans 5:1-5, one who trusts in Jesus will experience a progression of profound, extraordinary, surprising and God-given benefits when suffering is endured with faith; suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character, and character, hope.   After hearing this sermon we hope when you are in times of suffering, you will continue to practice the faith through spiritual disciplines (coming to worship, participating in a life group, reading the Bible, prayer, etc) in order to press forward in faith where you will experience perseverance, character, and hope.   Lessons: Romans 5:1-5, John 16:12-15

While Pentecost seems like God’s conlussion of the work on the Cross, it is really far deeper.  The pursuit of the “Hound of Heaven” as Francis Thompson calls Jesus, was after us from the beginning. Today we will focus on three things: We lost it all, He did it all, We get it all.   Lessons: Genesis 11:1-9, Acts 2: 1-21, John 14: 15-18, 25-27

We are to forgive as we have been forgiven. To be able to do this we must first understand, accept, and dwell in the truth that, through Jesus, we are completely forgiven of all our sins. Forgiving someone from your heart is a process that begins with simply and sincerely saying “I forgive you.” The next steps that may follow in the process are letting something die, slowly letting go of the controlling emotions of rage and the desire for revenge, and finally being reconciled.   After hearing this sermon, we hope you will prayerfully move through the “Forgiving As You Have Been Forgiven Flow Chart”.   Lessons: Jeremiah 31:31-34, Colossians 3:12-15, Matthew 18:21-35

Several verses in the Bible describe God as being “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” As followers of God, the Son, we want to put on this characteristic and be known as those who abound in making allowances for other’s faults. This means we are to avoid slandering others, defend them, speak well of them and explain their actions in the kindest way.   In order to be a better witness of Christ, identify one place in your life where God is calling you to grow in making allowance for other’s faults and be prepared to think, speak, and behave in that way the next time you are given the opportunity.   Lessons: Jonah 4:1-4, Colossians 3:12-15, Matthew 7:1-5

The ability to put on patience rests on trusting that God has a plan is in control, and will act when God decides it is time to act. Sometimes we want to go through a door that God has not yet opened. Other times, we unfaithfully delay moving on through a door that God has opened for us. Discerning when it is time to patiently “be still” and when it is time to “move on” requires a seasoned practice of listening to and trusting God’s gentle whisper.   After hearing this sermon, we hope you will begin to practice listening prayer.   Lessons: Exodus 14:13-16, Colossians 3:12-15, Matthew 13:24-30

Gentleness is a strong hand with a soft touch. It is a tender, compassionate approach toward others' weaknesses and limitations. A gentle person still speaks truth, sometimes even painful truth, but in doing so guards his tone so the truth can be well received.   After hearing this sermon, we hope you will Identify areas of your life where you have opportunities to be gentle with others weaknesses and other areas where you can speak truth into others lives or better yet ask someone to speak truth in yours… and get this, be quick to listen and slow to speak in response.   Lessons: Isaiah 42:1-4, Colossians 3:12-15 NLT, Matthew 21:12-14

Being clothed with humility is the way of Jesus. Our culture is desperately in need of a humility revolution like the early Christians led to transform western culture as the Roman Empire was beginning to decline. Humbling ourselves before the Lord is the first big step to putting on Christ, having real life with God, and the Lord healing our land. We can humble ourselves and it is far better for us to humble ourselves then to wait for the Lord to humble us, which will happen. Humbling ourselves means making planned and intentional decisions to take the lower position among others and giving God all the glory.   After hearing this sermon, we hope you will, through listening to God in prayer, identify one environment in your life where God is calling you to prepare to humble yourself.   Lessons: 2 Chronicles 7:11-14, Colossians 3:12-15, Luke 14:1, 7-11