Sermons

Easter Sunday’s reflection on the preparation that each should make for his or her own resurrection is past. We now continue our account of Christ’s teaching that is nested between calls for the nation of Israel to repent and parables describing those who are saved. Jesus uses the occasion of an invitation to feast with a prominent Pharisee to teach a series of Kingdom Feast parables. For those God lovers with wobbly faith, this section weights Luke’s purpose of bringing encouragement to them, as well as showing the gravity of being about God’s business.

This Easter Sunday, we use Luke’s citation to consider the preparation that each one who believes in the resurrection of Jesus Christ should make for his or her own resurrection; hence, the title “Rez-preps.” Our reflection begins with an account of Christ’s teaching that is nested between a series of calls for the nation of Israel to repent and parables describing those who are saved. It continues through a short topical study that describes the ‘who, what, when and where’ of resurrection and, most importantly, the ‘prep’ for resurrection.

Our Good Friday service is a modified stations of the cross telling the story of Jesus Christ's choice to die on the cross. His suffering and death afford eternal forgiveness to those who accept His sacrificial death in their place for the penalty of their sins.

Luke continues his account of Christ’s foundational teaching during His journey toward our redemption through His death and resurrection. Today’s reflection is nested within the context of a series of calls for the nation of Israel to repent, to settle with God as judge, to bear fruit of righteousness, and to take note of who is saved. The account as a whole provides the big picture from many angles of just who is and who isn’t invited to enjoy eternal life in the Kingdom.