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Luke 15 - Grace Doesn't Make Sense!

Luke 15 - NIV Luke 15 - Enduring Word Commentary The Parable of the Lost Sheep 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. Jesus attracted the tax collectors and sinners because they felt grace when he was around them. The Pharisees and teachers of the law only saw them as sinners, and the type of p...
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Luke 14 - God Wants Heaven Full!

Luke 14 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary Luke 14 Jesus at a Pharisee’s House 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[a] 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. Jesus was in the home of a "prominent" Pharisee. Others were closely watching him to see what he would do a man who was in the house and afflicted with body swelling. Jesus healed the man and sensing the judgment of the Pharisees, Jesus asked them if they had an ox or child that fell into a well would they not save them.  The man was an invited guest and pos...
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Luke 13 - Will All of Israel Be Saved?

Luke 13 - NIV Luke 13 - Enduring Word Commentary Repent or Perish 13 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless yo u repent, you too will all perish.” Jesus mentions two disasters. One, caused by a man, Pilate. The other a natural cause, the tower of Siloam, which fell about 14 Jewish people who all died. In Jesus' day people would often assume something bad would happen to you if you sinned. They might have assumed the Galileans and the victims of the tower of Siloam deserved their fate. But the rain falls on the just and just, the b...
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Luke 12 - Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is!

Luke 12 - NIV   Enduring Word Commentary - Luke 12 Warnings and Encouragements 12 Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be[a] on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 3 What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs. The crowds swelled as news of Jesus' ministry spread, but Jesus took time to address only his disciples. He warned them against the hypocrisy. Although it wasn't noticeable at first, the Pharisees' hypocrisy was like yeast, just a little bit worked its way through the whole dough. Though they did not think it would be noticed, Jesus reminded them that though man may try to hide things from God, they will be revealed.  4...
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Luke 11 - Did You Know You Can Ask God for the Holy Spirit?

Luke 11 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary - Luke 11 Luke 11 Verses 1-5   The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. Note there is a pattern to prayer that can help us. There are no rigid rules about prayer, but if Jesus taught this to the disciples, it is worth our time to learn and practice the model he gave us. Note the prayer is simple. There are five main petitions. When you pray remember God is holy . God is holy, but when we pray we need to remember to come into his presence with reverence. While prayer is a conversation with God under the influence of the Holy Spirit, we are also coming into the presence of an awesome and powerful Creator.   We pray for God’s kingdom to come . Other versions add that it will come on earth as it is in heaven. How exciting it is to know our prayers can cause God’s kingdom, his rule and reign, to come to this world. Powerful! Give us each daily our daily bread . This reminds us to not worry about tomorrow but trust that God wil...
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Luke 10 - The Simple Gospel. Do You Believe It?

Luke 10 - NIV Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two 10 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two[a] others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. Jesus goes from doing the ministry and the disciples watching him, to sending them out in two's to do the ministry themselves. Though we normally think of 12 disciples, in this case Jesus sent 72 disciples out together. They went ahead of him to every town to prepare the way for his message. He was sending them out into the harvest field, which he described as plentiful . At this point most of the people were not Christian, so the mission field was wide open. When you compared the 72 with how many people were in the har...
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Luke 9 - Why Children are the Greatest According to Jesus!

Enduring Word Commentary Jesus Sends Out the Twelve 9 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases,  Jesus gave them his power and authority.  You can have power but no authority to use it. Or, you can be in a position of authority but no power to use it. Jesus gave them both. This group of fishermen and tax collectors will now go out and do the same things Jesus did. They would heal the sick, deliver demons, and even raise people from the dead. I would call that power. In the Great Commission Jesus us that He has given us the authority and power and authority to carry it out. And, He will be with us until the end of time when he returns in great and promised glory. 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. They would use his power and authority to do this. Notice again the content of their proclamation and preaching, “ The Kingdom of God” . 3 He told them: “Take nothi...
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