This Is the Way – Lk. 18:31-43

If there are any Star Wars fans out there, perhaps you have seen The Mandalorian series. The main character – the Mandalorian himself – was not born on Mandalore. He has no Mandalorian blood in his body. As a kid, he was saved by Mandalorians when his parents were killed.…

God Is No Slacker – Lk. 18:1-30

In the 1st Back to the Future film, the principle at Marty's school, Mr. Strickland, had a habit of calling students he wasn't fond of slackers. He called Marty a slacker for being routinely late for school. I was thinking about that while I was studying for today's lesson and…

Look for the Invisible Kingdom – Lk. 17:20-37

Many years ago, Ellen and I watched a TV documentary on the lost city of Atlantis. Explorers have been searching for this city for centuries. Apparently, it sank somewhere in the Atlantic after being overcome by waves and massive flooding. Was it real? Did it really exist? No one knows.…

Forgiveness: A Model of Faith – Lk. 17:1-19

Before joining the ranks of the self-employed more than a decade ago, I held quite a few management positions. Despite those positions being in different industries, I learned a valuable lesson that was consistent from one job to the next: the best way to ensure my employees did their jobs…

Lifestyles of the Rich & Dead – Lk. 16:19-31

Do you remember the 1980s TV show 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous'? It was a weekly feature that showcased the homes and lives of wealthy celebrities, athletes, business magnates, etc. It was all about excess – almost to the point of being offensive. It was like 60 mins. of…

Secrets of the Unjust Steward – Lk. 16:1-18

Have you ever watched those TV documentaries that unlock some deep, dark secret? Maybe it's the secret of King Tut's tomb; or the secret life of an underworld crime boss. Whatever the topic, the point is to understand something that has remained a mystery for a long time. How do…

Sheep, Coins, and Two Sons – Lk. Chpt. 15

Today's text is one of the most well known texts in the New Testament. It is so well known that it is utilized outside of the Christian church to describe wayward children. Of course, it is the story of the prodigal son. But the prodigal's story is preceded by two…

What Price Are You Willing to Pay? – Lk. 14:25-35

It has been said that anything worth having is worth fighting for. On a similar note, things that are worth having are also worth working for. When things are given to us, we don't tend to appreciate them as much because they cost us nothing. But those things we work…

Humble Pie Is Best Served First – Lk. 14:1-24

Are you familiar with the idiom 'eating humble pie'? It's an idiom used to describe facing humiliation and then having apologize for what has been done. I was thinking of humble pie as I studied today's text. When I got to the end of my study, for some unknown reason,…

You Make Your Choices – Lk. 13:18-35

This past week I was texting back and forth with one of my children regarding families we have known. Some of those families seem to have suffered countless tragedies. Many have broken up and fallen apart. My child began to question if our family had just been lucky all these…