Living Vertizontal

In this episode we move into Luke 21:1-9 where we see a snapshot of the Poor Widows Offering and Jesus begin to address the destruction of the temple with his disciples. As we worked through this passage, we talk about the importance of acknowledging and celebrating the eternal things that captivate the heart of Jesus, rather than being so consumed by the temporal things of this life. Systems, structures, buildings, and even physical life itself will fade away, but our dependence on Jesus remains. In this passage we hear Jesus challenge us to set aside the temporal distractions of our lives and focus on Him alone.

This week put our journey through Luke on pause. Rather than discussing a particular passage, we shared with each other about what we have seen Jesus doing in our lives. We believe Jesus is at work today, and we have an opportunity to see His work, and share His work with others. Here is a snapshot of some of what was shared.

In this episode we finish off Luke 20. Here in Luke 20:41-47, Jesus recalls a Psalm of David and issues a warning to the crowd about the Scribes. From this passage we discussed the importance of understanding who God is and subsequently bringing ourselves under His Lordship; dwelling in His presence to maximize His kingdom impact in and through our lives.

In this episode we continue on from the interaction between Jesus and the spies from the priests and scribes with yet another interaction. Here in Luke 20:27-40, some Sadducees wanted to take their shot at silencing Jesus. From this passage we discuss two primary ideas: first, how assumptions can cause us to miss what Jesus is doing; and second how Jesus, through His Spirit, can empower us to operate within His wisdom in the world around us.

In this episode, we examine Luke 20:19-26. This passage depicts an interaction between some spies from the Priests and Scribes as they tried to catch Jesus with a tough question. From this passage we discuss just how deep the stewardship conversation goes for our lives. When we recognize that everything we have, and everything we are, is God’s, whose image we bear, the conviction is that it would all be lived for Him.

In this episode, we continue on with Jesus' interaction with the Priests, Scribes, and Elders with the parable of the Wicked Tenants from Jesus in Luke 20:9-18. From this passage we talked about a number of different things: how easy it can be to confuse stewardship with ownership, God’s gracious pursuit of us, the patience we ought to have as we work in the vineyards of our lives, and the opportunity we have to build our lives on Jesus, the proper cornerstone.

In this episode we enter Jesus' final week in Jerusalem. Looking at Luke 20:1-8, we see Jesus teaching in the temple and leaders coming up to him to challenge/question His authority. As we worked through this passage we discussed God’s authority in contrast with the fear we often allow to guide our lives. Just like the leaders, we can miss out on the answers we are seeking from the Lord when we allow fear, or other emotions, to be the things that guide our decisions and actions.

In this episode we continue the movement that was initiated all the way back in Luke 9 with Luke 19:41-48 where we read about Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, and cleansing the temple. As we worked through this passage, we discussed what it means to recognize His presence and peace, to remove the things that keep us from truly seeing and hearing Him, and the importance of allowing our encounter with Jesus to lead to genuine transformation.

In this episode, we finally move into Jerusalem in Luke 19:28-40, a passage known as the Triumphal Entry. From this passage we explore obedience that trusts before it understands, praise that pays attention to what God is doing, and the importance of praising the right King, holding loosely to our own expectations as we allow Him to shape our understanding of who he is?

In this episode we look to Luke 19:11-27 where Jesus shares His final parable before entering Jerusalem, the parable of the Ten Minas. From this passage we explored stewardship, accountability, and how what we believe about Jesus shapes the way we live—because Christianity isn’t something we simply consume, but something we are called to participate in. Our conversation reminds us that grace doesn’t make Jesus’ kingship optional.