St. Luke Columbus

Open God’s gift of being delivered from the power of sin. When the angel explained to Joseph that what had been conceived in Mary is from the Holy Spirit, the angel said, “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) This gift that God gives to us is not only being forgiven of our sins (as great as that is!), but also being freed from the power of sin over us. Sin is no longer our master, because we are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14) Therefore, through the power of our new master the Holy Spirit living in us, we can begin to put sins behind us and live new lives of righteousness.   Next Step: Identify a sin that you have given up trying to overcome. Name that before God and surrender it to God’s power in you to overcome. Trust that you can take steps to leave this sin.   Lessons: Isaiah 7:10-16, Romans 1:1-7, Matthew 1:18-25   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

In the face of difficulty, weakness, fear, disappointment, and discouragement, the Lord boldly proclaims that a day of joy is coming.  “Everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” This is our hope as well.  Times of sighing and sorrow come to all of us. We move through seasons of difficulty and discouragement. Today, we rest in the presence of Christ, letting go of all that burdens us.     Lessons: Isaiah 35:1-10, James 5:7-10, Matthew 11:2-11   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

Our search for assurance find hope in Jesus. We live with more uncertainty than we would admit. We know that at any moment life could take a devastating turn. The current events in our culture cascade around us and we are left asking, “Now what will happen?” Even when we have worked hard to ensure that we will be ok, there is an endemic uncertainty to this life that leaves us searching for greater assurance of our futures. Some who journeyed out into the Judean wilderness to hear John the Baptist were surely looking for greater assurance. In his preaching John cast both threat and assurance. What can we learn from John’s teaching as to where we will find true assurance?   Next Step: Make a list your uncertainties over which you feel dread. Surrender your uncertainties to Christ and hear him say to you, “Trust me on this.”   Lessons: Isaiah 11:1-5, Romans 15:4-13, Matthew 3:1-12   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

With the beginning of Advent, a season of preparation, watching, and waiting, we hear Jesus say, “Keep watch, because you do not know on what day the Lord will come.”  We lean into what we profess to be true that Jesus will “come again to judge the living and the dead.” While we prepare for the celebration of Christ’s arrival in the world in Bethlehem, we yearn for his return again, watching for God’s ongoing activity in the world and the unfolding of God’s Kingdom until Christ comes again.     Lessons: Isaiah 2:1-5, Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 24:36-44   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

Living thankfully by being generous matters to God. When we thank God by giving offering, we honor God and prepare ourselves to see the salvation of God. From the time of ancient Israel, giving thanks to God involved making sacrificial offerings to God. One way to thank God is by giving to others, which transforms us and honors God. Jesus lived thankfully and generously. As we grow to be more like Jesus, we become more thankful and generous. We begin to live thankfully, giving thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus.    Next Step: As an act of thanksgiving and worship to God, make a plan for what you will offer the Lord in 2020.    Lessons: Psalm 50:7-15, 23, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, John 6:25-35   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

Generosity is a heart matter, it’s not a quantity issue, it is simply a quality issue.  God’s unending storehouse of mercy and grace cannot be outdone or exhausted, which is why our mindset isn’t on the “what” of generosity but on the “pricelessness” of the act.  The other thing for us to surrender is the act of being generous is not the first step, but the last action of a heart fully committed and in full pursuit of Jesus.   Next Step: Take a step back from your daily tithe of time, talents, and treasures, and deeply examine the heart behind your generosity, spend time with Jesus pursing his heart for your heart, then let this compel you towards Him and His kingdom.   Lessons: Genesis 4:1-8, 2 Corinthians 8:8-15, 2 Corinthians 5:14-21   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

It’s been said about God, that while God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present, the Lord willingly limited such attributes for the sake of being generous to His people.  God withholds judgment, limiting anger, for the sake of forgiveness. Jesus limits his involvement in the ongoing ministry of the disciples by empowering his disciples to serve as he serves.  The Omnipresent nature of God is limited in space and time for 33 years within the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth in a particular context, Israel, so that the mission of the Kingdom of God can be generously shared with the world around us.  Limits need not be limiting. We put limits on ourselves, as God has done and continues to do, for the sake of sharing generously with our neighbor.   Next Step: Limit the propensity to live with the attitude, “It’s a free country.  I can do whatever I want” for the sake of being generous and kind to your neighbor.   Lessons: Hosea 11:1-9, 2 Corinthians 8:1-7, Mark 10:13-14   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/onde

All Saints Sunday   Value most what matters most, which is trust in Jesus. This is what makes a saint. God has values and a saint strives to live by those values above all else. The values that Jesus taught are precisely opposite of the values we internalize in our culture. The great news is that the values that Jesus taught do not rest on a foundation of our achievement, but rest on the achievement of Jesus alone. Because of this, when we trust in Jesus, we can authentically rejoice because our reward in heaven is eternal. The rewards we receive from being successful according to values of this life can be wonderful, but are fleeting. To be a saint, put your trust in Jesus.     Next Step: Trust in Jesus above all else.   Lessons: Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18, Ephesians 1:11-14, Luke 6:17-31   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

The greatest need every person has is to know and trust in the love of God in Christ Jesus. Through the work of Jesus, God demonstrated his desire to be in a personal relationship with every person.     Next Step: Identify one person that you sense God is nudging you to begin praying for that person to trust in Jesus and be saved.   Lessons: Jeremiah 31:31-34, Romans  8:35-39, John 8:2-11, 31-36   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

You can be personal enough to believe in someone’s potential to live a remarkable story. A lot of people need someone to believe they can do something they may not even realize they can do. The traps of self-destructive habits, unresolved emotions, and overwhelming circumstances are the trick mirrors that foster in us the false inner-voice that our failures are personal, pervasive, and permanent. When Jesus said, “Salvation has come to this house,” Jesus modeled belief. Zacchaeus responded in extraordinary changes to his behavior.  God believes in us more than we can imagine. God has entrusted us with a mission that makes an eternal difference in the lives of people. When you believe in someone’s potential, you answer a few underlying questions like, Do you believe in my dreams? Do you believe I have what it takes? Do you believe I do something meaningful? We can learn and practice ways that help others to believe in their own potential.   Next Step: Identify one person you can encourage this week with your b

You demonstrate forgiveness when you respond to someone in a way that helps that person to replace shame with hope. While being guilty is part of being human, living with shame is something we choose. The greatest trick shame plays on us is alienating us from the one thing that might help – love. Every person needs to know they are more than the sum of their worst moments. When Jesus ate with Zacchaeus, Jesus modeled forgiving love. Out of that same love, God has forgiven us through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Although God knows our every sin, God chooses to forgive and forget them because of Jesus. When a person makes changes to their life as a way to please someone, perform for someone, or perfect their image, those changes are often short-lived. When you demonstrate love in the face of someone’s deepest vulnerability, you answer a number of unspoken questions, like Do you think I will be okay? Do you think I still have value? Do you think I can be forgiven? We can learn to be a person who default

Something changes in a relationship when you take the time to understand someone’s everyday context. In Jesus, God entered our everyday context, becoming fully human and now fully understands what we experience. If each of us is really honest, admit that you sometimes assume that a person should feel like I feel, think like I think, and believe like I believe. When Jesus went to Zacchaeus’s house, Jesus modeled empathy. You can’t force your way into someone’s heart, but you can invite yourself into someone’s world. We can “board someone else’s train” and ride through the landscape of that person’s life. When you enter someone’s world, you respect their personality, timeline, and boundaries. We can learn someone’s context by understanding where they live physically, socially, digitally, culturally, and emotionally.   Next Step: Learn how to better understand someone’s everyday context and begin to practice being empathically curious.    Lessons: Philippians 2:5-8, Matthew 9:9-13   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/o

If you want to be personal, understand what really matters to someone. In order to do that, you have to understand why it mattersGod knows the desires of our hearts and what matters to us. In Jesus, God gave us what matters most.  If you are going to shift from shallow relationships to becoming more personal, you have to become interested in something that interests someone else. When Jesus stopped for Zacchaeus, Jesus modeled friendship. When Jesus showed interest in Zacchaeus, he validated Zacchaeus’ worth. You begin to know someone when you discover someone’s interests and you validate their worth. Discovering someone’s interests is a way to show they are worth liking. We can learn ways of discovering someone’s interests.   Next Step: Chose one relationship to make more personal by learning what really matters to that person.   Lessons: Psalm 37:4, Jeremiah 1:4-5, Psalm 139:1-14, Romans 8:22-28, Luke 5:1-11, Mark 2:1-12   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

Learning someone’s name is a first important step in being personal. Before we were born, God knew us by name. In our baptism God called us by name into his eternal family. Because of Jesus, our names are written in heaven. Because God knows you by your name, you ought to know others by their names. How you say someone’s name can be personal or shallow. When Jesus said Zacchaeus’ name, Jesus modeled honor. When you call someone by name, you are making a statement about a person’s existence, purpose, and value. When you say someone’s name, you are saying someone is worth remembering and identify someone in a way that communicates value. It matters if you say someone’s name, how you say someone’s name, and how often you say someone’s name. We can learn ways of remembering people’s names.   Next Step: Become better at remembering names.   Lessons: Isaiah 43:1-3a, Revelation 3:5-6, Luke 19:1-10   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

German Partnership Sunday   Our common mission is to reach the lost. Can we first see ourselves has having once been lost and now am found? If we can internalize the grace in having been lost and found, then we will have the love and the right motivation for doing whatever it takes to reach those who yet do not trust in Jesus.    Next Step: Pray the Lost and Found Prayer each morning this week.      Lessons: Exodus 32:7-14, 1 Timothy 1:12-17, Luke 15:1-10   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

We find true sanctuary when we take on the easy and light yoke of Jesus - dying to ourselves so that we will live for others.   Lessons: Proverbs 22:9, Hebrews 6:7-12, John 12:20-26   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

We find true sanctuary when we enjoy life in active and fulfilling friendships with other followers of Jesus. A life group is any group of friends that regularly enjoy life together and a Christian life group also seeks to help each other grow in faithfully following Jesus. We hear this call to live God’s love in life groups often, maybe more often than you wish. We will continue to encourage being in a life group for these reasons: It is in friendships that we most tangibly experience God’s love and the tanks of our souls are filled. True friendship is the antidote to the growing loneliness that many are experiencing. Being in a life group is the most effective encouragement to faithfully follow Jesus. Our church family will be at our best when most of us are in life groups and the life groups truly become the center and heartbeat of our life together. This is the model that Jesus lived and gave to us. Take Away: Try out a life group and help to deepen the relationships in your life group.    Les

Worship is a gathering with others to be in the presence of the Living God.  It’s an opportunity to rest in the presence of the Presence, to love and be loved, to find peace in community.  We come with all of our fears, doubts, pressures, joys, and sorrows. We come as we are, and invite others to do the same, and we leave refreshed and renewed. It’s less about what we do, and more about being present and accepting God and others for who they are, not for who we think they should be.   Next Step: Quit “should-ing” on God, others, and yourself.  Start accepting and loving unconditionally.   Lessons: Isaiah 25:4-8, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24, Mark 12:28-34   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

We will find true sanctuary when we walk God’s path for us. God desires to give us sanctuary. We live in a corner of the world where many people experience being over-scheduled, over-burdened, and over-extended. Many of us desire to experience a sanctuary where we can find true rest for our souls, but being an active and growing disciple of Jesus takes time. God will not allow a Christ-follower to find restful sanctuary outside of God’s will for us. How do we become more fully devoted followers of Jesus and have a more healthy balance in our lives? When we are weary and burdened, how do we find a safe and encouraging sanctuary to experience God’s true rest and where the empty tanks of our souls are filled up with God’s inexhaustible love, grace, and truth?   Next Step: Determine what your priorities are and adjust your schedule to reflect those priorities. Make it a priority to be in worship the next three weeks to better understand how we experience true sanctuary when we learn, live, and unleash God’s love.

Fear more than any other emotion stands in the way of faith. Scripture says that faith is certainty of things not seen. When God calls us to do something in faith, fear often causes us to pause. But we have no need to pause, for God is faithful. God’s faithfulness has been displayed from the beginning of time. Despite Abraham’s fears and doubts, his faith bore a great nation that stands to this day.    Jesus understands that fear and worry hold us back. In our gospel lesson, He reminds us how happy the Father is to give us the kingdom of heaven. Jesus wants us to be faithful and prepared to receive his Kingdom. When we stop worrying and live obedient to the calling God has placed on our lives (to love and serve others) we experience God’s kingdom today and are prepared to receive it when Jesus returns.   Call to action: You can't change what you don't acknowledge. Start by identifying what fears stand in the way of your doing what God wants most for you. Next, consider what God could do despite your fears. F