Sermons on Serving God
A Good Host for Jesus
Luke 7:36-50 Jesus is invited to eat at the home of Simon, a Pharisee who doubts that Jesus is a prophet. During the meal, a woman known for her sinful reputation approaches Jesus, weeping at His feet, washing them with her tears, drying them with her hair, kissing them, and anointing them with expensive oil. Simon silently judges both Jesus and the woman, assuming that a true prophet would know what kind of woman is touching Him and would never…
Focus on the Kingdom
Luke 6 reveals growing tension between Jesus and the Pharisees, particularly over their interpretation of the Sabbath. When the disciples pick and eat grain, the Pharisees accuse them of breaking Sabbath rules. Jesus responds with David’s example of eating the consecrated bread when he was hungry, showing that God’s commands are not meant to become burdens that ignore genuine human needs. He declares that the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. The conflict intensifies when Jesus heals a…
I Am Willing: Strange Things in Luke 5
After a night of fruitless fishing on the Lake of Gennesaret, Peter is asked by Jesus to push into deep water and let down the nets once more. The request seems senseless – the work is done, the nets are being washed, and fishing is best at night. Yet at Jesus’ word, the nets fill to breaking, and Peter falls to his knees: “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.” Even doubt, when it yields to trust, opens…
The Joy of Finding Christ
Jesus’ early life reveals His family’s faithful obedience to God’s law. Mary and Joseph carefully followed the commands given through Moses, presenting Jesus at the temple, where their humble offering reflected their circumstances. Yet they also unknowingly brought the true Lamb who would one day become the perfect sacrifice for the world. At the temple, two elderly believers received extraordinary blessings. Simeon, led by the Holy Spirit, recognized the infant Jesus as the promised Messiah and praised God for allowing…
The Beginning of Luke: Faith in God’s Timing
Luke opens his Gospel by explaining that he carefully investigated eyewitness accounts so readers could have confidence in the truth about Jesus. Written as the first part of a two-volume work with Acts, it presents an orderly account of Christ’s life, emphasizing His humanity, compassion, prayer life, joy, fellowship, and concern for outsiders. The narrative begins during the reign of Herod with Zechariah and Elizabeth, a faithful elderly couple who had long endured the pain of childlessness. While serving in…
From Suffering to Salvation
Genesis 50 closes the story of Joseph and reveals how God works through suffering, reconciliation, and faith in His promises. After Jacob’s death, Joseph honors his father’s wish by burying him in Canaan, demonstrating that God’s people belong ultimately to His promises rather than to the world around them. Though Jacob’s family appeared no different from the surrounding nations, their identity rested in what God had spoken to them. When Joseph’s brothers fear revenge after their father’s death, they plead…
Ephraim & Manasseh
Jacob, nearing the end of his life in Egypt after the family reunion with Joseph, gathers strength on his deathbed to bless Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Reflecting on God’s promise made to him at Luz, he recalls the covenant of fruitfulness, descendants, and the land given to Abraham, Isaac, and his own lineage. In a surprising act, Jacob adopts Joseph’s sons as his own, elevating them to the status of his direct heirs, effectively granting Joseph a double…
Surrender, Service, and the Pilgrim’s Journey
Gen 47 In Genesis 47, Joseph completes the purpose behind his long journey of suffering and exaltation by bringing Jacob’s family into Egypt and settling them in Goshen. This separation protects them from the surrounding culture and allows them to grow into the nation God intends them to become. The chapter highlights how God sometimes places His people in environments where they can be strengthened, prepared, and preserved for future purposes. When Jacob meets Pharaoh, he describes his life as…
Jacob -> Israel
Gen 34-35Jacob settles near Shechem instead of fully following God’s direction, placing his family in a spiritually dangerous environment. Dinah leaves the safety of her family and is violated by Shechem, who then seeks to marry her. His father proposes assimilation between their peoples, appealing to unity and economic benefit. Jacob remains passive, while Dinah’s brothers respond with deceit, demanding circumcision as a condition. While the men of the city are weakened, Simeon and Levi massacre them, and the rest…
Surely the LORD is in this Place
Esau, seeing Jacob blessed again and realizing his own marriages displeased his parents, attempts to correct his course by taking another wife from Ishmael’s line. His reaction appears outwardly adjusted but lacks true surrender. It reflects the difference between superficial regret and genuine repentance—wanting the blessing without embracing the covenant. Meanwhile, Jacob travels alone, exhausted and afraid. With no shelter but a stone for a pillow, he falls asleep in an ordinary, unnamed place. There, without prayer or preparation, heaven…
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