The physical setting of Jesus' "Sermon on the Plain" in Luke's gospel shows the radical character of the kingdom that Jesus announced and served, calling his followers well beyond the familiarity of the Golden Rule. Preaching text: ...

Maddy Tyler preaches on mercy. Competition fosters growth and community but can damage relationships with others and God when it breeds contempt, perfectionism and harsh judgments. People cannot achieve perfection or draw closer to God through ...

In the final parable of the central section of Luke's gospel, the theme of discipleship — what it means to live as God's people, which has shaped the central section since near the end of chapter 9 — is distilled into a memorable punchline....

Mark Niethammer preaches on stepping back to see the bigger picture. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by life's challenges. God provides hope and perspective when daily struggles threaten to consume us, if we try to remember to look beyond immedia...

Katy Warren preaches on gratitude. Gratitude is fundamentally connected to faith and shapes our entire perspective on life. Each day presents a choice between negativity and thankfulness, recognizing life itself—every breath, every moment, ever...

The seemingly unrealistic confidence of the psalmist finds a welcome and reassuring place in its placement within the Book of Psalms, as a person beset by deceit and war-mongering is invited to "come up" to the hill of God's temple under God's ...

With the story of Jesus healing ten men and having only one return to praise God and give thanks, Luke opens the third part of his gospel's Central Section, where the character of life as a follower of Jesus is developed. The theme of this thir...

Sara Olson-Smith preaches on action. Confidence and faith grow through taking action rather than waiting until we feel ready. We build faith by doing the hard things that intimidate us, not by waiting for certainty. True faith isn't about havin...

In a pair of brief, challenging sayings, Luke shows Jesus counseling caution to those who follow him. The character of faith and the kingdom life that we live in faith are just as subject to misunderstanding as the lures of the world.Pre...

Maddy Tyler preaches on compassion. We all carry wounds—loss, broken relationships, devastating diagnoses—that leave us desperately seeking relief and wholeness. When we're consumed by our own pain, we often forget to help others who are suffer...

In a vivid parable of stunning reversals, Luke shows Jesus underscoring the centrality of two things: generous compassion toward our neighbors and God's teaching to biblical Israel as the place to learn it.Preaching text: Luke 16:19-31

Katy Warren preaches on our gifts. You have been entrusted with gifts from God and carry the responsibility to use them wisely to bring compassion and peace into the world. While God remains gracious even when you fall short, you are called not...

Luke uses an unexpected and challenging parable by Jesus to underscore one of the central themes of the gospel—the urgency of the choice we face to live by Kingdom values or by those of this worldly life.Preaching text: Luke 16:1-13<...

Sara Olson-Smith preaches on counting. When life leaves us feeling lost—whether through our own mistakes, painful circumstances beyond our control, or overwhelming doubt and isolation—it's easy to believe we don't matter. No matter what message...

In two Jesus parables about lost things that are found, Luke teaches the reason for the Jesus community to extend care and concern to those on the fringes of society.Preaching text: Luke 15:1-10Bible for Worship is a weekly introd...

Mark Niethammer preaches about choices. Many daily decisions are clear — we know right from wrong. Others are harder to discern, falling into life's gray areas rather than absolutes. Choosing life isn't always obvious or easy. We all stand on o...

The writer of Deuteronomy looks far back into Israel's past to portray Moses instructing the Israelites about life in the land. In the writer's own day, sitting in exile after losing the land, the offer of life and prosperity is a renewal of Go...

Maddy Tyler preaches on honor. What does honor look like in our modern world today? We're trapped by presumptions, snap judgments, and self-importance, constantly navigating assumptions. Jesus flips this: rather than worldly rankings, everyone ...

Luke uses a communal banquet scene as the setting for Jesus to teach what true glory is, and how it differs from acclamation and success in simply human terms.Preaching text: Luke 14:1, 7-14Bible for Worship is a weekly introducti...

Katy Warren preaches on noticing. The goodness of God is all around us, waiting for us to notice. There is so much power in seeing and noticing God all around us. We can be consumed by so many distractions around us, that we miss what’s right i...

In one of the dramatic episodes that Luke portrays of Jesus in a synagogue, we hear the core value of life affirmed and re-affirmed — affirmed from within Jewish life for all of God's people. Preaching text: Luke 13:10-17Bibl...

Mark Niethammer preaches on divisions. The world that God dreams of isn’t just going to happen. It’s going to take work on our part. It will force all of us to change and that will not be easy. Sometimes division comes from this change and is n...

Luke portrays the profound importance of understanding God's power over the worldly forces of death as a fire and division that splits communities and families. In Jesus' mouth, the words bring reassurance about God's ultimate power even over t...

Peter Pettit preaches on reframing. Without the larger context, we look at things only from what we know but there is a bigger frame. Greatness in God’s frame doesn’t mean we become God, it doesn’t mean we have all the answers or have to make i...

With a look back to the earliest ancestors of the people of Israel, Genesis tells a story that reorients a desperate community from their difficult situation to a source of hope and promise that is far beyond what the threats in their lives can...