The Gospel of Luke – SeekGrowLove.com

This Can’t Be the End

Luke 23

What is it about cliffhangers that people enjoy so much? Writers of television series, movies and series of books know the power that a good story with a delayed ending has on an audience.

Several years ago I went to go see the movie “Catching Fire” the second story of the Hunger Games trilogy. At the conclusion of the very last scene, as the screen went to black, the lady that I was sitting next to exclaimed, “What!?! That’s it?!?” Even though I had read the books, I had forgotten how this particular book ended and I admit that I was also taken aback. So much so, that the next day one of my students was reading the book and I had to borrow it to reread the last chapter to confirm that the movie held true to the book.

Equally shocking was the ending of “Avengers: Infinity War”. How was the universe going to function after The Snap? I would have to wait an entire year to see how the story would come together in the final installment of the Avengers series in Endgame.

Neither of these experiences compares to the reality that people who knew and followed Jesus would have gone through at the time of his death. Was this it? What about the promised Kingdom? What about his anticipated rule and reign over all the earth? This couldn’t be it! But if we stop reading at the end of Luke chapter 23, then we put ourselves in the same position as those first believers.

But hang on just a minute. A really good story teller hides in his or her stories hints and clues of what’s to come. In “Infinity War,” Dr. Strange states that there is one scenario in which Thanos can be beat. It’s this single line that gives viewers a teeny tiny glimpse into what could come next.

Jesus is NOT that obtuse. Thank goodness!!! In fact, Jesus makes it crystal clear what will happen and the order in which it is to happen. In his conversations with his disciples Jesus plainly tells his disciples that he has to go, but that he will return for them. In John 14 Jesus reassures his men that what might seem like the end, is definitely not the end.

So when we read in Luke 23 verses 50-56 of Joseph of Arimathea claiming the body of Jesus and the women who had traveled from Galilee to prepare Jesus’ body for burial, we can take confidence that while it was a very dark day, the Light will shine once more, because Jesus really is KING of all.

Bethany Ligon

Remember Jesus

Luke 22

If you’re Facebook friends with my dad, Joe Myers, the chances are very high that you will see a post on Christmas morning about our family’s traditional Christmas brunch – steak and eggs, cheesy hash brown casserole, English muffins, and homemade Orange Julius. It’s a meal that my parents started enjoying the first Christmas that they were married, waaaaaay back in 1972. And almost every December 25th since, it’s what we have on our plates. There was one year that our family drove from Georgia up to North Carolina on Christmas morning to visit my uncle and cousins and so we ended up eating at Waffle House and it just wasn’t the same…

In Luke 22 we read about another meal that holds significance for all of us. The Passover meal was prepared every year as a way to remember the Great Egyptian Escape. In Exodus 12, God had very specific instructions for the food that the Israelites were to eat and how it was to be prepared and served. And it is this meal that Jesus and his disciples are eating in Luke 22.

Only now, Jesus is adding the New Testament significance to this meal. Jesus calls himself the Bread of Life (John 6:35). Accepting this bread means we will never go spiritually hungry. And the wine for this meal represents the blood of Jesus poured out on the cross for the atonement of our sins. Accepting this drink means that we can have a right relationship with God because our sins have been paid for in full.

Jesus instructs his followers to prepare this meal regularly in order to remember the sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf. And so that is what we do. We remember Jesus’ life. We remember Jesus’ death and resurrection. And we remember the promise that was made – that one day, we’ll sit at a table with Jesus and eat a meal. What a wonderful thing to look forward to.

Bethany Ligon

Resolving Sin

Luke 20

Hey, my name is Jacob and I like playing basketball and I am going to college for computer science. I love being a part of the Blood River Church.

In Luke chapter 20 Jesus is encountered by chief priests, scribes, and some Sadducees all of whom are trying to entrap him into mispronouncing God. Through their futile attempts Jesus is able to counter each of their questions with a response of his own which cause them to ponder, this eventually leads to the dismissal of their question at the conclusion of their answers to Jesus’ question. This is mainly due to the reflection of their own question and how they begin to question God when they know the answer.

In life we sin and make mistakes that we are not aware of, these mistakes and sins have the possibility to snowball into something bigger that becomes a profound issue. From this it takes recognition and reflection through yourself and others to understand what has happened and what has come from something so minor. Similar to how me make mistakes in life the chief priest, scribes, and the Sadducees made mistakes and it took the help of Jesus and reflection to understand what they were doing. From this came correction where they dismissed their question which inherently solved their mistake.

Now solving issues, mistakes, or sins will not always be the easiest thing to do, and its okay to admit, you do not have to experience these struggles by yourself. Find a parent, relative, friend, or even someone in your community to lean on, to help comfort and assist you in your resolution. Sometimes these resolutions will not be instant and will take time, but that is okay because it means you are growing. Growth is what has led you to who you are today, and it is also what will make you in the future.

(Editor’s Note: Thank you to the Blood River youth for preparing devotions for us this week! Keep reading and searching God’s Word – and sharing it with others!)

Serving with Your Gifts

Luke 19

(This devotion was accidentally sent out earlier this week, but here it it again – on the day we are “supposed” to be reading Luke 19. )

Hey my name is Jesse Allen I am the Youth Pastor at Blood River Church of God in Springfield Louisiana. I am so impressed with our next 7 devotions for the FUEL Bible reading! These next devotions come from Students of the Blood River Church of God Youth Group. The devotions are on Luke 14-20. We are so glad you are able to read them and I pray you may be blessed by them!

Hey I am Brian and I love playing football, going fishing and riding atvs. I’m glad to have an opportunity to talk to you about Luke 19:1-10 As football season started this year, I earned the spot of quarterback. I was excited and knew that it would be a good year. Through a series of unfortunate events, I had to move away for four weeks rights in the middle of the season. When I returned, I was a little like Zacchaeus (and not because I am short – I’m not) because I had to find a way to stand out and earn back the position that had been given to someone else. Zacchaeus had to climb a tree to stand out above the crowd. I had to work harder than everyone else to prove that I deserved the position for the rest of the season. Bryan

Hey I am Olivia, I have a younger sister and brother and an older brother. I was born in Indiana but moved to Louisiana in the 3rd grade. I love animals and want to be a vet. I enjoy sports and being active, I am a proud member of the Blood River Church of God family.

Last summer I got the chance to go on a mission trip to Panama. While I was there we had a VBS program going for the kids. Before the trip I didn’t see how being good with kids could help me serve God and glorify him. As we went through the week more and more kids started coming and that led to more chances to spread and share the Gospel with them. Luke 19:16-19 Is the parable of the Minas and servants. In this parable the Servants use their gifts to increase their minas and they prosper but the one who did nothing got his mina taken away and it was given to the one who had the most. This story focuses on why we should use our gifts to increase God’s kingdom and to serve others so God may be glorified. What are you doing with your gifts to glorify God?

Call Out to Jesus

Luke 18

Luke 18 38 NIV

Here again from the Blood River youth . . .

In Luke 18 there is the parable of the blind man who receives sight. The man calls out to Jesus as he passes through, many scoffed at him but Jesus asked him what he would like. The man requested sight to which Jesus said, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.”” Luke‬ ‭18:42‬ ‭

All the man did was call out to Jesus and believe he could heal him, since he had faith his problem was fixed. The same happens with us, we tend to deal with our problems, let them drain us and drag us down, then we call out to Jesus. In reality Jesus should be the first person we ask for help. By having faith that he can help us he will. It may not mean the problem is automatically fixed but he will provide answers or lead us in the right direction. We are never alone when we have faith, we have a savior who wants us to rely on him so he can help us. So instead of trying to do it all on our own we should call on him to help relieve our issues.

Tabby

What God Sees

Luke 16

Luke 16 has a few parables on wealth and the value of giving but what stood out to me the most were verses 14 & 15: “The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.” (‭Luke‬ ‭16:14-15‬ ‭NIV‬‬) The Pharisees felt targeted because they loved money, and valued it highly. They looked at others and put them down to make themselves feel better. We can not look at ourselves like this, if we do compare ourselves it should be to Jesus, in an attempt to see what we can do to better ourselves, not to make ourselves feel better. Jesus tells them, “God knows your heart,” we can act how we like and put on a mask, but God knows the truth. Faith is not about who seems like the best Christian but about truly being a follower of God. Anyone can act good but we are called to be good followers in the depths of our heart. So we must have pure intentions and be doing what we do for God, not to look better.

Blair

More from Luke

Luke 14 & 15

(My apologies for sending out the wrong chapter yesterday. I was getting ahead of myself. So, here today we have the youth of Blood River Church with Luke 14 & 15 to help us get caught up.)

Luke 14

Hey My name is Colten. I love hunting and fishing. I am currently serving in the Navy. I grew up in Indiana and Louisiana. I can’t wait to dive into Luke 14 with you

Luke 14:13-14

“Instead, invite the poor, the lame, and the blind. Then at the Resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”

We are called to spread the word and the love of Christ around the world right? But why do you do it? Is it because he asks us to? Or is it because you can have a spot in the kingdom for it?

In this verse it tells us we will be rewarded for inviting those who could not pay, but would you do it if there was no reward? That is the big question! You see almost everyone nowadays expects something from everything! But how much do you think the world would change if we did something expecting nothing as Pastor John said in his thanksgiving sermon in 2018. So how about the rest of 2019 we do something for nothing? I am willing to accept the challege, but are you?

Luke 15

Hi, my name is Russell, and i’m from Springfield, LA. Im 16, and I play Baseball for my school as well as track. I love hunting, and fishing. I love my family and my church.

Read:

Luke 15:6

Luke 15:9

Luke 15:32

Imagine this, a boy goes to Home Depot with his father to purchase some lumber. While moving the boards from the rack to the cart the boy puts his phone down on a nearby stack of boards. So the father and boy check out. After loading the boards in the truck the boy rushes into the store because he couldn’t find his phone. He searched and searched and when he found it he rejoiced and was glad for he had found his phone. That boy was me.

I rejoiced in the same way that the man found his sheep, the woman her coin and the father his son. Always rejoice when you find something you have lost no matter how small it is.

Serving with Your Gifts

Luke 19

Bearing Fruit

Luke Chapter 13

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Jesus tells the following parable starting in verse 6 of Luke 13 – “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

Some may think that this fig tree represents unbelievers, which would make sense as they would not be producing fruit. But I think Jesus is actually talking about believers here. The fig tree is seen throughout scripture as being connected to and representative of Israel, in both the Old and New Testament. In Mark 11:12-21, Jesus curses a fig tree that was not bearing fruit and it withers and dies.

The point here is that Jesus and his Heavenly Father are not satisfied if you have the knowledge of them and their sacrifice, and then only go to church on Sunday and stay awake during the sermon. That is not Kingdom living. That is not bearing fruit.

Back in chapter 10 of Luke, Jesus said the way to gain eternal life was to “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Is this love intended to be kept internal? Goodness, no. If you truly love God with ALL of your heart, then that should overflow. If you truly love your neighbor (simply others) as yourself, I think they would know.

What sort of things do you do to serve? What do you do to show the love of God to others? How do you use your God-given talents to honor Him? The answers to these questions are your fruit! If you can’t think of any way that you are bearing fruit in such ways, let the parable of the Fig Tree be a warning to you.

I know that DOING things sounds like Works, and we are told at times that it is Faith that saves. But I believe that Faith lived out leads to the works that bear fruit. In Matthew 7:21, Jesus says “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

So, I go back to where I started, in Chapter 7. The coming Kingdom is real! It will be amazing! It will last forever! You and everyone you know will want to be there. So do everything you can to spread that news, and encourage and bless believers and non-believers in the meantime as well. That is truly bearing the fruit which Jesus will be looking for.

Greg Landry

How Will You Answer?

Luke Chapter 12

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So much in this chapter keeps pointing back to the Kingdom. It’s no accident. I have heard some Christians describe life as one big test. Are you going to live your life in a way that honors God, and thus reap the reward? Or are you going to live your life for yourself, and be judged accordingly?

4 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.

8 “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. 9 But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God.

Luke 12:4-9

A young girl that was alleged to have been asked if she believed in God during the Columbine High School shooting in 1999, with the knowledge that answering in the affirmative could end her life, comes to mind when I read those last two passages. She said yes. Around the world today, people are still being put to death for refusing to deny their faith in Jesus Christ. What would you say in these same circumstances?

A bit later, worriers (like me) are advised and encouraged NOT to worry. Your Heavenly Father will provide what you need. You don’t need to be rich or famous, and in fact, those are huge detriments and distractions from your real purpose anyway. Don’t let the worries and distractions of this world, which have no impact on your future inheritance, get you off track. Verse 31 says, “But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.” God WILL take care of your basic needs. I know there are plenty of things to worry about in this life, but much of our worry ends up having been completely needless. Even when you do have very serious things to be concerned about, remember that no one and no thing can take away your inheritance in the Kingdom. You need not worry about that.

Lastly we are encouraged to be vigilant, always ready to take ownership of the parcel designated as yours in the Kingdom, for we do not know the exact hour Jesus will return, or the exact hour that our time in this world will end. NOTHING in this temporary world is worth risking your place in the coming eternal world.

Greg Landry

Luke 23

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Luke 22

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Luke 20

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Luke 19

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Luke 18

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Luke 16

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Luke 14 & 15

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Luke 19

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