Bent Oak Church

Jesus healed another woman plagued by a demon. And again, it caused controversy. This time, it was a leader of the synagogue who saw Jesus's healing as a violation of the Sabbath. It is a familiar story in Luke. The leaders continue to oppose Jesus, and the crowd grows more impressed with his miracles. But few recognize how the kingdom is actually at work. Jesus offers them the comparison of mustard seeds and leaven. 

Having concluded a long teaching on fear and having called the crowd to repent, it must have been frustrating that they still did not understand. Jesus wanted to talk about their need for salvation; all they could think about was other people. The beginning of chapter 13 offers us a honest look at our own humanity but it also offers a remarkable view of Jesus's patience. 

Jesus concluded his conversation on fear by discussing the coming judgment. For many people, the idea of judgment can create fear, but Jesus understood judgment as a revealing of what is true from what is false. We take a closer look at the images Jesus uses to explain the judgment of God. 

Special guest Donna Barrett offers an exploration of the prayers in Luke's gospel and how they can shape a life or prayer for believers today. 

In the middle of talking about fear, Jesus turned his attention to the fact he would one day be gone and would then return. He commanded his disciples to keep watch. We look at how the promise of Christ's return offers hope and peace in the anxieties of our world today.

While Jesus was teaching about fear and anxiety, a man from the crowd interrupted. He wanted Jesus to command his brother to share the inheritance. Jesus saw something deeper. He forced man to see his own covetousness, and Jesus warned us not to measure life and meaning based on the things we possess. 

Before the crowd and the growing opposition, Jesus turned to his disciples and taught them not to fear those in power. Jesus explained that only the fear of the Lord can free us from the fear of this world. We take a closer look at his words and how they guide us toward courage today. 

The Pharisees had often criticized Jesus, but it was not until chapter 11 that Jesus fully addressed what was wrong with the Pharisee's perspective on life and faith. We take a closer look at Jesus's warning and discover that the leaven of the Pharisees is still a danger today. 

Having witnessed Jesus cast out a demon, his opponents accused him of dark powers, but the crowd asked for more miracles. Jesus answered their questions but also pushed the conversation further. They came to evaluate Jesus and his power, but he challenged them to evaluate their own hearts and their own eyes. 

Jesus's disciples often saw him praying, and they recognized something he possessed in prayer that they did not. Coming to Jesus, on disciple asked, "Teach us to pray." Jesus answered the man's question, but he pushed the disciple further and shifted the question from how to why.