Luke 16: 16-31
19 Jesus said, "There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed and who lived each day in luxury. 20 At his door lay a diseased beggar named Lazarus. 21 As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man‘s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. 22 Finally, the beggar died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and his soul went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Lazarus in the far distance with Abraham.
24 "The rich man shouted, Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish in these flames.’ 25 "But Abraham said to him, Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. Anyone who wanted to cross over to you from here is stopped at its edge, and no one there can cross over to us.’ 27 "Then the rich man said, Please, Father Abraham, send him to my father‘s home. 28 For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them about this place of torment so they won‘t have to come here when they die.’ 29 "But Abraham said, Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read their writings anytime they want to.’ 30 "The rich man replied, No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will turn from their sins.’ 31 "But Abraham said, If they won‘t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won‘t listen even if someone rises from the dead.’ "


Devotional
How do we treat the Lazarus’ around us?
This parable (story) is designed to have us reflect on how we respond to people like Lazarus. Lazarus was a diseased beggar with open sores, the type of person most of us try to avoid. The question becomes: How high is your compassion meter to the forgotten in our society?
A few years ago I started a Bible study in Marion, Indiana, in one of the poorest areas of that town. I went into it thinking I would help to "save" some lost people. What I learned was the plight of the poor and broken. One house that we had a Bible study in was at the home of a woman named Penny. Penny was confined to a wheelchair and was extremely obese. Her house was extremely filthy and there were tons of animals, mainly dogs and none of them were very healthy.
Many of the dogs had lost all their fur and fleas were always in the house. I‘ll never forget one day while I was sitting there and the throw rug she had in the middle of her family room looked like it started moving by itself, underneath was a whole community of fleas.
The first time I went to Penny‘s home I vowed I would never go back, and then one day I remembered this passage, and I was convicted by the Holy Spirit: Chris, how compassionate are you, really? The next week month I went back to Penny‘s and continued to do so for several months. Each month I looked less and less at the environment I was in and looked at Penny as a child of God. Soon, other people similar to Penny showed up and lives were changed, needs were met, and I was blessed to become more compassionate.
God softened my heart big time in those 18 months because my heart was very hard. How about you? How compassionate are you, really? I‘m not saying you need to go to a flea-infested home to show compassion, but today God will put someone in your life you would rather walk by. However, compassion says: "I will stop and try to lessen their hurt?" A compassionate heart sees need and moves to help. Will you do that today?


Prayer:
Jesus, thank you for the story of Lazarus. Help me to have your eyes today to show compassion to someone I encounter. I realize you take my actions seriously, and I will be judged on them. Help me to be compassionate like you with the forgotten of our society. In your name I pray, Amen.

Luke 16:1-15

Luke 16:1-15 (New International Version)
1Jesus told his disciples: "There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’ 3"The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I‘m not strong enough to dig, and I‘m ashamed to beg— 4I know what I‘ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’ 5"So he called in each one of his master‘s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6" ‘Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. "The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.’ 7"Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ " ‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. "He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’ 8"The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. 10"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else‘s property, who will give you property of your own? 13"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." 14The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God‘s sight.

Devotional:
At first glance I find it confusing. What is Jesus saying? Why would a master commend a dishonest manager? Does God favor dishonesty? Who am I in this story?If I‘m honest I have to say that I am the "shrewd" manager. If I start with the understanding that everything I have belongs to God, then I have to admit that I am not always the best at managing what is His. Do I spend my time and energy in the ways that God Himself would?
If I am also aware that God is going to ask me to give an account for how I spent my time and energy, then that may spark something in me to start "making up for lost time". In the culture that this was written, people looked favorably on a Master (land owner), who was gracious and benevolent. So the servant in this story starts going to those he is managing and extending grace in the Masters name. Basically saying, "Hey the Master wants to give you a gift and you don‘t owe him as much as you did." If the Master were to fire the servant it would look like He was not really generous.
If it feels a little confusing, that‘s ok. I had to read this 5 times to wrap my head around it.
So here‘s the point. If God generously offered us grace, He would rather have us extend grace to others so that they get a picture of who God is. A Master likes to be thought of as being giving and gracious. Therefore the servant served his Master by being gracious.
The Pharisees (stuck up religious folk), were bothered by this because they could not imagine forgiving a servant and taking a loss on what "belongs" to them.
So it is important for us to realize that nothing belongs to us that God has not granted.


Prayer: Dear God, everything I have is Yours. Help me to be more aware of so that I do not become selfish and proud. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Luke 15:11-32

11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: "A man had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.
13 "A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. 17 "When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, "Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant."’ 20 "So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.[b]’ 22 "But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. 25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’ 28 "The older brother was angry and wouldn‘t go in. His father came out and begged him, 29 but he replied, 0All these years I‘ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’ 31 "His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’"
Devotion: I think this passage is a tough passage in that it can be looked at in so many different view points. One simple idea that stands out to me is that the father accepted his son no matter what he had done. The son went off, partied and then then came back with no money and had squandered his inheritance. The father did not even have a care because of his great love for his son.
The father in this story symbolizes God and his great love for us. No matter how many times we mess up in our lives he accepts us for who we are and will be standing with open arms to comfort us in times of need.
The other part of the story is the brother who gets angry when his brother is accepted back so easily after all his mistakes. Think about this: who are we to judge others? For we all have made mistakes and only one human was without sins and he died so that we could be foregiven. So I think the overall point in the story is to show God‘s great love and accept others without judgement.

Prayer:
Lord be with me today to go out and spread your love in such a way that I would not judge others when they have made mistakes. Help me to accept these people and maybe bring them a little closer to You.

Luke 15:1-10

Luke 15:1-10 (The Message)
The Story of the Lost Sheep 1-3By this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, "He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends." Their grumbling triggered this story.
4-7"Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn‘t you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, and when you got home call in your friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Celebrate with me! I‘ve found my lost sheep!’ Count on it—there‘s more joy in heaven over one sinner‘s rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue.The Story of the Lost Coin
8-10"Or imagine a woman who has ten coins and loses one. Won‘t she light a lamp and scour the house, looking in every nook and cranny until she finds it? And when she finds it you can be sure she‘ll call her friends and neighbors: ‘Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!’ Count on it—that‘s the kind of party God‘s angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God."

Luke 14:15-35

Luke 14:15-35 (New International Version)
The Parable of the Great Banquet 15When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God." 16Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
18"But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ 19"Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I‘m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20"Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can‘t come.’ 21"The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ 22" ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ 23"Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. 24I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ "The Cost of Being a Disciple 25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’
31"Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. 34"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."Devotion: Being a follower of Jesus is simple but not easy. Putting aside our pride, worldly desires and laziness and placing Christ first in our lives takes practice and persistence. Our instruction book, the Bible, encourages us to be Christ like and to help others in finding the path to follow Him. This requires commitment, humility and being a servant to others. Our reward is spending eternity in God‘s Kingdom.
Prayer: Father, thank you for the path in which I am desperately trying to follow. I am not always certain that my desires are within your plan for me. Please mold my human efforts into your plan and lead me to serve your desires rather than my own. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Luke 13:31-14:14

Luke 13:31-14:14 (The Message)
31Just then some Pharisees came up and said, "Run for your life! Herod‘s on the hunt. He‘s out to kill you!" 32-35Jesus said, "Tell that fox that I‘ve no time for him right now. Today and tomorrow I‘m busy clearing out the demons and healing the sick; the third day I‘m wrapping things up. Besides, it‘s not proper for a prophet to come to a bad end outside Jerusalem. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killer of prophets, abuser of the messengers of God! How often I‘ve longed to gather your children, gather your children like a hen, Her brood safe under her wings— but you refused and turned away! And now it‘s too late: You won‘t see me again until the day you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of God.’"Luke 14 1-3 One time when Jesus went for a Sabbath meal with one of the top leaders of the Pharisees, all the guests had their eyes on him, watching his every move. Right before him there was a man hugely swollen in his joints. So Jesus asked the religion scholars and Pharisees present, "Is it permitted to heal on the Sabbath? Yes or no?" 4-6They were silent. So he took the man, healed him, and sent him on his way. Then he said, "Is there anyone here who, if a child or animal fell down a well, wouldn‘t rush to pull him out immediately, not asking whether or not it was the Sabbath?" They were stumped. There was nothing they could say to that.
Invite the Misfits 7-9He went on to tell a story to the guests around the table. Noticing how each had tried to elbow into the place of honor, he said, "When someone invites you to dinner, don‘t take the place of honor. Somebody more important than you might have been invited by the host. Then he‘ll come and call out in front of everybody, ‘You‘re in the wrong place. The place of honor belongs to this man.’ Red-faced, you‘ll have to make your way to the very last table, the only place left. 10-11"When you‘re invited to dinner, go and sit at the last place. Then when the host comes he may very well say, ‘Friend, come up to the front.’ That will give the dinner guests something to talk about! What I‘m saying is, If you walk around with your nose in the air, you‘re going to end up flat on your face. But if you‘re content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself."
12-14Then he turned to the host. "The next time you put on a dinner, don‘t just invite your friends and family and rich neighbors, the kind of people who will return the favor. Invite some people who never get invited out, the misfits from the wrong side of the tracks. You‘ll be—and experience—a blessing. They won‘t be able to return the favor, but the favor will be returned—oh, how it will be returned!—at the resurrection of God‘s people."

Luke 12:54-13:9

Luke 12:54-13:9 (New International Version)
Interpreting the Times 54He said to the crowd: "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It‘s going to rain,’ and it does. 55And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It‘s going to be hot,’ and it is. 56Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don‘t know how to interpret this present time? 57"Why don‘t you judge for yourselves what is right? 58 As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled to him on the way, or he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny."
Luke 13
Repent or Perish
1Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish." 6Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. 7So 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. 9If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ "DEVOTIONAL:
The parable of the fig tree at the end of this passage is one that always seems harsh to me, but then I realize it is actually filled with hope. So often I am like the fig tree. I allow my selfishness and busyness to get in the way of the fruit God wants to produce in me. Sometimes I ignore areas of sin in my life instead of asking God to show me how to change. When I do that, I get in the way of the fruit God wants to produce in me. But just like the vineyard caretaker in the parable, Jesus doesn‘t give up on me. He wants me to dig deep and fertilize my life with God‘s word and love. Then I can be fruitful and do great things for God.
PRAYER:
Father, help me not to become consumed with things that distract me from you. Help me to dig into your word and to fertilize my soul with your love so that I can produce fruit for you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Luke 12:35-53

Luke 12:35-53 (The Message)
When the Master Shows Up 35-38"Keep your shirts on; keep the lights on! Be like house servants waiting for their master to come back from his honeymoon, awake and ready to open the door when he arrives and knocks. Lucky the servants whom the master finds on watch! He‘ll put on an apron, sit them at the table, and serve them a meal, sharing his wedding feast with them. It doesn‘t matter what time of the night he arrives; they‘re awake—and so blessed!
39-40"You know that if the house owner had known what night the burglar was coming, he wouldn‘t have stayed out late and left the place unlocked. So don‘t you be slovenly and careless. Just when you don‘t expect him, the Son of Man will show up." 41Peter said, "Master, are you telling this story just for us? Or is it for everybody?" 42-46The Master said, "Let me ask you: Who is the dependable manager, full of common sense, that the master puts in charge of his staff to feed them well and on time? He is a blessed man if when the master shows up he‘s doing his job. But if he says to himself, ‘The master is certainly taking his time,’ begins maltreating the servants and maids, throws parties for his friends, and gets drunk, the master will walk in when he least expects it, give him the thrashing of his life, and put him back in the kitchen peeling potatoes. 47-48"The servant who knows what his master wants and ignores it, or insolently does whatever he pleases, will be thoroughly thrashed. But if he does a poor job through ignorance, he‘ll get off with a slap on the hand. Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities!To Start a Fire 49-53"I‘ve come to start a fire on this earth—how I wish it were blazing right now! I‘ve come to change everything, turn everything rightside up—how I long for it to be finished! Do you think I came to smooth things over and make everything nice? Not so. I‘ve come to disrupt and confront! From now on, when you find five in a house, it will be—
Three against two, and two against three; Father against son, and son against father; Mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; Mother-in-law against bride, and bride against mother-in-law."Devotion: The story in the beginning is an analogy for us. Jesus is the master in the story. He left earth after His resurrection (Mark 16:19) but He will be coming back to earth again. And when He returns, He will want to know what we, as His managers have been doing with our time. Are we looking forward to His return, ready to open the door for Him, so to speak? Have we been using our time wisely, making the most of every day? Or have we been focused on the smaller picture, and get caught up in the day-to-day tasks and forget about Jesus altogether?
We know Jesus wants us to serve Him, represent Him, and love others like He would. It can be easy to forget amongst busy schedules, taxiing kids back and forth, work, paying bills, worrying about money, etc. But He has come to change everything, to turn everything rightside up, including our lives and priorities. Focus your thoughts on Him, and He‘ll do just that, so we can be ready for His return.
Prayer: Jesus, thank you for the ways You‘re always teaching me. I‘m glad You‘re coming back, and I want to be ready. Help me to look forward to that time, and live my life today as a good manager over the things You have given me. Amen.

Luke 12:13-34

Luke 12:13-34 (New International Version)
The Parable of the Rich Fool 13Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to
divide the inheritance with me."
14Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" 15Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man‘s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." 16And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18"Then he said, ‘This is what I‘ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I‘ll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ’ 20"But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 21"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."Do Not Worry 22Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not
worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you
will wear. 23Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.
24Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom
or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than
birds! 25Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
26Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about
the rest?
27"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. 32"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.Devotional
Have you ever noticed how hard it is to stop worrying? It seems to me
that I am bombarded with things to worry about. Money. Jobs.
Relationships. And every time I read the news or turn on the
television I have people pointing out everything else that I should be
worrying about. In this passage we are presented with two options.
Jesus tells a story about someone who worried about himself…to the
point where all he cared about was himself. When worry consumes me, I
begin to think only of myself. Then Jesus tells his followers to seek
the kingdom of God and trust that God will provide. It‘s easy to think
that seeking God‘s kingdom is simply giving money to a good cause but
it seems to imply that seeking God‘s kingdom will open my awareness to
the needs of others and if I put my energy in that direction God will
provide what I need.
Prayer
God as I seek Your kingdom, help me not to become distracted with
worry but to be sustained by you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Luke 12:1-12

LUKE 12:1-12 (NLT)
Meanwhile, the crowds grew until thousands were milling about and crushing each other. Jesus turned first to his disciples and warned them, "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees—beware of their hypocrisy. 2 The time is coming when everything will be revealed; all that is secret will be made public. 3 Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!
4 "Dear friends, don‘t be afraid of those who want to kill you. They can only kill the body; they cannot do any more to you. 5 But I‘ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill people and then throw them into hell. 6 "What is the price of five sparrows? A couple of pennies? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. 7 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don‘t be afraid; you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows. 8 "And I assure you of this: If anyone acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I, the Son of Man, will openly acknowledge that person in the presence of God‘s angels. 9 But if anyone denies me here on earth, I will deny that person before God‘s angels. 10 Yet those who speak against the Son of Man may be forgiven, but anyone who speaks blasphemies against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. 11 "And when you are brought to trial in the synagogues and before rulers and authorities, don‘t worry about what to say in your defense, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you what needs to be said even as you are standing there."Monday Morning Quarterback
The NFL (National Football League) started this week. Millions of Americans were glued to the screen all day yesterday cheering on their favorite team. I am sure you or someone you know watched some football yesterday-even if you really don‘t like the game. And today, there are millions of fans playing Monday morning quarterback and predicting from one game what teams and players are valuable and what one‘s are not.
Value in the NFL is based solely upon performance. How many touchdowns, tackles, and wins define the value of a player or a coach. I am so glad that the God that Jesus talks about in our scripture this morning does not assess my worth based on my football skills. (I played 8th grade and 9th grade football and I was very puny and weak. So, I joined the cross country team realizing that the worst injury for a runner is a sprained ankle. I am such a wimp).
Also, I am glad he does not base my value on my GPA (grade point average) in school, my salary, or even my devotion to him. The reality is God does not measure our worth or value with a number, equation or ratio. We are valuable because we are his most prized creation-his children.
Today, as you begin your Monday morning, there is a Monday morning quarterback assessing your value and he is saying: "You are more valuable to me than anything I have ever created." So, throughout your day shed your inferiorities, guilt and worry and tell yourself: I am valuable because I am a son or daughter of the Most High God.
Prayer: Jesus, thank you for reminding me through your words that I am more valuable than anything in creation. Help me to live today knowing I am your beloved child and that you have great plans and purposes for my life. In your name. Amen.

Luke 10:1-42

Luke 10:1-42 (The Message)

Lambs in a Wolf Pack

 ^1-2Later the Master selected seventy and sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he intended to go. He gave them this charge:
   "What a huge harvest! And how few the harvest hands. So on your knees; ask the God of the Harvest to send harvest hands.


 ³"On your way! But be careful—this is hazardous work. You‘re like lambs in a wolf pack.

 ⁴"Travel light. Comb and toothbrush and no extra luggage.

   "Don‘t loiter and make small talk with everyone you meet along the way.

 ^5-6"When you enter a home, greet the family, ‘Peace.’ If your greeting is received, then it‘s a good place to stay. But if it‘s not received, take it back and get out. Don‘t impose yourself.


 ⁷"Stay at one home, taking your meals there, for a worker deserves three square meals. Don‘t move from house to house, looking for the best cook in town.

 ^8-9"When you enter a town and are received, eat what they set before you, heal anyone who is sick, and tell them, ‘God‘s kingdom is right on your doorstep!’

 ^10-12"When you enter a town and are not received, go out in the street and say, ‘The only thing we got from you is the dirt on our feet, and we‘re giving it back. Did you have any idea that God‘s kingdom was right on your doorstep?’ Sodom will have it better on Judgment Day than the town that rejects you.


 ^13-14"Doom, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had been given half the chances given you, they‘d have been on their knees long ago, repenting and crying for mercy. Tyre and Sidon will have it easy on Judgment Day compared to you.
 ¹⁵"And you, Capernaum! Do you think you‘re about to be promoted to heaven? Think again. You‘re on a mudslide to hell.

 ¹⁶"The one who listens to you, listens to me. The one who rejects you, rejects me. And rejecting me is the same as rejecting God, who sent me."
 ¹⁷The seventy came back triumphant. "Master, even the demons danced to your tune!"


 ^18-20Jesus said, "I know. I saw Satan fall, a bolt of lightning out of the sky. See what I‘ve given you? Safe passage as you walk on snakes and scorpions, and protection from every assault of the Enemy. No one can put a hand on you. All the same, the great triumph is not in your authority over evil, but in God‘s authority over you and presence with you. Not what you do for God but what God does for you—that‘s the agenda for rejoicing."

 ²¹At that, Jesus rejoiced, exuberant in the Holy Spirit. "I thank you, Father, Master of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the know-it-alls and showed them to these innocent newcomers. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.

 ²²"I‘ve been given it all by my Father! Only the Father knows who the Son is and only the Son knows who the Father is. The Son can introduce the Father to anyone he wants to."


 ^23-24He then turned in a private aside to his disciples. "Fortunate the eyes that see what you‘re seeing! There are plenty of prophets and kings who would have given their right arm to see what you are seeing but never got so much as a glimpse, to hear what you are hearing but never got so much as a whisper."

Defining "Neighbor"

 ²⁵Just then a religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus. "Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?" ²⁶He answered, "What‘s written in God‘s Law? How do you interpret it?"
 ²⁷He said, "That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself."


 ²⁸"Good answer!" said Jesus. "Do it and you‘ll live."

 ²⁹Looking for a loophole, he asked, "And just how would you define ‘neighbor’?"

 ^30-32Jesus answered by telling a story. "There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man.


 ^33-35"A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man‘s condition, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill—I‘ll pay you on my way back.’
 ³⁶"What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?"

 ³⁷"The one who treated him kindly," the religion scholar responded.
   Jesus said, "Go and do the same."

Mary and Martha

 ^38-40As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. "Master, don‘t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand."
 ^41-42The Master said, "Martha, dear Martha, you‘re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it‘s the main course, and won‘t be taken from her."




Devotional

Have you ever felt like you‘ve just been going and going without taking a chance to breathe? This story of Mary and Martha is a perfect example of the attitude and posture we need to have toward Jesus. Making him the "main course" instead of feeling like it is my job to do things for him. Because here what happens when we get caught up simply doing, we begin to look at everyone else and get frustrated with what they are not doing. However, when we make Jesus are focus we become less concerned with the opinions and actions of others. And interestingly enough Jesus would rather have us spending time in his presence than rushing around and becoming distracted with what is most important.



Prayer


God, I pray that you would help me to focus this day on You so that I know more clearly who I am. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Luke 9:37-62

Luke 9:37-62 (New Living Translation)

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy
37 The next day, after they had come down the mountain, a large crowd met Jesus. 38 A man in the crowd called out to him, "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, my only child. 39 An evil spirit keeps seizing him, making him scream. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It batters him and hardly ever leaves him alone. 40 I begged your disciples to cast out the spirit, but they couldn‘t do it."
41 Jesus said, "You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you and put up with you?" Then he said to the man, "Bring your son here."
42 As the boy came forward, the demon knocked him to the ground and threw him into a violent convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit and healed the boy. Then he gave him back to his father. 43 Awe gripped the people as they saw this majestic display of God‘s power.

Jesus Again Predicts His Death
While everyone was marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, 44 "Listen to me and remember what I say. The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies." 45 But they didn‘t know what he meant. Its significance was hidden from them, so they couldn‘t understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.

The Greatest in the Kingdom
46 Then his disciples began arguing about which of them was the greatest. 47 But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he brought a little child to his side. 48 Then he said to them, "Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me also welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest."

Using the Name of Jesus
49 John said to Jesus, "Master, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he isn‘t in our group."
50 But Jesus said, "Don‘t stop him! Anyone who is not against you is for you."

Opposition from Samaritans
51 As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52 He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival. 53 But the people of the village did not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem. 54 When James and John saw this, they said to Jesus, "Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up?" 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56 So they went on to another village.

The Cost of Following Jesus
57 As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, "I will follow you wherever you go."
58 But Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head."
59 He said to another person, "Come, follow me."
The man agreed, but he said, "Lord, first let me return home and bury my father."
60 But Jesus told him, "Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God."
61 Another said, "Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family."
62 But Jesus told him, "Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God."

Devotion
Looking at Jesus’ actions in this passage we can see Jesus’ reaction to those who do not welcome Him, or at least see His reaction to James and John when they ask if they can call a curse down on the city to burn them up.  We‘ll even see later how Jesus prays that God would forgive those who are crucifying Him.  Now that‘s compassion, mercy, and forgiveness right there.  Though one might think, reading on, that the compassion of Jesus ends when He is talking to a few people who want to follow Him, and the words He says seem to be pretty harsh.  I think Jesus’ point here is to say that following Him is not to be taken lightly.  Jesus isn‘t calling us to put one foot in His kingdom and keep the other in our past.  Following Jesus is a full-time, all-the-time commitment.  This passage convicts me sometimes in the ways that I can say "Hold on a second Jesus, I‘ll keep following you tomorrow, I just want to stop right now and go back to doing my own thing for a while."  Jesus is honest here on what it takes to follow Him, and believe me, if anyone knows the cost, its Him.

Prayer
Lord, please help me to look on people with compassion, even if they aren‘t welcoming or friendly towards me.  God, I know that You don‘t want just part of my life, but You want the whole thing.  Show me ways in which I can give You all of me, point out the areas in my life that I‘m still holding onto.  Amen.

Luke 9:18-36 (The Message)

Don‘t Run from Suffering

 18One time when Jesus was off praying by himself, his disciples nearby, he asked them, "What are the crowds saying about me, about who I am?"

 19They said, "John the Baptizer. Others say Elijah. Still others say that one of the prophets from long ago has come back."

 20-21He then asked, "And you—what are you saying about me? Who am I?"

   Peter answered, "The Messiah of God." Jesus then warned them to keep it quiet. They were to tell no one what Peter had said.

 22He went on, "It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the religious leaders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and on the third day be raised up alive."

 23-27Then he told them what they could expect for themselves: "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You‘re not in the driver‘s seat—I am. Don‘t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I‘ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? If any of you is embarrassed with me and the way I‘m leading you, know that the Son of Man will be far more embarrassed with you when he arrives in all his splendor in company with the Father and the holy angels. This isn‘t, you realize, pie in the sky by and by. Some who have taken their stand right here are going to see it happen, see with their own eyes the kingdom of God."

Jesus in His Glory

 28-31About eight days after saying this, he climbed the mountain to pray, taking Peter, John, and James along. While he was in prayer, the appearance of his face changed and his clothes became blinding white. At once two men were there talking with him. They turned out to be Moses and Elijah—and what a glorious appearance they made! They talked over his exodus, the one Jesus was about to complete in Jerusalem.

 32-33Meanwhile, Peter and those with him were slumped over in sleep. When they came to, rubbing their eyes, they saw Jesus in his glory and the two men standing with him. When Moses and Elijah had left, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, this is a great moment! Let‘s build three memorials: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He blurted this out without thinking.

 34-35While he was babbling on like this, a light-radiant cloud enveloped them. As they found themselves buried in the cloud, they became deeply aware of God. Then there was a voice out of the cloud: "This is my Son, the Chosen! Listen to him."

 36When the sound of the voice died away, they saw Jesus there alone. They were speechless. And they continued speechless, said not one thing to anyone during those days of what they had seen.

Devotion:  I was always confused as to why Jesus would tell people to keep it quiet that we wasthe Savior of the world.  Its such big news, why would Jesus want people to keep it quiet?  What I‘ve come to understand, is that at that time, the Jews were under Roman rule.  They had another government telling them what to do.  For us, it would be like the French government coming to the US and telling us we now live by their laws.  As you can imagine, the Jews didn‘t like the Roman rule; they wanted to get out from under it.  Jews would form secret groups to try to overthrow the government, so revolts and failures were frequent.  Jews were eager to follow anyone with a plan.

So if Jesus went around telling everyone that He was the Savior, Jews would quickly follow Him for the wrong reasons.  They would expect political change from Him.  But we can see the kind of change Jesus is talking about, and it sounds pretty tough.

He talks about letting Him be in the driver‘s seat, embrace suffering, self-sacrifice, and embarrassment.  That‘s no easy thing to do!  But He‘s trying to show His disciples and the Jewish people that God‘s way is different from the world‘s way.  Following Jesus isn‘t easy, but it changes everything and its worth it!

Prayer:  Jesus, help me to put you in the driver‘s seat, to let you be in control and help me when I‘m suffering.  Help me see that your way is the only way.  Thank you for being patient with me.  Amen.

Luke 9:1-17

Luke 9:1-17 (New International Version)

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

 ¹When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, ²and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. ³He told them: "Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic. ⁴Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. ⁵If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them." ⁶So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere. ⁷Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed, because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, ⁸others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. ⁹But Herod said, "I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?" And he tried to see him.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

 ¹⁰When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, ¹¹but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing. ¹²Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, "Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here."
 ¹³He replied, "You give them something to eat."
   They answered, "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd."¹⁴(About five thousand men were there.)
   But he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each." ¹⁵The disciples did so, and everybody sat down. ¹⁶Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to set before the people. ¹⁷They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

Devotional
I wish I could use this scripture to talk about how God will provide more than enough when we follow him. I wish I could use it to say that he will multiply and bless all that we put our hands to. I wish I could but today I am more compelled to question if I really know what hunger is. I recently saw a chart with a few statistics about hunger. 1in 7 (854 million people) do not have enough food to sustain them and 25,000 people die each day of hunger or its related causes which adds up to 9 million per year. When I put this together with the scripture passage for today I am deeply convicted that Jesus says to me, "You give them something to eat." In fact too often I have read this story and thank God for all that he has given me, but do I then realize that the blessings he has given comes with a responsibility? There are those in need in our community and in the world. So today I will pray that God will direct me to know how to use my resources to meet some need and I will allow my heart to be broken with the reality that approximately 5 children have di ed due to a lack of water in the time that it took me to send this email.

Prayer
God I do not know what to pray. When I think about the world I see so much need that it can be overwhelming. Since you have blessed me, please allow me to reflect your character by reaching out to those in need. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Luke 8:40-56

Luke 8:40-56 (New International Version)

  ⁴⁰Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him.⁴¹Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house ⁴²because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.

   As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. ⁴³And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. ⁴⁴She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. 

 ⁴⁵"Who touched me?" Jesus asked.
      When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you."

 ⁴⁶But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me." 

 ⁴⁷Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. ⁴⁸Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace." 

 ⁴⁹While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," he said. "Don‘t bother the teacher any more."

 ⁵⁰Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, "Don‘t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed." 

 ⁵¹When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child‘s father and mother. ⁵²Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. "Stop wailing," Jesus said. "She is not dead but asleep." 

 ⁵³They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. ⁵⁴But he took her by the hand and said, "My child, get up!" ⁵⁵Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. ⁵⁶Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

Devotional

Wow! Two incredible stories of healing back to back. I would like to focus on the woman whom Jesus healed first. I find it amazing that her faith and her desire to be healed drew power out of Jesus. I think it is important for us to notice that Jesus draws a great distinction between a crowd pressing around him and a touch from someone who has surrendered all of her doubt and believes that that touch will heal her. It tells me that I am not simply part of the crowd but that Jesus will and does take the time to focus on me and heal my brokenness.

Maybe you feel overwhelmed today. Maybe you feel hurt or broken. Take a minute connect with Jesus, to touch him, and let his healing power free you from worry.

Prayer

Dear God, thank you for being so powerful that you can heal my hurt. I surrender my doubts to you today and trust you to care for my needs. In Jesus’ name. Amen.