Sunday Morning Podcast | The Moody Church

Listening to God. Barriers to hearing from God. Be transformed by the Word.   Takeaway: Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to become angry.

In the Book of Acts—which is the second part of Dr. Luke’s two-volume set of historical works—we find Jesus’ core disciples, the Apostles, turning the world upside down. They’re boldly preaching and going to the ends of the earth to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus!   But that’s not where they began. Before Jesus showed up, the twelve disciples were just ordinary people. But what we’re seeing, in these Gospel accounts, is Jesus training up His twelve disciples.   And we too have been sent out by Jesus to change our world! But every mission requires training. Today, we get to listen in on Jesus’ Masterclass as He prepares His disciples for their mission. There’s so much we can learn from The Training of the Twelve.   This is Jesus’ Masterclass where he gives three crucial lessons: A Lesson in Dependency A Lesson in Vulnerability A Lesson in Inadequacy   1. A Lesson in Dependency When you step out into the unknown, I will take care of you. When we live on mission, Christ is our provision. 2. A

Have you ever noticed that the heroes we most admire—in the books we read and in the films we watch—always combine the paradoxical traits of grit and grace?   And the paradox of those traits is important. It’s easy to be strong and grow hard and calloused. It’s easy to be sensitive and grow soft and battered. In other words, choosing one side of the paradox is the usual course of things. But to put both sides of the paradox together, therein lies true heroism.   In chapter eight of the Gospel of Luke, we find Jesus embodying this kind of paradoxical heroism. Not only is He mighty and strong, but He is also tender and compassionate, full of mercy and care.   Let's walk slowly through these three stories, each of them in the care of Jesus. A Distraught Father A Desperate Woman A Devastated Child   1. A Distraught Father (Luke 8:40–42) Jesus hears our heart’s cry. Our Triune God is quick to respond to our heart’s cries with deep compassion. Won’t you bring your heart’s cry to Jesus?   2.

You know that moment in a superhero movie where all of a sudden the hero’s true identity is revealed, usually to a close friend? As an audience member, in that moment it’s like you’re in on the secret.   In the Gospel of Luke, we’ve seen Jesus revealing bits and pieces of who He is. Everyone’s asking, “Who is this Jesus?” But today marks a pivotal moment in the story because the hero’s true identity begins to be unveiled.   Jesus is with His closest friends and decides to let them in on the secret of His cosmic power. Jesus is lifting the veil, revealing His true identity, and we get to be part of the inner circle.   1. The Uncontrollable Storm Jesus is the Commander of nature At His Word, the wind and waves respond.   2. The Unassailable Captive Jesus is the Commander of the supernatural. Satan and his demons submit to Jesus.   3. The Untamable Lord Jesus is the Commander of all. Jesus is doing the work of God himself.   Takeaway: Jesus commands our attention   This is more th

It's human nature to not hear as well as we think we do. Even though our ears are open, we’re not very good at listening.   In our marriages, parenting, friendships, or with colleagues; If we could just learn to listen well, it would transform our relationships. If that’s true when it comes to our human relationships, just imagine how true it must be when it comes to our relationship with God!   In this passage, Jesus is going to teach us how to listen to the Word of God using parables. He’s showing us that the Word of God is like: A Seed in the Soil A Light in the House A Bond in the Family   1. A Seed in the Soil God is the sower, His Word is the seed that brings life, and our hearts are the soil. Hold fast to the Word.   2. A Light in the House God’s Word is like a lamp that shines upon our lives, exposing everything. Open up to the Light.   3. A Bond in the Family When we choose to listen to the Word of God, we show ourselves to be children of God and members of His family. Be part

When three people from totally different worlds collide together in one space, you never know what’s going to happen!   Well, something like that is happening at the end of Luke 7. A Pharisee, Jesus, and a Sinner all end up at the same dinner. Who knows what’s going to happen? Whatever it is, it’s going to be crazy.   Throughout this passage, let's look at each of the main characters in turn... The Sinner The Pharisee The Forgiver And together we’ll discover The Grace Awakening.     1.The Sinner When Simon the Pharisee invited Jesus over to his home, a sinful woman walked in, fell at Jesus’ feet, and washed them in perfume ointment and her tears.   God eagerly welcomes every repentant sinner. No one is beyond the forgiveness of God!     2. The Pharisee For Simon, it was a risk to his religious moralism to invite Jesus over for dinner because of his reputation of eating with sinners and tax collectors.   God is never impressed by our religious moralism. There is no one righteous, no n

  In these early days of His ministry, Jesus has been disclosing more and more of His authority and power. He’s cast out demons, forgiven sins, and most recently he’s raised the dead.   Everyone is asking the question: Who is this Jesus?   Some consider Him a healer; others think He’s a great prophet. Still, others wonder if He’s the Messiah who would restore the Kingdom and make all things new. And just when it seems like there can be no doubt of who this Jesus is, doubt arises from the most unlikely source, John the Baptist.   John the Baptist began to wonder out loud if Jesus really was the Messiah. What gives rise to this doubt is stemming from John the Baptist’s Disappointment with God. John had all these expectations and Jesus wasn’t delivering on them.   Disappointment with God is something many of us can relate to. In this passage we find three scenarios in which disappointment with God so often arises. When Hope is Deferred When Prayers go Unanswered When Desires are Frustrated   Wh

1,991 years ago, a Galilean carpenter turned Rabbi, who’d been crucified and buried for three days, arose and walked out of his tomb alive! In a moment that changed history forever, Jesus revealed His death-defying life for all the world to see!   Let’s go back 3 years before that Resurrection morning to the early days of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus has performed miraculous signs. Everyone marveled at His authority and power; they’d never seen anything like it!   And now, Jesus is about to reveal His astonishing authority over death and His power of resurrection life! And for some, this was the day they got their lives back!   In this passage we discover Jesus as... The Rescuer The Restorer The Resurrection   The Rescuer: Jesus banished death to rescue life. He simply speaks and death flees! Jesus is the Word made flesh. His word is life. The Centurion and his servant got their lives back.   The Restorer: Jesus plundered death to restore life. He reached down into death and reclaimed

What is a good person? It’s quite an important question. Have you ever felt like you knew someone who seemed like such a good person and then one day, it all came crashing down?    Have you ever wondered if you are a good person?    Consider these 4 parables that Jesus preaches in the Sermon of the Plain:  The Blind Leading the Blind  The Speck and the Log  The Fruit and the Tree  The House Built on a Rock    In each of these 4 parables, Jesus offers a critique and a calling, as he teaches us what it means to be a good person.    The Blind Leading the Blind  Critique: You’re helplessly lost in the dark. You can’t see to save yourself.  Calling: I’m here to lead you into the light.  If you want to become a good person, you need to step into the light.  Jesus is here to lead you into the light.    The Speck and the Log  Critique: You’re obsessed with the problems of others.  A symptom of our spiritual blindness is easily identifying the sins of others while remaining oblivious t

When comparing Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain in Luke with Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, we get the same core message. But in Luke, Jesus is much more efficient and to the point.   This means in Luke, we’re getting the core of Jesus’ central message. There are 3 major elements: The Blessings and Woes What is the good life? The Ethics of Love What is the good way? The Closing Parables What is a good person? Today, our focus is on that middle section - Jesus’ Ethics of Love: What is the good way?   We will be following three key phrases that build into one complete sentence: Love your enemies as your Father does, with overflowing mercy. Love Your Enemies By loving your enemies you are: Embracing the Kingdom of Heaven. Breaking the cycle of violence. Reclaiming your agency. Opening up a window of grace. The good way overcomes evil with good. As Your Father Does The good way to love your enemies is to love even when it’s not reciprocal. We were once God’

Jesus has been causing quite a stir up in Galilee. Many are drawing near in astonishment and faith. While others are recoiling back in skepticism and disbelief. Jesus’ own followers are starting to feel the heat. They’ve left everything and followed Him. Now the Pharisees are starting to question where their loyalties lie.   Of course, we know the answer. Because in Luke 6:12-16, we read that Jesus called his disciples to Himself and chose twelve of them to join His inner circle as Apostles. They’ve decided to go “all in” with Jesus.   And with these words, Jesus begins what scholars call “The Sermon on the Plain.” It bears many similarities to the Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew. In both sermons, Jesus begins the same, “Makarios!” Which means blessed, happy, well-off, and favored. It’s the Good Life!   In these opening verses, Jesus is answering three crucial questions: Who has the Good Life? What is the Good Life? Where is the Good Life?   1. Who has the Good Life? The good life be

A Personal God The God of History The God of Liberation A Holy God Takeaway: God – not nature – is the ultimate foundation of our existence. And, as he has shown us in history, he is on our side.

“No one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.”   With those words, recorded here at the heart of Luke 5 & 6, Jesus is setting the stage for what He’s doing as His ministry begins. Like wine ripening in the leather wineskins, Jesus is going to stretch everyone’s confined expectations to make way for the expansive kingdom that is already breaking into the world in Himself.   In this passage, Jesus will bring the Pharisees to their breaking point, as he wields with increasing boldness, His miracle-working power.   The Cleanser (5:12-16) Jesus cleanses by becoming unclean. Jesus stretched out his hand and touched the untouchable man full of leprosy. He exchanges his cleanliness to take on the man’s uncleanliness. The Forgiver (5:17-26) Jesus forgives by becoming unforgivable. The Pharisees will never forgive Jesus for what He did for the paralyzed

As we come to chapters 5 & 6, we find Dr. Luke brings together two themes like a zipper. Jesus is beginning his ministry, and many are drawn to him and choosing to become one of his followers. Yet on the other side, many are skeptical of him, especially the Scribes and the Pharisees.   Dr. Luke is zippering these two themes together, going back and forth between the Disciples who are drawing near and the Pharisees who are keeping their distance. For today, we will focus our attention on the call of discipleship.   The Command of Jesus Jesus’ Authority is Broad He knew where the fish were, and they caught a large number (5:6a). Jesus’ Vision is Wide The fishermen caught so many fish they needed two boats (5:6b–7). Jesus’ Ministry is Stretching Just as the fishing nets were stretching, so will we be stretched in ministry (5:8–11). Jesus’ Call is Transforming These fishermen will no longer be catching fish, but men. The Companions of Jesus Jesus’ Authority is Broad Jesus c

One of the best descriptions of Jesus is found in Hebrews 1:3, "He is the radiance of the glory of God, the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power." Jesus is the glory of God up close and personal. If you want to know what God is like look at Jesus! When God speaks and brings all creation into existence, that Word is Jesus. Through Him, all things were made and by Him, all things are sustained. When Jesus speaks stuff happens.   This passage shows Jesus, the incarnate Word of God, wielding the word of His power with astonishing authority as He's, dispatching demons, and mending maladies.   Astonishing Authority What gave Jesus' teaching such astonishing authority? His Approach, His Content, and His Person. At the King's word, souls stir. When the incarnate Word of God opens up the inspired word of God, soul's stir and come to life.   Dispatching Demons The demon in this passage wants Jesus to be quiet and leave town. It's a challenge to Jesus' a

In The Lord of The Rings, when Frodo, Sam, Pippen, and Mary return to the Shire, they come home changed. When they left, they were a ragtag bunch of mischievous friends, but now they’re heroes. However, the other hobbits of The Shire don’t know about their adventures. So, as these four friends arrive home in all their regalia, their old neighbors are left staring.   In Luke 4, at His own homecoming, something a bit like that happens to Jesus. He comes back to Nazareth and He’s changed. The Father endorsed Him from Heaven and the Spirit descended upon Him.   And now Jesus returns North to Galilee in the power of the Spirit to begin His ministry and His old neighbors don’t know what to do with Him. This is Jesus’ homecoming where He reveals to his childhood friends and neighbors, just who He is, and why He’s come.   Luke 4:16–21 | The Prophecy - The days of renewal are here in Jesus.   Jesus is teaching about the prophecies from the book of Isaiah in the synagogue.   Jesus proclaims that those prophec

When being interviewed for a job, people are always asking about the same things: your background, your credentials, your qualifications, and your experience. They’re trying to see if there’s a fit between the job and what you have to offer. You’ve got to get the right person in the right assignment if you want to have the right outcomes.   In 1st century Israel, there was one position in particular that so many longed to see filled, the Messiah. Then one day, Jesus of Nazareth stepped out onto the stage of history as the Savior of the World.   Luke is going to show us that Jesus stands alone, uniquely prepared, to be a Savior like none other. Luke gives us three accounts concerning Jesus. His Baptism, His Genealogy, and His Temptation.   Let’s consider each of these accounts as we discover Jesus to be the Son of God, the Son of Man, and the Son of Righteousness.   1) Son of God - Luke 3:21–22 In His Baptism – We see Jesus is divine. Jesus’ baptism brings hope to all of creation. 2) Son of Man - L

Dr. Luke has been weaving together the stories of these two remarkable boys—John and Jesus—born six months apart, both of whom will be integral in this new chapter of redemption that God is writing in salvation history. God is clearly on the move, and these two boys will be central to His saving work as it breaks through!   The last we heard of John was in Luke 1:80, “And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.” But today we’re going to see him rising into the height of his ministry. John the Baptist will prepare the way of the Lord, crying out as a voice in the wilderness.   John’s call, in this passage, is to the “why”, “what”, and the “how” of repentance.   The “Why” of Repentance   Repentance is a call to rethink the way you’re living, to turn around, and head in a whole new direction. Repentance feels like death, but it is the only way to life.   The “What” of Repentance (3:3-6)   There are four major life-patt

Imagine Dr. Luke sitting down to interview Mary about her son, Jesus. Of all the key witnesses he’d interviewed, his conversation with Mary must have been the most precious. She may have said, “Let me tell you when I first realized that He knew exactly who He was. He was 12 years old, just a boy, and we accidentally lost Jesus. We left him behind for 3 whole days in Jerusalem.”   When Mary and Joseph finally found him, Jesus responded, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” With these words Jesus is showing us His belonging, believing, beholding, and becoming.   Belonging - Jesus is running to His home   Believing - Jesus is seeking out His refuge   Beholding - Jesus is embracing His delight   Becoming - Jesus is defaulting to His habits   Takeaways: When I’m lost, where do I run for home? When I’m scared, where’s my safe space? When I’m at leisure, where do I seek joy? When I’m pressured, what are my default habits?   Under pressure, we def

What kind of story are we living in? Is life a comedic story? Or is it a tragic story? We call those who see life as a comedy, optimists. Their cheery outlook drives innovation, entertainment, and hopefulness. As for those who see life as a tragic story, we call them pessimists. They are honest about the pain and struggle life has to offer.    But there’s a third kind of story… a redemptive story. Redemptive stories see the brokenness of the world for what it is, but the light always breaks through.    The Bible characters we meet today, Simeon and Anna, see life as a redemptive story. These two aged saints have spent their whole lives awaiting the redemption of God…    1) The Sign of Redemption 2:22-24   As Mary and Joseph redeem their firstborn son and present Jesus to the Lord. They are acknowledging they’re living in God’s redemptive story.   God has redeemed… we owe Him our everything!    2) The Hope of Redemption 2:25-33   Simon and Anna were waiting for the consolation of Israel. They wer