Carolina Family Church (audio)

It’s time! Jesus has finally arrived in Jerusalem, and things are about to break loose. In this week's passage, we witness a chaotic scene as Jesus enters the city for Passover. The dynamic contrast of joy and sadness helps us understand how to respond to this event today.

Last week we saw a rich ruler approach Jesus, but what will happen when a rich sinner approaches Him? How will Jesus respond and what impact will it have? We will find out in this week’s message.

What does it cost to follow Jesus? When a young man ran up to Jesus and asked what it took to follow Him, Jesus’ answer cut right to the center of his heart. In this message, we will look at this young man’s response and consider what it will take for us to follow as well.

What is the Kingdom of God, and when will it happen? The Pharisees asked Jesus the “when” question, and though He didn’t give a direct answer, He gave clear instructions on how to be ready when it did. This is vitally important for a Christian to understand so we are prepared for our hope to be fulfilled.

As followers of Christ, we should live a lifestyle of confession and repentance. Psalm 51 gives us a great example of how we can go to our loving God in times like this.

Psalm 30 is a song of praise that takes place at the dedication of the house of David. At this dedication, King David doesn’t talk about all the great things he has accomplished, but instead praises God for everything He has done for him.

There are times when we feel distant from God. It can be easy to feel like God has abandoned us, but that is not the case. It’s in those moments that we must choose to worship and remember what we know is true.

It's easy to get into the mindset of why me? Why do they have everything and I am struggling. Psalms 73 is the prayer of a man going through just such an experience. It's important to remember, just as Asaph did, that things here are temporary and what we are working for is eternal.

When studying Psalms it is important to remember their purpose when they were written as well as how they may be used today. Psalm 118 is a triumphant song of praise that is still used in Jewish ceremonies today. For the Christian, there is an amazing "then and now" in understanding this Psalm and knowing how it represents Jesus and what He did for us as well as what it could have meant to Him right before He was betrayed, arrested, and sentenced to die on a cross.

Are we going to be ready when our time comes? That is a major theme of Jesus’ ministry, and it’s an urgent matter. To get the point across, Jesus tells an incredibly dynamic story in Luke 16 that we will study this week.

When a father is disrespected and betrayed by his own children, how would we expect him to react? The religious leaders of Jesus’ day believed that those who were sinners and traitors to God’s people were not deserving of love. However, Jesus tells three dramatic stories that describe the depth of compassion and desire God has for every person.

Who gets to sit at the table with Jesus when the time comes? Is it the religious or the powerful? Is it the rich or the influential? In our passage this week, Jesus tells a story that explains who will have a seat at the table.

While we wait for Jesus’ return, it can be very easy to get distracted. But Jesus told His followers to keep their belts tight and lights on every day expecting His return. There’s a blessing for those that do and a consequence for those that don’t. In this passage, He tells us the importance of staying watchful.

“Do not worry.” Easier said than done. But Jesus said it and it is certainly possible to do. In this passage, we will uncover the key to escaping anxiety with regard to our earthly needs, starting with a story about a man who had more than he could have ever dreamed.

As simple as the idea of prayer sounds, many people are intimidated by the idea of hearing from and speaking to God. Since a disciple of Jesus wants to do everything just like Him, it makes perfect sense for us to look to Him to understand how to pray. That’s what we examine in Luke 11 as Jesus gives His followers a prayer model to follow.

We could easily misunderstand Jesus’ message about following His commands and think it means checking off a list of accomplishments. Activity is not a substitute for abiding. Our passage this week contrasts two women and how their responses to Jesus prove this to be true.

We know we are supposed to love our neighbor, but who qualifies? When Jesus is asked this question, He doesn’t answer it. Instead, He tells a story that leads us to a completely different question.

Things look really exciting in Jesus’ ministry when we get up to chapter 9, but the reality of His mission is not revolution but rejection. Jesus begins explaining to His disciples what it will take to stick with Him when the going gets tough.

Any farmer can tell you that you need good soil to grow productive crops, so Jesus uses this picture to teach His followers how to be productive disciples. As we read Jesus’ first parable, we will be challenged to ask, “Which kind of soil am I?”

What is faith, and what can it do? In two incredible moments, we see Jesus respond to two very different people’s faith and completely change their lives. We will discuss how to have faith today and how Jesus will respond to it.