Today’s passage: Luke 6:20-26

Helpful thoughts:

• The poor are those who are entirely dependent on others (Or Another) to care for their needs.
• We hunger because we cannot be satisfied with our own righteousness.
• The one who weeps now is the one who recognizes their helpless condition before God.
• John 15:18 –  “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.”

Questions to consider:

1. What kind of poverty or hunger is Jesus talking about in this passage? What is true of us because of our sin?
2. What are people not realizing if they think they are rich, full, and laughing (Happy) without Jesus?
3. How would Jesus’ words have been an encouragement to Stephen even during his persecution (Acts 7:51-60)?  What makes us rich?  What fills us and gives us joy?  How long will our joy last?

Today’s passage: Luke 6:12-19

Helpful thoughts:

• There was no try-out for becoming a disciple/apostle.  They were chosen.  (John 15:16)
  • The Apostles were specifically chosen for a specific task of representation and communication.  To proclaim Jesus.
• Before choosing the twelve, Jesus prayed all night long.
• Jesus compassionately and powerfully gave this crowd a taste of Heaven.
  • All demons were expelled.
  • There was no more sickness.
  • Truth was proclaimed.

Questions to consider:

1. In what way is your choosing similar in nature to the choosing of the Apostles?  (Not that you are an apostle…but what does God choosing you result in?)  Check out Ephesians 2:7.
2. How does drawing near to God and asking Him for wisdom help us in making biblical, godly decisions?
3. In what ways does the church gathered give us a taste of Heaven?  In what ways can every member contribute to this function of our heavenly kingdom embassy?

Today’s passage: Luke 6:1-11

Helpful thoughts:

• Jesus and the disciples were not breaking the Sabbath.  They were violating the man made explanation of the Sabbath.  (In short, the Jews had written a manual on how to keep the Sabbath which added new and greater restrictions.)
  • Matthew 11:28-30
    • This wonderful promise from Jesus makes a lot of sense when compared to the heavy burdens the religious leaders had placed on the people.
• Ahimelech the priest sacrificed what was rightfully his in order to bless others (Matthew 12:7).
  • In declaring Himself as the Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus was showing these Pharisees how upside down their thinking was:
    • God gave the Sabbath to bless man.
    • Man used their extra Sabbath rules to condemn God.
• In the presence of truth, hearts are revealed.

Questions to consider:

1. Why didn’t the Pharisees answer Jesus’ question in verse 9?  What was their dilemma?
2. What had all of the legalism kept the Jewish people from being able to do?  Are there any rules/laws that we have written that keep us from knowing and loving people who need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ?  Are there any ways we have made it “unlawful” to do good?
3. What made it so hard for these Pharisees and religious leaders to repent and follow Christ?  What was at stake for them and their history/heritage?  Why is it just as much of a miracle when “religious” people are saved?

Today’s passage: Luke 5:27-39

Helpful thoughts:

• You have to know people who are not saved in order to win people to Christ.  Not just know of them, not just know their name, know them.
• Fasting is not a law.  Fasting is not something you must do to stay spiritual enough to pass a test.  Fasting is something we can do when it’s appropriate.
• The legalism (Works based salvation) of the Pharisees could not handle the Gospel message (New wine in an old wine skin).  The Pharisees preferred their damning legalism to the Saviors gracious gift (“The old is good”).

Questions to consider:

1. Were the Pharisees actually “well”?  Did they really not have need of the Great Physician?  How did their view of themselves make them unable to receive help?  What should we learn from this?  When do we start to take the Gospel for granted?
2. What did repentance look like for Levi?  What did he do when Jesus called him?  Who did Levi introduce to Jesus after He began to follow Him?
3. What would be an appropriate reason to fast?  When would it seem logical to set aside time, other activities, your meal time, to seek the Lord?

Today’s passage: Luke 5:12-26

Helpful thoughts:

• When lepers touch normal people, they make them unclean.  When Jesus touches a leper, the leper becomes clean.
• Jesus, God the Son, withdrew to desolate places to pray.
• The formerly paralyzed man had two reasons to leap and glorify God.  One of them was far more significant than the other.

Questions to consider:

1. Even though the leper was physically healed, what was still true of him?  Did he obey Jesus afterward?  What did he need more than clean skin and social acceptance? (Hint: The next man definitely received it!)
2. Why do you think Jesus would want and need to spend time in prayer?  What was it that He rightly desired to have with the Father?  How can this encourage us to prayer?
3. What miraculous gift seemed to pique the interests of people the most?  What, however, was truly the most incredible thing that Jesus did in this passage?  What reason to all believers have to love God with all our hearts?

Today’s passage: Luke 4:42-5:11

Helpful thoughts:

• If you could have a man that can heal all diseases and cast out all demons, you might want him to stick around.  But that was not why Jesus came.  He had to go preach the good news!
• Crowds also pressed in on Him to hear Him preach the word of God (5:1).
• Jesus graciously chose and changed these men, they left everything and followed Him.

Questions to consider:

1. What was unique about Peter’s response to Jesus compared to many others who wanted to be close to Jesus?  What did Peter understand?
2. Why was Peter allowed to remain in Christ’s presence?  (Think back to a similar occurrence in Isaiah 6:1-7)  What brings you into relationship and what grants you access to fellowship with God?
3. Why did it make perfect sense for these fishermen to leave all their gear behind to become fishers of men at the command of Jesus?