Luke 2020 Lenten Study
Reading for March 3rd – Luke 1
Shane L. Bishop Two “great” birth stories are offered. The first is John who is born of God aided natural means and the second is Jesus born of supernatural means. Google: Bible birth stories. The similarities between John and Samson are worth noting. John has far more conditions attached to his birth (Google: Nazarite). Zacharias…
Prayer for March 4th
Heavenly Father, you are so good! You bring us mercy, love, grace and peace even though we are so undeserving. You protect us when we don’t even know we need protection. Thank you Lord for all that you give, and all that you take away. We pray that we would have hearts and spirits that…
Reading for March 5th – Luke 2
Shane L. Bishop Joseph would have been most suspect traveling with a woman carrying a full term baby who was not yet his wife. No one can deny there is a baby. He knows it is not his baby. Scandal. The circumstances surrounding these two births are both very different and very much the same.…
Reading for March 6th – Luke 3
Shane L. Bishop Google every name and place in the first two verses of Luke 3. They are all important historical markers. Note the word of God “came” and John “went.” His presence is fulfilled prophecy. He seems very Old Testament. John sounds very much like an Essene (another Google) in his preaching style. Note…
Reading for March 7th – Luke 4
Shane L. Bishop The temptations occur in the Southern Desert around the Dead Sea. Jesus is tempted with food, power and fame. He wards off the temptations with his knowledge of scripture. This knowledge was gained as a boy. Why is teaching children Scripture essential? Note Satan departs but will return. Such are the terms…
Worship and Rest for March 8th
Psalm 31:1-5 O Lord, I have come to you for protection; don’t let me be disgraced. Save me, for you do what is right. Turn your ear to listen to me; rescue me quickly. Be my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe. You are my rock and my fortress. For the…
Leader Questions for Week 1
Questions for Luke 1 – 4 Feel free to add your own questions to your Connect Group conversations! Luke 1: What stands out to you from Luke chapter 1? Put yourself in Joseph or Mary’s shoes, how do you think you would react to an angelic message? John grew up strong in the spirit and…
Reading for March 9th – Luke 5
Rev. Dr. Don Frazure In today’s text, there are at least five instances of ordinary people who are made aware of Divine Presence in Jesus. At some point there is a moment when they realize they are no longer speaking with or interacting with just another human, but that this Jesus of Nazareth has authority…
Reading for March 10th – Luke 6
Rev. Dr. Don Frazure In today’s passage, Jesus tells his disciples to love their enemies. He tells them that rather than doing to their enemies what the human heart would desire (i.e. punishment, reciprocity, holding a grudge, etc.) that they should do what seems completely counter-intuitive by instructing them to show love toward their enemies…
Prayer for March 11th
Let the lyrics of this song be a prayer you lift before the Lord today. Alabaster Heart – Bethel Music So here it is, my alabaster heart I’m keeping nothing back from who You are No hidden treasure veiled by key or lock You’re a lifetime worth of worship And that’s only just the start…
Reading for March 12th – Luke 7
Rev. Dr. Don Frazure Today’s chapter contains an account of Jesus giving new life to a widow’s only son, and of Jesus giving new life to a sinful woman. In both instances, new life is given, but that new life is different in each case. First, the widow’s son had passed away. The man was…
Reading for March 13th – Luke 8
Rev. Dr. Don Frazure During my early years growing up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, tropical storms and hurricanes were (and still are) just a part of life. Tropical Cyclones were going to come and there was nothing we could do about it. We prayed that they would stay out in the Gulf and dissipate,…
Reading for March 14th – Luke 9
Rev. Dr. Don Frazure Luke 9:23-24 “Then he said to the crowd, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your…
Worship and Rest for March 15th
Psalm 95 Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him. For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods. He holds in his hands the depths of…
Leader Questions for Week 2
Questions for Luke 5 – 9 Feel free to add your own questions to your Connect Group conversations! Luke 5: In regard to the Scripture passage, do you think you would have been convinced that there was Divine Presence in Jesus, or would you have been skeptical? How have you experienced the Divine Presence of…
Reading for March 16th – Luke 10
Shane L. Bishop In Luke’s version of the sending of the 72, we get an unexpected gift. Jesus gives us a direct command to pray for “laborers for the harvest.” It is something I seldom hear prayed. Churches complain about a lack of volunteers all the time but do we pray them in? Are you…
Reading for March 17th – Luke 11
Shane L. Bishop What do you do when Jesus’ teachings elude you?You read it but you don’t get it? This was essentially the problem of his original audience when Jesus used parables. Remember that 2000 years have passed and Jesus’ Israel had a very different culture and a different understanding than we do today. Sometimes…
Prayer for March 18th
Dear Lord, thank you for everything you have taught us through your word. We ask that you reveal the mysteries of scripture to us as we continue to seek you! Teach us how to remove the distractions of this world and to draw closer to you. Teach us how to pray, how to seek you…
Reading for March 19th – Luke 12
Shane L. Bishop It appears Jesus would intentionally ignore Jewish religious protocol to get a rise out of the establishment and then rebuke them. This set of rebukes involved being godly and giving on the outside and selfish and stingy on the inside. Jesus’ argument is that we should be godly in appearance, action and…
Reading for March 20th – Luke 13
Shane L. Bishop In a culture where popular belief was that people got what they had coming to them; things like disease and disaster were theological issues. Jesus states that apart from repentance; we are all destined for disaster. The fig tree parable applies to many people and churches; unlike his love, God’s patience is…
Reading for March 21st – Luke 14
Shane L. Bishop Humility is a huge theme today. There is no downside to humility before God and humanity. The heads up about Herod by some of the Pharisees, reminds us that Jesus had some supporters in their ranks. Note the rare female image of a hen used to describe God in the lament over…
Worship and Rest for March 22nd
Psalm 106:1-5 Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord? Who can ever praise him enough? There is joy for those who deal justly with others and always do what is right. Remember me, Lord, when you…
Leader Questions for Week 3
Questions for Luke 10 – 14 Feel free to add your own questions to your Connect Group conversations! Luke 10: Are you willing to pray regularly for laborers for the harvest? Are you willing to be a laborer for Christ? Are you more inclined to “be” or to “do” when it comes to your faith?…
Reading for March 23rd – Luke 15
Kevin Siddle Luke 15 opens with the Pharisees again complaining to and about Jesus. How dare he associate himself with sinful people! He even eats with them! Something that may not be immediately evident is why the Pharisees are so upset. In Jesus’ culture having a meal with someone showed a level of acceptance. The…
Reading for March 24th – Luke 16
Kevin Siddle Luke 16 is wonderful. Jesus is forcing us to consider things that we often don’t want to (finances). Jesus begins by telling the story of the shrewd manager. This parable can be very confusing, so let’s break it down a little. Think of the master as the CEO of a business. The manager…
Prayer for March 25th
Dear Lord, we need you. We need you to be present, to be close, and to change us. Help us to become the men and women that you see us as. Help us to become the men and women who can boldly proclaim Jesus Christ as our Savior and Messiah. We pray that you would…
Reading for March 26th – Luke 17
Kevin Siddle Do you ever read scripture and think, “Wow, that’s hard.” Welcome to Luke 17. Jesus opens by talking about temptations to sin. I think it’s important here to distinguish that temptation does not equal sin. Jesus was tempted (Luke 4) but he was also sinless (Hebrews 4:15, 1 John 3:5). What Jesus is…
Reading for March 27th – Luke 18
Kevin Siddle (v1) “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.” And with one simple sentence, Luke has my attention. They should always pray and never give up. Always and never are absolutes. They have a finality to them. Always is absolute; often is…
Reading for March 28th – Luke 19
Kevin Siddle I like Zacchaeus. I picture someone who looks like Danny DeVito. Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector, and this would have made him incredibly rich, and incredibly hated by other Jews. During that time, Rome ‘hired’ Jews as tax collectors to take from their countrymen. On top of working for the enemy, most…
Worship and Rest for March 29th
Psalm 47 Come, everyone! Clap your hands! Shout to God with joyful praise! For the Lord Most High is awesome. He is the great King of all the earth. He subdues the nations before us, putting our enemies beneath our feet. He chose the Promised Land as our inheritance, the proud possession of Jacob’s descendants, whom he…
Leader Questions for Week 4
Questions for Luke 15 – 19 Feel free to add your own questions to your Connect Group conversations! Luke 15: Do you need Jesus? Moreover, do you need him the way these sinners needed him? How do you feel when you repent? What emotions are going through your mind when you humble yourself and ask…
Reading for March 30th – Luke 20
Shane L. Bishop Jesus’ encounters with the religious establishment can take but two paths; Jesus topples their power base or they topple Jesus. The parable of the vineyard has meaning for Christians the original audience would have missed. Remember Jesus told these things before his crucifixion and resurrection. Clearly Jesus has power as long as…
Reading for March 31st – Luke 21
Shane L. Bishop Jesus is clearly apocalyptic in this reading. Moderns often want a “softer” Jesus but his own teachings reveal another side. Love is the message but there is a game clock that will eventually signal the end of Time and Space as we know it. That clock is ticking… The 70 AD fall…
Prayer for April 1st
Heavenly Father, we thank you for creating us. Thank you for the opportunities to create relationships that are founded in faith. Thank you for our church and the family that has been created there. We pray that you would overwhelm us with gratitude and help us to see the many blessings that you’ve poured on…
Reading for April 2nd – Luke 22
Shane L. Bishop Right away in chapter 22, we see the religious establishment again trying to get rid of Jesus. Judas becomes their answer. The idea that “Satan entered Judas” is unique to Luke. What questions does this idea raise for you? The task for Judas is to catch Jesus when he is isolated and…
Reading for April 3rd – Luke 23
Shane L. Bishop The only true accusation against Jesus is found in verse 5. Jesus did indeed stir people up all over Israel! The Herod described here was one of Herod the Great’s three sons who succeeded him. He ruled Galilee. He is clearly so disappointed that Jesus fails to “perform” for him that he…
Reading for April 4th – Luke 24
Shane L. Bishop “Why do you look for the living among the dead” is compelling. The resurrection testimony of the women was not believed. It seemed too good to be true…that being said, Peter ran to the tomb to see for himself…and is left marveling. The Emmaus story is a good example of the way…
Leader Questions for Week 5
Questions for Luke 20 – 24 Feel free to add your own questions to your Connect Group conversations! Luke 20: When you read the parable of the vineyard owner, why do you think the owner sent his son, even after his servants were killed? The religious leaders were trying to get Jesus to justify not…
April 5th – Holy Week Palm Sunday
Kevin Siddle Palm Sunday, also known as the Triumphant Entry, sees Jesus fulfilling the prophecies set out in the Old Testament. When Jesus mounted an unbroken colt, a donkey that had not yet been ridden, he was fulfilling what was written in Numbers 19:2, Deut 21:3, and 1 Samuel 6:7. This was also a sign…
April 6th – Holy Week Monday
Kevin Siddle For now, Jesus has the crowds on his side. He just entered the city the night before to everyone’s great delight. They see Jesus as their new King, and this makes the established religious leaders very nervous. Jesus is not the Messiah to them, but a trouble-maker. And Jesus is going to make…
April 7th – Holy Week Tuesday
Kevin Siddle Jesus was a gifted and passionate teacher. And teaching is exactly what he did in his last week on earth. “Every day he was teaching in the temple.” Luke 19:47 On Tuesday of Holy week, we see most of Luke focus on Jesus teachings. The teachers of the law, looking for a way…
April 8th – Holy Week Wednesday
Kevin Siddle There are many debates about what did and did not occur on the Wednesday of Holy Week. Most scholars agree that Holy Wednesday, also called Spy Wednesday was the day that Judas decided to betray Jesus. Luke 22:3-4 Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples, and he…
April 9th – Holy Week Maundy Thursday
Kevin Siddle Maundy Thursday, originating from the latin word ‘mandatum’ means commandment. The reference comes from Jesus’ commandment in John 13:34-35 “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that…
April 10th – Holy Week Good Friday
Kevin Siddle Early AM: Jesus is taken to Pontius Pilate 9:00am: Jesus is placed on a cross. 12:00pm: Darkness covers the whole land. 3:00pm: Jesus died. 6:00pm: Jesus’ body is laid in a tomb. Less than 24 hours before his death, Jesus was eating the Passover meal with his disciples. In the course of one…
April 11th – Holy Week Saturday
Kevin Siddle After Jesus died on the cross, Joseph of Arimathea had very little time and rushed to request permission for Jesus’ body. At sundown of Friday the Sabbath began, and that meant any necessary preparations had to be completed before then. Had they not been able to get permission, or had sunset come, Roman…
April 12th – Holy Week Resurrection Sunday
Kevin Siddle The Sabbath has ended. The women who followed Jesus are eager to bring the spices they have prepared to show love and respect to him. These women had followed Joseph to the tomb, so they knew where his body had been laid. Very early on Sunday morning, they went to the tomb, and…
Leader Questions for Week 6
Questions for Holy Week Feel free to add your own questions to your Connect Group conversations! Palm Sunday: Can you imagine the scene of Jesus entering into Jerusalem? What do you think would be the most exciting? What do you think the religious leaders were thinking? What about the Romans? Knowing what we do now,…