Seven times in the Gospels Jesus healed someone on the Sabbath Day. 

It was controversial because the religious leaders created laws about the Sabbath God never intended. 

This Sunday we will discuss the Healing Of The Man With Dropsy and how this healing pointed a finger of guilt right back at the religious leaders. 

How do we maintain our faith when there is little to encourage us? 

Jesus tells a story in Luke 18 about a widow had no options but to be persistent about her plight in court. 

None of us is weaker than this widow. 

None of us is facing the odds she did, and yet, her persistence produced a favorable result. 

Luke 18 is about the role of prayer and how it bolsters our belief that God will intervene on our behalf. 

Why did Jesus tell the story of the Prodigal Son?

There are many lessons, but within the context of Luke 15, His audience was primarily the hard-nosed rabbis who had little regard for outsiders. 

This Sunday, Encounters With Jesus:  The Older Brother will focus on why he was so unwilling to celebrate the return of his rebellious brother. 

Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah and even more by claiming He was Yahweh in the flesh. 

In Matthew 16 Jesus gathered His disciples and wanted their assessment on His claims. 

Peter spoke up and made history with his confession of faith. 

Centuries have passed and we are pressed to make that same confession to a culture that disbelieves. 

Part of our profession is defending Jesus’ definition of Who He is.  We cannot afford to allow anyone to redefine who He is.  This Sunday, our next encounter is Peter, who led the way in defending His definition.    

This Sunday we continue, If The End Is Near as we examine the words of I Peter 4:7-11. 

What should be our response if we believe we are approaching the end? 

How do we prepare ourselves, and what does it look like? 

The end game requires some thought and action. 

Peter reminds us that we must take our eyes off the drama in the world and focus on His return.