Tag Archives: Luke

Have you ever really counted the cost?

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Follow MeHave you ever counted the cost? Did you find your “faith” in one of the following ways?

  1. I grew up in the Church so I have known God and loved Jesus since I was a child.
  2. I gave my life to Christ in Junior High at a camp. It was very emotional and a wonderful “mountain top” experience.
  3. I prayed the “sinner’s prayer” with someone to have Jesus come into my heart.
  4. I was baptized as a child so I’m covered.
  5. I raised my hand at the end of a sermon when the pastor did a call to salvation.
  6. I walked the isle at a church when I was in college and gave my life to Christ.
  7. I had hands laid on me and was prayed over to receive salvation.

These are just a few ways people in the 21st century tend to “find” Jesus. Your salvation may, in fact, be true and you have lived a change life ever since. However if you fall into the category of “I gave my life to Christ but never really saw a change because I’ve always been a good person” you may want to do some digging or even just a simple look into how you live your life. Here is a list of what the cost is to follow Jesus as it states in the Bible. The gift of salvation is free, we do not have to pay a penalty or work to get salvation, however there is a worldly cost, or rather loss to us if we are true followers of Jesus.

  1. You must deny yourself. (Mark 8:34)
  2. You must be emphatically, overwhelmingly, and fully in love with Yahweh (God). (Matthew 22:37-38)
  3. You must love Jesus more than you do your kids. (Matthew 10:37)
  4. You must love Jesus more than you do yourself. (Luke 14:26-27)
  5. You must consider what you spend your money on. (Luke 9:56–62)
  6. You must consider your comfort compared to the comfort of others. (Luke 9:56–62)
  7. Do you look like everyone else on the planet? Could anyone look at your life who is not a Christian and say, “Now there is a follower of Jesus!”? (Romans 12:2) (James 4:4)
  8. Does anyone literally hate you because you are outspoken for Jesus? (John 15:18-21) (2 Timothy 3:12)
  9. When we sin as a child of Yahweh (God) we will get disciplined. (Revelation 3:19) (Hebrews 10:31)
  10. Do you suffer more now that you are a Christian than when you were not? THIS IS BIG FOR TODAY’S “CHRISTIANS” AND IS OFTEN WHY THE COST IS TOO HIGH. (1 Peter 1:6-9) (2 Corinthians 1:8-10) (James 1:2-4) (Romans 5:3-5)

Below are some great articles for further reading:

The Cost of Being a Disciple

The Cost of Following Jesus

Thursday Theology ~ Christianity in Real Life by Pastor Mike Fabarez (Part 1 of 12)

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Christianity in Real LifeChrist’s preaching was practical and convicting. In Luke 6 we are privileged to dig into a life-changing sermon from Jesus that deals with a variety of topics which are as relevant in the twenty-first century as they were in the first. Don’t miss a week of this important twelve-week series as we study the indispensable lessons from the preaching of Christ. ~ Dr. Mike Fabarez of Compass Bible Church

Christianity in Real Life

Learning from the Lord of Life (Part 1)
October 06, 2013
Click HERE to watch or listen to the sermon.
Title Passage Date
Learning from the Lord of Life (Part 1) Luke 6:17-19 October 06, 2013

Thursday Theology ~ Dr. Mike Fabarez on Discernment

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DiscernmentWith the dumbing down of Christianity and the rise of bumper-sticker theology, perhaps now more than ever Christians need wisdom, insight, and discernment. Thankfully there is much of it to be found in Luke 5 and 6. Sandwiched between the calling of the first disciples (Luke 5:1-11) and their commissioning as apostles (Luke 6:12-16), we encounter several concise episodes in the life of Christ that clearly provide the kind of godly discernment every Christian needs. Don’t miss this important eight-part series as Pastor Mike walks us through this instructive section of the Gospel of Luke. – Compass Bible Church

Title Passage Date
Curiosity & Real Conversions (Part 1) Luke 5:1-11 June 23, 2013
Wants & Genuine Needs (Part 2) Luke 5:12-16 June 30, 2013
Urgency & True Importance (Part 3) Luke 5:17-26 July 14, 2013
Reputations & Vital Responsibilities (Part 4) Luke 5:27-32 July 21, 2013
Sorrow & Profound Celebrations (Part 5) Luke 5:33-35 July 28, 2013
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Blessing God ~ Busy Bee

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Sometimes I go about my day busy at all the tasks at hand, wondering how I will ever get through them all. If you take a look at the bee in the below photo he is busy at his task. It seems as though he is looking down and never gets a chance to look up from his work. Sound familiar? Martha had the same issue and Jesus was actually in her house! Wow! Talk about life perspective. I want to be Mary and choose the good portion, and look to Jesus. Pastor Todd Smith of Crossroads Community Church preached a great sermon where he asked everyone to have a garage sale on all their life’s stuff and get back to simplicity. He detailed how hard it is to make things simple and how easy it is to complicate things. I encourage you to listen to his sermon called “Follow Me: The Commission” if you get a chance.

Honeycomb Bee“The Busy Bee”

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” ”
– Luke 10:38-42

Photography by Jen O’Sullivan

Blessing God Series
Rain from the Lord
Grass in the Field
Parable of the Pearl
Rocks Cry Out
Flourish
Joy in the Thorns
Perfection
Fruit
Everything
Integrity
Hiding Place
Wonderfully Made

Tuesday Teaching ~ Messianic Prophecy

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Messianic Prophecy – Compelling Predictions
http://www.allabouttruth.org/messianic-prophecy.htm

Dead Sea ScrollMessianic Prophecy: What Is It?
Messianic prophecy is the collection of over 100 predictions (a conservative estimate) in the Old Testament about the future Messiah of the Jewish people. These predictions were written by multiple authors, in numerous books, over approximately 1,000 years. Messianic Prophecy is so dramatic today, because with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the reliability of the Septuagint version of the Old Testament (both of which have been proven to exist prior to the time Jesus walked on the earth) you can be assured that these prophecies were not “conspired” after-the-fact.

Messianic Prophecy: Fulfillment by Jesus Christ
Messianic prophecy was fulfilled by the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Although many Jews did not accept Jesus as their Messiah, many did, and they became the Jewish sect later known as the Christians. Christianity, based in dramatic part on the fulfillment of historical prophecy, spread rapidly throughout the Roman Empire of the 1st Century. Examine the prophecies yourself, and calculate the probability of one man fulfilling just a handful of the most specific ones, and you’ll be amazed.

“Jesus said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’” Luke 24:44 (NIV)

The Old Testament verses are the prophecy; the New Testament verses proclaim the fulfillment. Check them all out for yourself!

  • Born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:21-23)
  • A descendant of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; 22:18; Matthew 1:1; Galatians 3:16)
  • Of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10; Luke 3:23, 33; Hebrews 7:14)
  • Of the house of David (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Matthew 1:1)
  • Born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4-7)
  • Taken to Egypt (Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:14-15)
  • Herod´s killing of the infants (Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:16-18)
  • Anointed by the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2; Matthew 3:16-17)
  • Heralded by the messenger of the Lord (John the Baptist) (Isaiah 40:3-5; Malachi 3:1; Matthew 3:1-3)
  • Would perform miracles (Isaiah 35:5-6; Matthew 9:35)
  • Would preach good news (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:14-21)
  • Would minister in Galilee (Isaiah 9:1; Matthew 4:12-16)
  • Would cleanse the Temple (Malachi 3:1; Matthew 21:12-13)
  • Would first present Himself as King 173,880 days from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (Daniel 9:25; Matthew 21:4-11)
  • Would enter Jerusalem as a king on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:4-9)
  • Would be rejected by Jews (Psalm 118:22; 1 Peter 2:7)
  • Die a humiliating death (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53) involving:
    1. rejection (Isaiah 53:3; John 1:10-11; 7:5,48)
    2. betrayal by a friend (Psalm 41:9; Luke 22:3-4; John 13:18)
    3. sold for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12; Matthew 26:14-15)
    4. silence before His accusers (Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 27:12-14)
    5. being mocked (Psalm 22: 7-8; Matthew 27:31)
    6. beaten (Isaiah 52:14; Matthew 27:26)
    7. spit upon (Isaiah 50:6; Matthew 27:30)
    8. piercing His hands and feet (Psalm 22:16; Matthew 27:31)
    9. being crucified with thieves (Isaiah 53:12; Matthew 27:38)
    10. praying for His persecutors (Isaiah 53:12; Luke 23:34)
    11. piercing His side (Zechariah 12:10; John 19:34)
    12. given gall and vinegar to drink (Psalm 69:21, Matthew 27:34, Luke 23:36)
    13. no broken bones (Psalm 34:20; John 19:32-36)
    14. buried in a rich man’s tomb (Isaiah 53:9; Matthew 27:57-60)
    15. casting lots for His garments (Psalm 22:18; John 19:23-24)
  • Would rise from the dead!! (Psalm 16:10; Mark 16:6; Acts 2:31)
  • Ascend into Heaven (Psalm 68:18; Acts 1:9)
  • Would sit down at the right hand of God (Psalm 110:1; Hebrews 1:3)

Messianic Prophecy – What Are The Odds of Fulfillment Without God?
Messianic Prophecy is so powerful because of the statistical odds that one man would fulfill every single one of them. If we just analyze seven of the more specific prophecies in the Old Testament, that were later fulfilled in the Person of Jesus Christ, we are stunned by the statistical impossibility of such an historical reality. As an illustration, we have inserted some conservative “odds” alongside seven established prophecies. Please feel free to propose your own prophecies and your own odds – the dramatic point will still be made! Messianic Prophecy


Messianic Prophecy – The Challenge
Messianic prophecy is phenomenal evidence that sets the Bible apart from the other “holy books.” We strongly encourage you to read the Old Testament prophecies and the New Testament fulfillments on the previous page. Better yet, get a Jewish Tanakh (the Hebrew scripture read in the Jewish synagogues) and read the Messianic prophecies from there. It is dramatic, eye-opening and potentially life-changing!

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Blessing God ~ Rocks Cry Out

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How do you live your life in light of what God has given you? Are you one of those quite humble types when it comes to the name of Jesus? Do you feel that you are a great prayer warrior who loves others but allows them the right to their own opinion? You are really saying, I love you, but not quite enough to tell you about Jesus. Don’t be a lukewarm believer in Christ. For that quite form of “Christianity” Jesus has said he will literally puke out of his mouth. I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sound good at all. Don’t be silent!

Even the Rocks Cry Out“Rocks Cry Out”

As he was drawing near — already on the way down the Mount of Olives — the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

– Luke 19:37-40 (ESV)

Photography by Jen O’Sullivan

Blessing God Series
Rain from the Lord
Grass in the Field
Parable of the Pearl