July 4, 2021
Change: Excuses
Stories that change the World and your heart.
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Luke 14:15-24
Message Questions:
- Tell the story behind the best meal (feast!) you’ve ever eaten.
- Read Isaiah 25:6-9. This is the backdrop to Jesus’ parable and the comment, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast of the Kingdom of God.” The most popular assumption in Jesus’ day was that only law-observing Jews would “eat at the feast.” What is the most popular assumption in our day about who will “be saved”/be part of the Kingdom to come?
- What do you make of these excuses? Do they seem reasonable to you?
- In the story, the lame and the poor are invited in and welcomed, and then even those on the country roads and beyond are earnestly invited. What would a church look like that lived like this?
- What does the phrase “so that my house will be full” reveal about the heart of God?
Extend your small group discussion with the expanded guide for today’s message. It includes more questions and soul training practices for you and your small group.
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Recent Sermons
Acts 20:32-38 - For three weeks, we explore what Jesus says about money. This week, Paul’s final message highlights contentment, hard work, and caring for the weak.
Luke 2:22-40 - This week we reflect on the quiet faithfulness of Joseph and Mary as they bring Jesus to the temple. In this moment of ordinary obedience, God meets them with extraordinary hope through Simeon and Anna.
Matthew 1:18-25 - God puts His people on the go. Explore God’s call to Joseph and how an ordinary life is drawn into a greater mission and purpose.
Luke 1:39-45-Unexpectedly pregnant before she was married, Mary’s life was in upheaval. God sent her to Elizabeth, who would encourage her with a blessing.
Luke 1:26-38 - This Christmas, discover how God is on the move—sending Gabriel to Mary in Nazareth and inviting ordinary people into the greatest story ever told. Explore Mary’s costly yet courageous “yes” and what it reveals about the Christian life.
Luke 1:5-17 - The first Christmas bursts to life with promise and purpose—God sets His plan in motion, beginning in Jerusalem with an elderly priest and a miraculous birth announcement. Excitement is rising, and the story is just beginning.
