A Holy Prayer of Thanks
Human rebellion produces hearts of ingratitude, but the Gospel forms hearts that overflow with thankfulness – expressed to God in prayer and in verbal gratitude to others.
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5
Devoted – Disciplines That Deepen Our Delight in God
Devoted engagement with the spiritual disciplines described in Acts 2:42-47 is not a burdensome religious duty but rather the Spirit-empowered practices by which ordinary disciples experience growing delight in God.
Devoted – Mission
In the New Covenant, God has poured out His Spirit on all believers to empower them so that as they grow in their delight in Him, the Gospel and its blessings will be spread throughout the world.
Acts 1:8; 2:42-47
Devoted – Prayer
Because the Father delights to commune with His children, the Spirit draws believers into prayer — first in the gathered worship of the Church, and then overflowing into a daily personal life of prayer — so that their hearts flourish in ever-deepening delight in Christ.
Acts 2:42
Devoted – The Lord’s Table
God feeds and forms His people as the Spirit works through the sacrament of the Lord’s Table in the worship of the gathered church so that their hearts flourish in ever-deepening delight in Christ, which then spills over into their daily lives, including meals shared with others.
Acts 2:42
Devoted – Fellowship
God forms and deepens His people’s delight in Him through the Spirit-given gift of fellowship — binding them to Christ and to one another in unity, worship, generosity, and shared mission.
Acts 2:42-47
Devoted – The Word of God
God feeds and forms His people as the Spirit works through the Word — in the worship of the gathered church and in personal daily devotion — so that their hearts flourish in ever-deepening delight in Christ.
Acts 2:42
Devoted – Worship
Deep delight in God is not primarily cultivated through isolated spiritual practices but through the devoted corporate worship described in Acts 2:42, where the gathered church receives the means of grace that fuel and sustain our personal walk with God.
Acts 2:42
Devoted – The Spirit-Filled Life
Unlike Old Covenant believers who experienced the Spirit’s presence only occasionally and externally, every New Covenant disciple has been baptized with the Holy Spirit and is therefore fully equipped and empowered to grow in devoted engagement with the spiritual disciplines that deepen our delight in God.
Acts 1:4-8; 2:1-4
Series Outline for Encountering Jesus – A Journey Through the Gospels
The Gospel of Luke contains five songs by key participants related to the coming of Jesus that first Christmas, each of which contains rich theological truths to renew our minds and shape our hearts as we prepare for Christmas.
Encountering Jesus the Risen King
John’s vivid, detail-rich account of the empty tomb and the risen Jesus is the testimony of a genuine eyewitness who wants every reader to encounter the same risen King who called Mary’s name that morning and transformed her grief into worship and witness.
John 20:1-18
Encountering Jesus the King of the Nations
From the palm-waving crowds of Israel to the Greek God-fearers seeking an audience with Jesus, Palm Sunday reveals that Jesus is not merely the King of Israel but the King of all nations whose cross will draw every people, tribe, and tongue into His eternal kingdom.
John 12:9-33
Encountering Jesus, the Ultimate Good
When the rich young ruler calls Jesus “good,” he is confronted with the truth that only God is truly good and he is helpless to manage his own salvation. Fortunately for us, God’s goodness means we are not without hope and Christ’s doing what the ruler could not, giving up everything, points us to our only source of true righteousness and real salvation.
Luke 18:18-30
Encountering Jesus Through Prayer
In this passage, Jesus shows that prayer is about more than requests—it shapes our hearts to reflect God’s will. We are called to pray boldly, forgive freely, depend daily, and persist faithfully, trusting our good Father.
Luke 11:1-13
Encountering Jesus the Savior
When we encounter Jesus the Savior, the depth of grace and forgiveness we have received overflows into extravagant love and gratitude and changes how we see others.
Luke 7:36-50
Encountering Jesus the Servant
In a world that worships power, Jesus rules a Kingdom where His disciples are called to descend with Him into costly servant-hood – for this is the mark of true greatness.
Mark 10:32-45
Encountering Jesus the King Who Came to Die
To encounter Jesus the King is to follow a crucified Messiah — and to take up a cross of your own.
Mark 8:31-38
Encountering Jesus the Messianic Son of God
Jesus challenges us to answer who He truly is—not merely a prophet or teacher, but the Messianic Son of God Who builds and sustains His Church and restores us to relationship with God.
Matthew 16:13-20
Encountering Jesus the True Rest
In contrast to the pressures of life, false gods, destructive sins, and crushing legalism that create unrest, Jesus offers Himself as the true rest—calling us to learn from Him and experience the peace that comes from His presence.
Matthew 11:28-30
Encountering Jesus the True Son of God
Jesus is the True Son of God Who withstood Satan’s temptations and obeyed God to save us and help us to resist Satan.
Matthew 3:16-4:11
Fed and Formed by the Word of God
Believers, families, and churches are fed and formed by the reading and teaching of the Word of God.
Nehemiah 8:1-8
Shaping a Humble, Quiet Soul
God invites us to hope in Him by shaping souls that are characterized by humility and quiet calm.
Psalm 131
Understanding the Sacraments
A sacrament is a special symbol given by God to His people that, when received in faith, serves as a sign and seal of His promises to us, functions as a means of grace to strengthen us, and through which we testify of our faith in Him and His promises.
Romans 4:11; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; Romans 6:3-4
The Hidden God Who Saves and Rules
Though God often hides His face, He has not hidden His heart. He rules by providence and reveals Himself in Jesus Christ, who showed us the face of God and supplied grace and love enough to save the world.
Isaiah 45:15
Grace for the Outcasts
Luke 15 is an invitation of grace for the outcasts and a warning for the insiders. It’s not about morality (just do the right thing), and it’s more than God’s pursuit of us (but not less), it’s a warning meant to inspire us towards repentance, joy, and embracing a grace for the outcasts.
Luke 15