St. Luke Columbus

Jesus never said this faith will be easy. We ask questions, we doubt, and we fear the uncertainty of our tomorrows. But it is these struggles where we wrestle with our faith that we emerge stronger, ready to face our trials knowing that together with God and those in community the face of God is always upon us.   Next Step: Identify those places of struggle, share these struggles with a trusted partner, and pray and encourage each other as these times of struggle will lead to new life strengthened with God.   Lessons: Genesis 32:22-32, 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5, Matthew 28:16-20

Jesus brings remarkable change. God raises us from death to life and persistently changes us and to be more like Jesus. Some of these changes happen rapidly while others are slow and steady. What is always the case is that these changes are remarkable and the change can be seen as the difference between a mustard seed and full grown mustard plant.    Next Step: Jesus changes you. Lay down your barriers to change and put yourself in a place to be remarkably transformed by the Holy Spirit to be more like Jesus now and in eternity.    Lessons: Ezekiel 17:22-24, 1 Corinthians 15:51-55, Mark 4:30-32

Sharing the story of Jesus working in our lives can be intimidating, scary even. If we let out fears keep us silent, Satan is the only one who wins. If we listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit as have an opportunity to come along where God is already working. God gave us love and boldness to share his love. In letting fear rule what we share we miss the opportunity to be at the intersection where God's love meets someone's insecurities and hurts.    After hearing this message, we hope you will practice telling fellow Christians what Jesus is doing in your life. Be bold to share with nonchristians who you already have a foundation of friendship with.    Lessons: Exodus 3:10-14, 2 Timothy 1:6-7, Matthew 28:19-20 

Jesus shows his power over sin and evil in his ministry, and on the cross through his death and resurrection. All who acknowledge their sinfulness before God may receive forgiveness and healing through the power of the Holy Spirit.   Next step: As Luther suggests in the Small Catechism, begin each day by acknowledging that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness, and open yourself to the power of the Holy Spirit to forgive and heal you.   Lessons: Genesis 3:8-15, Psalm 130, Mark 3:20-35

There is often a misunderstanding of the act of worship, that it lives only on Sunday mornings at church, and that we worship God for what we get out of it or to impress others. We often don’t enter church in a spirit to declare the worth of God in honest celebration and proclamation, and we rarely find ways to worship outside of the church building. By redefining our definition of what worship is, we seek to truly experience God’s presence daily, be in awe of the life-giving and life-flowing power of God that transforms our hearts, and be sent to tell others about Him!   Next step:   Pray and ask God to search us and give us courage to repent of anything keeping us from worshiping Him. Recognize that we worship Christ from a grateful heart that knows that He is changing us to be more like Him.   Lessons: Psalm 100, Romans 12:1-2, Luke 24:50-53

Lessons: Proverbs 22:6, 1 Corinthians 1:4-9, Matthew 16:13-19

Lessons: Proverbs 22:6, 1 Corinthians 1:4-9, Matthew 16:13-19

Lessons: Proverbs 22:6, 1 Corinthians 1:4-9, Matthew 16:13-19

The Holy Trinity is the relationship between the three persons of the one true God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The purpose of this relationship is bring us into an eternal relationship with God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our essential belief in the Holy Trinity is based on the historical experience of the apostles.   We hope this message will help you understand and be able to teach our essential belief in the Holy Trinity more clearly.   Lessons: Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Romans 8:12-17, Matthew 28:16-20

Because of Jesus, God lives in you. In the person of the Holy Spirit, God lives in the heart of every Christ Follower. This is the full and radical restoration of the original and blessed relationship that God intended to exist between each of us and God. It is the Holy Spirit that creates in us faith to trust Jesus, keeps us in true faith, guides us into all truth, enlightens us with his gifts, and guides us to take steps along the discipleship path to become more like Jesus.   Next Step: Depending where you are in your journey with the Lord, trust in Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit, surrender to the Holy Spirit’s power within you, or open your thoughts, words, and actions to the direction of the Holy Spirit. Do one action that you sense the Holy Spirit directing you to do.    Lessons: Acts 2:1-21, Romans 8:22-27, John 16:7-15

It is to our great and eternal benefit that Jesus ascended into heaven and sits on the right hand of God to judge the living and the dead. We know that a physical human being can survive in heaven. We know that that one who has all the authority to eternally judge us died to make us right with God. We know that Jesus has gone ahead of us to prepare a place for us.   Next Step: Next time that you say the Creed, declare the ascension of Jesus with enthusiasm and then pause to imagine what a great and eternal benefit the ascension is for you.   Lessons: Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:15-23, Luke 24:44-53

When your behavior causes devastating or even death-consequences in your life, you can trust that God continues to work for your deliverance and salvation. Jesus is a bigger savior than you could ever be a sinner. Maybe you get engulfed in thinking you deserve this punishment.   When you wrestle with those deeply hidden feelings of regret, guilt, or shame over what you have said, done, or thought (especially towards others), take them to the Lord. Learn from the wretched prophet Jonah to cry out to Jesus from that pit and trust that Jesus will deliver you and bring you salvation. God loves you so completely that God does not want you to suffer in that dark belly of engulfing feelings of regret, guilt, and shame. God wants you and empowers you to have the ridiculous faith to trust that God will deliver you and bring you salvation even when what you are suffering is because of your own running away from God. God will raise you from this death.   Imagine the transforming change we can bring to others if we star

When your past is so daunting that there is no way you deserve someone to forgive you and yet that is exactly what God does, it takes a ridiculous faith to actually think you can be forgiven of your past sins. But not only does God forgive Paul but uses him to impact the world in such a way that we can’t even comprehend the impact he made in shaping the Christian church   Next Step: When you think there is no way God can forgive you for your past, rest in the assurance that there is nothing you have done in the past that God cant forgive you for when you trust in him   Lessons: Acts 9:1-15

Fully intending to complete a terrible action over which you have full control, and yet trusting that God will provide a way out takes ridiculous faith. In all his preparations and during his journey to the mountain, Abraham fully intended to follow through with the sacrifice of his only son, Isaac. Yet, Abraham believed that God would provide the lamb for the sacrifice. Even as Abraham raised the knife over Isaac’s body bound on the altar, fully intending to bring it down to kill his son, Abraham believed that God would provide the lamb. When everything around us and in us is intent on causing terrible outcomes, we trust that God is working for our good and will provide a new life for us.   Next step: When everything in life is telling that all hope is lost, trust that God has a plan and will provide.   Lessons: Genesis 22:1-18, Luke 24:36b-48  

Trusting that a dead man rose to new life and that we will also raise from death takes ridiculous faith. We know from the reports of those who saw Jesus risen from the dead that believing what they saw and heard did not come easily or consistently. Realistic doubts filled their minds. And yet, every one of them eventually trusted that Jesus rose from the dead and they faced persecution for the rest of their lives because their faith. For us who were not eyewitnesses of Christ’s resurrection, trusting that he rose and that we also will rise from the dead flies in the face of death’s tangible reality. And yet, we trust that because Jesus rose, so shall we. While there are convincing proofs for the resurrection of Jesus, God leaves a step of ridiculous faith for us to take and enter into God’s eternal kingdom.   Next step: If learning the proofs for the resurrection of Jesus will help you, seek to learn them. But, accept that you will still have to take a step of faith that is both reasonable because of the p

The Word of Forgiveness - “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34 - Aaron McCullough The Word of Promise - “Today you shall be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43 - Laura Whistler The Word of Love - “Woman, behold your son! Behold your mother!” John 19: 26-27 Anthony Janutolo The Word of Loneliness - “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46 - Abby Zaino The Word of Suffering - “I thirst.” John 19:28 - Bob Russo The Word of Victory - “It is finished.” John 19:30 - Pastor Steve The Word of Trust - “Father, into Your hands I commend my spirit.” Luke 23:46 - Meredith Miller

What specifically does it mean for you to wash feet? The answer to this question will vary from person to person. After exploring what it meant for Jesus to humble himself and wash the feet of his disciples, time will be given for people to reflect answer the question, where in your connection with others is God nudging you to humble yourself in order to serve the needs of the other person ahead of your own?   Next step: Identify one situation where God is nudging you to humble yourself in order to serve the needs of someone else.    Lessons: Leviticus 19:32-34, Galatians 5:13-14, John 13:1-17, 34-35

We all have a sacred responsibility to raise up the next generation to trust and follow Jesus. There is a persistent temptation in our lives and ministries to just finish our own race faithfully. An essential step on our discipleship path is pouring into the next generation with everything we have to effectively raise them up to trust and faithfully follow Jesus. This sermon will teach ways to effectively do this and challenge our church step up our efforts in children, student, and young adult ministries.   Next step: Identify at least one person younger than you to disciple and initiate that process. In some helpful way, participate in our children, student, and young adult ministries.    Lessons: Judges 2:6-15, Psalm 78:1-8, 2 Timothy 3:14-16, Matthew 21:12-17

Through Christ, God kept his promise and proved He can be trusted. Christ calls us in return to follow him. It is through Jesus that we tangibly see God's love in action, fulfilling the new covenant promise he made through Jeremiah.   Lessons: Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 5:5-10, John 12:20-33

  Refocus this prayer to the Lord, “Watch over and protect me/us/someone” to “No matter what, use me.” This is like when Jesus refocused his prayer in the garden from “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me.” to “Yet not my will, but yours be done.” We live in a world that is broken by sin and because of this everyone suffers to some degree and dies. Sooner or later the “watch over and protect me in this life” prayer will be answered “No”. God’s mission is to seek and to save all people. We see from the experience of Jesus and most every one of his followers in the New Testament that God’s mission takes precedence over “watch over and protect me/us/someone.”   Next Step: Continue to pray, “Watch over and protect me/us/someone.” but let that prayer be superseded by “No matter what, use me.”   Lessons: Mark 14:32-36