Lost and Found - Nathan Rages

Luke 15:1-10 contains two very similar parables about a lost sheep and a lost coin:

1. The Complaint: “This man receives sinners” (v1-3).

2. The Parables (v4-10):

     a. Lostness 

     b. Value 

     c. Search  

     d. Recovery 

     e. Celebration 

Counting the Cost - Nathan Rages

In Luke 14:25-35 Jesus gives some of His strongest teaching ever as He called people to weigh carefully the *cost* of being His disciple:

1. The Setting: Large crowds (v25).

2. The Demands: Christ requires absolute priority over:  Relationships (v26), Self (26-27), and Possessions (v33).

3. The Warnings: Carefully consider your commitment … lest you later suffer ridicule (v29-30), defeat (v31), and rejection (v34-35).

Having Lunch With Jesus - Nathan Rages

Luke 14:1-24 records the events during Jesus' lunch at a prominent Pharisee's house.  The passage provides us with lessons in four areas: 

1. Mercy for the suffering (v1-6).

2. Humility with our peers (v7-11). 

3. Generosity toward the needy (v12-14).

4. Responding to the Gospel invitation (v15-24).

Are Only a Few Being Saved? - Nathan Rages

In Luke 13:22-35, Jesus responds to the question of whether only a few people will obtain salvation and enter heaven.  His teaching covers five major salvation topics:

1. The difficulty and urgency of being saved (v24).

2. The miserable plight of the unsaved (v25-28).

3. The unlikely mix of saved folks in heaven (v28-30).

4. The courageous completion of Jesus’ saving mission (v31-33).

5. The Savior’s compassionate desire for sinners to be saved (v34-35).