Luke 15:1-24
Lost and Found Introduction: Please give attention to the Word of God, as found in the 15th chapter of Luke: “Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the…
Luke 15:11-32
What’s So Amazing About Grace? Note: This sermon was preached at First Free St. Louis in a series on Marks of a Healthy Church. Please give attention to the Word of God, as found in the 15th chapter of Luke, beginning in verse 11. Jesus has just told two fascinating parables–one about a lost sheep and another about a lost coin: Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of…
Luke 15:25-32; 1 Timothy 1:12-17
The Other Prodigal Son Introduction: Today is Christmas Sunday. The music and worship have drawn our attention to Advent in a special way, but if you looked at the sermon title and outline, you might wonder whether the pastor even knows it’s Christmas. Yes, and before I’m done, I think you will understand why I’ve chosen to continue with Luke 15 this Sunday. While not in itself an Advent passage, I trust that the message of Christmas will come through loud and clear. Our…
Luke 16:1-9
A Bad Man’s Good Example Note: This sermon was preached at First Free Wichita in 2004 in a series on Finding Financial Freedom. Introduction: Every one of us in this room this morning has a set of priorities, a ranking, if you will, of those things that we consider the most important in the world. I’m sure if asked to put these priorities on paper, most of us would probably list God first, family second, then work, church, friends, and country in some…
Luke 16:19-31
Rich Man, Poor Man: Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus Introduction: Our Scripture text for today comes from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 16, verses 19-31. This whole chapter is about money. It opens with the parable about the Shrewd Manager–a parable we studied together last October. Jesus’ point in the chapter is to underscore the link between money and spirituality. He indicated that man must love God and use money instead of using God and loving money. But because of His teaching the…
Luke 17:1-10 
Nitty Gritty Discipleship Introduction: I was thinking about preaching in blue jeans, a work shirt and my Wells-Lamont gloves this morning because our passage is one where we are going to get dirty. But I wasn’t sure how that would come across. Let’s look together at Luke, chapter 17, beginning in verse 1. As you turn there, let’s go to the land of make-believe and imagine that I’m wearing my working clothes and that you are, too. We need to approach this text with…
Luke 17:20-37, 21:5-36
Remember Lot’s Wife Introduction: Surely one of the most fascinating stories in the Bible is the story of Lot and his wife, as recorded in Genesis 13-19. Lot was a nephew of Abraham, living about 21 centuries before Christ. He and Abraham grew very wealthy in livestock, and their herdsmen began to quarrel over grazing rights in the Negev. Abraham wisely suggested they split up before the conflict escalated, and he even gave Lot first choice of where to live. Lot rather selfishly chose…
Luke 18:1-14
Profound Parables on Prayer Introduction: I love the parables of Jesus. He was an incredible storyteller and the characters really come alive. But I don’t like His parables on prayer—they are so very convicting. Please follow with me as we read two back-to-back parables from Luke 18:1-14: Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there…
Luke 18:15-34
What Must I Do to Receive Eternal Life? Introduction: Anyone who takes seriously the responsibility of sharing his faith with unbelievers knows that one of the most important aspects of evangelism is finding an opening to bring the Gospel into a conversation. Last Tuesday I was returning from a short trip to Minneapolis and happened to be seated next to a man on his way to Fort Lauderdale for business. We struck up a conversation, first about the weather (that’s always a good…
Luke 19:1-10
Zacchaeus: Can You Change Your Reputation at Work? Introduction: The question posed in my sermon title today is one that may not seem relevant to everyone here, because some of you don’t have a problem with your reputation at work. But some of you may. And all of you know people who do. It is my hope that this message will give you hope that people can change. Of course, it works both ways. We need to be aware also that one bad decision, one careless act…
Luke 19:11-27
What Is Your Investment Strategy? The Parable of the Ten Minas Introduction: We are enjoying a very strong economy right now. Incomes are rising, jobs are generally plentiful, and the stock market is strong. No one knows where it all might go in the coming months, but I can promise you one thing–it won’t last forever. The wise person will be investing his resources now, with a view to an uncertain future. What is your investment strategy? In a powerful and convicting parable–His last before…
Luke 19:28-44
The Original Veiled Prophet Parade Introduction: One of my very earliest memories is of the Veiled Prophet Parade, which has been a fixture here in St. Louis for over 100 years. From the time I was two years old until I was seven, my family lived in a six-flat tenement on Washington between Vandeventer and Sarah, just two doors west of the convent for the Sisters of the Helpers of the Holy Souls. The first building on the other side of the convent…