Shownotes
Welcome to Day 2899 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2899 – “The Ultimate Close Encounter” based on Luke 9:37-50
Putnam Church Message – 06/07/2026 The Good News According to Luke: “Snapshots From An Amazing Album.” Last week’s message was “The Ultimate Close Encounter,” in which we learned that the message still speaks: This is God’s Son. This is the Chosen One. Listen to Him. His will. His way. All the way. Today, we continue with our twenty-seventh message from Luke’s narrative of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Today’s message is: “Snapshots From An Amazing Album.” Our core passage today is Luke 9:37-50, on page 1610 of your pew Bibles. Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy 37 The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. 38 A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. 40 I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.” 41 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” 42 Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43 And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, 44 “Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.”/ 45 But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it. 46 An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47 Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48 Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you, who is the greatest.” 49 “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.” 50 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.” Opening Prayer Father, we come before You today with grateful hearts. Thank You for giving us the Gospel accounts, not as random stories, but as carefully chosen snapshots of Jesus — His power, His compassion, His mission, and His way of forming disciples. Lord Jesus, as we open Luke’s Gospel today, help us see You clearly. Show us where we are trusting in ourselves instead of depending on You. Show us where we are avoiding hard truth because we do not want to face it. Show us where we are seeking greatness in the wrong ways. Show us where we have become too narrow, competitive, or protective of our own little group instead of rejoicing in Your Kingdom work. Holy Spirit, soften our hearts. Open our eyes. Teach us to lead, serve, and follow in the way of Jesus. In His name, amen. Introduction: A Gospel Photo Album The greatest story ever told is about the greatest Person who ever lived. And yet, we do not have an exhaustive account of Jesus’ earthly life. John tells us near the end of his Gospel (John 21:25) that Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written. So, what do we have? / We have selected scenes. / Chosen moments. / Spirit-inspired portraits. / We might say the Gospels are like four photo albums. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John each show us Jesus truthfully, but each one arranges the pictures a little differently. Sometimes they include the same scene, but from a slightly different angle. Sometimes one Gospel writer zooms in on a detail that another leaves in the background. Sometimes one chooses a picture that the others do not include. But every snapshot has a purpose. Luke is not simply saying, “Here are a few things that happened.” He is saying, “Look carefully. These moments reveal who Jesus is, what His Kingdom is like, and what it means to follow Him.” In last week’s message, “The Ultimate Close Encounter,” we followed Peter, James, and John up the mountain. There, they saw Jesus transfigured in glory. Moses and Elijah appeared with Him. The cloud of God’s presence surrounded them. The Father spoke: “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him.” That was the mountaintop. But now, in Luke 9:37–50, Jesus and the three disciples come down from the mountain into the valley of human need, failure, confusion, pride, and competition. That sounds a lot like real life, doesn’t it? We have moments of worship, clarity, beauty, and spiritual encouragement. Then we come down the mountain and face the same broken world. A family is in crisis. A child is suffering. Disciples are arguing. People misunderstand Jesus. Pride rises. Jealousy appears. Luke gives us four snapshots in this passage:- Jesus frees a boy after the disciples fail.
- Jesus announces His coming betrayal and suffering.
- Jesus redefines greatness through a child.
- Jesus corrects the disciples’ narrow view of Kingdom leadership.
- A pastor may preach without prayer.
- A teacher may teach without dependence.
- A parent may try to guide a child in human strength alone.
- A church may run programs with organization but little spiritual reliance.
- A Christian may try to overcome temptation through willpower alone.
- The crowd sees victory. / Jesus speaks of betrayal.
- The crowd sees power. / Jesus speaks of suffering.
- The crowd sees momentum. / Jesus speaks of the cross.
- A doctor says, “We need to talk.”
- A loved one says, “There is something I need to tell you.”
- A supervisor says, “Can you step into my office?”
- A bill arrives, and you hesitate before opening it.
- Sometimes we avoid clarity because uncertainty feels safer than truth.
- They want the Kingdom.
- They want the glory.
- They want the victory.
- They want the Messiah to triumph.
- It looked like defeat.
- It looked like evil had won.
- It looked like Jesus had failed.
- It looked like the movement was over.
- What looked like defeat became salvation.
- What looked like rejection became redemption.
- What looked like weakness became victory.
- What looked like death became resurrection.
Transcripts
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.
Day: /:The Good News According to Luke: “Snapshots From An Amazing Album.”
Last week’s message was “The Ultimate Close Encounter,” in which we learned that the message still speaks: This is God’s Son. This is the Chosen One. Listen to Him. His will. His way. All the way.
, on page:Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy
37 The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. 38 A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. 40 I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.”
41 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”
42 Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43 And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.
Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time
While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, 44 “Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.”/ 45 But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
46 An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47 Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48 Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you, who is the greatest.”
49 “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”
50 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”
Opening Prayer
Father, we come before You today with grateful hearts. Thank You for giving us the Gospel accounts, not as random stories, but as carefully chosen snapshots of Jesus — His power, His compassion, His mission, and His way of forming disciples.
Lord Jesus, as we open Luke’s Gospel today, help us see You clearly. Show us where we are trusting in ourselves instead of depending on You. Show us where we are avoiding hard truth because we do not want to face it. Show us where we are seeking greatness in the wrong ways. Show us where we have become too narrow, competitive, or protective of our own little group instead of rejoicing in Your Kingdom work.
Holy Spirit, soften our hearts. Open our eyes. Teach us to lead, serve, and follow in the way of Jesus. In His name, amen.
Introduction: A Gospel Photo Album
The greatest story ever told is about the greatest Person who ever lived.
r the end of his Gospel (John:So, what do we have? / We have selected scenes. / Chosen moments. / Spirit-inspired portraits. / We might say the Gospels are like four photo albums.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John each show us Jesus truthfully, but each one arranges the pictures a little differently. Sometimes they include the same scene, but from a slightly different angle. Sometimes one Gospel writer zooms in on a detail that another leaves in the background. Sometimes one chooses a picture that the others do not include.
But every snapshot has a purpose.
Luke is not simply saying, “Here are a few things that happened.” He is saying, “Look carefully. These moments reveal who Jesus is, what His Kingdom is like, and what it means to follow Him.”
In last week’s message, “The Ultimate Close Encounter,” we followed Peter, James, and John up the mountain. There, they saw Jesus transfigured in glory. Moses and Elijah appeared with Him. The cloud of God’s presence surrounded them. The Father spoke: “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him.”
That was the mountaintop.
But now, in Luke 9:37–50, Jesus and the three disciples come down from the mountain into the valley of human need, failure, confusion, pride, and competition.
That sounds a lot like real life, doesn’t it?
We have moments of worship, clarity, beauty, and spiritual encouragement. Then we come down the mountain and face the same broken world. A family is in crisis. A child is suffering. Disciples are arguing. People misunderstand Jesus. Pride rises. Jealousy appears.
Luke gives us four snapshots in this passage:
Jesus frees a boy after the disciples fail.
Jesus announces His coming betrayal and suffering.
Jesus redefines greatness through a child.
Jesus corrects the disciples’ narrow view of Kingdom leadership.
Together, these snapshots teach us what kingdom leadership looks like.
Main Point 1: Snapshot One — Our Failure Reveals Our Need for Dependence
The first scene begins the day after the transfiguration.
Jesus, Peter, James, and John come down from the mountain and find a large crowd waiting. Among them is a desperate father.
He cries out to Jesus, begging Him to look at his only son. That phrase matters: “my only son.”
We have heard language like this before in Luke. Jairus had only one daughter. The widow of Nain had only one son. Luke wants us to feel the ache of a parent whose whole heart is wrapped up in one child’s suffering.
This boy is tormented. He cries out. He convulses. He foams at the mouth. He is being crushed and harmed. Matthew and Mark give additional details. Mark tells us the spirit had often thrown the boy into fire and water to destroy him. The father had brought the boy to the disciples, but they could not help.
Now pause there. / These disciples had recently gone out preaching, healing, and casting out demons in Jesus’ name. They had experienced the authority of Jesus flowing through them. But here they failed.
At the bottom of the mountain, we see a painful contrast. / On the mountain: glory. / In the valley: agony. / On the mountain: the Father’s voice. / In the valley: a father’s cry. / On the mountain: Jesus shines with divine majesty. / In the valley: the disciples are powerless without dependence.
Jesus responds with strong words about an unbelieving and corrupt generation. His language echoes the Old Testament, especially Israel’s wilderness years, when God’s people had seen His power but still wandered in unbelief.
But then notice what Jesus does. / Even in His frustration, He does not turn away the father. He says, “Bring your son here.”
As the boy comes, the demon throws him to the ground. Jesus rebukes the evil spirit, heals the boy, and gives him back to his father. / That little phrase is beautiful: Then He gave him back to his father.
Jesus does not merely display power. He restores relationship. He gives a son back into his father’s arms.
Object Lesson: The Unplugged Lamp
Hold up an unplugged lamp. You flip the switch, but nothing happens.
The lamp may be beautiful. It may be expensive. It may be placed in the right room. It may have a good bulb. But if it is not connected to the power source, it cannot shine.
That is the disciples in this scene. / They had been given authority, but they were not living in dependence. Mark’s Gospel tells us that when they later asked Jesus why they could not cast out the demon, Jesus said, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer.”
Prayer is dependence expressed. / It is the soul saying, “Lord, I cannot do this without You.”
Ancient Context
In the first century, people knew the difference between sickness and demon possession, even if they did not understand medical conditions as we do today. Luke was a physician. He is not careless or superstitious. He presents this boy’s suffering as demonic oppression because that is what Jesus Himself confronts.
This is another skirmish in the war we have been tracing through Luke. Jesus has authority over sickness, storms, sin, demons, and death. But His disciples must learn that delegated authority never means independent authority.
The power belongs to God.
Modern Illustration
We may not face the exact same situation, but we understand the temptation.
A pastor may preach without prayer.
A teacher may teach without dependence.
A parent may try to guide a child in human strength alone.
A church may run programs with organization but little spiritual reliance.
A Christian may try to overcome temptation through willpower alone.
We may have experience, training, resources, and good intentions, but if we are unplugged from the Source, we cannot do Kingdom work in Kingdom power.
The first snapshot teaches us: failure is often the mercy that reminds us to depend on Jesus again.
Main Point 2: Snapshot Two — Jesus’ Path to Victory Leads Through Suffering
After the boy is delivered, the crowd is amazed at the greatness of God. / That is exactly the right response. They do not merely applaud Jesus as a performer. They marvel at God’s greatness revealed through Him.
But while everyone is marveling, Jesus turns to His disciples and says, “Listen to me and remember what I say. The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies.”
What a sudden turn.
The crowd sees victory. / Jesus speaks of betrayal.
The crowd sees power. / Jesus speaks of suffering.
The crowd sees momentum. / Jesus speaks of the cross.
This is not the first time Jesus has said something like this. In our message “A Shocking Agenda,” we heard Jesus tell the disciples that the Son of Man must suffer, be rejected, be killed, and be raised on the third day.
But they still do not understand. / Luke says the meaning was hidden from them, and they were afraid to ask. / That is such an honest detail.
Have you ever been afraid to ask a question because you did not want the answer?
A doctor says, “We need to talk.”
A loved one says, “There is something I need to tell you.”
A supervisor says, “Can you step into my office?”
A bill arrives, and you hesitate before opening it.
Sometimes we avoid clarity because uncertainty feels safer than truth.
The disciples do not understand Jesus’ words, but perhaps they understand enough to know they do not want to understand more.
They want the Kingdom.
They want the glory.
They want the victory.
They want the Messiah to triumph.
But Jesus keeps telling them that His victory will come through betrayal, suffering, death, and resurrection.
Object Lesson: The Dark Negative and the Finished Photo
For those who remember film cameras, a photographic negative did not look like the final picture. The colors were reversed. The image looked strange. It did not seem beautiful until it was developed.
The cross looked like a negative.
It looked like defeat.
It looked like evil had won.
It looked like Jesus had failed.
It looked like the movement was over.
But God was developing the picture.
What looked like defeat became salvation.
What looked like rejection became redemption.
What looked like weakness became victory.
What looked like death became resurrection.
Old Testament Connection
This was not a mistake in God’s plan. Isaiah 53 had already spoken of the suffering servant who would be rejected, pierced, crushed, and yet bring healing. Psalm 118 spoke of the stone the builders rejected becoming the cornerstone.
Jesus is planting a seed in the disciples’ memory. | Later, when Judas betrays Him, / when the religious leaders condemn Him, / when Pilate hands Him over, / when soldiers nail Him to a cross, / and when His body lies in a tomb, / they will eventually remember: Jesus told us this would happen. / None of it caught God by surprise.
Modern Illustration
We often assume that if God is with us, the road will get easier. / But Scripture teaches something deeper. God’s presence does not always remove suffering. Sometimes God’s plan moves through suffering toward glory.
That does not mean every painful thing is good. Evil is still evil. Betrayal is still betrayal. Grief is still grief. But God is able to work through what evil intends for harm.
Joseph said to his brothers in Genesis after 13+ years, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.”
That is ultimately true at the cross.
The second snapshot teaches us: we must trust Jesus not only when He displays power, but also when His path leads through suffering.
Main Point 3: Snapshot Three — True Greatness Receives the Least
Now Luke shows us a third snapshot, and it is almost shocking in its timing. / Jesus has just spoken about being betrayed. He is moving toward the cross. And what are the disciples discussing? / Which one of them is the greatest!
This is painfully human.
Jesus talks about sacrifice. The disciples talk about status.
Jesus talks about being handed over. The disciples talk about climbing higher.
Jesus talks about suffering. The disciples talk about rank.
Before we judge them too harshly, we should ask: How often do we do the same?
We compare.
We compete.
We want recognition.
We want our contribution noticed.
We wonder where we stand in the pecking order.
The disciples were probably not arguing about who was most spiritual in some abstract way. They were likely imagining the coming Kingdom as a government, with positions of honor and responsibility. Who would sit closest to Jesus? Who would have authority? Who would matter most?
Jesus knows their thoughts.
So, He takes a little child and places the child beside Him.
In the ancient world, children were loved by their families, but socially, they had little status. A child had no power, no influence, no wealth, no ability to repay hospitality, no way to advance someone’s career.
Jesus says that whoever welcomes this child in His name welcomes Him, and whoever welcomes Him welcomes the Father who sent Him. Then He says, “Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.”
This turns the world’s ladder upside down.
The world says, “Associate with people who can help you rise.” / Jesus says, “Welcome those who cannot repay you.”
The world says, “Greatness means being served.” / Jesus says, “Greatness means serving.”
The world says, “Use people to build your platform.” / Jesus says, “Use your life to lift the lowly.”
Object Lesson: The Upside-Down Ladder
Show a small step stool ladder. In the world’s way of thinking, everyone wants to climb higher. The top is where the important people are.
Now turn the ladder upside down. Jesus says the Kingdom does not operate like worldly power. The way up is down. The greatest are those who serve the least persons in the world.
That is exactly what Jesus Himself does.
Philippians 2 tells us that Christ did not cling to His divine privileges but humbled Himself, took the form of a servant, and became obedient to death on a cross.
Jesus is not merely teaching servant leadership. He is embodying it.
Ancient Hospitality Context
In first-century Jewish culture, receiving someone into your home was more than offering a quick greeting. Hospitality meant welcome, protection, food, relationship, and care.
To receive a powerful person was easy. It might bring honor. It might bring reward. It might raise your own status. / But receiving a child in Jesus’ name meant serving someone with no social leverage.
That is Kingdom greatness.
Modern Illustration
Imagine two people needing help.
One is influential, wealthy, well-connected, and able to return the favor. The other is lonely, struggling, difficult, and unable to give anything back. / Which one receives quicker attention? / Jesus knows our hearts.
This applies in church life, too. Do we honor the visible gifts more than the hidden ones? Do we value the person on the platform more than the person quietly cleaning, visiting, praying, setting up chairs, teaching children, or encouraging the discouraged? I believe we do this well at Putnam, which is great.
In the Kingdom, no act of humble service is small when done in Jesus’ name.
The third snapshot teaches us: greatness in God’s Kingdom is measured by how we welcome and serve the least.
Main Point 4: Snapshot Four — Kingdom Leadership Celebrates God’s Work Beyond Our Group
The fourth snapshot comes from John.
John says, “Master, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he isn’t in our group.”
Notice the irony. / Earlier, the disciples could not cast out a demon. Now they are stopping someone who apparently could.
Why? / Because he was not part of their group.
He was not one of the Twelve. He did not have the official badge. He was not in their circle. He did not report to them.
Jesus corrects them: “Don’t stop him! Anyone who is not against you is for you.”
This does not mean doctrine does not matter. It does not mean anyone can teach anything, and we should celebrate it. Scripture calls us to discern truth from error.
But that is not the issue here.
This man is acting in Jesus’ name and opposing evil. He is not rejecting Christ. He is honoring Christ. The disciples’ problem is not theological discernment; it is group pride.
They are confusing loyalty to Jesus with loyalty to their own circle.
Object Lesson: The Team Jersey
Hold up a team jersey. / A jersey can be good. It reminds us of belonging. It identifies a team. But if we begin to think our jersey is more important than the mission, we have lost perspective.
The Kingdom of God is bigger than our local church, our denomination, our ministry style, our age group, our music preference, or our familiar circle.
We should love our church. We should serve faithfully where God has placed us. But we should also rejoice when Jesus is honored through others.
Related Scripture
Paul addresses a similar attitude in 1 Corinthians 3. When one of you says, “I am a follower of Paul,” and another says, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you acting just like people of the world? Paul responded by saying It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. That is Kingdom perspective.
We are not competitors building personal empires. We are servants of one King.
Peter later wrote that elders should not lord authority over those entrusted to them but should be examples to the flock. Leadership in the Kingdom is not control for status. It is stewardship for service.
Modern Illustration
Churches can fall into this trap. / We may hear that another church is growing and feel threatened instead of grateful. / We may see another ministry reaching people and wonder why they are not doing it our way. / We may criticize someone’s methods because they are unfamiliar. / We may assume God’s work must come through our structure to be legitimate.
But Jesus says, “Do not stop him.”
Kingdom leadership is humble enough to celebrate God’s work even when it does not happen through our hands.
The fourth snapshot teaches us: the mission belongs to Jesus, not to our group.
Application and Takeaways: Focus on Kingdom Leadership & Faithful Discipleship
These four snapshots give us a very practical picture of Kingdom leadership and faithful discipleship.
Stay dependent, especially after success.
The disciples had experienced ministry success, but then they failed. That failure revealed a gap in dependence.
Success can be spiritually dangerous because it tempts us to think, “I know how this works now.”
But yesterday’s obedience does not replace today’s dependence.
A parent cannot rely only on yesterday’s wisdom.
A pastor cannot rely only on last week’s sermon.
A church cannot rely only on past faithfulness.
A believer cannot rely only on former spiritual victories.
We need fresh daily dependence on Christ.
Before the meeting, pray.
Before the conversation, pray.
Before the decision, pray.
Before the ministry, pray.
After the success, pray.
After the failure, pray.
Prayer keeps the lamp plugged in.
Do not avoid hard truth because it makes you uncomfortable.
The disciples were afraid to ask Jesus what He meant about being betrayed.
We understand that fear. Sometimes we avoid the conversation, the diagnosis, the confession, the apology, the step of obedience, or the deeper question.
But discipleship requires courage to hear the truth.
Jesus’ hard words are never meant to harm us. They are meant to prepare us.
If the disciples had listened more deeply, they might have been less shattered when the cross came. They still would have grieved, but they would have known Jesus was walking the path He had already described.
Ask the Lord for courage to say, “Jesus, explain what I do not want to face.”
Measure greatness by service, not status.
The disciples asked, “Who is greatest?” / Jesus pointed to a child.
So here is a question for us: Who are the “children” Jesus places beside us today?
The overlooked.
The lonely.
The elderly.
The disabled.
The poor.
The grieving.
The socially awkward.
The person who cannot help our reputation.
The child who needs patience.
The newcomer who feels uncertain.
The person whose needs interrupt our convenience.
Jesus says receiving them in His name is receiving Him. That changes how we see people.
Celebrate Kingdom work even when it is not under your control.
John wanted to stop the man who was casting out demons because he was not in their group. / But Jesus’ Kingdom is not built around our need for control.
Healthy churches and healthy disciples can rejoice when Christ is honored elsewhere. We can partner where possible, bless where appropriate, and remain discerning without becoming jealous.
The question is not, “Are they part of my circle?”
The question is, “Are they honoring Christ and advancing His Kingdom?”
Lead from the bottom, not the top.
The world loves hierarchy, titles, and visible status. But Jesus shows another way.
Kingdom leaders depend on Christ, / welcome the least, / refuse selfish ambition, / and rejoice in God’s work through others.
This is leadership shaped by the cross.
And it applies to all of us — not only pastors or official leaders.
Parents lead.
Grandparents lead.
Teachers lead.
Business owners lead.
Church volunteers lead.
Older believers lead younger believers.
Friends influence friends.
The question is not whether you lead. The question is how. Do we lead like the world or like Jesus?
Conclusion: Look Carefully at the Album
Luke has given us four snapshots.
A desperate father and a powerless group of disciples show us our need for dependence.
A suffering Messiah reminds us that God’s victory comes through the cross.
A child standing beside Jesus redefines greatness.
An outsider doing Kingdom work exposes the danger of narrow pride.
Together, these snapshots form one lesson: The Kingdom of God is not built by self-sufficient, status-seeking, control-loving people./ It is built through humble servants who depend on Jesus, follow Him through suffering, welcome the least, and rejoice wherever His name is honored.
That is Kingdom leadership. / That is the way of Jesus.
So today, let us bring our failures to Him.
Let us ask the hard questions.
Let us welcome the least.
Let us lay down our need to be greatest.
Let us celebrate His work beyond ourselves.
Let us follow the King who became servant of all.
And may our lives become living snapshots of His grace.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for these snapshots from Your ministry. Thank You that You are powerful where we are powerless, compassionate where we are weary, patient where we are confused, and humble where we are proud. Forgive us for trying to serve in our own strength. Forgive us for avoiding hard truth. Forgive us for chasing greatness as the world defines it. Forgive us for becoming jealous or narrow when You work through others. Teach us to depend on You daily. Give us courage to follow You through suffering. Help us welcome the least in Your name. Make us leaders who serve from the bottom rather than rule from the top. May our church reflect Your Kingdom. May our homes reflect Your humility. May our lives point others to Your greatness. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, Servant, and King, amen.
Next week, we will continue Luke’s narrative of the Good News of Jesus Christ in our twenty-eighth message titled "A Face Like Flint," based on Luke 9:51-62