Luke 14

Pastor Marshall Ochs | April 7, 2024

In this message, Pastor Marshall teaches from Luke 14. This message continues the theme of examining our focus. The setting for this chapter is a sabbath dinner. The guests should be focused on God and His faithfulness over the years, but they are more concerned with positions, titles, and receiving honor. This maneuvering for status means the ones who are hurting and broken get overlooked. Christ performs one miracle and teaches three parables that address the “me” centered culture of the 1st century and the world we live in today.

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The setting in Luke 14 is a dinner party on the Sabbath. The Shabbat meal was a time to focus on God amidst the distractions of the week. Their time together should be centered on the Guest of Honor—Jesus Christ. However, in Luke 14, we see how easily our focus can shift from God to ourselves and our own desires.

Imagine being at that dinner party, where the atmosphere should have been one of reverence and celebration of God. Instead, the guests' priorities were misplaced. Jesus, all-knowing people's hearts, revealed their true intentions.

It's easy to get caught up in seeking recognition, praise, and position, just as the guests did at the dinner party. But in doing so, we risk missing out on our purpose—loving God and caring for others.

Jesus taught through a miracle and parables, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing God and caring for those in need. He urges us to expand our circles and reach out to the broken, the lost, and the marginalized. Following Jesus requires a radical shift in priorities. It means putting Him above everything else—status, possessions, relationships, and even our lives.

Therefore, may our focus this week and every week be to walk humbly, taking our place at the table of our Lord. Let us carry our crosses daily, counting the cost of discipleship and placing Jesus at the center of everything we do. For in Him alone will we find true fulfillment and eternal blessings.

Reflection Questions:

1. How often do I find my mind focused on the wrong things?

2. In what ways do I prioritize myself or others over God in my daily life?

3. How can I shift my focus back to God when distractions and self-centeredness creep in?

4. Do I overlook the needs of others when I'm too focused on myself and my desires?

5. In what ways can I take up my cross daily and go after Jesus?

Heavenly Father, forgive us for the times we have allowed distractions and selfish desires to take precedence over You. Help us to refocus our hearts and minds on You, the Guest of Honor in our lives. Teach us to love as You love, to prioritize Your kingdom above all else. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Luke 13

Pastor Marshall Ochs | March 31, 2024

In this message, Pastor Marshall teaches from Luke 13. This message was recorded on Easter Sunday and follows the many ways humans are prone to focus on the wrong issue. Disciples, Pharisees, and members of the crowds would regularly ask Jesus questions about the daily news, the sins of others, and even the law of Moses. With every question, Jesus would guide them to a better question that involved self reflection on what God was doing in their life. This practice helps us shift our focus from the distracting issues of the day and back to Jesus.

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Read Luke 13:1-9. Jesus is headed to Jerusalem where ultimately, He will be crucified. He uses the news of the Galileans deaths to make an important point. Some speculated that they died because they were sinful or rebellious. Jesus uses this opportunity to draw attention to their own spiritual lives. We shouldn’t be focused on others sin – or our opinion of what we believe others sin condition is, but rather we should be focused on the sin in our own lives and what Jesus is saying to us about our relationship with Him.

• Do you find yourself focusing on the condition of other peoples lives around you – your kids, spouse, neighbors, friends, coworkers, etc., rather than on your own? We do this to avoid hearing what the Lord is saying to us about our lives. Is there an area (or areas) in your life that you know God is speaking to you about? Are you distracting yourself by focusing on other people or worldly issues in order to avoid dealing with it?

• There is coming a day when we will be held accountable and have to answer for what we did with God’s son, Jesus. God will inspect our lives just as this man inspected his fig tree. Will God find your fruit tree barren or bearing much fruit? What are you doing to develop a relationship with Jesus and live for Him?

• There is appointed unto every person a time to be born and a time to die. Are you ready? We live life thinking that we have more time. However, we never know when we will leave this earth. We are accountable for the stewardship of time on this earth that God has given us. No matter when or how death in this life happens to us, we must realize that it is not the end. There is life after this world. Are you confident where you will spend it?

Read Luke 13:10-21. Here is another example of having the wrong focus. The leaders were upset with Jesus healing this woman on the sabbath. Yet, they missed the point! We are much like the crippled woman. Our sin condition has us bound up, bent over and crooked. Religious rules and practices don’t heal us or save us! Only Jesus can!

• In what or whom have you put your confidence in? Religious traditions or Jesus? Jesus is the only right thing to focus on! Are you willing to change your focus off of your circumstances, the world and its problems and place your trust and confidence in Christ alone? If you haven’t done this, let today be the day of true salvation and a life change that will last for eternity!

Read Luke 13:22-30. Many people are not willing to put forth the effort it takes to truly follow Jesus. Going to church, hearing His teachings, giving money to the church is not salvation! There is only one way to enter into Heaven and that is through faith in Christ – repenting of sin and accepting His shed blood as our covering for sin. There are not many paths to Heaven – ONLY JESUS!

• Have you truly repented of your sin, accepted the free gift of salvation through Christ? The invitation is clear. Will you accept it before it’s too late? You don’t want to be like those who are knocking on the outside of the door, and you hear, “I never knew you.”

• Focusing on the wrong things – sins of others, things of this world, being a church member (or a club member) does not make you a follower of Christ. Examine your life – your heart. Have you ever focused on Jesus in any meaningful way?

Read Luke 13:31-35. Once again, the Pharisees are trying to take Jesus’s focus off of what he was doing and try to instill fear in Him. Jesus didn’t care about those threats. Jesus was focused on Calvary! The enemy will try to distract you from living a life that is dedicated and living for Jesus with fear, worry, anxiety, judgmental attitudes, unforgiveness, shame, etc. You can’t carry that baggage with you and live a life that is meaningful for the Lord. Living for Jesus isn’t easy, but it’s completely worth it!

• What are you fearful about? Surrender it today!

• What has your focus? Surrender it today!

• What baggage are you carrying? Surrender it today! Don’t waste your life looking at the wrong things! Focus on Christ, His work on the cross and the EMPTY TOMB!

Luke 12:22-59

Pastor Marshall Ochs | March 24, 2024

In this message, Pastor Marshall teaches from Luke 12:22-59. These verses challenge Christians to consider how they are stewards of God’s resources, rather than owners. We do not own our possessions, our talents, our bodies, or our time. Instead we steward them because they belong to God, and one day we will have to give an account for how we managed His resources.

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Today is Palm Sunday. The day when the people of Israel welcomed Jesus, laying their cloaks on the road, cutting branches from trees to spread for his arrival, and crying out Hosanna in the highest! Yet by the end of the week, they exclaimed, crucify Him. As we enter Holy Week, it can be easy to remove ourselves from the ones who cried out to crucify Him and only put ourselves in the Hosanna in the highest crowd. That is one of the ploys of the evil one: for the weight of God's wrath on Jesus to be minimized or for us not to see the weight of our sin. Jesus came to conquer sin and death. Just as the people of that time sought a Savior from Rome, we often envision how God should save us from our battles. The problem then and now is we make it about us, and it is never about us. It is about Jesus and His Kingdom! This conflict between God's will and our own persists to this very day.

Everything belongs to God. The anxiety stemming from an ownership mindset dissolves when we live as stewards of His gifts. Are we actively seeking God's guidance in managing what He has given us? Our possessions, talents, businesses, bodies, time, and even our children are all divine gifts, not sources of identity. Do you find yourself feeling anxious or stressed? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal where you are trying to be in control and then take that to the feet of Jesus, ask for forgiveness, and begin to walk in the peace that only comes from Jesus. There is peace in His presence; there is joy in His presence!

Jesus's arrival ignites a transformative fire, bringing either peace or division. Submitting to Him as the Prince of Peace yields peace, while resistance produces discord, even within families. Everything—our possessions, relationships, and time—is not ours. Will we use these resources selfishly, or will we live in continuous prayer, asking God daily, show me how to steward what You have given me wisely today? I want to be a faithful and wise manager. I want to surrender all my desires for His. Father, remove every desire that is not of You, take us by the hand, and lead us in Your ways for Your glory. We love and praise Your mighty name, Jesus! Fill our homes, fill our workplaces, fill our cars with Your presence. Give us the courage to speak boldly the name of Jesus! Make us worthy of Your calling, fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by Your power so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified!

Luke 11:37-12:21

Pastor Marshall Ochs | March 17, 2024

In this message, Pastor Marshall teaches from Luke 11:37-12:21. These verses cover the contrast between the Pharisees and the disciples. These verses outline the outer life and inner life of those who follow Jesus. It covers numerous exhortations to forsake hypocrisy, walk in obedience to Jesus, and count the cost of discipleship.

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We continued today with the teaching on the “inner person. ” Let’s take a closer look into the text this week and apply it to our daily lives. Pray and ask the Lord to reveal what changes need to take place.

1. Read Luke 11:37–42. This cleansing was more ceremonial washing, rather than for the purpose of hygiene. Jesus uses the reference to a cup to make the point that the Pharisee’s cared more about the appearance of the outside, instead of what was on the inside. The Pharisee’s wanted to be seen as holy, rather than being holy. The inward life didn’t match the outward life.

a. Do you find yourself caring more about what you present to others and how they see you, rather than what is really going on inside of you? A friend of mine said, “People spend their time and money on what they value. ” What do you value most? Do you spend time and money your outward life and appearance and neglect the inward life? We should be concerned with both. However, if our inner life is holy, it will overflow into an outward life of holiness.

2. Read Luke 11:43 – 12:3. In this passage we see Jesus answering a lawyer’s question and using it to teach about hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is when you act one way in public and a totally different way in private. Hypocrisy can cause us to become puffed up and believe the lies of the enemy and this world. Ultimately, this lifestyle is exposed. Regardless of what you think others see or know about you – God sees the real you, and eventually others often do too.

a. Do you find yourself living differently Monday – Saturday than you do on Sunday? Are you different in front of your church family than you are at home or work? Are you a Christian on the outside only? Pray and ask the Lord to bring your inner life under God’s control, and your outer life will reflect Him.

3. Read Luke 12:4–12. What does a life under God’s control look like? Jesus teaches the disciples to not fear man, but God. We should be living our lives so that God thinks well of us rather than worrying about what others think of us. Our value comes from our Creator! He died for us!

a. Do you find your value in what others think of you? Do you know that you have great worth as a child of God? Rest in the knowledge that God loves you! He’s ALL that matters!b. Do you hide your faith in public or are you confident and unashamed of your faith? Pray and ask the Lord who He wants you to befriend and build relationship with so that you can share your faith with them. Don’t worry about what you will say to them. God will put the words in your mouth!

4. Read Luke 12:13 – 21. Jesus is asked an inheritance question and uses it to teach about greed. The issue is not in having wealth but, how having it impacts ones heart. Everything we have is from the Lord!

a. Do you find yourself using words like the rich man in this parable – “my crops, my barns, my grain?” Do you recognize that all good gifts are from the Lord? You are merely a steward. You can’t store up money and possessions for yourself and be rich toward God. Pray and ask the Lord to show you what has become an idol for you. Is it the things of this world or a life dedicated, committed and controlled by God?

Luke 11:1-36

Pastor Marshall Ochs | March 10, 2024

In this message, Pastor Marshall teaches from Luke 11:1-36. These verses cover a series of teachings that Christ gave the disciples. Jesus teaches on prayer, the spiritual realm, and the connection between your eye and your inner self.

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We encounter a moment where the disciples approach Jesus with a request: "Lord, teach us to pray." Their inquiry stemmed from a dual motivation. On the one hand, they observed devout groups of their time engaging in unique forms of prayer, and on the other, they sought guidance on how to pray correctly. In response to their plea, Jesus answers, illuminating prayer from two perspectives: a conversation with a father and a dialogue with a friend.

Prayer is likened to talking with a father. We approach God with reverence, acknowledging His holiness and surrendering our desires to His will. It's an intimate conversation where we express our needs, seek forgiveness, and invoke divine protection.

However, Jesus doesn't stop there. He reveals another facet of prayer, likening it to a conversation with a friend. God eagerly awaits our prayers, not as a begrudging obligation but with open arms. The parable of the persistent friend at the door underscores the importance of boldness and persistence in our approach to God. We're encouraged to emulate the audacity of the man who persistently sought help, confident in the goodness of the One we're addressing.

He is the perfect Father and faithful Friend, surpassing any human comprehension. If we know how to give good gifts and respond to bold requests, how much more will our Heavenly Father graciously meet our needs and answer our prayers? Therefore, let us confidently approach the throne of grace, boldly presenting our petitions before God, knowing He delights in our time with Him. Let our prayers be marked by audacity and expectancy, for we serve a God who not only hears but responds to the cries of His children. May we, like the disciples, continually seek to deepen our understanding of prayer and deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ. May we learn to always pray in all things, in every conversation, before every decision – “Pray without ceasing.”

In the Gospel of Luke, we find many stories about Jesus casting out demons. Some may wonder why Luke includes so many of these accounts. However, we begin to understand the answer when we grasp the visible world is intertwined with the invisible realm, as outlined in Ephesians 6:12-13.

Satan and his demonic forces are not distant entities; they actively engage in spiritual warfare. Their attacks target the mind and body, seeking to exert control and sow chaos. Through these stories, Luke points us to the reality of the spiritual battle and our need to heed Jesus' teachings concerning it.

Jesus rebukes those demanding more signs, declaring that an evil generation seeks signs instead of responding to the truth presented. Jonah preached repentance to Nineveh without signs, and Solomon imparted wisdom to the Queen of Sheba without miraculous displays. Now, someone greater than Jonah or Solomon stands before them, and yet they demand further proof.

The parable of the lamp reveals this demand for signs. The eye, like a lamp, illuminates the inner self. A healthy eye perceives light, filling the inner being with brightness. Conversely, an unhealthy eye covers the inner self in darkness. Likewise, our perception shapes our reality; a greedy eye fixates on yourself, while a judgmental eye sees only problems. What are you looking for? May we fix our eyes on Jesus!

Jesus' exhortation underscores the transformative power of embracing His light. When our entire being is filled with His radiance, we become beacons, illuminating the dark world around us. The only way for us to be filled with His radiance is to sit in His presence, consume His Word, and allow the Holy Spirit to transform us into the image of Jesus Christ. Let us, therefore, meditate on His Word, day and night, and shine forth His light in a world desperate for Jesus.

Luke 10

Pastor Marshall Ochs | March 3, 2024

In this message, Pastor Marshall teaches from Luke 10. These verses reveal the growing and consuming nature of God’s kingdom. It increases in numerical value, expands into enemy territory, and produces change in our outer life. Luke communicates this reality through the sending of the 72, the parable of the Good Samaritan, and the posture of Mary at the feet of Jesus.

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• Read Luke 10:1-20. In this passage we see Jesus sending out 72 other disciples to go ahead of Him and spread the Good News. His instructions for these disciples were to fully rely on God for their provisions, to pray for the people and share the message of Christ, and to not take rejection of the message personally. God’s kingdom begins to grow like wildfire! These disciples went boldly into enemy territory and saw amazing miracles happen and lives changed! God is still doing this today!

  • We can learn a lot from this passage as we go about our daily lives. Do you fully rely on God as your Provider? Has there been a time in your life (or are you currently in a season) when you needed God to supernaturally provide? Pray and ask Him to remind you of His faithfulness to you.

  • How easy or challenging is it for you to pray for and/or share the message of Christ with those in your realm of influence? If it is not comfortable for you, what holds you back?

  • Fear of ridicule or rejection is often an obstacle we face. As Jesus told the disciples, the rejection is not personal. They are rejecting Jesus – not you. Pray and ask the Lord to equip you and show you the opportunities to share Christ with others around you. Your personal testimony is a powerful tool when sharing Christ with someone else. What is your personal testimony? Find a trusted Christian friend and practice sharing your testimonies with each other. When we practice saying it out loud, opportunities will come along, and it will be much easier to share about your Savior boldly and lovingly. Leave the results up to God!

  • When the disciples return, they are amazed and rejoicing at how the demons obeyed them when they used the name of Jesus. Jesus reminds them that while they have been given authority over demons, (referred to as snakes and scorpions) they must stay focused on what is most important – the Good News of Christ and joining Him in Heaven one day. We are reminded that we have authority over evil and darkness and a responsibility to spread the Light of Christ to others. Marshall reminded us today that we should not be spending our days under the enemy’s control! Is there an area of your life where you have given over control to the enemy? Take authority in Jesus’ name!]

• Read Luke 10:21-24. Jesus rejoices at how the Kingdom is growing and expanding. We see how Jesus discipled 12 men, which led to 72, which led to 3,000, which is now in the billions! Jesus remarks that rulers and spiritual leaders were missing His message, but yet those with a childlike faith were seeing it clearly. This is still true today! No one is a nobody to God! Are you participating in God’s plans and at work to do what He has called you to do, or are you missing it?

• Read Luke 10: 25-37. This parable is used to answer a lawyer’s question. Marshall helped us see this parable in a better light today. We are not meant to see ourselves as the Samaritan, but rather as the Jew left for dead. Jews saw Samaritans as the enemy. This parable begs the question, can you see your enemy as your neighbor? We must see ourselves correctly, our neighbors and the needs around us.

  • It’s not enough to just know God and know our neighbors – we should be compelled to action. The sign of inner spiritual growth is seen by how we live outwardly. Do others see Jesus in you by how you live, serve, love and interact with them?

• Read Luke 10:38-42. In this second parable we see a contrast between Mary and Martha’s choices. Mary chooses to take this opportunity be at the feet of Jesus, rather than serving food. This reminds me that we can serve all day long and miss the most important thing – sitting at Jesus’ feet. Serving others is a good thing, but doing it out of a sense of duty or so that others will think highly of us is the wrong motivation. Doing anything without making our daily time with the Lord a priority is having our priorities in the wrong order. If it is not your current practice to sit at the Lord’s feet daily, please take the time to change your priorities and watch what happens in your life – and in the lives of those around you!

Luke 9:28-62

Pastor Marshall Ochs | February 25, 2024

In this message, Pastor Marshall teaches from Luke 9:28-62. These verses cover the transfiguration and the disciples inability to cast out a demon form a young boy. These two important stories are followed by the journey to Jerusalem. This message looks at what happens when Jesus sets His face toward Jerusalem and the impact it has on anyone who follows Christ.

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In Luke 9:28-36, we witness the transfiguration of Jesus, where Moses and Elijah appear, conversing with Him. This event is significant because it underscores that the entirety of Scripture, including the Law and the Prophets, ultimately points to Jesus. They serve as arrows, directing us toward the fulfillment found in Christ. Jesus fulfills all that the Law and the Prophets anticipated. Jesus is our Redeemer.

When faced with conflicts between our feelings, traditions, or experiences and the teachings of Jesus, there's only one course of action – listening to Jesus. His words carry unparalleled authority and wisdom. If our emotions or experiences clash with His teachings, we prioritize His Word above all else.

We see in Luke 9 that, like many of us, the disciples were prone to moments of inadequate faith and astonishment at the majesty of God. Despite witnessing miracles and experiencing divine encounters, they faltered in their belief when faced with challenges. (It bears a bit of resemblance to what we've recently read about the Israelites) How often do we find ourselves in similar circumstances, marveling at God's glory in special moments yet struggling to maintain faith when things don’t make sense to us?

As we read further, Jesus revealed the truth that He would soon face death. This truth was difficult for the disciples to grasp. How could it be that their Messiah would face death? That was not how it was supposed to be - He was the Messiah, the King of Kings. He was here on earth, surely to conquer evil, and it couldn't possibly come in the form of His death. How many times have we experienced hard things and thought the same thing? This is not how it is supposed to be.

Surrender is essential in following Jesus. Just as Jesus set His face toward Jerusalem, we are called to fix our eyes on the road ahead, letting go of earthly attachments, distractions, and concerns. What distractions are we allowing to divert our gaze from Jesus? The path we are called to walk is the narrow road of surrender and death to self.

In a world filled with noise and distractions pulling at us from every direction, may we choose to fix our eyes on Jesus and the road of surrender. Surrendering is a daily activity; we will never be done until we meet Jesus face to face.

Luke 9:1-27

Pastor Marshall Ochs | February 18, 2024

In this message, Pastor Marshall teaches from Luke 9:1-27. These verses outline a pattern of identifying God’s provision and recognizing the response to that provision. Jesus gives authority to the 12 disciples and feeds the 5,000. Between each provision Luke injects a question — who is the Lord? Peter ultimately answers with a bold declaration that Christ is Lord. Luke follows the declaration with a somber reality check of what that confession means — death.

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1. Read Luke 9:1-6. Today we are studying about Kingdom authority. In this passage, Jesus is giving his disciples the authority to cast out demons, heal the sick and to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God. This giving of authority is a lesson to us about how we are to do the same. Authority is not a position or power to be lorded over others. If a place of authority has been given to you, it is a gift from the Lord and should be treated as such. Are you the type of person who is willing to delegate authority to others? Do you see the gifts that those around you have and find ways to help them use those gifts, or do you prefer to hoard your authority?

2. The disciples could help more people by dividing up instead of only being where Jesus was. Jesus knew that one day soon He would be leaving them, and they would need to be able to minister to the people with boldness in their faith. As a spouse, parent, boss or ministry leader, are you equipping others to continue on in confidence if you are not physically with them? Are you a person who feels the need to always be in control? Do you enjoy the feeling of power or superiority over others? We like the feeling of being needed, liked or esteemed by others. However, this gets in the way of helping others learn and grow into what God has called them to accomplish. How is the Lord prompting you to give authority to those around you? Pray and be obedient as to how He is leading you to lead and equip others. Fair warning here – not everyone will do it the way you would have done it. Keep in mind this is not about you building a kingdom for yourself – it’s about building God’s Kingdom!

3. What does Jesus tell the disciples to take with them? Nothing! He is teaching them what real faith looks like. He is their provider! Marshall reminded us today that the message from Genesis to Revelation is that GOD WILL PROVIDE! I don’t know about you, but I need to remind myself of that every day! Are you currently going through a challenging time, physically, financially or circumstantially? Are you willing to trust that God will provide? He is all we need, and He has the answers to every circumstance we face! He knows our needs before we do, and He has already provided before we even see it. Don’t lose hope, faith or trust in Him!

4. Read Luke 9:10-20. Jesus uses the feeding of the 5,000 to prove this very point! The Lord provided in abundance! Look at Peter’s response when Jesus asked Him, “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered correctly. What is your answer? Who is Jesus to you? We are reminded that He is our Creator, Provider, Deliverer, Healer…! HE IS ALL WE NEED!! Preach this to your heart!! Everything we have is from Him. What is your response to all that He has given? Will you give it back to Him and let Him use it for His glory? Will you fully surrender ALL and live for Him rather than self?

5. Read Luke 9:21-27. In this passage Jesus tells of His death and resurrection. He goes on to tell the people that if they want to follow Him, they must turn from their selfish ways and leave this world behind for a much greater reward. Taking up our cross means putting away selfish desires, understanding that we belong to Christ, and we live to serve His will and purpose in our lives. Anything less is not being a disciple of Christ; it is merely superficial lip service.