St. Luke Columbus

We come to trust in Jesus through learning God’s Word. People can learn of God’s love in many ways. God is certainly notlimited to one way. The primary way, however, that people learn of God’s love is through the preaching of God’s Word. God’s Word is preached and people learn of God’s love during worship at St. Luke.  Worship is our primary churchwide ministry connected with learning God’s love. We also learn God’s Word through personal time with God in Bible reading and prayer which helps us to love God intimately.   Next Step: Increase the amount of time you spend in learning God’s Word.   Lessons: Deuteronomy 30:11-16, Romans 10:8-17, John 3:16-21   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

Paul tells the church in Ephesus that we are to be “imitators of God…and live a life of love” (5:1-2). In this increasingly fractured, divided culture, it is imperative that Christians live this “new command” from Christ. Love changes lives.    Next step: Pray for your enemies and intentionally do good to them.   Lessons: Acts 11:1-18, Psalm 148, Ephesians 4:25-5:3, John 13:31-35   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

In Christ we have all received, as John says, “grace upon grace” (John 1:16). Doubts, fear, shame, guilt, temptation, sin, etc. threaten to disqualify us from God’s grace, but they cannot remove God’s favor from us.   Next step: Define yourself as beloved.   Lessons: Acts 9:36-43, Psalm 23, Romans 8:31-39, John 10:22-30   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

This Sunday, we are pleased to welcome Rev. Bob Abrams, Assistant to the Bishop, to install Pastor Mike into service at St. Luke. He preached on the challenges of sharing the gospel in a culture which is increasing living without it. Lessons: Acts 9:1-6, Revelation 5:11-14, John 21:1-19 Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

Our eternal relationship with God is based on trust. There can be no other basis for an eternal relationship. God must trust us to remain obedient to his values and we must trust in God to provide what we need for eternity. When what we are counting on in this life is shaken and we can no longer walk by sight, we enter the faith zone.   Next Step: Each day this week, pray the Walking By Faith prayer.   Lessons: Genesis 15:1-18, 2 Corinthians 5:1-8, John 20:19-31   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

This podcast features confirmation students sharing their essays, "Who is Jesus to Me?"

The Word of Forgiveness - "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Luke 23:34 - Speaker: Ron Dimmerling   The Word of Promise - "Today you shall be with me in paradise." Luke 23:43 - Speaker: Peter Chang   The Word of Love - "Woman, behold your son! Behold your mother!" John 19:26-27 - Speaker: Greg Osborne   The Word of Loneliness - "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46 - Speaker: Charlotte McCullough   The Word of Suffering - "I thirst." John 19:28 - Speaker: Kari Brown   The Word of Victory - "It is finished." John 19:30 - Speaker: Laura Whistler   The Word of Trust - "Father, into Your hands I commend my spirit." Luke 23:46 - Speaker: Pastor Steve Brown

We all have times when we neglect, betray, abandon, or deny from following Jesus. In a short period of time on the night when Jesus was arrested all of the disciples either neglected, betrayed, abandoned, or denied faithfully following Jesus. In this sermon we will explore how we do the same and turn that into a confession of our sin.   Next Step: Identify how you have neglected, betrayed, abandoned, or denied following Jesus and then ask God to forgive you.   Lessons: Luke 22:1-6, John 13:21b-8, 16:32-33, Mark 14:26, 32-54, 66-72

When Jesus raises us out of our dead self-centered existence, he gives us the new life of living for others. With the new hope of eternal life before us, we can live this life focused on meeting the hopes and hurts of others. Nothing that happens to us in this life can take away the hope we have and therefore we are free from the cares of this world to serve, invite, and give to meet the hopes and hurts of others.   Next Step: Meditate on the eternal life that you have in Jesus and let that lead you to be less concerned for your present life and more concerned for the eternal destiny of others.   Lessons: Isaiah 65:17-19, Romans 6:1-5, John 20:1-23   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

We are simultaneously fully justified and fully sinful. Simul justus et peccator.The juxta position of Palm Sunday and Good Friday well illustrates this theological truth. On one day the crowds shouted praise to Jesus and then a few days later they shouted “Crucify him!” Beyond a pedantic theological formula, this truth is practically helpful and encouraging for us in honestly understanding our condition before God and our need for Jesus. To live within the tension of this truth is to honestly walk the path of understanding that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. This helps us to avoid two great holds of the evil one, shame and pride.         Next Step: Say to yourself, “I am fully made right with God and fully a sinner deserving God’s punishment.   Lessons: Psalm 51:3-12, Ephesians 2:1-10, Matthew 21:7-11, Mark 15:1-15   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

It has been sixteen years since we welcomed an ordained pastor into our church family. The coming of Pastor Mike Weaver will work best if we all fully accept him as a pastoral leader that God has called to St. Luke. This Sunday, Pastor Steve will preach a sermon titled Accepting A New Pastoral Leader. This sermon will offer teaching and guidelines for welcoming Pastor Mike and his family and help us accept that he will share equally with Pastor Steve in the preaching, pastoral care, and leadership of our congregation.     Pastor Mike will begin his ministry at St. Luke on Tuesday, April 23. Next Step: Begin to accept that Pastor Mike will equally share with Pastor Steve in the preaching, pastoral care, and leadership of our congregation.      Lessons: Numbers 27:15-23, 2 Timothy 4:1-5, John 13:3-17, 20   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

When God has brought you through the wilderness, live the new life God has for you. Once God has delivered us from our old, fearful, self-centered, and sin-dead life, we are free and equipped to bring God’s reconciliation to others.   Next step: Stop looking back at your old sin-dead life.   Lessons: Joshua 5:9-12, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

Because of Jesus, God has given everyone alive at this moment more time to turn and trust in Jesus. No where you are in your thinking about God or your behavior in regards to God’s commandments, you have time today to honestly consider the claims of Jesus and turn and trust in Jesus. In Jesus, you have complete forgiveness of your sins. Now is a great moment for you to trust in Jesus, begin to follow Jesus, and live out the good work that God has for you.   Next Step: If you have not yet put your trust in Jesus, do it now,     Lessons: Isaiah 55:6-7, 2 Peter 3:9-15a, Luke 13:1-9   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

God promises us. Our hope is that God will honor the promise he has made to us of eternal life with God in others in the earth-like paradise. This life ends and we die, then our only hope is that God will honor his promise to raise us to eternal life. From start to finish The Bible communicates God’s many promises to us.   Lessons: Exodus 6:1-8, Psalm 91:1-2, 9-12, 14-16, Revelation 21:1-7, John 14:1-3   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

Living a new life is us. When Jesus redeems from our slavery, he frees us into the lives of others to serve, invite, and give to meet their hopes and hurts. Living the new life in Christ means living more for others than ourselves and putting others ahead of ourselves. This is following the example of Jesus and reflects the heart of God who spoke throughout his written word that we are our faith is to be active in love towards others.   Next Step: Identify what changes you need to make in your thinking and behavior to increase your living for others more than yourself.    Lessons: Isaiah 56:6-11, Psalm 23, Acts 2:42-47, John 13:34-35   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

Being redeemed is us. In Jesus, God redeemed us from our slavery to sin, death, and evil. Through his death Jesus manumitted us from this slavery. From Genesis 3:15 on the Bible teaches that it was always God’s plan to set us free from death and restore us to God’s original blessing through God’s Son, who is Jesus. God spoke through the Old Testament prophets to teach that the long-awaited Jewish Messiah would be the one to redeem us. Although Jesus rarely used the word, redemption became a central theme among the apostles to understand what Jesus accomplished for us.   Next Step: Trust in Jesus and be free. Share your redemption with those who are still in slavery.    Lessons: Isaiah 43:1, 44:21-24, Psalm 11:1-10, Galatians 3:10-14, John 3:16-17   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

Being chosen is us. We do not chose God, God choses us. This third major theme is taught throughout the Bible and fills Christ followers with ridiculous assurance, but causes others to scoff at what the Bible teaches. The amazing grace of being chosen by God is the clearest insight into the love God has for us.   Next Step: Whenever you have doubts, look in the mirror and say, “God chose me, I am chosen.”   Lessons: Deuteronomy 7:6-9, Psalm 105:1-11, Ephesians 1:3-14, John 15:15-19   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

Rebelling against God is us. As much as we don’t want to admit, we have rebelled against God and God’s values. Our rebellion has broken our relationship with God, with each other, and with all of creation. Our rebellion has led to physical death for all creation and all the death-like experiences in this life. This is the second major theme of the Bible. Very many passages in the Bible teach the reality and consequences of our rebellion. It is both unbiblical and unrealistic to deny this truth.     Next Step: Be honest with God about your rebellion and confess your sins.   Lessons: Genesis 3:1-8, Galatians 5:16-21, John 8:34-35   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel

  Being created is us. By His Word God fully creates me and all that is. The first major theme of the Bible is that God has created and sustains all that is. In the New Testament the theme of creation grows to include that Jesus created all that is, that through Jesus God is recreating us and all that is, and that there will be a new heaven and a new earth. It is helpful for each of us to understand the original blessing of God’s creation in a personal way - that God has personally, lovingly, and carefully created each of us to be in an eternal and perfect relationship with God and all of creation.   Next Step: Marvel at one of God’s creations.   Lessons: Genesis 1:1-2:3, Psalm 139:1-6, 13-17, 23-24, 2 Corinthians 5:16-17, John 1:1-5, 10-14   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel   Discussion Guide   Sermon Outline   About the series: This Is Us – God’s Word Our Story This series will help us understand the Bible more deeply by exploring six great themes of the Bible: Creat

A first move in following Jesus is establishing a discipline of Bible reading. When Jesus began to teach, he was guided by the Holy Scriptures. He continued to be guided by his knowledge of the Holy Scriptures throughout his ministry. In faithfully following Jesus, there is no substitute for regularly reading and reflecting on God’s written Word.   Next Step: Seek to more deeply understand the Bible by establishing a regular discipline of reading and hearing it taught.     Lessons: Psalm 119:105-112, 2 Timothy 3:14-17, Luke 4:14-30   Watch: stlukecolumbus.com/ondemand   Subscribe to our Youtube channel