St. Luke Columbus

Because of Jesus, God lives in you. In the person of the Holy Spirit, God lives in the heart of every Christ Follower. This is the full and radical restoration of the original and blessed relationship that God intended to exist between each of us and God. It is the Holy Spirit that creates in us faith to trust Jesus, keeps us in true faith, guides us into all truth, enlightens us with his gifts, and guides us to take steps along the discipleship path to become more like Jesus.   Next Step: Depending where you are in your journey with the Lord, trust in Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit, surrender to the Holy Spirit’s power within you, or open your thoughts, words, and actions to the direction of the Holy Spirit. Do one action that you sense the Holy Spirit directing you to do.    Lessons: Acts 2:1-21, Romans 8:22-27, John 16:7-15

It is to our great and eternal benefit that Jesus ascended into heaven and sits on the right hand of God to judge the living and the dead. We know that a physical human being can survive in heaven. We know that that one who has all the authority to eternally judge us died to make us right with God. We know that Jesus has gone ahead of us to prepare a place for us.   Next Step: Next time that you say the Creed, declare the ascension of Jesus with enthusiasm and then pause to imagine what a great and eternal benefit the ascension is for you.   Lessons: Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:15-23, Luke 24:44-53

When your behavior causes devastating or even death-consequences in your life, you can trust that God continues to work for your deliverance and salvation. Jesus is a bigger savior than you could ever be a sinner. Maybe you get engulfed in thinking you deserve this punishment.   When you wrestle with those deeply hidden feelings of regret, guilt, or shame over what you have said, done, or thought (especially towards others), take them to the Lord. Learn from the wretched prophet Jonah to cry out to Jesus from that pit and trust that Jesus will deliver you and bring you salvation. God loves you so completely that God does not want you to suffer in that dark belly of engulfing feelings of regret, guilt, and shame. God wants you and empowers you to have the ridiculous faith to trust that God will deliver you and bring you salvation even when what you are suffering is because of your own running away from God. God will raise you from this death.   Imagine the transforming change we can bring to others if we star

When your past is so daunting that there is no way you deserve someone to forgive you and yet that is exactly what God does, it takes a ridiculous faith to actually think you can be forgiven of your past sins. But not only does God forgive Paul but uses him to impact the world in such a way that we can’t even comprehend the impact he made in shaping the Christian church   Next Step: When you think there is no way God can forgive you for your past, rest in the assurance that there is nothing you have done in the past that God cant forgive you for when you trust in him   Lessons: Acts 9:1-15

Fully intending to complete a terrible action over which you have full control, and yet trusting that God will provide a way out takes ridiculous faith. In all his preparations and during his journey to the mountain, Abraham fully intended to follow through with the sacrifice of his only son, Isaac. Yet, Abraham believed that God would provide the lamb for the sacrifice. Even as Abraham raised the knife over Isaac’s body bound on the altar, fully intending to bring it down to kill his son, Abraham believed that God would provide the lamb. When everything around us and in us is intent on causing terrible outcomes, we trust that God is working for our good and will provide a new life for us.   Next step: When everything in life is telling that all hope is lost, trust that God has a plan and will provide.   Lessons: Genesis 22:1-18, Luke 24:36b-48  

Trusting that a dead man rose to new life and that we will also raise from death takes ridiculous faith. We know from the reports of those who saw Jesus risen from the dead that believing what they saw and heard did not come easily or consistently. Realistic doubts filled their minds. And yet, every one of them eventually trusted that Jesus rose from the dead and they faced persecution for the rest of their lives because their faith. For us who were not eyewitnesses of Christ’s resurrection, trusting that he rose and that we also will rise from the dead flies in the face of death’s tangible reality. And yet, we trust that because Jesus rose, so shall we. While there are convincing proofs for the resurrection of Jesus, God leaves a step of ridiculous faith for us to take and enter into God’s eternal kingdom.   Next step: If learning the proofs for the resurrection of Jesus will help you, seek to learn them. But, accept that you will still have to take a step of faith that is both reasonable because of the p

The Word of Forgiveness - “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34 - Aaron McCullough The Word of Promise - “Today you shall be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43 - Laura Whistler The Word of Love - “Woman, behold your son! Behold your mother!” John 19: 26-27 Anthony Janutolo The Word of Loneliness - “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46 - Abby Zaino The Word of Suffering - “I thirst.” John 19:28 - Bob Russo The Word of Victory - “It is finished.” John 19:30 - Pastor Steve The Word of Trust - “Father, into Your hands I commend my spirit.” Luke 23:46 - Meredith Miller

What specifically does it mean for you to wash feet? The answer to this question will vary from person to person. After exploring what it meant for Jesus to humble himself and wash the feet of his disciples, time will be given for people to reflect answer the question, where in your connection with others is God nudging you to humble yourself in order to serve the needs of the other person ahead of your own?   Next step: Identify one situation where God is nudging you to humble yourself in order to serve the needs of someone else.    Lessons: Leviticus 19:32-34, Galatians 5:13-14, John 13:1-17, 34-35

We all have a sacred responsibility to raise up the next generation to trust and follow Jesus. There is a persistent temptation in our lives and ministries to just finish our own race faithfully. An essential step on our discipleship path is pouring into the next generation with everything we have to effectively raise them up to trust and faithfully follow Jesus. This sermon will teach ways to effectively do this and challenge our church step up our efforts in children, student, and young adult ministries.   Next step: Identify at least one person younger than you to disciple and initiate that process. In some helpful way, participate in our children, student, and young adult ministries.    Lessons: Judges 2:6-15, Psalm 78:1-8, 2 Timothy 3:14-16, Matthew 21:12-17

Through Christ, God kept his promise and proved He can be trusted. Christ calls us in return to follow him. It is through Jesus that we tangibly see God's love in action, fulfilling the new covenant promise he made through Jeremiah.   Lessons: Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 5:5-10, John 12:20-33

  Refocus this prayer to the Lord, “Watch over and protect me/us/someone” to “No matter what, use me.” This is like when Jesus refocused his prayer in the garden from “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me.” to “Yet not my will, but yours be done.” We live in a world that is broken by sin and because of this everyone suffers to some degree and dies. Sooner or later the “watch over and protect me in this life” prayer will be answered “No”. God’s mission is to seek and to save all people. We see from the experience of Jesus and most every one of his followers in the New Testament that God’s mission takes precedence over “watch over and protect me/us/someone.”   Next Step: Continue to pray, “Watch over and protect me/us/someone.” but let that prayer be superseded by “No matter what, use me.”   Lessons: Mark 14:32-36

Refocus this prayer to the Lord, “Forgive me.” “I forgive as you forgive me.” All of our sins, past, present, and future have already been forgiven, so our prayer response is to forgive those who have sinned against us. This is the first step on God’s path of restoring our relationships with those who have wronged us and moves us away from our self-destructive desire for revenge.   Next Step: Continue to ask God to forgive you, but let that prayer be superseded by “I forgive …”   Lessons: Ephesians 4:30-32, Matthew 18:21-35

When life gets hard, God brings new possibilities. When we experience loss, we grieve for what we had hoped would have been our future (Option A). At the same time, God helps us to see new possibilities that may not have happened without the loss (Option B). In an amazing juxta-position that only God can create, God helps us to see, enjoy, and fully live these new possibilities while at the same time helping us to grieve what was lost.   Next Step: Identify a new possibility that grew out of a loss you experienced. Thank God for that new possibility even as you grieve what was lost. Ask God to use this experience to build greater resiliency and joy in you.   Lessons: Isaiah 6:8-13, Philippians 4:10-13, Mark 9:14-29

When life gets hard, God brings more meaning in life. God works through our loss and suffering to clarify what is most important and give us a grandeur vision for our life.   Next step: Identify how hard times have helped you to clarify what is most important and given you a grandeur vision. Thank God for that clarity and vision and live to fulfill that vision. Gain greater resiliency and joy from living out this grandeur vision.   Lessons: Psalm 57:1-5, Romans 5:1-5, John 5:16-30

In the most mind-blowing move, God has come to live in us as the Holy Spirit. More than saying “The Lord is with you.”, now we can say, “The Lord is in you.” God is all in us. So instead of praying “God be with me.”, we refocus our prayers to say, “God, live through me to accomplish your mission.”  Next Step: Trusting the God lives in you, pray for God to live through you to accomplish his mission. Know what the mission that God desires to live through you by listening to God in prayer. Lessons: Ephesians 3:14-21, John 14:16-20

When life gets hard, God brings deeper relationships. Truly knowing that you are not alone in your suffering deepens your relationships with those who stand with you when life gets hard. The relational bonds that are created when friends stand by each other in times of adversity are deep, abiding, and bring great comfort. God ministers to us through these deepening relationships. What are some practical steps you can take to foster and deepen relationships with those who will stand together with you when life gets hard?   Next Step: Foster and deepen relationships with those who will stand with you when life gets hard.Gain greater resiliency and joy from these relationships.   Lessons: Proverbs 17:17, Galatians 6:2, Luke 10:25-37

When life gets hard, God brings a deeper level of appreciation for what we have. God helps us to see with greater appreciation blessings that we normally overlook. While we still may suffer, God awakens in us a clarity to see and appreciate the many good gifts he has given us.   Next Step: Start a thankful journal. Allow this discipline to build in you greaterresiliencyand joy.     Lessons: Psalm 8, Hebrews 12:28, Matthew 6:25-33

Being more aware of your mortality, more deeply embrace your reconciliation with eternal God. On Ash Wednesday we are graphically reminded that we will all soon die. This convicting truth drives us to seek what only God can give, eternal life. God laid on Jesus our sin and death, so that in Jesus we would become right with God and have the assurance of eternal life. Embracing this great gift in Jesus, we can say with the Apostle Paul, “dying, and yet we live on.”   Next Step: Remember that you dust, and to dust you shall return, but remember more boldly still that you are forever reconciled to God and have become the righteousness of God. Surrender your life to Jesus.    Lessons: Joel 2:12-13, 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:2, John 6:66-69

When life gets hard, God brings personal strength to face the trials.Because this personal strength comes from God,it is beyond what we thought, it is based on what Jesus accomplished for us, and it helps us to face the future with confident hope.   Next Step: Pray for God’s personal strength that builds resiliency, trust that it will grow in you, and recognize it when it happens. Allow yourself to experience joy when this happens.    Lessons: Isaiah 41:8-10, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, John 16:32-33