Living Vertizontal

From Prominence to Humility (Luke 14:1-14)

In this episode we move into Luke 14:1-14 where Jesus heads over to a prominent Pharisees house for a Sabbath meal, while here, Jesus heals a man, and shares another parable. Together we discuss our propensity to pursue prominence, and the invitation that Jesus issues to surrender our position to Him, trusting that He sees us.

Making Every Effort to Know and be Known (Luke 13:22-35)

In this episode we work through Luke 13:22-35. In this passage we hear Jesus speak on the narrow door in response to a question from the crowd and then we hear Jesus’ lament of Jerusalem. Throughout our conversation we discuss feasts in first century Israel and identified Jesus’ conversation on the narrow door as a metaphor for the opportunity and expectation of relationship with God to enter the feast of the Kingdom of Heaven. Too often, the temptation is to allow proximity to Jesus to substitute for personal relationship with Jesus.

The Day Freedom Disrupted Religion (Luke 13:10-21)

In this episode we continue on with Luke 13:10-21. In this passage we see Jesus heal a woman on the sabbath and also hear two short parables on the Kingdom of Heaven. What does it really mean to be set free—and are we sometimes more bound than we realize? As we explore this passage, three key themes emerge: 1) Jesus’ power and willingness to set us free from what binds us, 2) our tendency to rely on religious structures rather than relationship, and His invitation to live fully in the Kingdom of Heaven here and now, and 3) we also reflect on the nature of this “upside-down” Kingdom—starting small, yet steadily growing, persistent, and transformative.

Active God, Active Response (Luke 13:1-9)

In this episode we move on into Luke 13:1-9. Within this set of verses we hear Jesus’ call to repentance and the parable of the fig tree. From this passage we talk about who God is, how God acts, and how we are invited to act in the world. God is loving, patient, and active. We are called to respond urgently to His action in our lives. By extension, we are subsequently invited into pointing out where and how God is active in the lives of others so that the God who loves us and pursues us can come into clear focus for the world.

The Urgency of the Revival Within (Luke 12:49-59)

In this episode we move on to Luke 12:49-59 where we hear Jesus continuing to speak to the crowds about the worldly weight/cost of what it looks like to live within His Kingdom. From this passage we address: the mission of refinement and revival that Jesus is on, Jesus’ distress over the baptism of death that He must endure, the division that results as we recognize Jesus as our Lord and Messiah, the importance of recognizing the Kingdom of God here and now, and the urgency of our response to that very Kingdom.