Tulip Street Christian Church

The Laborers in the Vineyard | Matthew 20:1-16 (Lucas Johnson)

In this message, we look at the Parable of the Vineyard Workers in Matthew 20, a passage that can be easy to misread as a story about fair labor or equal rewards. Instead, we dig into what Jesus is really saying to disciples caught up in competing for status and how it applies to our own tendency to be transactional with God. Along the way, we talk about trust versus negotiation, the difference between real and performed humility, and why the Father's generosity toward us runs far deeper than fairness ever could.

The Fools Collection | Luke 12, Matthew 18, Luke 18

In the fifth sermon of our summer parables series, we look at what I'm calling the Fools Collection: the Rich Fool, the Unforgiving Servant, and the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. Three seemingly unrelated stories that all expose the same root problem, a heart turned inward, blind to God's provision and deaf to the people around it. We'll dig into why Jesus tells stories instead of just giving instructions, why it's so easy to read these parables and think "at least I'm not that bad," and how that very thought is the trap the stories are built to catch us in. It's not all bad news though. There's grace on the other side for every one of us fools.

Love Unlimited | Luke 10:25-37

What do free chips and salsa have to do with the parable of the Good Samaritan? More than you'd think. In Luke 10, a lawyer asks Jesus who his neighbor is, looking for a list, a limit, someone he doesn't have to love. Jesus refuses to answer that question, because defining who counts automatically defines who doesn't. Instead, he tells a story about a Samaritan who flipped the script entirely. If you've heard this parable a hundred times, this one might still surprise you.

Lost Things | Luke 15

We tend to think being lost feels like helplessness or panic. But more often, it feels like you're going the right direction. In Luke 15, Jesus tells three back-to-back stories about lost things getting found, building toward one of the greatest stories ever told, the parable of the prodigal son. But there are two sons in that story, and the one who stayed home the whole time turns out to be just as lost as the one who ran away. Which one are you?

He Sold It All Smiling | Matthew 13:44-46

Do you have eyes to see what's truly valuable? Drawing from Matthew 13:44-46, Daniel walks through Jesus' back-to-back parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price, exploring how the kingdom of heaven is waiting to be found, demands a joyful response, and is worth far more than anything we could give up to obtain it. Plus, a surprising twist at the end: what if you're the treasure?