Text: Luke 19:1-10

All Saints Sunday

This week's message continues the theme of God's unrelenting grace from last week's Reformation Sunday. "The Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost," Jesus tells the crowd after the rich man Zacchaeus' conversion. He pursues us. The question we might ask is, does this pursuit ever stop? Perhaps not even death itself stands in the way.

Texts: Luke 18:9-14, Romans 3:19-28

Series: Re-Forming

This Sunday we come to the culmination of our Fall Re-forming theme. God is always making us new, through the word and through the newcomers we welcome in our midst! This Reformation heritage began with Martin Luther's engagement with scripture - specifically the book of Romans. There he learned that the "righteousness of God" - rather than being something to fear - is something to celebrate. Through Jesus God's righteousness is poured out onto us. God looks at you with love, and there's nothing you can do about it. That's the freedom of the gospel!

Texts: Luke 17:11-19, 2 Kings 5:1-15

Series: Re-forming

The story of Jesus healing ten men with a skin disease can feel like a classic morality tale: "Don't forget to say thank you!" But as is always the case with the gospels, there's more going on here. Listen to hear how this story, echoing the healing of Naaman in 2 Kings, shows how God meets us in the borderlands with the healing waters of baptism.

Texts: Luke 17:5-6, Job 38-39

Series: Re-forming

A little bit goes a long way in God’s Kingdom. A mustard seed’s-worth of faith has miraculous potential. A small act of love toward any of God’s creatures can have an exponential effect. A splash of water, a bit of bread and wine – in God’s economy, each of these has the power of the change the world, because any change in the world begins with the change of a heart.

Text: Luke 16:19-31

Series: Re-Forming

Jesus' parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus is a blistering critique of the ultra-wealthy that seems designed to place us between the extremes of the two main characters. Here in the middle we do receive a great challenge - but it's one that goes beyond guilt or mere charity.

Text: Luke 16:1-13

Series: Re-Forming

Guest preacher Pastor Brad Stienstra takes one of Jesus' most challenging parables and skillfully weaves a message of God's surprising grace. This one is well worth a close listen.

Text: Luke 15:1-10

Series: Re-forming

Last Sunday Pastor Matt introduced our Fall theme of "Re-Forming." This Sunday we get to hear two members, Bill Brummel and Tinh Brodhagen, share how they have known God's re-forming and renewing work in their lives! Jesus says there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. So too there is joy in heaven with each small step of growth, each movement toward fullness of life. As you listen, perhaps you’ll be able to imagine ways God is working, beckoning you toward growth in faith in your life.

Texts: Jeremiah 18:1-11, Luke 14:25-33

Series: Re-Forming

When it comes to following Jesus, it all starts with…dying? Yes. This is why Jesus urges his hearers to “count the cost.” God is always seeking to reform us, to bring us toward fullness of life. To do that, there are ways in which our old selves – old patterns of thinking, old habits – must be put to death. Over the next couple months we’ll be exploring some of the ways God seeks to reform us, and how we can open ourselves to that re-formation.