Summary: (Luke 14:25-35) Jesus instructs us that if we are going to follow Him as Lord, we need to count what it will cost before doing so. He made it clear that submitting to His Lordship requires surrendering everything.

Summary: Jesus teaches that we should take the lower positions rather than assume the greater ones. In a world where people climb over other people on the ladder of success, we are to help others climb up the rungs. Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.

Summary: (Luke 13:10-17) Jesus healed a woman who suffered from a spine condition for eighteen years. After healing her, the religious leaders criticized Jesus for the healing. Some people are bent on criticisms, even when the only proper response is celebrating.

Summary: II Corinthians 5:16-19

Summary: (Luke 11:1-13) Jesus teaches his disciples "The Lord's Prayer". He talks about the power of persistence in prayer and why we should never give up on it. Everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. Everyone who knocks has the door opened for them.

Summary: (Ezekiel 37:1-14) Ezekiel sees a valley of dry bones. Israel has been without hope and their future looks grim. God instructs Ezekiel to prophesy to dry bones in a valley. The bones come together with flesh on them. Breath enters them and they become a great army. God brings to life the things which seem dead. God can restore the dead things and bring them to life.

Summary: (Luke 10:25-37) The parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us that our neighbors are not always easy to love. Jesus tells us that in order to receive eternal life, in addition to loving God with our whole being, we are to love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves.

Summary: (Romans 6:1-14) The Fourth of July is a tremendous celebration of the freedom we have achieved as a nation. No earthly freedom, however, can be complete without the freedom that Christ brings. Jesus said, "He who the Son sets free is free indeed." Paul, in this passage tells us that since we belong to Christ, we are free from sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Summary: (I Kings 19:1-15) Have you ever felt abandoned or alone? At the moment Elijah the prophet should have felt victory and joy, he felt sadness and loneliness instead. Even though God comforted him, the scriptures never say that Elijah found immediate joy. He continued in obedience and he is remembered as a man of faith for his perserverance and witness. God knows our struggles and sometimes the life of faith requires us to continue onward, trusting in the joy that is to come, even if it seems long in coming.

Summary: (Genesis 27:1-30) How important is a father's blessing? Paul Tournier discovered the "unblessed child" syndrome. This occurred when a person did not receive the blessing of his father or mother. Rick Ezell said that blessings need to be felt (vs.21), spoken (vs.27), and valued (vv.27-29). If we have lived, or are living, in the "unblessed child" syndrome because our parent's inability to bless us, how can we receive this blessing--felt, spoken, and valued--by God, our Father?

Summary: I Kings 21:1-16 The story of Naboth's Vineyard is a horrifying story of wickedness, greed, and manipulation. This story is a warning that God sees everything we do. Nothing escapes the eyes of the Lord, not even the intent of the heart.

Summary: Elijah asks a woman for something to eat during a famine. She only has enough for herself and her son, but believing she'll die for lack of food, gives Elijah what she has anyway. Because of her faith, she never runs out of food. Her act of sacrificial giving informs us of what risky faith can do.

Summary: (John 16:5-16) What is the work of the Holy Spirit? What does it mean to receive Him? What does the Holy Spirit do in the world and in the believer's life? As the Third Person of the Trinity, how can we yield our lives to experience His power?

Summary: Acts 2:14-41

Summary: Matt. 9:35-38

Summary: The Prophet John continues to share his vision of heaven. It is a place where tears are wiped away and gone forever. It is a place of indescribable beauty and it is for those whose name is written in the Book of Life.

Summary: The Prophet John shares the vision of a new Jerusalem he was given.

Summary: Jesus told us that his sheep not only hear his voice, but listen to Him. He knows them and they follow Him. What role does obedience play in saying we belong to Christ?

Summary: Saul encounters the Lord on his way to Damascus. He is set on putting Christians into prison, yet his plans are changed when Jesus gets hold of him. What happens to us and "our" plans when we truly yield to Christ?

Summary: Jesus has risen from the dead!

Summary: Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. This event was celebrated by Heaven as well as earth. Jesus' kingship brought peace to all of Creation.

Summary: Jesus weeps for Jerusalem. He knows that His own people will reject Him. He knows that rejection will lead to turmoil and sorrow. Jesus offers peace and safety, but He will not force it upon us.

Summary: Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up the mountain. While there, He transfigures before them. What does it mean for us to know Jesus fully as He is?