In Luke 18, Jesus shares stories of what it looks like to follow Him. This text tells us the importance of praying persistently, having faith like a child, and knowing what it means to get right before God. Join us as we learn what it means to become more like Jesus.
November 10, 2024
Get Right With God
Matt Nickoson
Pastor Matt explores Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and tax collector from Luke 18, emphasizing the importance of humility and God's mercy. He connects this to the Old Testament concept of atonement, explaining how Jesus fulfills the role of both sacrifice and advocate, making God's forgiveness accessible to all who humbly seek it.
Pastor Matt Nickoson encourages the congregation to elevate their prayers beyond personal needs and focus on praying for the lost. He emphasizes the importance of persistent prayer, using Jesus' parable of the persistent widow and a powerful story from Jim Cymbala's book, "Fresh Wind. Fresh Fire," about his daughter's return to faith after years of fervent prayer.
The phrase just "have an attitude of gratitude" sounds great on a sign, but is that even possible in today's world? We get hurt by others, our dreams don't come true, and life is just hard. Let's challenge ourselves to give thanks daily!
Why are we challenged to have faith like a child? How are we supposed to forgive others when they have hurt us, even if they apologize? Jesus seems to be asking the impossible in these passages of Luke as we learn about The Jesus Way.
