Series: Unexpected Jesus

To do what Jesus did, we have to live like Jesus lived. That’s tough for us in 21st century North America where we idolize power, sensationalism, and greatness. Be honest, given the chance, we’d all like to be great. Today in our passage, Jesus exposes what was at the heart of the disciples’ powerlessness in mission and the unexpected anecdote (it might surprise you). Join us as Pastor Robyn Elliott unpacks Luke 9:37-50.

Since we covered the demonic realm in the messages below, it is not a focus in this message but you may be interested in learning more.
https://lakesidechurch.ca/sermons/the-field-trip-you-dont-tell-your-parents-about/
https://lakesidechurch.ca/sermons/whats-up-with-jesus-and-demons/

Have you ever had an awkward conversation with someone who used a verse from the Bible out of context? Throughout history people have used scripture to rebuke, manipulate, scold, judge, and defend their position, thoughts, and behaviour, but is that really what God intended? In this message from Pastor Marc Gagnon, we learn the difference between something that’s descriptive and something that’s prescriptive as he walks us through a section of Luke 9 to discover that God shows us where to look for our clarity in the midst of confusion. This passage is one that invites a small word change with a big difference.

As a culture, we talk a lot about love. Even as Christians, we talk about God being love, and that the greatest command is to love. We seem to be able to agree what is most important … and yet, in this message from Pastor Marc Gagnon, we discover that we may need to lay down our preconceived ideas of what love looks like.

Sometimes it feels like more is the answer. More things to do, more things to learn, more things to accomplish .. and yet, in Luke 9:18-22 we see that that getting away from the hustle proves to be key to getting the clarity the disciples need to move forward. Two thousand years later, we need this more than ever. Join Pastor Marc Gagnon for this message as we learn an ancient practice to help in these chaotic times.

In this message from Pastor Robyn Elliott (Luke 9:10-17) we witness a miracle — the only miracle besides the resurrection — that’s recorded in all four gospels! That’s HUGE! And the miracle? Food. Feeding hungry people. Jesus not only dignifies the most basic, universal need of humanity but invites us to bring our not enough and watch as he makes it enough, and more than enough. It’s pretty awesome that God chose something as simple and basic as food — the bottom of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs — to represent God’s self. Jesus demonstrates that when we’re feeling empty and depleted He longs to feed and to fill us.

Jesus was a surprise. You could even say he was a walking, talking perplexity. There’s no arguing that. Everyone wanted to know, Who is this man? And some had some pretty crazy suggestions! We’re still asking that question and the answer, changes everything. In this message, Pastor Robyn walks us through the answer to that question and the shocking implications for us as followers of Jesus.

Have you ever been so desperate for help that you were willing to bend the rules? Has there ever been a time in your life that you stepped out in faith knowing it might cost you greatly? In this message, Pastor Marc Gagnon walks us through a section of Luke 8 in which Jesus performs miracles for two people who risked everything for his help, and shows us that Jesus doesn’t just heal people, he restores them to life and to community.

In this message, Jesus takes his disciples on a little field trip … one they probably wouldn’t have wanted to tell their parents about. They are confronted by everything they fear but Jesus responds with power and love. We see the way a man who has experienced a lifetime of trauma finds comfort with Jesus, and that often the cost of life change is not worth it for some people.

Every family has a family name which does two things: 1. it identifies us from other families, and 2. it identifies us as one family — who’s part of our family and who isn’t. In today’s passage (Luke 8:19-21) Jesus pushes against traditional family ties, not to disparage the family, but to enlarge it to include those who we wouldn’t normally consider family. Our collective family name is JESUS! In these few verses we unpack the earth-shattering, unfathomable, ground-breaking challenge of Jesus to expand our concept of family to include any and all who “hear the message and do it” (Luke 8:15).