Luke 6:27-42

Do you see and listen to these folks around you? Rubel uses a street person named Jack and his friend to remind us that each of these people have a name and need to be valued and noticed as real people.

"Then Jesus gave the following illustration: "Can one blind person lead another? Won't they both fall into a ditch? Students are not greater than their..."

"[Jesus returned to his teaching on our interactions with others:] "And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own?....."

"[Jesus continued his teaching on our interactions with others:] "And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even...."

"Why do you notice the little piece of dust in your friend’s eye, but you don’t notice the big piece of wood in your own eye? How can you say to your....."

Who would go first among the religions in showing honor to the other? Rubel Shelly talks about world religions, love, respect, honor, and violence.

Will we help others in the same way that Jesus did? Will we help those who need it simply because we follow Jesus and because they need it with no strings attached?

"[Jesus continued his teaching on our interactions with others:] "Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then..."

"[Jesus continued his teaching on our interactions with others:] "If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners..."

"[Jesus continued his teaching on our interactions with others, commanding,] "You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.""

"[Jesus continued his teaching on our interactions with others, commanding,] "Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others,....."

"[Jesus continued his teaching on our interactions with others, commanding,] "Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don't....."

"[Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said,] "Students are not greater than their teacher. But the student who is fully trained will become like..."

""But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you...""

"[Jesus taught his disciples with these words:] "Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.""

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use,....."

"[Jesus continued his teaching on our interactions with others, commanding,] "Do to others as you would like them to do to you.""

"[Jesus continued his teaching on our interactions with others, commanding,] "Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.""

"[Jesus continued,] "Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full — pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running..."

"[Jesus continued his teaching on our interactions with others, commanding,] "If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone..."

"[Jesus began teaching on our interactions with others:] "But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate..."

Inspirational illustration of Luke 6:38 -- "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Inspirational illustration of Luke 6:27 -- "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you..."

Bless those who curse you, and prayer for those who mistreat you. - Luke 6:28

Inspirational illustration of Luke 6:40 -- Every disciple when fully trained will be like the teacher

How much is enough for you? When do we have enough stuff and can we say no to acquiring more?

Who is your pilot? If anyone controls our life but Jesus, then our life is headed for disaster.

How well do you show genuine mercy toward those who let you down? We have to show mercy to others when they let us down because we need mercy for our mistakes and mess ups!

What will people hear from you? We create echoes by our life, so what kind of echo will you hear from the people around you?

Does your faith move you beyond just talk? Real faith leads us to act and not just talk about problems.

Why is it hard to let Jesus have control of our lives? I wonder what would happen if we truly let Jesus have control of our lives.

Is it really worth the cost? Ron Rose reminds us of the need to forgive, not just because we are commanded but because we are imprisoned in bitterness when we don't.

What gift of value could 6 dollars buy? Nothing blesses us than to see those we love being generous with others -- that's true thanksgiving!

What do you have to share with others that is a little extra? Katha Winther shares a tradition she picked up from her mother and that we should pass along to others along the way: give a little something extra.

Are you giving from the heart? Giving gifts at Christmas helps us understand and appreciate the importance of people in our lives.

Have you been listening lately? We need to listen to our Teacher: Jesus is the one we must look to for our answers in how to help and bless others.

So do we make people think of Jesus? Phil Ware continues his series on What is Core by calling us to true discipleship, people being conformed to be like Jesus and living out the cross, burial, and resurrection in their lives.

God isn't after change, that happens all the time: God wants transformation! Phil Ware continues his series on Jesus and transformation and focuses today on our walking with Jesus each day in the gospels and learning his words and talking with him and taking on on his character and compassion as the Spirit transforms us.

It sure is hard doing the right thing. Doing the right thing is hard, but the retirement benefits make it worth the effort -- just ask Jesus!

Into whose image are we trying to make new Christians conform? So often we force new Christians into the mold of something or someone who isn't really Jesus.

Do we realize the grace of getting to tune our lives to Jesus? Phil Ware and James Nored remind us that the core of our faith is Jesus, that Christ is our defining note around whom all of us must tune our lives and recognize the grace of being called and transformed to be like him.

Do we realize the grace of getting to tune our lives to Jesus? Phil Ware and James Nored remind us that the core of our faith is Jesus, that Christ is our defining note around whom all of us must tune our lives and recognize the grace of being called and transformed to be like him.

Why in the world would anyone want to go to such an effort? Serving may be hard work, but like good exercise, it develops us into a healthier people.

When we open our hearts and lives to him, God fills them with wondrous, eternal treasures. Phillip Morrison reminds us that giving of ourselves and our funds brings untold blessings to both the receiver and the giver!

What kind of church tater are you? Let's not be critical people -- Taters in chruch parlance.

So what are you really offering to the Lord for His service? While we are to give a tithe, the tithe is just a reminder to us that everything we have belongs to God.

Who do you look like? Rubel Shelly reminds us that even when things or people look alike doesn't mean they actually live the same way or live out the same role.

What can we learn from this faithful friend? Teresa draws a parallel between what we can learn from our dogs and what we can learn from Jesus.

Do we realize the grace of getting to tune our lives to Jesus? Phil Ware and James Nored remind us that the core of our faith is Jesus, that Christ is our defining note around whom all of us must tune our lives and recognize the grace of being called and transformed to be like him.

All anyone wants to talk about is Jesus! Phil Ware concludes his series on Inviting Jesus back to church with this message on Jesus being our center.

Jesus is not only our Savior and Lord, but he is also the model on whom we are to build our lives! James Nored and Phil Ware share in video and word how we can share in the life of Jesus in our lives today.

Some of us have had good fathers. Others have had absent fathers or bad fathers. In Christ, however, we have been adopted into God's family, and we all have a loving, powerful, tender, and attentive Abba Father! Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to help us honor and praise our Father in heaven on this Father's Day.

Jesus shared his love, his life, and his amazing grace with us on the cross, so will we follow Jesus and live the way of the cross in our lives? Phil Ware and Demetrius Collins lead us into worship in song and the Word to experience, proclaim and rejoice in the power of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ and his call to us to remember and renew and relive the forgiveness of the cross to our daily

Whose heart are you blessing these days? Jane Vincenzi shares some insight in the old southern phrase bless your heart and realizes that it is really what our Christian life is all about.

Prayer changes something much more important than our circumstances! Phil Ware continues his series on building a culture of honor focusing this week on prayer, especially prayer as a redemptive tool of offering forgiveness and blessing to those who are our enemies and who mistreat us.

Jesus isn't calling us to keep a list of do's and don'ts; he is challenging us to obey the Father from our hearts, in love. James Nored and Phil Ware remind us of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount and that he was not giving us a list of do's and don't do's, but was calling us to put into practice the way of God from the heart.

What do we do in the face of evil and meanness? Phil Ware continues his series of messages related to "The Story" curriculum, using Abraham's call to be a blessing to be a reminder to us as well.

Jesus said this was the right thing for him to do! James Nored and Phil Ware remind us of an important reason to be baptized: not only was Jesus baptized, he also said it was the right thing to do and called on all his disciples to be baptized and baptizers.

What can we learn about God by looking at Jesus? Phil Ware compares Jesus to a keyhole through which we look at God and the closer we get to Jesus the more clearly we see God.

I remain convicted that these passages give us the CORE of what we must believe and practice as Jesus' disciples. Phil Ware brings his series on 'What is CORE!' to a close, giving us a short summary to help us remember these three CORE passages and what they teach and call on us to do.

We've allowed our modern definition of faith to be drained of depth and turned into a shallow kiddie wading pool of little more than mental assent. Phil Ware reminds us that faith as understood in the New Testament was much more robust than what we often call faith today.