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Call it what you will…alternative history, thought experiments, or just unique perspectives, but there is something to be said for asking questions that make you think about events differently. Actually, alternative history has become a popular literary genre, and asking the question “What If…?” has made a certain superhero movie franchise a LOT of money!

But maybe those who do this exercise are onto something. What If certain events in the Bible were different, or if a key detail was changed? What would that mean for us and the world we live in? So that’s what we’re doing—we’re having a what if Christmas, asking and answering key questions like:

• What if Jesus had been born at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital?

• What if Joseph & Mary had won the lottery?

• What if the shepherds had slept in?

• What if God said “peace out” instead of declaring “peace on Earth”?

Join us each week in December as we explore these scenarios, and even more importantly, see the miraculous plan of God come together in the lives of ordinary people who obeyed an extraordinary God.

If God’s plan were for Jesus to be born today, would He find people through whom He could execute His plan…and would you be a part of that plan?

After Jesus’s birth, Mary & Joseph had to quickly go to Egypt, and God provided through unexpected ways. He still provides through unexpected ways today.

God chose people who were busy working to be the first ones to see the newborn King. Busyness with life shouldn’t stand in the way of seeing the great work of God.

God wasn’t forced to deal with mankind’s sinfulness, but yet He responded by sending a Savior.

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Following the life and ministry of Jesus has been a sweet experience. We’ve interacted with Jesus on levels as never before, learning from His teachings, marveling at His miracles, and sitting at His table. We’ve eaten many meals, some that left us wanting more of Him and others that left us questioning our own level of surrenders… But all the meals have shown us one clearly that we need more of Jesus, and He wants more of us.

In this final course, we’ll enjoy our final meals with the master. After He conquers death, we’ll enjoy the last few mouthfuls with Jesus before He returns to Heaven to sit with the Father. And then it will be time to push away from the table and get busy doing the final thing He instructed – telling others. Don’t miss these last couple weeks of Final Meals with the Master.

The resurrection is the very center of the Christian message, and it was an actual event – Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

Right before Jesus left, He gave some clear instructions to the disciples, and to US. The question is – are we living as He instructed? Because one day, He will return.

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From the very beginning of this walk through the book of Luke, it’s been powerfully clear—Jesus was born to die. But before He went to the cross, He lived an extraordinary life and preached an extraordinary message of salvation and the kingdom of God. His countrymen watched as He lived a perfect, sinless life; they listened to His teachings; and they marveled at His miracles. And many believed.

However, most rejected Him. They discounted His teachings and miracles, and they viewed Him as a charlatan rabbi whom they condemned to die. While those who believed in Him would witness the brutality of His death that brought their salvation, those who rejected Him would experience the consequences of their rejection and their Appetites for Destruction.

Join us for the 10th course of our study through Luke called Meals with the Master as we study the final major moments of the life of Jesus including the Last Supper and crucifixion.

Jesus had ministered to the nation of Israel and its leaders, and they would reject Him as their Messiah, setting in motion the events of the crucifixion.

As Jesus instructs His disciples at the Temple in Jerusalem, He teaches them one last time on how the world will be prior to His return.

Jesus’s final days before the cross are filled with much struggle and anguish as He experiences frustration, betrayal, and despair.

Pilate. Herod. Barabbas. Simon of Cyrene. Calvary. Two thieves. Jesus. Satan thought he’d won against the Son of God, but he laid a big, fat egg…

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Historically, fruit has been a staple of healthy diets and regular parts of nutritious meals. Whether you’re enjoying the fruit of the vine with a nice glass of wine or taking part in some fruit pie as a dessert, fruit provides some of the sweetest and best moments of many meals.

Come to think of it, fruit is a product of a seed that was planted somewhere. At some point, in order for there to be fruit, someone somewhere had to start the process by planting the appropriate seed thereby producing the desired fruit. This is true not only in an agricultural sense, but also in a spiritual sense. The spiritual seeds that are planted will absolutely yield spiritual fruit—and nowhere is this better displayed in the Bible than in the life and ministry of Jesus.

Jesus spent His ministry planting seeds in the hearts of men and women who followed Him. But also, seeds were planted in the hearts of those who despised Him. And both bore fruit…baskets full of fruit. Some of the fruit was good, and some of it was evil, but there was no doubt—all of it was a result of the seeds that Jesus had planted. And the question for us is, “What kind of fruit are we bearing in our spiritual lives?”

Join us in Course #9 as we explore our fruit and the fruit of Jesus’s ministry in the lives of those who knew Him as we learn about Fruit Baskets.

In one of the New Testament’s beautiful stories of life change, Zacchaeus had lived a terrible life until he came face to face with Jesus, and then his life was transformed! But that transformation wasn’t just internal, but rather, his external display of repentance is something that every person should witness—and copy.

As Jesus was nearing the end of His earthly ministry, it was clear that He was being rejected by the nation of Israel. While He was frustrated over their rejection, He made it clear that they had every opportunity to honor God with their lives and accept Him, and therefore, they were completely responsible for their actions. While He warned them of their consequences, He also gave His followers a clear illustration of the benefits of investing in the opportunities we have using the resources God has given us.

During Jesus’s ministry, He was continually opposed and questioned by the Pharisees, and toward the end of His time here on Earth, Jesus warned the Pharisees that they were going to experience God’s wrath because of their rejection. Yet they persisted in their rejection, and so Jesus made it clear what happens when we reject God.

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“Wait”—now THAT is a word we don’t like. Few people (deranged people!) look forward to waiting, but waiting is something we do with great regularity. We wait in a variety of ways in so many places…at the store, at home, at work…for our groceries; for that package; and for that raise. Waiting would be great if it weren’t for all of the…waiting….

Right before Jesus would leave His disciples, He told them (and us) that there would be some waiting, specifically waiting for Him to return. And today, we’re still waiting. But we don’t have to sit on our hands and wait. We can actually live purpose-filled lives while we wait, lives that honor God and bless others. Actually, our waiting is where God does His great work in our lives as we learn to serve Him and serve others. In so many ways, we are God’s wait staff. We wait on others as we wait on Him.

Waiting for Jesus to return seems easy enough, but loving the people He left us to wait with…now THAT can be tough. Learn how to do both much better than you do right now.

If you’ve ever wondered why pastors and other spiritual leaders constantly talk about Jesus’s return being “any day now,” then you need to learn how they can say that…and why they’re right!

People deconstruct their faith and walk away from God at alarming paces, and there are reasons why they do…. We’ll dive into what you can do to avoid making those same bad mistakes.

Few people ever first consider the cost of following Jesus, but one man came face to face with the decision to follow Jesus that required him to abandon his wealth. The question is—is it worth it?

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The life and ministry of Jesus to this point has seemed to be all about, well… Jesus. Yet, one of the things that Jesus did was also connect us to God the Father. Jesus often spoke about directly or alluded to God the Father in His teaching, and He gave us great insights into the heart and mind of the first member of the Trinity. 

In this section of Meals with the Master, we’re going to spend a few weeks and look at our Heavenly Father through several different stories that Jesus told in Luke 14–16. In his book The Autobiography of God, Lloyd Ogilvie suggested that the stories (parables) that Jesus told were actually meant to give greater glimpses into who God the Father is, and so we’re leaping off of this idea in this section titled “Compliments to the Chef – the Autobiography of God the Father.” 

Why do some people come to know God while so many others never do? The answer is found in whether or not we pull up to God’s table or stay at our own.

Three memorable and related stories. One big powerful and foundational truth. The Father loves and pursues us.

In one of Jesus’s most vivid stories that is a true-to-life illustration, we are warned of Hell and the pursuit of a life without God as our Heavenly Father.

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Have you ever eaten something that you needed to wash down with a drink because it was just hard to swallow? Overcooked meat, dry cookies, or thick substances like peanut butter can be incredibly challenging to eat without something to help wash them down! Considering the number of meals that Jesus shared with others, it’s probably accurate to suggest that there were times when food was harder to swallow. 

But you KNOW that it wasn’t just food that was a challenge. Jesus as God the Son ministered to people everywhere He went, and at times, He was served some things that were evidently hard to swallow, like aggressive accusations to discredit His ministry, unbelief in the face of amazing miracles, hypocrisy by leaders, and misplaced priorities that have eternal consequences. For Jesus, these things (and more) were hard to swallow. 

Beginning on June 12, we’ll spend six weeks diving into a section of Luke where Jesus encountered and responded to individuals, attitudes, and beliefs that were hard to swallow and that He very much rejected. As we study how the Savior addressed these things, it will also give us the opportunity to evaluate ourselves and make changes where necessary as we strive to live for Him. Don’t miss even a week of this challenging 6th course!  

There is no offense worse than attributing what is of God to instead being of Satan, and after Jesus cast out a demon from a man, this is exactly what happened. Not only did Jesus speak strongly against this, He then instructed them using his famous statement, “A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand.”  

The Pharisees made following God into a formula where all one had to do was follow their rules, and Jesus turned their approach on its head by exposing their error. It’s not about obeying rules to have a relationship with God; rather, it’s all about beginning a relationship with God where you live under His authority.

Jesus understood that before long, not only would He die, but those who followed Him would also be threatened with their lives and well-being. And so not wanting them to be afraid when their own time came, Jesus instructed them on how to respond and what to remember when they were attacked. 

As Jesus taught large groups of people, occasionally He would be asked to make a decision in a matter. In this passage, He refuses to make a decision but instead tells a parable that shows the dangers of trusting in our riches and resources rather than our relationship with God. 

Jesus never misled His followers into thinking that everything would be easy or that the world would always be kind. As He instructed the disciples about His return to Earth someday, He reminded them to not ignore signs or get so distracted that they wouldn’t know the signs. And the same goes for us today! 

In what was a turning point of His ministry, Israel has rejected their Messiah as He continues to heal and minister wherever He goes. And despite the upcoming trials, Jesus demonstrated yet again that people will always take precedence over systems. 

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Seeing a profound Facebook post. Someone sharing with you “My grandfather once told me…” Maybe even opening the occasional fortune cookie. Every once in a while, you come across a profound piece of wisdom, the kind of thing that makes you go “Hmmm…” 

Don’t you think that as the disciples followed Jesus around that they heard some real head-scratchers? How do you follow the God of the Universe around on foot for three years and not hear some things you never thought about before? Fact is, you don’t. Actually, the Apostle John alluded to the fact that Jesus said so much that if the disciples wrote down everything He said and did that there wouldn’t be enough books in the world to record, and for that matter, to evaluate all these things. 

During this 5th course of Meals with the Master, we’re going to spend time exploring some of the profound things that Jesus said and that He taught. These things are not only wisdom for the way, but strength for your journey and hope beyond this life. So join us each week as we listen and learn about some of the profound truths Jesus shared with His disciples.

If you’ve ever done something challenging and thought you’d figured it out, only to find that you couldn’t do it again, then you know what the disciples felt like when they tried to cast out a demon and could not (even though they’d done it before). The question is, why couldn’t they do it? And how can we avoid the same problems?

As the disciples followed Jesus, at times they misunderstood their futures and failed to control their anger. These missteps produced some moments for Jesus to teach them, especially in the area of pride.

Most every mom has the heart of Jesus for her children, wanting them to succeed in changing the world. Yet, sometimes when success comes, so does temptation. One day you can succeed, and the next day you fall. It’s time to learn from Jesus what the bottom line is for joy and celebration in the middle of any success.

Who are we obligated to love and help in our world? Who really deserves our attention and compassion? Jesus was asked a similar question, and as the Master Teacher, He told the story of the Good Samaritan, a powerfully convicting story about mercy in action.

Jesus would often go by Himself to pray, and upon returning, the disciples curiously asked if He would teach them to pray. And He did: a master class in coming to the Father. And that same class is available to you and me.

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Have you ever tried to keep up with someone whose pace and energy just seemed to be intimidating? And the harder you tried, the more you realized you couldn’t keep up? President Harry Truman once had someone who objected to his seemingly tireless pace, and he said, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” It was clear then and now that the more you desire to lead and move, the harder the environment will get—so be warned.

This warning can extend to following Jesus as well. As we continue studying the Gospel of Luke and his record of the words and works of Jesus Christ, we’re beginning to realize that following Jesus was often not easy. There was a lot of “heat in the kitchen” of the disciples, as they not only wrestled with what Jesus taught them, but also with what Jesus told them to do!

In this 4th course of Meals with the Master, we’ll spend time looking at how Jesus challenged the disciples—and US—to grow in obedience, perseverance, patience, and more. But the challenges to grow weren’t simply in the realm of what they knew in their hearts, but also in what they did with their lives. And as we study, these challenges will be for us to tackle as well, even when they’re hard or seemingly impossible.

Don’t miss even one week of this 4th course!

Looking at the “Parable of the Sower,” we’re diving into what God does in the hearts and lives of His followers who take root in His Word and mission. While there are factors that will absolutely work to limit and prohibit growth, there are also factors that will refine and define you as you grow in your faith walk.

Every once in a while, every Christ-follower needs a clear reminder of WHO we follow. It’s not a world leader. It’s not a pastor. It’s not a political party or a country. It’s Jesus Christ, the Ultimate Authority over every power known to man. Come and be strengthened (again!) by the great authority of the Man who as the disciples were reminded in a terrible situation, “when He gives a command, even the wind and waves obey Him!”

We tend to feel the pressure and challenges of life due to timing. We have a timetable, and oftentimes (ok, ALL the time), God seemingly has a completely different timetable. Actually, God’s timing is so profoundly different that we feel the pressure when we have to wait for God to answer our prayer, help us through a challenge, or meet our needs. Waiting is the worst…except when it’s God’s best. And learning to wait and endure the heat of challenging moments is part of the growing process that every disciple must go through.

As we approach Easter, the challenge is to invite people to consider the message and claims of Jesus. Yet, one of the hard parts of following Jesus is following this command of Jesus to continually invite others to Christ. It’s the challenge of every single disciple to go and make more disciples, and the challenge began with the original disciples being sent out by Christ Himself.

Following Jesus can be so challenging, especially when God calls you into something BIG: take a leap of faith, do something you’ve never done before, work against the odds, and step out…If you’ve EVER felt God calling you into something you feel unprepared or inadequate to do—serve, give, forgive, help, bless, love—this is something you need to know: it will be hard and require your trust, but with Christ’s guidance and power, you CAN.

Almost everyone knows the feeling of seeing a preview for a movie they’re excited to see. As you sit and watch it with anticipation, you get excited to see how everything will unfold when that epic movie premiers! If Easter Sunday had a preview, it was the Transfiguration—an epic moment that showed who Jesus was and what He would accomplish. For the disciples, it was THIS moment, permanently etched in their hearts as they saw the glorified Jesus, that would carry them through the hardest moments that were to come.

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Think of the most famous people alive—perhaps Tom Brady, Barack Obama, or Kim Kardashian. If they walked into a room where you were, you’d know it immediately. And if you’re a fan or supporter, you’d actually know enough to have a good conversation with a famous person about life in general (at least until their security detail removed you from the room!).

What if Jesus walked into the room? People would say that they know Him. They know what He’s done and some famous things He said, and most would probably feel comfortable having a conversation with Him. At least initially they’d be comfortable…until He said something you weren’t sure of…and you got pretty uncomfortable… maybe even challenged…or offended…or convicted…

As we work our way through Jesus’s life as recorded in Luke, one of the clearest truths we’ll see is that we may not know Jesus as well as we thought! And during the third course of Meals with the Master, we’re studying the 3rd course called Chef’s Surprise: What Every Person Needs to Know about Jesus. Each week you will be challenged to interact with the words and works of Jesus in ways that will not only surprise you, but that will change you. Don’t miss a weekend!

Jesus was Lord of the Sabbath, and He taught about the purpose of this God-ordained rest. Christ-followers need to learn how we can rest better, honoring God with this most important day.

In the Sermon on the Mount, i.e., Jesus’s big sermon—THE sermon—Jesus laid the foundation for what it means to be a citizen of His kingdom, the place where Jesus reigns and rules. And this sermon impacts people as much today as it did back then. This week we’ll look at the first part of the Sermon and study the Beatitudes and how happiness is powerfully connected to holiness.

In this second part of THE Sermon on the Mount, we'll explore the powerful checklist that comes with really, truly, following Jesus. Be warned: this list has nothing to do with what church you go to or who you vote for...

In this third part of THE Sermon on the Mount, we'll answer the question "What's more important: how you behave or what you believe?" and also explore why "What does the Bible say?" is a KEY question to a successful Christian life!

Few things set us straight better than getting a good look at who we really are, and Jesus lays out the need for proper self-perception in a famous episode at the home of a religious leader. And the thing is, it’s not about what you think it’s about.

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Have you ever thought that God might be leading you to take a step of faith in an area where you felt inadequate? And even as you contemplated what it might look like for you to take that step, you weren't sure if perhaps God had made a mistake and you quietly asked, "God, You want to use ME?"

In this second course of our Meals with the Master series, we're going to be introduced to some more people that others might have looked past, beginning with one of the oddest men in the Bible, John the Baptist. We'll also examine how Jesus Himself prepared to do great things for the Father, and how He chose 12 ordinary men to follow Him everywhere.

As we do, we see how God uses ordinary people to set the table for what He wants to do next. In this section called New Table, New Year, New You, we'll spend time each week looking at how God doesn't call the qualified. Instead, He takes time to deliberately qualify the called, and He does so by calling us to obedience and then blessing our steps.

John the Baptist comes on the scene to set the table for Jesus’s ministry, and we are called to do the same thing—preparing the way for God to work in our time and in our settings with people who are hungry for Him.

Nothing significant happens in the plan of God without preparation and obedience. Jesus laid the groundwork for His ministry by getting baptized and then enduring temptation after a significant time of fasting.

The world in which Jesus ministered was an intimidating place filled with prejudice, spiritual hostility, and needy people—a place that might cause others to walk away. But Jesus was God with skin on, and when He walked into any hellish situation, He held the authority and power to do what was needed. And He gives His followers today the same opportunities.

The invitation from Jesus to His disciples was simple and profound—stop fishing for food and instead fish for men. Stop simply pursuing a living, and instead, pursue a life filled with purpose and significance. The disciples chose to follow the Master when He called instead of just pursuing their next meals…and the question comes to every follower, will you follow when He calls?

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The Gospel of Luke

One of the most memorable and lovable aspects of the life story of Jesus is that He wasn’t aloof and unattainable—He was down to earth, warm, and engaging. Even though He was God in the flesh, He never kept His distance, but rather, He sat down at people’s tables for meals with great regularity. He was the God who came to save us and the God who came to eat with us.

You’re invited to grow in your faith and join us for a piece-by-piece study of the life of Jesus in the book of Luke, who clearly paints Jesus as the God who eats with the people He loves. We’re calling this series Meals with the Master, and it promises to be a feast for your soul. During this series, we will look at the many teachings and miracles of Jesus, learning who He was, what He did, what He said, and how He came to seek and save the lost.

This in-depth series is broken into 11 courses, each with its own particular flavor and texture, and each helping you gain a greater knowledge of Jesus and the Bible than you’ve ever had before. You will grow in your faith and understanding regardless of whether you are a first-time follower or a long-time follower of Jesus.

So grab yourself a seat at the table, cancel any other plans, and come enjoy some Meals with the Master.