Jason Locke concludes this series on “Growing Young” with a look at the Good Samaritan parable. One of the key strategies to help young people discover and love your church is to practice “neighboring” well. Luckily for us, Jesus modeled this in both his teaching and ministry. We just have to put it into practice.
Many folks wrongly assume that what attracts young people are things like worship style, flashy bells & whistles, or a bevy of exciting programs. According to research done in churches that are actually “growing young,” however, young people indicate that warm relationships are the #1 reason why they attend their church. We see the model of warm relationships in the story of Jesus’s trip to the temple as a 12-year-old boy. Jason Locke discusses this topic in this week’s message.
The gospel message is meant to be difficult and surprising. The feel-good messages of so many churches, however, produce either young people with a shallow faith or young people who (rightly) reject the church as irrelevant. Jason Locke unpacks one of the key passages of the gospel where Jesus explained what it means to follow him.
In collaboration with the Fuller Youth Institute, Jason Locke is teaching about essential strategies to help churches “grow young.” This week’s text looks at the story of Jesus raising a widow’s son. Learning to show empathy requires seeing, caring & doing something about the plight of others, just as Jesus did in the case of this grieving woman.
As we closed out the old and prepared to enter the new year, Jason Locke preached on the parable of the dishonest manager. This unlikely hero of Jesus’s tale was not a praiseworthy figure overall, but he did one thing well. He used what he had to secure his own future. How well are you using what you have?
How can we raise up leaders in the church today? How can the church claim a place of leadership in our society? An importance place to start is to understand the proper meaning of Christian leadership. If we as Christians can learn to lead as Jesus led — by serving — then the church might see a dramatic change in its role in our world. Jason Locke preaches from Luke 22:24-27.
This recording includes testimonials by Tom Agrava and LaLaine Garoutte. The actual sermon begins at the 11:25 mark. The morning’s text was Luke 24:1-12.
Jealousy lies at the heart of many sins, including the Jewish leaders’ decision to kill Jesus. The story of the triumphal entry brings into focus the reality of Jesus’s anointing and the humble path that he followed. Jason Locke reflects on Luke’s account of the triumphal entry.
The Parable of the Prodigal Son is in fact a story about two sons. Jason Locke preaches about the father’s love for ALL his children. There is no such thing as a “lost cause” when it comes to people!