The Great Reversal
Oct 08 2008 • Greg Boyd, Scott Boren, Shawna Boren
The parables of Jesus found in Luke 14 and 15 present a God who reverses everything we naturally expect God to be. Just as good experiences with a friend require some creativity, we need to practice different ways of relating to God. We entered into the teachings of Jesus in Luke 14 and 15 during our Great Reversal series. The series includes weekly sermons, short-term small groups and a prayer journal. Let God’s word turn your life upside down, making it right side up for the Kingdom!
Downloadable Prayer Journal
Downloadable Leader Guide
Sermons in this series:
Most of the time we try to fit Jesus into our culturally-accepted view of God, and the early Christians did the same thing. But Jesus doesn’t fit into our categories. As Kingdom people, we’re meant to follow Jesus’ example and revolt against what’s normal in our culture. Three disciplines that can help us are practicing God’s presence, fasting and community.
Topics: Community,
Disciplines,
Presence of God
There are two sons in the parable of the Prodigal Son, and in this passage we find out how the older son responds when the younger son returns home. He’s judgmental of his brother, but it’s easy to understand why because his reaction stems from a sense of justice that we all share. However, the Kingdom of God challenges us to avoid judgments and instead, extend God’s grace to others.
Topics: Grace,
Judgment,
Justice
In the parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus teaches about the love of God. Instead of using his power to force us to choose what’s best, God loves us so much that he gives us room to cause him pain in our relationship with him. And then when we do, he waits for us to return to him and runs to meet us. God runs to us because he loves us more than we can fathom.
Topics: Free Will,
Grace,
Love
Our perspective about what God is like deeply affects our relationship with him. Is he a distant, immovable being or does Jesus give us a different view of God? God is more upside down and different than many of us realize.
Topics: Grace,
Humility,
Judgment
In the familiar Parable of the Lost Sheep, Jesus shows us a God who, out of his great love, goes after outcasts deprived of opportunities, safety and rights. Sharing from her own personal experience, Shawna illustrates this love and helps us understand the extreme nature of God’s goodness.
Topics: Grace,
Love
Jesus’ Kingdom is open to all of us, but he asks everything from those who follow him. This is a radical call to actually reorient our lives, which is much more than simply a willingness to do so if the circumstances present themselves. If we take these words of Jesus seriously, they will change our lives in ways we cannot predict.
Topics: Discipleship,
Sacrifice,
Transformation
Blessed are those who share in God’s Kingdom meal – what an awesome experience! But who gets in on it? Those of us who think that we have the inside track might be shocked at how Jesus turns our expectations upside down. And some of us who are sure we’re “out” will be surprised at Jesus’ open invitation.
Topics: Grace,
Kingdom of God
God's unique way of growing his kingdom isn't what we may expect from a king. In fact, many times he flips our expectations completely upside down. In a conversation with the Pharisees in Luke 14, Jesus demonstrates this beautiful uniqueness and reveals the impact it can have on how we relate to each other in our everyday activities.
Topics: Humility,
Kingdom of God,
Relationships
