Salem First Friends Church

Guest List

Continuing the scene of Jesus dining at the home of a prominent Pharisee in Luke 14, Jesus now describes how someone might determine a "guest list" in the ancient world. His calling is for his followers to live at a "blessing deficit" with the people in their community. 

The Place of Honor

Jesus follows up his healing—at a Sabbath meal, while dining at the home of a prominent religious leader—with an observation (and critique) of the seat-choosing behavior of the guests and what it reveals about their hearts.

At a Loss For Words

Jesus is at it once again! He's healing on the Sabbath (for the third time in Luke) while welcoming an "unclean" man near the table of a shared meal. His opponents (who likely contrived this entire experience as a test) are left silent. What can we learn about their loss of words?

The Fox and the Hen

In a scene near the end of chapter 13 in the gospel of Luke, Jesus calls Herod a "fox" who wants to kill... and then refers to himself as a "hen" who wants to gather God's people. What can we learn from these contrasting labels? 

The Narrow Door

What does Jesus mean when he talks about entering the "narrow door" while telling a parable in response to a question regarding how many people will be "saved?"

Delighted

We're back in our Open Invitation series, a verse-by-verse, scene-by-scene tour through the gospel of Luke. This scene in Luke's gospel reveals Jesus teaching, and then offering an unexpected healing, in the midst of Sabbath worship.

Searching for Fruit

We're back in our Open Invitation series, a verse-by-verse, scene-by-scene tour through the gospel of Luke. In this message, we see Jesus using a parable to talk about fruitfulness in our lives. 

Worse Sinners

We're back in our Open Invitation series, a verse-by-verse, scene-by-scene tour through the gospel of Luke. We pick up at the beginning of chapter 13 with Jesus calling into question some assumptions about "worse sinners" among us. 

Level Ground

As we look toward Holy Week, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday, we are taking a couple Sundays to focus on the "foolishness" of the Cross of Jesus. What does Paul mean by this in 1 Corinthians 1? How does the Cross of Jesus simultaneously lift some people up while lowering others down in humility? Why, or how, should be "boast" in the Cross?

Which Wisdom Is Winning?

As we look toward Holy Week, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday, we are taking a couple Sundays to focus on the "foolishness" of the Cross of Jesus. What does Paul mean by this in 1 Corinthians 1? Is the wisdom of the world, or the "foolish" wisdom of the Cross winning in our lives?