Luke 7:28

"I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."  Jesus seems to say that while we place a lot of emphasis on being great there is greater value in being humble.

Luke 6:48

"...he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built."  Verse 47 is essential to the context of this verse.  This story clearly communicates that if we neglect and intimate attachment to the Word of God, then we place our lives on shaky grounds when storms come.

Luke 5:14

"And He ordered him to tell no one, "But go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  For many years, I have made the connection that I am to offer myself for the Lord's use as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2).  My Bible shows me where find instructions in the law for lepers who have been cleansed (Leviticus 13:49 and Leviticus 14:2).

Luke 4:43

"But He said to them, 'I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose."  I wish I had been using red-letters throughout this blog when quoting Scripture to show the words of our Lord Jesus Christ.  I use a red-letter NASB that has cross references.  It referenced Mark 1:38.  I wrote in the margin a verse that I have been meditating on, John 18:37.  When we use cross-references, we stop reading the Word of God and start studying the Word of God.

Luke 3:2

"...in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness."  I am grateful that God's Word is coming to us, even it is maybe a bit different than the way it came to John.  I recognize that I am responsible for opening it, hearing from the Lord and acting on what His Word says.

Luke 2:32

"A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Your people Israel."  God wants to draw all peoples (all people groups) to Himself.  God wants to use the people of god to bless those who need to know Christ as King.

Luke 1:50

"AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM."  This is a quote from Psalm 103:17 which is distinguished in the Bible I use with the all caps. A Bible with cross-references is a great tool, and I am using the cross-references more and more.  There word "mercy" is used in verse 54 and 58 of Luke 1 as well.  Praise the Lord we don't get what we deserve.

Luke 24:47

"And that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem."  This is the Luke version of the Great Commission.  Forgiveness of sins is good news to proclaim to all peoples.

Luke 23:34

"But Jesus was saying, 'Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."  Let us follow Jesus' model to forgive.  Let us point people to a God who wants them to follow Him and understand His mercy.

Luke 22:27

"For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves". Jesus served, and His kingdom needs more who want to serve instead of recline.

Luke 21:19

"By your endurance you will gain your lives". This follows Jesus' words about how the disciples will be betrayed and hated because of Jesus name. Endurance is a much bigger part of a Christian's journey than we emphasize.

Luke 20:38

"Now He is not the God of the dead but of the living; for all live to Him."  God is the source of life and eternal life.  He created life and is the purpose of life.  We would do well to live for Him.

Luke 19:48 b

"...all the people were hanging on to every word He said."  The teaching of Christ is incredible.  Too bad too many people never spend too much time trying to hear from Christ with a soft, pliable heart.  May we hang on every word He says.

Luke 18:25

"For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  Recently, I heard someone say that in the church we keep trying to cram rich people through the eye of a needle.  The warning is that we tend to love our money more than Jesus.  We also need to be aware that the more someone knows they are in need them more likely they are to turn to Christ and turn their live over to Christ.

Luke 17:21 b

"...For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst."  God is working all around us.  God wants us to see His work and worship Him with our lives.  Why don't we get 'it?'

Luke 16:13

"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and wealth."  It is a no-brainer that if we have to pick between God and anything that we should pick God.  Satan is deceptive so we often fall down a slippery slope.  If Satan is able to do a frontal attack on us, it is because we have fallen a long way down the slippery slope.

Luke 15:6

"And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost."  I recorded verse 32 last month from chapter 15.  It to uses the word "rejoice" in regard to the lost son being back and being alive.  The word "rejoice" in 15:6 is over a lost sheep that was found.  Part of studying the Bible is paying attention to words that are repeated.

Luke 14:33

"So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions."  This isn't saying that we have to be possession-less people.  It is saying that life is more about Jesus and less about possessions.  When we give our life to Christ, we give Him all we are and all we have.

Luke 13:34 b

"BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD."  Just as Jesus lived for the glory of God.  We do live for the glory of God.  Let's glorify His name.

Luke 12:34

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  We want God to take ownership of all our heart.  We must surrender it all.  Pray that God will be the King of our hearts.

Luke 11:4

(from the model prayer) "And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.  And lead us not into to temptation."  A huge part of sin and the havoc it reaps on our lives is bitterness toward someone else.  Bitterness puts you in bondage.  We would do well to forgive as we have been forgiven.

Luke 10:16

"The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me."  Pray that people will listen to the message that Jesus is King as opposed to rejecting God.

Luke 9:56

"For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."  We have a tendency to miss that we live in destruction if we reject Christ, His Word and His way of life.  Receiving Christ, His Word and His way of life leads to salvation.

Luke 8:21

"But He answered and said to them, 'My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."  I am praying that we will "hear God's voice" and "act on God's direction."  To me, this is following Christ.

Luke 7:47

"For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little."  There are many blessings in seeing how holy God is.  One of the blessings is that it forces us to see our need to be forgiven.  Even the cleanest hearts separated from Christ are filthy compared to the holiness of God.  Receive His forgiveness and love.  Extend His forgiveness and love.