Love God, love neighbor, make disciples. doug@pastordougolson.com
Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ Luke 4:9-10 Satan comes to us in a variety of …
Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Luke 4:12) There is a difference between asking God for help and asking Him to prove Himself. Satan challenges Jesus in this way when he says “if you’re really the son of God…”. We hear Jesus similarly challenged by …
Ash Wednesday Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. (Psalms 51:10-12) As we begin our observance of …
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’” (Luke 4:3-4) Jesus was in a tough spot, weakened by His fasting when Satan came to Him. The temptation to turn …
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. (Luke 4:1-2) One of the reasons we can relate to …
They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. (Luke 9:31) Jesus made no secret of the sacrifice He would make for us, although He sometimes told the disciples to keep still – He sternly ordered and commanded them not to tell anyone, saying, “The Son …
“When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.” (Luke 9:36) Why would the disciples keep this miraculous event to themselves? Were they afraid that no one would believe them or were they afraid of …
Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. (Luke 9:33) Our human understanding is incapable of grasping the reality of Jesus in His glory. Peter …
And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. (Luke 9:29) When Jesus was transfigured, the disciples there saw His glory, and God declared Him “my beloved Son”. God calls each of us His beloved children, and while we may not see each other transfigured in this …
God’s grace and mercy is given to us freely, but we must acknowledge our sins and accept His gift in order to be saved. We are weak and broken, but God’s love can mend us and bring us back together as His children. We need God and each other in order to be complete. When …