In Luke 4:18-19, Jesus begins His public ministry by quoting Isaiah 61:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Jesus begins His earthly ministry by announcing His pursuit of those who were losing in the competitive race for resources, security, honor and power. Luke tells us, everyone was “astonished” at the gracious vision Jesus had for the poor, the captives, the blind and the oppressed. 

I believe that Jesus is calling us to join Him in His ministry to the vulnerable, the excluded and outcasts of society. God wants us to find ways to associate with the least of these and extend grace to those who may feel like they are on the outside looking in. 

You are reading these words because someone who cares about you has invited you to go through this challenging material with them. We are trusting that God will direct and move you as you step out in faith during your time together. 

We have designed five meetings to interact with Jesus’ teaching in the Gospel of Luke and two meetings to go out and practice these truths after lesson 2 & 4.  

• Lesson 1: Called–is where we reflect on Jesus calling of His first disciples and our personal calling to proclaim the good news to the poor, the captives, the blind and oppressed.  
• Lesson 2: Called to Love—is where we examine and challenge our motivations in serving and loving others.
• Lesson 3: Called to Maturity—is where we pursue and accurate view of Jesus, one’s own life and how to love others.
• Lesson 4: Called to Share—is where we discuss the end goal of serving others and our calling to witness.
• Lesson 5: Called to Serve—is where we reflect on how the Holy Spirit is moving and think through our next steps.

Take time before you meet to watch the videos and think through the questions and material of the lesson you will be discussing. It’s ok if you are confused and need to ask more questions. 

Our goal in gathering together is that you would experience the heart of Jesus for the outsider and He would begin to give you a vision to trust Him as you grow in your love for others. Thank you for joining us on this journey.

We are praying for you!

David Newkirk