When do you know you need help?

Many times we don’t recognize our need until we face dramatic circumstances, and the threshold will vary for different folks. For instance, in a construction project, I hit my limits pretty quick.  I can hang a picture without assistance, but building cabinets or hanging a door moves me to seek the aide of a professional!  For others, the “ask for help” comes later only when plumbing or electricity is involved.  We all have our limits.

With my health, I can put a bandaid on a cut, but go to the doctor if I need surgery!  To say it another way, I can administer my own eyedrops but doing lasik vision correction requires a professional!  Some may be more adventurous in their own medical care, but would still seek help at some point.

With transportation, I can walk to a neighbor’s home, but need an airline to fly me to the other side of the world!  Some may have a higher or lower threshold for travel, but at some point, the distance required moves most of us to seek assistance.

If the problem gets large enough, and we are desperate enough for a solution, then we will actively seek the help of others.

The world in which we live is really good at exposing our needs.  Some of the needs the world exposes we feel more equipped to deal with, and try to “go it alone.”  But then other things happen that reveal our vulnerabilities and we are not certain how to move forward.  A particular medical diagnosis, a financial catastrophe, a loss of job, the death of a loved one, a seemingly inevitable divorce … these kinds of needs are more than most anyone can bear on their own.

So what do we do when help is needed?  Who can we turn to?  Not just for relief from the momentary symptoms, but also for soul-level peace.  Can anyone do something about these situations?  Does anyone care?

In Luke 8:40-56 we see two desperate people.  The current trials they are facing have bankrupted or crushed them.  One was experiencing a 12 year chronic health struggle, and the other was watching their 12 year old daughter die.  In their desperation, these people turn to Jesus.  How does He respond?  What does He do?  And what does this mean for you and me?  Join us this week at Wildwood Community Church in our 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 worship service as we look at these verses together in part 6 of our “Feeding the Flock” sermon series.  See you Sunday … and bring friends!

2,700 years ago the ancient Greek poet Homer wrote the epic, “The Odyssey.”  In 2026, Christopher Nolan turned it into a major motion picture starring Matt Damon.  Nearly three millennia later, this story is still gathering an audience!

To be clear, I do not love the story of “The Odyssey.”  I actually find it kind of meandering and depressing …  but the story is filled with fanciful, mythical and memorable moments starring Odysseus and his (not so merry) men and his faithful wife Penelope.

In case you haven’t seen or read the story, I will recap (there are no spoilers for 2,700 year old stories … you had your chance!)  Odysseus emerges as a hero from the Trojan war, and begins his journey home, but gets lost along the way.  He ends up fighting a cyclops, a witch, giants, an army of the dead, sirens, and the ocean itself in his journey to return home and be reunited with his wife and family again.

This story is wild and made up … even the trojan horse was a literary invention not a historical fact … but has captured the imagination of many nonetheless.  Why? Well, Odysseus lives the life of a super-human navigating a cruel world and his own inner demons while trying to return to his true love.  It is a like a Batman origin story told by men wearing Spartan helmets!  There is some believable and relatable emotion in this yarn, but even so it is just a fairy tale.  It might as well begin “once upon a time” or “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.”  We can be entertained by this drama, but it certainly is not life-changing.

Now, I want us to remember a different ancient story. This one is 2,000 years old and is set on the other side of the Mediterranean Sea.  In this story, the God/Man is saving His beloved from the giants of sin and death, while making a way for those who are with Him to overcome the sirens call so that they can return Home to fellowship with their Father.  Along the way, the God/Man overcomes the sea, miraculously feeds a hungry crowd, and even defeats thousands of demons!  This story, of course, refers to the account of Jesus’ earthly ministry in Luke 8-9.  What sets this story apart, of course, is that it is not a myth … it really happened!  His tale is as old as time and the victory He wins delivers eternal life to you and to me.

More than just entertaining audiences, Jesus is changing lives!  Jesus really embarked on His odyssey to save us, and unlike Odysseus (who lost his crew along the way), the Scripture tells us that Jesus “lost not one” of those committed to His care!  He is better in every way.  This is a case where Truth really is better than fiction.

I say all this because this Sunday we will be in part 5 of our series, “Feeding the Flock” as we will look at Luke 8:26-39 in our 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 services at Wildwood Community Church.  This week we will see Jesus take on a battle against thousands of demons, and we will also see Him change a man, and send him … home.  In this account we find victory, hope, strength, and purpose for our real lives.  Hope you make the journey to Wildwood Sunday to worship with us … and bring friends (don’t leave any from your crew behind!)  We will sing, share the Lord’s supper, study the Scripture, and exalt the God/Man who came to bring us Home.

 

Are there things in the world that look dangerous?  Things that feel threatening?  Things that scare us?

Yes, there are.

You may be scared of rattlesnakes or grizzly bears or mountain lions.  You may be frightened by tornados or hurricanes or flash floods.  You may be unsettled by financial ruin or job loss or social security running out of money.  You may be terrified by the state of the world or the upcoming election or a city council vote.  You could be shaken by a divorce or a wayward child or an aging relative.  You could be floored by cancer or heart disease or chronic pain.

Are there things in this world that scare us?  Yes there are, so let’s be honest about that.  There are things that are dangerous and destructive all around us.  Fear is not just “in our heads.”  There ARE frightening things in this world, so are we doomed to live our lives afraid?

The solution to our fears is not to think there is nothing to be afraid of, for that will only last so long.  As Mike Tyson said, “everyone has a plan until they get hit in the mouth,” and this world can throw some wicked punches.  The solution to our fears is to know how to be at peace EVEN WHEN THERE ARE THINGS TEMPTING US TO BE AFRAID.

This Sunday, October 11 at Wildwood Community Church in our 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 service we will look at Jesus’ disciples during a dangerous and scary situation as recorded in Luke 8:22-25.  As we see their struggles, we will remember we are in the same boat … but we will also remember WHO ELSE IS IN THE BOAT WITH US that tells us not to fear!  Join us for part 4 of our “Feeding the Flock” sermon series.  See you there … and bring friends!

 

What a difference in perspective one word makes.

In Luke 8:18, Jesus says, “Take care then HOW you hear …”  Trouble is, too many of us act like He said, “Take care then THAT you hear.”  Just one word difference, but oh what a difference it makes!

If I think Jesus is most concerned THAT I hear, I might be tempted to read my Bible just so I can say THAT I read my Bible, attend church just so THAT I can say I attended church, pray just so THAT I can say I prayed, volunteer just so THAT I can say I served, or give an offering just so THAT I can say I gave.

But Jesus didn’t say, “Take care then THAT you hear,” He said, “Take care HOW you hear.”  What a difference it is to ask:

• HOW did I read my Bible?  Did I fly through it mindlessly or was my heart engaged, believing and acting obediently upon what we read?
• HOW did I attend church on Sunday?  Was I worshipping the LORD from the heart, and prayerfully considering how God intends me to respond to the truth shared in song and sermon, or was I preoccupied with other things so that my body was in church but my mind was someplace else?
• HOW did I serve?  With a joyful heart, seeking other’s best interests or with a critical spirit and a selfish attitude?
• HOW did I give?  Did I give with the same enthusiasm as filing my taxes, or was I giving back to the Lord remembering all He has blessed me with and excited to partner together with others in His work?

Just two little words … THAT or HOW.  Which one describes the way you view the Christian life?

This Sunday at Wildwood Community Church, we will be in part 3 of our “Feeding the Flock” sermon series as we look at Luke 8:16-18, and see Jesus help us understand HOW to hear His Word.  Now THAT is something we all need to hear!  Make plans to join us Sunday, October 4 in our 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 service … and bring friends!

On Sunday, September 27, 2026 at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on Luke 8:4-15.  This message was part 2 in the “Feeding the Flock” sermon series.  Below you will find questions related to the message for personal reflection or group discussion.  You will also find the audio and video of the message to listen to/watch, download or share.

SERMON QUESTIONS:

1. Pray
2. Read Luke 8:4-15
3. Had you ever heard the background of the “sower” statue on the University of Oklahoma campus?  Did it surprise you when you first heard it?  Why would this be a great representation for a University?
4. Identify from the verses who the sower, the seed, and the soils represent?  What does this tell you about each?
5. How does this passage help you understand people’s response to Jesus, both in the first century and today?
6. Of the four soils Jesus mentioned, which best represents your life right now?
7. Do you have a  soft heart before the Lord today?  Do you need the work of His rake and His Living Water to prepare and soften you to receive His blessing and produce His fruit in your life?
8. What stands out to you most from this message?  Any particular takeaway?

To access these questions in pdf format, click here.

To access the Luke Bible Reading Plans on YouVersion, click here.

 

To listen offline, click the link below to download audio:

Feeding the Flock 2

 

To listen online, use the media player below:

 

To watch the service, use YouTube online:

 

Guarding the entrance to the South Oval at the University of Oklahoma is a statue of the “sower.”  This statue mirrors the image that fills the center of the University’s official seal.

Though a symbolic image, the sower’s face was patterned after David Ross Boyd, OU’s first President, who arrived in Norman in 1892, and found not a single tree around campus.  The story goes that President Boyd spent nearly half of his salary those first few years planting seeds that would turn into nearly 10,000 trees, turning our city from clay soil prairie to what is nationally recognized as one of the most beautiful University campuses in the United States.

President Boyd, a Christian man, held a chapel service each day on campus.  During one of these chapel services, he compared the University’s mission as sowing seeds of knowledge in students’ hearts, using the “Parable of the Sower” from Jesus’ teaching as his inspiration.

This Sunday at Wildwood Community Church, we will be looking at the “Parable of the Sower” from Luke 8:4-15 in part 2 of our series “Feeding the Flock.”  In this message we will see that Jesus sows God’s truth in us with a desire to turn the “barren prairie” of our lives into beautiful landscapes of His righteousness.  As this seed is sown, however, there are three enemies that will attempt to prevent this intended transformation in our lives.  We will see what Jesus says about this Sunday in our 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 services.  Hope to see you there … and bring friends!

When someone wants to get their message out, they go “on the road.”  Authors do book tours. Musicians play concerts in every town.  Politicians give speeches across their jurisdiction.  Advertisers canvas the airways and social media with their message.  These movements aid in the spread of the message.

In the first century during His earthly ministry, Jesus did not stay in one location.  He traveled from town to town to get His message out.  Though the exact distance Jesus traveled is uncertain, a very conservative estimate of distance walked during His 3 years of public ministry is over 3,000 miles … and this was in a country that was only 8,500 square miles total!  Why did Jesus travel this much in such a short time?  He had a message that needed to be heard, so He “toured” with His disciples making stops in many villages.

From Luke 8:1-9:17 we see several stops on Jesus’ Galilean Tour.  In these verses Jesus shares the famous “parable of the sower,” calms a raging storm on the sea, heals a man filled with a “legion” of demons, raises a young girl from the dead, heals a woman with a chronic disease, and feeds 5,000!  Jesus was no “one hit wonder”!  He had a pantheon of platinum records, and He sung many of them on this tour.  Over the next two months at Wildwood Community Church in our Sunday services, we will be studying them.

In the midst of it all, though, Jesus was also training His committed core to join the mission spreading the Good News worldwide.  In this Sunday’s message (part 1 of the new sermon series “Feeding the Flock”), we will see a remarkable group of women who were a part of Jesus’ Galilean Tour, and we will see an interaction between Jesus and His earthly family.  Along the way, you and I will see our invitation to join His mission, but also to join His family! Join us in our 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 service on September 20 as we look at Luke 8:1-3, 19-21.  See you Sunday … and bring friends!