On Sunday, April 26, 2026 at Wildwood Community Church I preached a sermon based on Luke 4:38-44.  This message was part 3 of our series, “Launch Day.”  Below you will find questions related to the message for personal reflection or group discussion.  You will also find audio and video of the message to listen to/watch, download, or share.

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read Luke 4:38-44
3. What are some of the things you pray for the most?  Do you find yourself praying often for physical afflictions (illnesses for you and those you know)?  Why do you think diseases are such common requests in our prayers? 
4. In today’s verses, Jesus demonstrates a number of things about His abilities/authority over disease. What stands out to you most about His interaction with Peter’s mother-in-law and the other sick of Capernaum?
5. How does knowing the certainty of the healing of our infirmities in eternity, encourage you today?
6. Who are some suffering from illness that you can bring before the Lord in prayer today?
7. The Nazarenes wanted to kill Jesus, but the people of Capernaum wanted to corral Him (stay here and take care of us only!)  Jesus was not killed in Nazareth or killed in Capernaum because He had a global movement to launch.  Have you ever had an attitude toward Jesus that was self-focused (wanting to corral Him for your own benefit) instead of sharing Him with others?  What would it look like to be generous with the Gospel both locally and globally today?
8. What stands out to you most from this message?  Any particular takeaway?

To access these questions in pdf format, click here!

To listen offline, click the link below to download:

Launch Day 3

To listen online, use media player below:

To watch the stream, use YouTube online:

Imagine you are with a group of people, and I ask you to turn toward one another and share prayer requests. If you were with 10 friends of yours and everyone could share one request, what would it be?  What do you and your crew most often pray about?

If your experience matches mine, the most common item on prayer lists relate to people’s physical health.  Pray for Bob, he is having surgery on Tuesday.  Pray for Sally, she struggles with chronic pain.  Pray for Beth, she is having complications during pregnancy.  Pray for Jim as he awaits the results of the blood test and CT scan.

Sure, we would also hear prayer requests for financial matters, directional decisions, broken relationships, sin that easily entangles, or evangelistic concerns … but I would guess that at least 75% of the prayer requests would be health related, and that would be true no matter WHO I am circling up to pray with.  Illness related requests are at the top of the list when I pray with pastors, elders, AND congregants … when I pray with neighbors AND family members.

Have you ever stopped to ask the question, “why?”  Why is it that so many of our prayer requests deal with physical health?

Well, we live in a fallen world and sickness is prevalent around us.  We are just AWARE of many needs in the physical arena.  Add to that, disease sometimes runs its course to death, so the “sickness situation” is both prevalent and serious.

That explains WHY SICKNESS IS ON OUR MINDS, but why do we frequently bring these requests to Jesus?  Why would we think He can do something about our illnesses?  Why would we assume that He cares?

This Sunday at Wildwood Community Church we will be in part 3 of our “Launch Day” sermon series as we look at the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry.  This Sunday we will be in Luke 4:38-44 as we see that FROM THE VERY BEGINNING we are not unique in bringing our sick before the Lord.  As we look at these verses we will see how Jesus responds to the sick around Him in the first century, and what that means for you and me today.

Hope you are able to join us Sunday in our 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 service.  See you there … and bring friends!

On Sunday, April 19, 2026 at Wildwood Community Church I preached a sermon based on Luke 4:31-37.  This message was part 2 of our series, “Launch Day.”  Below you will find questions related to the message for personal reflection or group discussion.  You will also find audio and video of the message to listen to/watch, download, or share.

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read Luke 4:31-37
3. What are makes the difference between kinds of authority we willingly follow and those that we struggle to live “under”? 
4. What do you think the text means when it talks of Jesus teaching “with authority”?  What do you imagine it would have been like to hear some of these sermons Jesus preached in Galilee in the early days of His ministry?
5. Do you recognize Jesus authority over your life and this world?  In what ways?  Do you consider it a good thing to live under Jesus’ authority and that we will one day stand before Him and give an account for our lives?
6. What questions do you have about the spirit realm (angels and demons)?  What does this passage teach you about the subject?
7. Is our “belief” in Jesus only something we give lip service to or has it truly transformed our lives?
8. How does Jesus’ authority over the darkness encourage you?
9. Have you (or are you currently) tempted to play with “darkness” in some way?  Run from this temptation to Jesus’ side!  He can protect and provide for you!
10. What stands out to you most from this message?  Any particular takeaway?

To access these questions in pdf format, click here!

To listen to sermon offline, click link to download:

Launch Day 2

To listen to sermon online, use media player below:

To watch the stream, use YouTube online:

Do you like “authority”?  Well, it depends on who has it, and how they are leveraging it.

In the New Testament, the word commonly translated “authority” has two key concepts connected to it:  someone with authority has the ability to do something, AND they have been assigned the task to do it.

Examples are myriad.  Parents have the task of raising their children.  A President, Prime Minister, or King is given the job of leading their nation.  A business owner bears the responsibility of guiding their enterprise.  Pastors and Elders are entrusted with the shepherding of the church.  Principals are delegated the job of running a school, and teachers of overseeing the classroom.  In each of these examples someone (God, the state, the constitution, the board) has handed a baton of “authority” to an individual or group of individuals and asked them to lead.  In these situations, the responsibility is limited to a particular jurisdiction, and for a particular term.  The leader of one country does not run another country.  The parent of a seven year old child does not bear the same responsibility for all kids that age.  The school does not manage the home.  The church does not control society, etc.  But in their area, they are given the authority to lead.  And the business leader gives up his/her authority when they retire, the politician when their term runs out, and parent as their child hits adulthood.  In most human examples, authority has limits in both time and space.

But do they have the ability to lead?  Well some have this ability better than others, and it makes a huge difference in the experience of authority.  Companies that are run well, have lines of workers looking for their employment, but companies that are corrupt at the top are termed toxic.  Churches that are led with character and wisdom are a blessing to their congregation, while those who are deceitful at the top frustrate the lives of those they seek to shepherd.  Parents who are full of truth and grace raise up children in the way they should go, while parents who neglect or abuse their children push their children away.  Political leaders who enact sound policy and lead with integrity usher their people toward prosperous lives while corruption at the top casts a dark shadow over the nation.

So, when the right person has authority, it is a blessing.  When the wrong person has authority it is painful.

But even then … it isn’t that simple.  After all, sometimes good leaders make good decisions, but we still don’t like it.  Why?  Because it may not be exactly what we want.  We are all sinners after all, and one of the chief expressions of sin is selfishness and self-focus.  So I may find myself rebelling against authority because of preference, not because of the performance or identity of the leader.

Why do I go into all this today?  Well Sunday at Wildwood Community Church, we will be in part 2 of our “Launch Day” sermon series.  This series is walking us through the opening events of Jesus’ public earthly ministry as recorded in Luke 4:14-6:16.  Last week we saw Jesus preach His homecoming sermon in Nazareth, declaring that He was the promised Messiah.  This meant that Jesus had been given authority.  But how much authority had He been given?

All of it.  Jesus had been given all authority.  There would be no end to His jurisdiction in time, place, or sphere.  As the Son of God, He had been given ALL AUTHORITY in heaven and on earth.

Is this a good thing?  Absolutely!  Jesus is not just “good-ish,” He is perfect!  Not only that, He is both just and loving; both omnipotent and compassionate;  both omniscient and gracious.  We should REJOICE at the announcement of Jesus’ authority.

But, not all do … and not all did.  Last week in Nazareth, we saw that they wanted to kill Jesus for claiming such authority.  So Jesus slipped through their midst and resettled to the north in the fishing village of Capernaum.  In this Sunday’s message, we will see Jesus begin to exhibit His authority over various realms in Luke 4:31-37, to be reminded again why it is such a GOOD THING that Jesus is in charge.  Join us in our 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 service as we see Jesus’ authority over the spirit world.  Join us as we sing, study, and share the Lord’s Supper together this weekend.  See you there … and bring friends.

On April 1, just over one week ago, the world watched as 4 astronauts boarded the spaceship Artemis II to be a part of the first manned journey to the far side of the moon in over 50 years.  This is the farthest journey mankind has ever taken from our planet!   

In order to achieve this feat, Artemis II was boosted out of the earth’s atmosphere with the help of the SLS Rocket and four other engines, designed to collectively provide 8.8 million pounds of thrust.  If you think your SUV gets bad gas mileage, know that the SLS rocket system and engines require over 537,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and 196,000 gallons of liquid oxygen.  They don’t sell those at On Cue, so I am not certain the price per gallon, but it is safe to say this was not a vacation on a budget!

Because of this tremendous show of force, and unique journey, the Artemis II has captured the imaginations of many.  Maybe you found yourself outside looking upward at the sky trying to see our fellow Americans as they headed to space last Wednesday or splash back on earth sometime tomorrow.

Why do I share this story?

Well, 2,000 years ago there was another launch that captured the imaginations of many.  This launch was not a space ship, but it was out of this world.  Existing eternally as the Son of God, Jesus came to earth.  He humbled Himself and took on human flesh to reveal God to us, and ultimately to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins.  Jesus’ arrival on the planet and early years of life are recorded in Luke 1:1-4:13, verses we looked at during Christmas last December in our “Christmas Morning” sermon series, and in January and early February in our “Prepare the Way” sermon series.  After arriving on the earth and growing over 30 years of life, the public ministry of Jesus was getting ready to launch.

Far more than being powered by jet engines and liquid fuel, Jesus was powered by the Spirit of Almighty God, a propulsion system that knows no limits.  When we get to Luke 4:14 – 6:16, we see Jesus on the “launch pad” of Galilee ready to blast off on His mission to seek and to save the lost in His public ministry.  Over the next 8 weeks at Wildwood Community Church in our Sunday services, we will witness the “Launch Day” of Jesus’ public ministry, the beginning of a movement that would change the world forever.

As we prepare for part 1 of this series, would you read Luke 4:14-30 before Sunday?  In these verses we see Jesus “go to church” (as was His habit), read the Scripture and apply it (identifying Himself as the Savior), and be rejected by His neighbors and classmates (in His hometown of Nazareth.)

Last Sunday (Easter Sunday) was such a blessing to gather and worship with so many of you.  I so hope you come back this week as we look more deeply at the One who would ultimately rise from the dead on the third day.  Let’s find ourselves looking up to Him in worship as we splash into our next series in Luke’s Gospel.  See you Sunday at 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 … and bring friends!