On Sunday, September 13, 2026, at Wildwood Community Church I preached a sermon based on Luke 7:36-50 titled “is He the One? Part 4.” 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 7:36-50
3. Can you think of any examples from your life or the lives of those you know where being forgiven by another inspired love in you for the one who forgave you? 
4. In these verses we see Simon the Pharisee and a woman known as a “sinner”?  As you read and interacted with this text, who in this account most resembles your heart and attitude?  Are you more like the woman or like Simon?
5. Simon was not forgiven and his lack of forgiveness showed up in his lack of love for Jesus and the woman.  The woman was forgiven and it showed up in the way she treated Jesus.  Would you say that your life most resembles a life of loving God and others or not loving God and others?
6. Take some time to confess your sin to God and meditate on the forgiveness He has made available to us in Christ.  Based on that forgiveness, how are you inspired to respond differently to Jesus and to other people?
7. What stands out to you most from this message?  Any particular takeaway?

To access these questions in pdf format, click here.

To see the Luke Bible Reading Plans/Devos, click here.

To listen online, use media player below:

is He the One 4

 

To listen offline, click link below to download:

 

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Jean Valjean was a sinner … a thief who had done time in prison and was now out on parole.  Trouble was, life on parole was difficult, as no one wanted to house or hire a former convict!  Because of these difficulties, Valjean ends up on the run when a Bishop invites him to sleep in his guest room.  Frustrated by his situation and his prospects, Valjean leaves the Bishop’s home in the middle of the night, but not before stealing the silver dishes.  Now a repeat offender and on the run, Valjean is stopped by two constables who return him to the Bishop’s home because Valjean told them the silver was a gift.  Upon returning to the home, however, amazingly the Bishop backs up Valjean’s story, and hands him the precious candlesticks (the last of the silver the Bishop owned) saying, “But my friend, you left so early, surely something slipped your mind.  You forgot I gave these also, would you leave the best behind?”

With this stroke of grace, Valjean is stunned.  Why would the Bishop do such a thing?  The Bishop continued, “But remember this, my brother, see in this some higher plan. You must use this precious silver to become an honest man. By the witness of the martyrs, by the Passion and the Blood, God has raised you out of darkness.  I have bought your soul for God!”

This story, told in Victor Hugo’s classic work “Les Miserables,” is a beautiful picture of the transformative power of grace.  Jean Valjean was forgiven much, and it changed his life.

What about you?  Have you been forgiven much?  Do you need to find forgiveness?  Where could you turn to find this kind of grace?

This Sunday at Wildwood Community Church in the fourth and final part of our “is He the ONE” sermon series, we will look at Luke 7:36-50 as we see the account of a woman who found forgiveness, where she found it, and what it did to her life.  Join us this Sunday as we celebrate the Lord’s supper and dive into this text in our 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 worship services.  See you Sunday … and bring friends.

On Sunday, September 6, 2026, at Wildwood Community Church I preached a sermon based on Luke 7:18-35 titled “is He the One? Part 3.” 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 7:18-35
3. What is the most important thing about a person?  Why would Tozer and Lewis (in the quotes shared in today’s introduction) indicate that how you identify Jesus is the most important thing about you? 
4. Why do you think John had his disciples ask Jesus if He was the ONE (based on all John already knew about Jesus)?  Has there ever been a time in your life where you were doubting Jesus or your faith was wavering due to the circumstances you were facing?
5. How does examining the life of Jesus in the Gospels encourage you to trust Him more (even if you are experiencing difficult circumstances or have unmet expectations)?
6. Are you rejecting Jesus or embracing Him in faith?  What are reasons you (or people you know) say are why they are not following Jesus?  If you are following Jesus, why have you chosen to follow Him in faith?
7. What stands out to you most from this message?  Any particular takeaway?

To access these questions in pdf format, click here.

To see the Luke Bible Reading Plans/Devos, click here.

To listen offline, click link below to download:

is He the One? 3

 

To listen online, use media player below:

 

To watch the stream, use YouTube:

In his book “Knowledge of the Holy,” A.W. Tozer famously emphasized the priority of knowing God by saying, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

Do you think this is true, or do you think Tozer overstates it?  After all, we often think there are many “most important things about us.”  We might think our family, our finances, or our career are the most important things.  We might value most what school we attend, what fraternity/sorority we are a part of, or the status of our physical health.  No doubt these things all have varying degrees of weight in our lives, but are they the MOST important thing?  Tozer says “no, they aren’t the most important thing” … and I agree with him.  I also believe that what we think about God is most important as it shapes not only our lives but also our eternity.

So what do you think about when you think about God?  Who is God and what is He like?  Do you trust Him?

Going further, Jesus Christ self asserts that He is God.  That means that what is most important about us is who we know and believe Jesus to be.  So who do you say Jesus is?  Of this question, 70 years ago C.S. Lewis heard many arguing that Jesus was just another great moral teacher from history.  He felt like (and I agree with Lewis) it was not an option to simply say Jesus was JUST a moral/religious teacher because Jesus claimed to be so much more.  In his classic work, “Mere Christianity” Lewis argues:

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else He would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. … Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God.”

To say it another way, the evidence of history points to Jesus being more than a carpenter.  Neither lunatic or liar, Jesus is Lord, the Son of God, and the Savior of the world.

Who do you say Jesus is?  Is He the ONE?

This Sunday at Wildwood we will be in part 3 of our sermon series, “is He the ONE?” as we look at Luke 7:18-35 and see John the Baptist (and some of his disciples) ask Jesus if He is the One or if they should expect another to come.  Their question and Jesus’ answer is instructive for us today.  Join us Sunday as we worship at 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 … and bring friends!

On Sunday, August 30, 2026, at Wildwood Community Church I preached a sermon based on Luke 7:11-17 titled “is He the One? Part 2.” 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 7:11-17
3. What has been your experience with death as a persistent and painful enemy?  How has its sting impacted your life? 
4. Jesus has authority over death.  Jesus has made a way for our resurrection into an eternity with Him if we place our faith in Him.  Have you placed your faith in Jesus Christ?  If you have, how has that changed the way you view death?
5. Jesus’ compassion and grace are on display in the events of Luke 7:11-17.  How does His response here encourage you as you contemplate death and its “sting”?
6. In 7:15, the “dead man” talks.  In 7:16-17, the living can’t stop talking about what Jesus has done!  How comfortable are you in talking about what Jesus has done for you to others?  Dead men tell no tales … but the living do!!!
7. What stands out to you most from this message?  Any particular takeaway?

To access these questions in pdf format, click here.

To see the Luke Bible Reading Plans/Devos, click here.

To listen offline, click link below to download:

is He the ONE 2

 

To listen online, use media player below:

 

To watch the stream, use YouTube:

 

There is a problem we all face, a common enemy that will always track us down.  What is this universal problem and enemy?

Death.

We live in a world with a sobering statistic:  100% of people will die.  1 out of 1.  It may be death by disease or disaster; by murder or mischief; by age or apathy … but eventually all will die.  Death is the most persistent problem in this world.

Furthermore, death is painful. Often the process leading to death is painful for the one dying, but we also know the ongoing pain of those grieving a loss, and the pain often lingers for many years to come. Wildwood has an entire ministry (Grief Share) to help people through these moments because death is so painful.

Given this reality, is there any relief we can find?  Is there any hope?

Resurrection is the ultimate solution to the world’s most persistent and painful problem. The “last enemy” (as 1 Corinthians 15:26 calls death) is defeated by Jesus in the resurrection.

Which resurrection am I referring to?  Well, Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is where the battle was won, BUT His resurrection ensures the resurrection of all who trust in Him!  If you are truly a Christian, then you have a promise from God that just as Jesus was raised from the dead, so you too will walk about in newness of life (Romans 6:4). To say it another way, Jesus’ resurrection was the first fruit of a resurrection hope for all who are in Him (1 Corinthians 15:23).  Though we will die in this life, yet we shall live forever with Him in the resurrection (John 11:25).

This Sunday, August 30, 2026, at Wildwood Community Church in our 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 services we will be in part 2 of our study “is He the ONE?” as we look at Luke 7:11-17.  In these verses we will see the first resurrection of Jesus’ public ministry … the resurrection of a widow’s only son in the small village of Nain.  This resurrection is full of hope for you and me, and I am excited to look at these verses together this Sunday.

Death is a universal and painful problem … Jesus and His resurrection power is the solution.  Let’s remind each other of all these things as we gather for worship this Sunday!  See you there … and bring friends!

On Sunday, August 23, 2026, at Wildwood Community Church I preached a sermon based on Luke 7:1-10 titled “is He the One?” 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 7:1-10
3. Take some time as a group or as an individual brainstorming things you know about Jesus: His character and His work?  Based on what you know about Him, how does that inspire you to have more faith in Him?
4. Are there things, people, etc. you tend to turn to most when things get hard in your life?  Do you turn to Jesus first, or to someone or something else?  What about this message/passage of Scripture encourages you to turn to Jesus first when difficulty/desperation sets in?
5. Do you generally have an attitude that says you are “worthy” of God to work in your life, or do you tend to think you are “unworthy” of His blessing?  How does your answer to this question impact your attitude toward life and the Lord?
6. This miracle with the Jesus and the centurion’s servant is a beautiful picture of salvation by grace through faith.  Where do you see God’s grace in these verses?  Where do you see the importance of faith?
7. What stands out to you most from this message?  Any particular takeaway?

To access these questions in pdf format, click here.

To see the Luke Bible Reading Plans/Devos, click here.

To listen offline, click link below to download:

is He the ONE 1

 

To listen online, use media player below:

 

To watch the stream, use YouTube:

This month my wife and I are celebrating our thirtieth wedding anniversary.  Three decades of marriage that followed nearly four years of dating.  We have been together for so long, I can honestly say that I hardly remember life without her … and I don’t want to try.  She is the most remarkable person I know, and I know a lot of people.  It is pretty unbelievable that someone so pretty and kind would choose to spend this life with me.  I am so thankful to God that in His grace He has allowed me to be with someone who endures difficulty with grace, someone who cares for those around her well and wants to leave no person behind, and someone who is a remarkable wife, mother and friend.

I first noticed Kimberly in the 7th grade as she caught my eye across the room in Algebra class.  (It only took me one year to finally have a conversation with her!)  Over the years of high school we were always good friends, and that foundation of friendship – anchored to the Cornerstone of Christ – has allowed us to weather many storms together over the years. I continue to get to know her better, and continue to say that she “is the one” for me.

I sincerely hope you have found “the one” for you.

BUT, here is the thing. There are some who God has called to live a life of singleness.  There are others whose “one” passed away before a thirtieth anniversary was experienced.  There are others whose spouse abandoned them or abused them.  And even for those with a marriage that is in a good spot, it is not an everlasting relationship.  Certainly God intends that marriage is “’til death do us part,” but death will come, so what happens in the next part (in eternity)?

There is a “One” that all of you simply must meet.  Regardless of your marital status or future romantic hopes, there is One who is unlike all others.  There is One who has pursued us in His grace.  There is One who died for our sins to reconcile us to God.  There is One who has prepared an eternal dwelling where all His people can be with Him forever.  There is One who will never (ultimately) let us down.  There is One who is committed to sanctifying our soul.  There is One who is always good.  There is One who is all powerful, all knowing, and sovereign.  There is One who is worthy of our trust.  There is One and only One Jesus Christ.

In Luke 7, John the Baptist asks his disciples, “is He (Jesus) THE ONE?”  The evidence of Luke 7 (and all of Luke’s Gospel) is that Jesus IS in fact THE ONE, the Savior of the world.

I sincerely hope you are trusting in “THE ONE” today.

Over the next four weeks at Wildwood Community Church we will continue our study through the Gospel of Luke as we work our way through Luke 7:1-50 in a four part series entitled, “is He the ONE?”  This Sunday we are in part 1 of this series, looking at Luke 7:1-10 as salvation by grace through faith is visually played out in the healing of a centurion’s servant.  Hope you make plans to be with us Sunday, August 23 in our 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 service … and bring friends!  You don’t want to miss this ONE.