Jesus' words in Luke 6:37-42 are so true. Why is it that we are so good at seeing other people's short comings and sins but not so quick to see our own? All too often our tendency is to eagerly point the finger anywhere but at ourselves.

This is an important command from Jesus. I totally know that, yet, there are plenty of times that I fail to keep it. And I'm guessing most of us would fall into this category?

So how do we make keeping Jesus' command in verse 42 our norm? Our "logs" are all different, so think about what yours might be, and then consider what you can do to remove it/them. Tami W.

Do unto others what you'd like others to do to you. I can't even count the number of times my mom said those words to me growing up. Here it is years later, and I find myself repeating those words and thinking about them pretty frequently. It's a lesson I've never forgotten. So where did my mom get this lesson? Luke 6:31. "And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them."

So what's your biggest challenge or struggle when it comes to loving your enemies and treating them how you'd like to be treated? How do we get to the point where what Jesus tells us in verse 31 is our default response? Tami W.

In the last part of Luke 7, Jesus is having dinner at one of the Pharisee's houses and a "woman from the city who was a sinner" came to see Jesus. Her visit was certainly out of the ordinary. She was crying and washed Jesus' feet with her tears and hair. She also put expensive oil on his feet and kissed his feet throughout this process. The Pharisee reacted...well, like a typical Pharisee. He was indignant and assumed Jesus didn't know what he was doing. Not so.

Jesus knew exactly what was going on. He knew this woman's background and he used it as a teaching moment. This passage communicated to me that Jesus' concern isn't with the amount or the type of our sin (Verse 47 "her sins, which are many"). We're all sinners. What's of importance to Jesus is our hearts and believing in Him. "'Your faith has saved you, go in peace'" (vs. 50).

What does Luke 36-50 reveal to you about forgiveness? What about Jesus' love for people? How can you use this passage to witness to others? Tami W.

If you've ever wondered what compassion really looks like, Luke 7:11-17 is a good place to go. The entire scenario oozes compassion.

Jesus is coming into a town and as he and the disciples arrive, they are met by a funeral procession. The funeral is for the only son of a widow, so it's a pretty sad situation. The mother who's lost her son is grieving and mourning and Jesus observes the situation. Now this woman doesn't ask Jesus for anything, yet Jesus has compassion for her and He acts on it.

So what does this passage reveal to you about Jesus care and compassion--both generally and specifically for you? What do Jesus' actions show you about responding and reaching out to hurting people? Tami W.

I'm a huge plant grower and gardener so Jesus using the example of a tree and its fruit totally made sense to me. These words from verse 44 were particularly powerful, "For each tree is known by its fruit." They really highlighted the fact that others are watching what we do and how we live as a Christ-follower, and just how much we are identified by our actions.

Jesus is absolutely clear that each of us is known by the fruit we bear. So what is the fruit that you are known for? What uniquely identifies you as a follower of Christ? Tami W.

Jesus' message in Luke 6:20-27 pretty much told me that I shouldn't be so concerned about my immediate circumstances but should instead be concerned about eternity and living a godly life in the here and now. Now here's the thing, I know that. I believe that. But then, I walk out the door and all the circumstances of the here and now hit me full on, and if I'm not prepared and careful, my focus slips right to...me and my circumstances. :(

So how can we use the beatitudes (Luke 6:20-27) as life hits us head on each and every day? What do you do that helps you keep your focus on eternity rather than your immediate circumstances? Tami W.

We have a saying here at Back to the Bible. "It's not about religion...It is about a relationship." That's what popped into my mind as I read Luke 6:1-11 and read Jesus' words "The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath" (vs. 5), and took in His actions of healing the crippled man on the Sabbath (vs. 10). Jesus is showing the religious leaders that following Him is not about keeping a list of rules and regulations (i.e. religion).

So what does the phrase "It's not about religion...it is about a relationship" mean to you? And how might you use it to explain to someone that being a good person, by itself, will not get them into heaven? Tami W.

One thing that really stands out about Jesus in Luke 5 is how He genuinely cares for people. He was moved by them and their circumstances and He took action to do something about it. Yesterday it was a man with leprosy. Today, it's a paralyzed man that has to be let down through the roof to reach Jesus.

So what did you learn and take away from Luke 5:12-16 (the man with leprosy) and Luke 5:17-26 (the paralyzed man) that you can put into practice? Tami W.

For the next few days Jesus is healing people in our readings. Today it's a man with leprosy. Now I love the fact that this man got healed in Luke 5:12-16, but Jesus was the real attention getter for me. He is so powerful. And what He is doing is completely awesome. Yet, Jesus doesn't make a big deal about any of it. He doesn't seek the spotlight. There's no self-promotion, no boasting, no pride.

So what did you learn from Jesus' actions? Based on this passage, how important is a humble heart when we're serving the Lord? Tami W.

How people reacted and responded to Jesus was what I found myself focusing on after reading our passages for today. The scene at the Sea of Galilee really got my attention. Initially the fishermen are skeptical of Jesus' instructions to go out deeper and let down their nets. Simon even puts up a little resistance by telling Jesus how they've already tried and didn't catch anything. But obedience wins out and a miraculous catch of fish follows. Then, we see a big change in the men, and particularly in Peter. They were blown away by what they had just witnessed and put everything aside to follow Jesus.

These passages got me thinking about my reaction and response to Jesus--past, present and future. So how does your reaction and response to Jesus compare to Peter and the others here in Luke 5? Does the phrase "they left everything and followed him" describe your relationship with Jesus? Tami W.

There's a lot going in Luke 4, and the best part about that is, the chapter all revolves around Jesus. I enjoyed getting an up close look at a couple of days of Jesus' life--what He was doing and saying, and what different people's perception was of Jesus and how they responded to Him.

So rather than focus on one event or one portion of this passage (like we do most of the time), today read Luke 4 with a focus on what you can discover about Jesus. There are four different situations in this chapter, so there's plenty to draw from. So what are a couple of things you saw (maybe for the first time) about Jesus from Luke 4? Why is it significant to you? And how will you now use this information? Tami W.

John the Baptist's style was simple, but BOLD. He was honest and direct, and he delivered his message with authority combined with a sense of urgency. John was an effective communicator.

So what did you see from John about telling others about Christ? What did you learn from John's message? Tami W.

More often than not we read Luke 2 to get a picture of the Christmas story. So today, I thought it would be nice to look at Jesus as a young boy in verses 41-52.

So Joseph, Mary and Jesus go to Jerusalem for the Passover and when the festival is over they head home. . .but without Jesus because he stays behind to spend time in the Temple with the religious leaders. After a frantic three day search, Jesus' words to Joseph and Mary are: "But why did you need to search? Didn't you know that I must be in my Father's house?" (vs. 49). Hmm. . .some good food for thought.

So, what do Jesus' words reveal to us about the importance of knowing and understanding God and His law? What does Jesus' focus on God tell us about our need to do the same? How are you accomplishing that? Tami W.

For the next few weeks we're going to be working our way through the Book of Luke on P4 and on Back to the Bible. So this being day one, we're starting in Luke 1. Now we just looked at this chapter back in December for Christmas so maybe you're thinking Not again. We just read this. Or you might be thinking I don't need to read this because I've read it a million times before.

Well, here's the thing--no matter how familiar we think we are with a scripture, God will continue to reveal new things to us when we're faithful and obedient to read His Word. Now I love it when that happens. It's such a great reminder for how rich the Word is and how much I still have to learn.

So ask God to show you something new from Luke 1 and then read the passage. Then, tell us what you uncovered or how God spoke to your heart through Luke 1 today. Tami W.

A leader's work is never done was the thought in my mind as I read Nehemiah 13. Even though Nehemiah has dealt with many problems up to this point, things are constantly changing and new concerns and issues are discovered that need addressing. And, Nehemiah doesn't hesitate to take action and put in place what is right. He doesn't shy aware from confrontation because he recognizes that dealing with problems head on is necessary in certain situations.

What did you learn from Nehemiah 13 about leadership? What was the most significant thing you learned from the entire book of Nehemiah? Tami W.