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challenge to read Luke


Last week I introduced a new challenge online and at church, and I wanted to pass it along to you.  It is very simple.  There are 24 chapters in the book of Luke, and there are 24 days in December leading up to Christmas.  The challenge is to read one chapter a day, and on Christmas you will have a much greater appreciation for the birth, life and purpose of Jesus.

Yes, it is now the 6th of December, and you will have to catch up a little.  But it is worth it.  Here are some of the pieces that have caught my attention so far as I am reading through the book of Luke and being part of this challenge.

Luke 1:31-32  NLT
You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 

Luke 2:7  NLT
She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

Luke 2:17-19  NLT
After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.

Luke 3:21-22  NLT
One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”

Luke 4:17-19  NLT
The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,that the blind will see,that the oppressed will be set free,19 and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”

Luke 5:9-11  NLT
For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. 10 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” 11 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.

Join me in this challenge to dig in the Gospel of Luke and the life of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the gift of Christmas.

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