The Gospel of Luke
We have provided additional resources below to help equip you as you study the Book of Luke. Pick up your Luke Scripture Journals at the Welcome Center and invite a friend to go on this journey with you.
Choose a resource below.
Luke Reading Plan
At Grace Church, Medina East Campus, we are embarking on a sermon series based entirely out of the Gospel of Luke. This series will span Christmas 2021 through Easter 2022 (April 17th). Throughout this series, the weekend messages will be based on the preaching passages below. Our desire is to encourage people to utilize the additional weekly readings for the purpose of personal devotion, relational disciple-making, and for community learning in Life Groups.Â
Our aim is to not only rightly interpret and understand the meaning of the Gospel of Luke in a way that deepens our personal relationship with Jesus, but to explore and experience the value of community and disciple-making relationships as we follow Jesus together. The following questions are simply some ways to launch a discussion around the passage(s) you read in Luke. These need not be following meticulously but can be a helpful aid to get a dialogue going. The questions are phrased in such a way that you could realistically ask them of any passage! And you can choose to ask all, some or none of these questions—it’s entirely up to you.
• Reflect on something God has been teaching you through the reading(s) this week.Â
• What might be some practical ways to respond to what He is teaching you?Â
• Describe how one or more of these passages reveal God’s grace. How is the Holy Spirit prompting you to respond to God’s kindness and love expressed in Jesus?
• Does the reading raise any questions you want to go back and study? If so, what are those questions and how might we pursue further insight together?
The following videos are produced by the Bible Project and are a complement to the book overview video links we have provided in the Resources on Biblical Literature and Bible Study portion of our resource page. These videos can be used as helpful “pit stops” on the journey through Luke, as they cover multiple chapters and very much help to set the scene for how to read specific sections of the Gospel well. You’ll also notice that these theme videos extend into the Book of Acts, as that New Testament book is considered to be the second installment in a two-volume work Luke produced that shows how Jesus’s gospel message of the kingdom of God was furthered in the life of the early church.
Principles of Effective Bible Study
E4 is a Grace Church-produced resource designed to assist disciple-making relationships with meaningful content that can be used as a springboard for conversation and deeper spiritual growth. How to the Study the Bible is a six (6) part study that conveys key principles for effective Bible interpretation and study—to help viewers interpret Scripture wisely and responsibly by learning to appreciate and rightly understand both its divine and human aspects. In short, this is a kind of “crash course” in helping readers understand the message of Scripture and how that message is communicated.
Understanding Biblical Literature
The folks at the Bible Project have produced a number of helpful video-based resources that guide students of the Bible to better comprehend the message of Scripture as well as the unique manner in which that message comes to us as 21st century readers. In this particular video, the Bible Project team pairs voice-over narration with visual artistic presentation that helps convey the unique features of biblical narrative (i.e. parts of the Bible that are written in story form) in ways that are especially applicable to readers of the Gospels (the four accounts of Jesus’s life and ministry).
The Story of the Bible
This seven (7) minute video is from a Q&A-type conversation from two (2) reputable Bible scholars (Ray Ortlund and Sam Storms) who discuss a helpful Bible Study discipline known as Biblical Theology. “Biblical Theology” is a way of understanding the larger story (often called the “metanarrative”) the Bible looks to communicate and ascertain how the individual books found within the Bible contribute to God’s broader, history-spanning rescue plan that culminates in Jesus.
The Function of the New Testament in the Bible
In this video from the Bible Project, viewers are exposed to the function and contribution of the New Testament within the larger narrative of the whole Bible. Though it focuses on the New Testament, it still very much provides a useful and comprehensive look at the one, unified story of all Scripture that leads to Jesus. It is especially illuminating for those who might look to study a particular New Testament book or portion, particularly with the way it ties together that book or portion’s themes with the broader teaching Scripture.
Overview of Contents in Luke’s Gospel (Chapters 1-9)
This eight (8) minute video provides a chapter-by-chapter summary of the contents of Luke’s Gospel, paying special attention to key moments, events and teaching that appear within its pages. In specific, it covers the first nine (9) chapters of Luke.
Overview of Contents in Luke’s Gospel (Chapters 10-24)
This eight (8) minute video provides a chapter-by-chapter summary of the contents of Luke’s Gospel, paying special attention to key moments, events and teaching that appear within its pages. In specific, it covers the final fifteen (15) chapters of Luke.
Thematic Emphases in Luke
Scholars and Bible teachers have recognized that Luke’s Gospel is a presentation of the life and teachings of Jesus that is complementary to but very much distinctive from the other Gospel accounts found in the Bible (Matthew, Mark and John). The linked article is a collection and summary of some of the unique contributions and various thematic emphases Luke makes and/or highlights as he recounts the story of Jesus.
“How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth”
by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart
Drawn from the landmark work on effective Bible Study, this book excerpt contains the entirety of Chapter 7 in How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth and focuses on ways to effectively read and interpret a New Testament Gospel.
ESV Study Bible Introduction to the Gospel of Luke
This book excerpt reprints the introductory overview of the Gospel of Luke from the ESV Study Bible.
Luke for Everyone
by N.T. Wright
This is a highly accessible and introductory commentary on the Gospel of Luke. Wright’s emphasis is on contemporary, practical application as disciples of Jesus look to live out the way of Christ today. Along the way, he carefully uncovers key features of the 1st century historical-cultural context and makes effective use of analogy and illustration to make difficult concepts readily understandable.
(available for purchase on Amazon)
Luke: The Gospel of the Savior for Lost People Everywhere
by Mark Strauss
Leading New Testament scholar Mark Strauss provides a succinct, yet thorough written exposition of the key themes and features of the Gospel of Luke. This blog-like resource is free to access and would serve as a great companion to the Thematic Emphases in Luke article suggested in the Themes and Features of the Gospel of Luke QR Code set.
Luke for You – Chapters 1-12
by Mike McKinley
This is Part One (Chapters 1-12) of an easy-to-read-and-understand commentary on the Gospel of Luke. McKinley dispenses with much of the often-confusing highly academic overviews of Luke in favor of a devotional approach that looks to further passion for Christ in the reader and depth of personal relationship with him.
(available for purchase on Amazon)
Luke for You – Chapters 12-24
by Mike McKinley
This is Part Two (Chapters 12-24) of an easy-to-read-and-understand commentary on the Gospel of Luke. McKinley dispenses with much of the often-confusing highly academic overviews of Luke in favor of a devotional approach that looks to further passion for Christ in the reader and depth of personal relationship with him.
(available for purchase on Amazon)
