One of the tangible benefits of reading the Bible is that we discover that God calls people to service in areas they may not have thought possible. People often discover that with God's help they are able to reach deep within themselves and find strength they did not know existed.

Back in the '60s, Bill Withers sang, "Lean on me when you're not strong, and I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on." For most of us, it is not until we find ourselves unable to carry on that we discover that with God we can carry on and we can excel because in Jesus we have a friend that will carry us when we can no longer carry ourselves.

This chapter of Luke is marked with important transitions. Jesus is embarking on a preaching ministry that will carry him into a variety of settings. The section we are…