Hi, friends. I'm Annie F. Downs. Let's read the Gospels. The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament and the Bible, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

These are the stories of Jesus Christ's life on earth, the friendships, the parables, the sacrifices, the meals, the miracles.

Each month we read all four books. So go ahead and subscribe today and join us as we read the Gospels together and invite your friends to come along as well this month.

So here's how this works. I'll read three chapters to you. You can listen or read along in your own Bible, and then I'll pray. And that's it.

Today is April 3rd, day three, and I'll be reading Luke chapters seven through nine. And this month I'm reading from the message.

Luke seven. When he finished speaking to the people, he entered cappernum. A Roman captain there had a servant who was on his deathbed.

He prized him highly and didn't want to lose him. When he heard Jesus was back, he sent leaders from the Jewish community asking him to come and heal his servant.

They came to Jesus and urged him to do it saying he deserves this. He loves our people. He even built our meeting place.

Jesus went with him. When he was still quite far from the house, the captain sent friends to tell him, master, you don't have to go to all this trouble. I'm not that good a person, you know.

I'd be embarrassed for you to come to my house, even embarrassed to come to you in person. Just give the order and my servant will get well. I'm a man under orders. I also give orders.

I tell one soldier, go and he goes another come and he comes. My slave do this and he does it.

Taken a back, Jesus addressed the accompanying crowd. I've yet to come across this kind of simple trust anywhere in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know about God and how he works.

When the messengers got back home, they found the servant up and well. Not long after that, Jesus went to the village of Nain. His disciples were with him, along with quite a large crowd.

As they approached the village gate, they met a funeral procession. A woman's only son was being carried out for burial. And the mother was a widow when Jesus saw her, his heart broke.

He said, Derb, don't cry. Then he went over and touched the coffin. The pallbearers stopped. He said, young man, I tell you, get up.

The dead son sat up and began talking. Jesus presented him to his mother. They all realized they were in a place of holy mystery that God was at work among them.

They were quietly worshipful and then noisily grateful, calling out among themselves. God is back looking to the needs of his people.

The news of Jesus spread all through the country. John's disciples reported back to him the news of all these events taking place.

He sent two of them to the master to ask the question, are you the one we've been expecting or are we still waiting?

The men showed up before Jesus and said, John the baptizer sent us to ask you, are you the one we've been expecting or are we still waiting?

In the next two or three hours, Jesus healed many from diseases to stress and evil spirits. To many of the blind, he gave the gift of sight. Then he gave his answer.

Go back and tell John what you have just seen and heard, the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the wretched of the earth have God's salvation, hospitality extended to them.

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