Hi friends, I'm Annie F. Downs. Let's read the Gospels. The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament in 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.

So here is how it works. I'll read three chapters to you. You can listen or read along in your own Bible or online, and then I'll pray, and that's it. I will be reading Luke 13 through 15 from the

new living translation. And if you are following along in the Let's Read the Gospel's Guided

Journal, we are on page 85. Luke 13. About this time, Jesus was informed that pilot had murdered

some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the temple. Do you think those Galileans

were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee? Jesus asked, is that why they suffered?

Not at all. And you will perish too unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. And what about the

18 people who died when the tower in Salome fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem?

No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish too.

Then Jesus told this story. A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again

to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. Finally, he said to his gardener,

I've waited three years and there hasn't been a single fig. Cut it down. It's just taking up space in the garden.

The gardener answered, sir, give it one more chance.

Leave it another year and I'll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer.

If we get figs next year, fine.

If not, then you can cut it down.

One Sabbath day, as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, he saw a woman who had been

crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for 18 years and was unable to stand up straight.

When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness.

Then he touched her and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God.

But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath

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