On Sunday, March 26, 2023, VLC gathered in person, which was also broadcasted online via YouTube. Pastor Stuart Nice continued our series “A Closer Walk with Jesus.” Today, we look at the story of the calling of Matthew (AKA: Levi) and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. Jesus looks for mismatched callings and has a place for us on his team if we just follow him and realign our calling in Christ. Jesus sets aside the religious pressure to be judgmental and reminds us that we all need to come to him and change our lives by receiving his grace that empowers us to be like him.

After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.
Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Luke 5:27-32 (NKJV)