Matthew (2013)

If you’ve been touched personally by divorce in your life or through your parents’ life, then this is a lesson that discusses thoughts that may be bothering you. Listen to what Jesus said about marriage when the Pharisees tried to entrap Him. Hear three basic things for us to remember about marriage and several questions that need to be answered. See that marriage is a covenant that involves obligations and that marriage is one of the tools God uses to help us grow to spiritual maturity. Keep in mind that no matter what has happened in your past, there is always grace and forgiveness through Christ’s death on the cross.

If you knew you had only a few months to live, what would you do? Listen to this lesson to hear what Jesus focused on as His ministry was winding down. See how He traveled south from Galilee, healing many who followed Him. Understand the purpose of His healing ministry. Find out the meaning of common grace. See how grace is God’s initiative to every human being. Find out how God the Father draws mankind through the teaching of His Word. As a result of hearing this lesson, take note of the grace of God and its manifestation in your own life.

Is Peter with his “big mouth” your favorite of Jesus’ disciples? He was always blurting out the questions that others were probably thinking but didn’t have the nerve to ask. Listen to this lesson to see that Jesus is talking about humility which means there’s no limit to the number of times a humble believer is to forgive others. Understand the difference between forgiveness and consequences and the four categories of forgiveness. Learn that unlimited forgiveness of others is impossible unless we are walking by means of the Holy Spirit.

Are there any parts of the Bible that you really wish weren’t there? Listen to this lesson to hear about one passage on how to deal with a sinful Christian. Find out that believers should go to the offending believer in private and that restoration is the goal. If the unconfessed sin has become public knowledge, the believer may need to be removed from the church. See what “binding on earth is already bound in heaven” means. Take away from this message that if you are involved in a situation with an offending believer that involves discipline, it is to be done in humility, grace, and love.

Did you ever wander away from God after you were a Christian? Listen to this lesson to learn about a parable Jesus told about a sheep who left the fold to go his own way and how the shepherd took the initiative to seek him and bring him back to the fold. Learn that God is the Good Shepherd who rejoices when the sheep is found and restored. Learn that no matter what has happened in our past, we can always be forgiven and begin again to walk by means of the Spirit.

Do you feel like you’re the one that’s always having to forgive others even when they have mistreated you? Listen to this lesson to learn that none of us have ever been betrayed the way Jesus was by His own creatures. See that in grace He took the initiative when He died on the Cross for our sins even when we were His enemies. Listen to the warning not to become bitter at others but to live in peace so you can have a productive life as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If someone is a child abuser, what should their punishment be? Listen to this lesson to learn that Jesus is not saying that they cannot go to Heaven. See that He was talking to disciples who were already believers and are pursuing discipleship. Learn the meaning of what Jesus says about the punishment of those who cause His disciples to stumble. See the difference between hell fire and the Lake of Fire. Find out that love for one another is the hallmark of a true disciple and that if we want to be one, we need to order and organize our lives to remove the things that cause us to sin.

“Aw shucks! I’m not much!” Is this what humility sounds like? Listen to this lesson to learn that being humble does not mean being a doormat but means submission to authority. Find out that Jesus was trying to teach His disciples not to strive for status but become like little children who were not treated as anything special in that culture. If the disciples wanted to have full participation in the coming kingdom, they must give up their own agenda of being important and do the will of God. Today believers have the same choice to make. Is it our way or God’s way?

What does Jesus mean when He says you have to become like a little child? Listen to this lesson to see that He was speaking to arrogant believers. Hear ten points on humility and see its importance in the Christian way of life. Find out that humility is one of the most misunderstood concepts in the Bible. See its basic meaning of learning to submit to authority. When difficulty arises in our lives, check to see if humility leading to grace orientation is the answer to our problems. The version of the video from Jeff and Doug's teaching visit to Natal, Brazil that has the audio and video in sync is available here.

Are most governments evil? Listen to this lesson to learn that human government was established by God. See how the Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus about paying taxes. Find out what the Bible teaches about the legitimacy of governments and why they are flawed because of the humans who run them. Learn about the dual citizenship that Christians have in this world and the importance of their freedom of conscience. Hear seven points from Proverbs and Psalms on the responsibilities of citizens to their country. As Christians we need to execute these responsibilities to the best of our abilities in order to glorify God.

Why should we pay taxes? After all, the money is being used for a lot of things we think are wrong. Listen to this lesson to learn what Jesus had to say on the subject even about taxes that were not required. See how Jesus illustrated that He, as the Son of God, was not obligated to pay the temple tax but did so as an excellent citizen. Find out that Christians should not create an issue to distract from God and cause unbelievers to doubt. Although we will never be perfect on this earth, each day we have opportunities to do our best in ways that glorify God.

A young deaf and mute boy throwing himself on the ground and frothing at the mouth. A distraught father running to ask Jesus for help. Listen to this lesson to learn biblical facts about demon possession and whether Christians can be demon possessed. Find out ten characterizations of demonic possession. See how Christ stressed the importance of faith and the necessity for the faith rest drill in our own spiritual growth.

Since God has given mankind free will, what happens to His plans for us? Listen to this lesson to learn that God has contingency plans that make certain His ultimate purposes will always come to pass. Find out that Jesus indicated that John the Baptist could have fulfilled the role of Elijah if he had not been rejected by the Jewish nation. See that Elijah’s ministry is still future. Just as many people in those days were expecting a Messiah to come to rule in the kingdom, so today there are those who do not want to believe that Jesus had to suffer and die on the cross so we could be born again by trusting in Him as our Savior.

Have you ever tried to imagine how Christ looks in Heaven? Listen to this lesson to learn about three disciples who were given a glimpse of Him and described it in the gospels. See that God the Father and God the Son are described similarly in the Bible. Learn reasons why Moses and Elijah were present at the Transfiguration. See God’s grace as He tells people not to be afraid but take time to realize that those who refuse to believe will be judged.

Do you love movie previews with their tantalizing teases of what is to come? Listen to this lesson to see how Jesus gave His disciples an alarming view of coming events. Learn that three of these disciples were taken to a high mountain and find out what the Transfiguration is. Gain an overview of the hypostatic union when Christ’s divine nature and humanity were combined in Him. Appreciate what Jesus did for us as you submit to His authority day in and day out.

How much are you willing to suffer for your Christian beliefs? The news is full of stories about persecution against Christians. Listen to this lesson to learn what Biblical attitudes we should adopt to prepare us. See what Jesus told His disciples about His death, burial, and resurrection and Peter’s arrogant reaction. Since God has promised us He has provided a way to handle all suffering, we need to decide if we are willing to accept these difficulties and trials. Learn that the path to real life is giving up what we want in order to obey God and gain eternal rewards.

Who do you say Jesus Christ is? The founder of Christianity? A wise religious teacher who stressed loving your neighbor? Someone who deserved to be put to death by the Romans? Listen to this lesson to learn that Jesus Christ is the eternal Second Person of the Trinity, the Messiah, and the Savior of mankind. Learn an accurate interpretation of a passage where Jesus discusses the rock as the foundation of the church. After hearing this lesson, take time to reflect on who you think Jesus is and whether He is your personal Savior.

Whoa! You’ve just been body slammed by a problem that seems too big to tackle. Where do you turn? Listen to this lesson to learn that the Word of God is sufficient to deal with all problems. Learn about the differences between the Pharisees and Sadducees and how they were both trying to trap Jesus. See what Jesus means by the signs of the time and the sign of Jonah. Don’t be willfully ignorant about the Word of God but learn four ways to make Scripture a transformative priority in your life.

Mother Theresa was honored for showing compassion to lepers. Listen to this lesson to see how God shows the greatest possible compassion to the human race by providing solutions to all our problems, including the problem of sin. See that bread often refers in the Bible to God’s ability to feed us both physically and spiritually. Learn the meaning of common grace and how to depend on God for all our needs.

How do you treat repulsive and unlikeable people? Listen to this lesson to learn that Jesus taught His disciples to take the gospel to these people and show God’s lovingkindnesses to them. Find out what Jesus did to help the Canaanite woman and what He meant when He referred to her as a dog. Gain a clear understanding of demon possession and two Greek words used for it. Remember that we, as disciples, are to take the gospel to everyone on the basis of God’s mercy.