Matthew (2013)

When Jesus was here on this earth, why did many people accuse Him of trying to destroy the Mosaic Law? Listen to this lesson to learn that Jesus told His disciples that every part of the Scriptures, down to the smallest letter and line, was inspired by God and that He came to fulfill the Law and explain what it really meant. Understand that we are righteous by faith in Christ rather than by obeying the hundreds and hundreds of rules and regulations that the rabbis added over the years. Come to the conclusion that what we think and do must be subject to the will of God if we are to rule and reign with Christ in the coming Kingdom of heaven.

"This little light of mine. I'm going to let it shine." This catchy song that kids love holds a vital truth for all believers. Listen to this lesson to learn that Jesus taught His disciples that He was the Light of the world and the disciples derived their light from Him. Discover the ancient meaning of "a city set on a hill". Become versed in the many ways light is used throughout the Bible and how it is contrasted with the darkness of evil. See how our good works produced when we are walking by means of the Holy Spirit and growing spiritually impact those around us and glorify God.

A jar of salt doesn't sound like much of a paycheck but in the ancient world salt was sometimes more valuable than gold. Listen to this lesson to learn seven different uses of salt and which one Jesus meant when He told His disciples in the Sermon on the Mount that they were the salt of the earth. See the meaning of earth and how salt was a means of fertilizing agricultural crops. Understand that just as salt can become useless, Christians become useless if they bear no fruit. Examine how we become useful when we produce fruit through a consistent daily walk by means of the Holy Spirit.

How's this for a promise from the Word of God? If you are a disciple of Christ, growing and maturing spiritually, you can be absolutely certain that you will suffer unjustly for what you believe. Listen to this lesson to see how you should rejoice and be glad when you are mistreated for your Christian beliefs because it means you will be richly rewarded in Heaven. Learn the importance of hanging in there during suffering and being willing to accept the loss of everything today because of your future role in the kingdom of God.

"All we're saying is give peace a chance." Sound familiar? Listen to this lesson to learn the many meanings of peace. See how the peace Jesus was referring to in the Sermon on the Mount was peace between God and man. Learn that we cannot have this peace with God by our own efforts but only when we trust Christ's payment for our sins on the cross. Discover three important questions that must be answered to gain peace and that peace at any price is not what is meant. Note that our mission now as believers is to tell others how to have peace with God so we will be peacemakers and called the sons of God.

Have you ever known anyone who seemed to be doing good things but was seething with anger, hatred, and revenge on the inside? Listen to this lesson to see how Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount emphasizes the importance of your internal attitudes as you perform deeds of mercy and show kindness to others. Learn the meaning of the word "heart" in the Scripture and how we can be pure in heart. Allow Jesus' message to His disciples to encourage you to live consistently in God's Word, staying in fellowship through confession, and having your character transformed as you are being prepared to rule and reign in the Kingdom of God in the future.

Does it almost break your heart to see TV ads about abused and suffering pets? Listen to this lesson to learn the difference between true compassion and the false variety. Find out whose responsibility it is to help those suffering. Discover that when government promises to limit the consequences of people's bad decisions it also limits the outcomes of people making good decisions. Find out what first century Pharisees thought about tax collectors and how Jesus pointed out that a mental attitude of compassion was superior to the performance of religious rituals with no internal reality.

Me? Be kind, merciful, and forgiving even to hateful, mean-spirited people? That's not possible. Listen to this lesson to learn that the standards of righteousness Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount are impossible under our own efforts but are applicable to everyone who would be a committed believer depending on God's power. See how Jesus displayed mercy when He was on earth in a culture that was cruel and unforgiving. Note the distinctions between grace and mercy and how they relate to God's amazing attributes.

What's your passion? Are you intensely craving and seeking happiness? Good health? Love? Listen to this lesson to learn that only believers who hunger and thirst for righteousness will ever be fully satisfied. Confront the true meaning of righteousness and its two aspects, one a free gift and the other a result of what we do. Discover that not all believers walk in a new life but that we should make that choice our highest daily priority. What are the results? An abundant, joyful life on earth and everlasting rewards in the future.

Be happy even when you don't feel well, your spouse is being unreasonable, and your house is about to be foreclosed? That's crazy! You've got to be kidding! Listen to the message Jesus Christ gave His disciples in the Sermon on the Mount that tells us how to live above the ebb and flow of what's going on in our lives. Understand the eternal, unchanging foundation for our happiness. Choose to look forward to the remarkable future available to all believers. Learn to walk by the Spirit so our character is transformed and we receive fantastic eternal rewards.

If someone sues you for your shirt, would you take off your coat and hand it over, too? That's what Jesus told His disciples in the Sermon on the Mount. Listen to this lesson to learn how this astonishing message was taught to believers to show them how they must confront the full rigors of discipleship. Learn about the future Kingdom of Heaven. Discover the five interpretative frameworks for this discourse and which one is most logical. See how our role of ruling and reigning with Christ is determined by what we do on earth and how this leads to a richer, fuller life today.

Do you picture disciples as somehow being bathed in a holy glow? Listen to this lesson to learn what being a disciple actually means and how it's a possibility for all believers. Analyze the difference between being a casually curious student of the Bible or becoming profoundly committed to studying and applying the Word of God. Realize that while salvation is a free gift, discipleship always involves a cost that can't be sugar-coated. If you're ready to come on-board, accept that a disciple's life isn't always going to be smooth sailing but that it's ultimately a life of great gain.

Do you walk faster in the dark, hurrying between the pools of light from street lamps and listening for rustling sounds? A world without light would be unthinkable. Listen to this lesson to learn that God is Light and in Him is no darkness at all. Expose the devil's masquerading as an angel of light and understand the significance of Jesus referring to Himself as the Light of the World. See that the Word of God is a light shining in the pagan world that enables us to cast off the works of darkness and clothe ourselves in the armor of light. Explore ten ways light is described in Scripture.

"Who does He think He is?" "I knew Him when He was just an ordinary kid." Listen to this lesson to see how His family and old acquaintances in his hometown found it unbelievable that Jesus was the promised Savior. Hear about those who did accept His Messiahship and those who rejected it. Discover the meaning of the word "believe" and whether a special kind of faith is needed or if the object of what we believe is what counts. See how Jesus threw Phillip for a loop when He revealed He had seen him under the fig tree and the significance of this. Consider the challenge of discipleship in your own life and see if you are willing to be a student of the Word of God for the journey of a lifetime. Also includes Luke 4:14-30.

Temptation! Enticing and alluring. It comes at us from every direction. Even Jesus, who is both God and man in one person forever, faced it. Listen to this lesson to see that God's purpose was not to see if Jesus could sin but rather to demonstrate Jesus' Messianic character. Follow the devil's three lines of temptation and learn how Jesus taught us not to rely on miracles but showed all believers to face tests by dependence on God's Word and the Spirit of God.

Some days trouble barrels toward us like a huge snowball, threatening to overwhelm us. How can we handle those times? Listen to this message to learn how Jesus in His humanity was able to counter the tests of the Devil. See how Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist was an announcement that Jesus was God's Son and find out how God uniquely anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit. Discover that Jesus never acted independent of the Father's will and demolished the Devil's temptations because of His knowledge of the Word of God.

Repent! The Kingdom of heaven is at hand! Judgment is near! Listen to this lesson to discover a withering doomsday message proclaimed by John the Baptist. Understand the vivid word pictures John uses to describe the coming judgment and the three uses of "fire". Contrast John's baptism as a sign of repentance with Christian baptism by means of the Holy Spirit as our identification with Christ at the instant we believe. Learn how repentance to John means turning to God and should be followed by obedience to God, just as Christian baptism demonstrates the power of Christ in our lives as we obey Him.

Dunk forward or dunk backward? Arguments over questions like this have wreaked havoc in Church history as "baptism wars" rage through the centuries. Listen to this lesson to learn what the Bible teaches about two categories of baptism and about whether baptism is necessary for salvation. See how Christian baptism speaks of the changed life of the believer. Learn about John the Baptist's mission to proclaim the coming Messiah and what Kingdom of Heaven and Kingdom of God mean.

"Why can't you be more like your brother?" If you were ever compared to a brother or sister you're going to enjoy hearing this lesson about the childhood of Jesus living with His parents and younger siblings. Find out the way young Jewish boys were raised and what it meant when they reached 12 years of age. See how this explains Jesus' actions in the temple in Jerusalem. Learn about the core sin of the universe related to the angelic conflict and see why it was necessary for Jesus to learn obedience to authority through the unique challenges He faced in His life.

Is human history "just one damn thing after another" as historian Arnold Toynbee noted? Or, is there a master plan at work behind the scenes? Listen to this lesson to learn how God put into action a plan with a glorious future that will be fulfilled to the smallest degree, taking into account man's free will. Find out the four categories of fulfillment of prophecies concerning this plan. See how God protected and preserved the infant Jesus and how He protects us through all the troubles in our lives.