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.