How did Jesus actually teach His followers to pray?

In Matthew 6:9–24, Jesus gives what is commonly called the Lord’s Prayer—but perhaps more accurately understood as the model prayer. Rather than giving us a formula to repeat mechanically, Jesus provides a pattern that begins with honoring God, longing for His kingdom, submitting to His will, and then bringing our daily needs before Him.

Glenn and Steve examine what “daily bread” means, why believers should pray for God’s kingdom to come, how forgiveness affects our relationships with others, and why those closest to us can sometimes be the hardest people to forgive.

The session also explores biblical fasting, heavenly rewards, storing treasure in heaven rather than on earth, and Jesus’ warning that no one can serve two masters.

Where we invest our time, attention, and resources reveals what we truly value—and ultimately who or what we serve.

Matthew 6:9–24 | The Book of Matthew — Session 9

Questions discussed during this session include:  

• How are we to pray?
• Should we memorize and repeat the Lord’s Prayer? 
• Can physical fasting be of spiritual benefit? 
• How can we lay up treasure? 

Support the show

Thank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. 

You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible

Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible 

May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Can doing something good for the wrong reason turn it into something spiritually harmful?

In Matthew 6, Jesus continues the Sermon on the Mount by addressing the motives behind giving, good works, and prayer. He warns His listeners not to practice righteousness in order to be noticed by others. The issue is not whether Christians should do good works, but whether those works are being done for God or for human applause.

Glenn and Steve also examine the relationship between salvation and good works, why public recognition can become dangerous in Christian ministry, what Jesus means by giving in secret, and why taking Scripture literally does not mean ignoring figures of speech.

The discussion then turns to prayer. Jesus warns against praying to impress others and against meaningless repetition. But if God already knows what we need before we ask Him, why pray at all?

Matthew 6:1–8 | Reasoning Through the Bible

Questions discussed in this session include:

• How do we evaluate Christian ministers?
• How should Christian ministries handle giving?
• How should private and public prayers be different? 
• If God knows what we need, why should we pray? 

Support the show

Thank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. 

You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible

Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible 

May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

What does Jesus mean when He tells His followers to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world? And why does He later say, “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect”?

In this session, Glenn and Steve continue through the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:13–48. They examine how believers should influence the world around them, why good works should point people toward God rather than ourselves, and what Jesus meant when He said He came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it.

The discussion then turns to some of the most challenging teachings in Matthew: anger and murder, lust and adultery, reconciliation, divorce, keeping our word, turning the other cheek, going the extra mile, and loving our enemies. Throughout the passage, Jesus moves beyond outward rule keeping and exposes the condition of the heart.

The chapter ends with an impossible human standard: “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” The Sermon on the Mount ultimately shows why righteousness cannot be earned through human effort and why sinners must depend upon God’s mercy and righteousness.

Matthew 5:13–48 | The Book of Matthew — Session 7

  Questions discussed in this session include: 

•  What is the best light for a dark world? 
• What does it mean to be salt and light? 
• Is the Mosaic Law in place today? 
• How serious does God view sin and righteousness? 
• What does Jesus teach about divorce? 

Support the show

Thank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. 

You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible

Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible 

May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

The Sermon on the Mount is one of the best-known teachings of Jesus, but what is it actually teaching? Is it a set of commands Christians are expected to perfectly live today, a description of life in Christ’s future kingdom, or something that contains elements of both?

In this session, Glenn and Steve begin Matthew 5 with the Beatitudes and examine the larger purpose of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has already been presented as Israel’s King, and now He begins explaining the righteousness and character associated with His kingdom.

The discussion examines what it means to be poor in spirit, to mourn, to be meek, to hunger and thirst for righteousness, to show mercy, to be pure in heart, to make peace, and to endure persecution for Christ. Along the way, we consider why Jesus raises God’s standard far beyond outward obedience and why no one can reach that standard through human effort alone.

Matthew 5:1–12 | The Book of Matthew — Session 6

Questions discussed in this session include:

• Is the sermon on the mount for today? 
• Are we able to follow Jesus’ commandments here? 
• What is the main purpose of the sermon on the mount? 
• What is the difference between the letter of the law and God’s level of righteousness? 

Support the show

Thank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. 

You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible

Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible 

May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

How did Jesus respond when Satan tempted Him in the wilderness? Matthew chapter 4 shows that Jesus was truly tempted, yet He remained without sin and answered each temptation with the Word of God.

In this session, Glenn and Steve examine the three temptations of Christ, how they connect with the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life, and why Jesus’ response gives believers a practical model for resisting temptation. The discussion also considers fasting, why Satan quoted Scripture, and why knowing the Bible matters when temptation comes. 

The session then moves into the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. He announces, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” calls His first disciples to follow Him immediately, and begins healing throughout Galilee. These miracles function as signs that confirm who He is and validate His message.

Matthew 4:1–25 | The Book of Matthew — Session 5

 Questions discussed in this session include:

• What is the purpose of fasting? 
• What should we do when we are tempted?
• Why would Jesus change His message halfway through Matthew? 
• What does it mean to say “the kingdom is at hand?”
• When Jesus asks people to follow Him, how do they respond?

Support the show

Thank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. 

You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible

Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible 

May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

John the Baptist was not impressed by outward religion, family heritage, or public appearances. When the Pharisees and Sadducees came to him, he challenged them to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” In this session, Glenn and Steve examine what genuine repentance means and why changed thinking should eventually produce changed actions. 

John’s message also contains strong warnings of coming judgment: the axe at the root, the winnowing fork, the chaff, and unquenchable fire. We discuss the difference between baptism with the Holy Spirit and baptism with fire, why religious heritage cannot substitute for faith, and how John’s warning fits with both the justice and love of God.

The session then moves to the baptism of Jesus. Why was a sinless Savior baptized? We consider how Jesus identified with humanity, how baptism points toward death and resurrection, and how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all revealed together at the Jordan River.

Matthew 3:7–17 | The Book of Matthew — Session 4

  Questions discussed in this session include:

• Are there modern-day Pharisees and Sadducees?
• Can someone be a true Christian without showing the fruit of repentance? 
• Does Jesus ever do unpleasant and violent things? 
• Is the doctrine of Hell found in the Old Testament? 
• When will be the baptisms of the Holy Spirit and Fire?

Support the show

Thank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. 

You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible

Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible 

May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

 God repeatedly guides Joseph during the dangerous early years of Jesus’ life. When Joseph is warned to flee to Egypt, he obeys immediately. Later, God directs him back to Israel and then to Galilee. In this session, Glenn and Steve discuss how Christians should think about dreams and spiritual experiences today and why every claimed message must ultimately be tested against Scripture. 

Matthew also continues emphasizing fulfilled prophecy. Jesus is born in Bethlehem, comes out of Egypt, and grows up in Nazareth—three very different locations that come together in the life of the Messiah. The discussion also examines Herod’s killing of the children in Bethlehem and why the event’s absence from surviving secular history is not especially surprising.

Then Matthew 3 introduces John the Baptist, a rough wilderness prophet with a simple message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” We consider what repentance means, why John baptized in the Jordan, and how Isaiah’s prophecy identifies John as the herald preparing the way for the coming King.

Matthew 2:13–3:6 | The Book of Matthew - Session 3

Questions discussed in this session include: 

• Does God speak to people in dreams today? 
•  What about the modern messages people get from Mary? 
•  Were the accounts around Jesus’ birth accurate historically? 
• Does God provide guidance to those who follow Him? 

Support the show

Thank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. 

You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible

Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible 

May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Why does the virgin birth of Jesus matter? Matthew 1 does much more than tell us the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth. It identifies Him as the Savior who will save His people from their sins and as Emmanuel - “God with us.”

In this session, Glenn and Steve examine Joseph’s difficult situation when he learns Mary is pregnant, the angel’s explanation that the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and the textual evidence supporting the virgin birth. They also discuss why the virgin birth is theologically important to understanding both the humanity and deity of Jesus Christ.

Then Matthew 2 introduces the Magi, who travel in search of the newborn King of the Jews. We consider what the Bible actually tells us about these wise men, why the star appears to be a supernatural act of God rather than an ordinary astronomical event, and the striking contrast between outsiders who travel to worship Christ and religious leaders who know the prophecy but never go to Bethlehem. 

The session closes by examining Herod’s hostility, the Magi’s worship of Jesus, and the significance of their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Matthew 1:18–2:12 | The Book of Matthew — Session 2

 Questions discussed in this session include:

• What is the main reason Jesus came to earth?
• What is the importance of the virgin birth? 
•  Who were the Magi (Wise Men)?
• What does fulfilled prophecy tell us about the messiah? 

Support the show

Thank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. 

You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible

Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible 

May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Why would Matthew begin his Gospel with a genealogy? In the very first verse, Matthew identifies Jesus as the Messiah, the son of David, and the son of Abraham. Those names are not accidental. They connect Jesus directly to two of the great unconditional covenant promises God made in the Old Testament. 

In this first session of our verse-by-verse study through Matthew, Glenn and Steve examine the Davidic Covenant, the Abrahamic Covenant, and why Jesus’ ancestry establishes His right to the promised kingdom. We also look at some of the unexpected people Matthew includes—such as Ruth, Rahab, and Bathsheba—and what their presence reveals about God’s grace and faithfulness.

Finally, we examine the structure of Matthew’s genealogy, including the three groups of fourteen generations, why generations can be omitted in biblical genealogies, and why these lists should be used for their intended purpose rather than as a precise method for calculating historical dates.

Matthew 1:1–17 | The Book of Matthew — Session 1

Questions discussed in this session include:

• How did Jesus fulfill the Davidic and Abrahamic covenants?
•  What are the purposes for the genealogy and what can it tell us? 
•  Can we trust God to keep His promises? 
•  Are God’s promises to Israel still in place? 
• Can we use the Biblical genealogies to calculate the age of the earth? 

Support the show

Thank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. 

You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible

Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible 

May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Before beginning our verse-by-verse study of the Gospels, we step back and ask some foundational questions about the four Gospels. Why do we have Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? Why do they sometimes emphasize different events or arrange their material differently? And can these ancient accounts really be trusted?

In this introductory session, Glenn and Steve examine the distinct audiences and emphases of the four Gospels, with Matthew presenting Jesus to a predominantly Jewish audience and emphasizing Him as the promised King. They also discuss the so-called “synoptic problem,” literary and form criticism, the claim that the Gospels were originally anonymous, and arguments that the accounts were written too late to preserve reliable testimony. 

Most importantly, the discussion considers the eyewitness foundation behind the Gospel accounts and why similarities and differences between them do not require us to treat them as myths or legends. This session provides the foundation for the RTTB verse-by-verse journey through Matthew. 

Matthew Series — Session 1 | Introduction to the Four Gospels

Questions discussed in this session include: 

• What are the distinctions in the gospels? 
• Why are there four gospels instead of just one? 
• Who wrote them and can we trust their writings? 
• What does the term “gospel” mean and why is it important to us? 
• When were the gospels written? 
• How long was it between the events of Jesus and when they were written down?
• Who were the intended audiences for the gospels? 
• Were the gospels anonymous, or how can we be sure who wrote them? 
• Is there a synoptic problem?  

Support the show

Thank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. 

You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible

Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible 

May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve