Jesus addressed a pressing question that was haunting the minds of the Pharisees. If everyone presses into the Kingdom of God, then what's to become of Israel? What of the Law and the Prophets? Has God divorced Israel in favor of the Church? SESSION NOTES I. Reviewing The Parable Of The Unjust Steward. A. Luke 16:1-8 II. Reviewing The Personal Appl…

While Jesus continued enjoying a dinner with new disciples who were previously professional sinners, he gave them a controversial parable about a shrewd manager who betrayed his employer in favor of his customers by remitting some of their debts. SESSION NOTES I. Reviewing The Parable Of The Lost Sheep. A. Luke 15:1-7 B. Matthew 18:11-14 II. Review…

When religious leaders murmur against Jesus for the quality of his company, he responds with the Lost & Found Parables in which 3 types of lost souls are described. The last of these is a surprise for the Pharisees as they are included in the parable as well. SESSION NOTES I. Reviewing The Parable Of The Great Supper. A. Luke 14:15-24 II. Reviewing…

Jesus is invited to a dinner with religious leaders where he's set up for another Sabbath trap. After springing the trap, he finds the opportunity to teach them about mercy, humility, hospitality, the call to salvation and the cost of discipleship. SESSION NOTES I. Jesus Gets Set-Up For Another Sabbath Trap. A. Luke 14:1-6 II. A Lesson In Humility.…

This session will be catch-up much like what you would expect on the first day of school after Summer vacation. I want to review what's been building not only to refresh our memories, but to take in the majesty of the overall design of what's actually unfolding before us. SESSION NOTES I. When Jesus Attended The Feast Of Tabernacles. John 7:11-53 I…

Today, some believe that Jesus never proclaimed equality with God. The religious leaders who had Jesus crucified would say otherwise. In this session, Jesus goes to Jerusalem to attend the Feast of Dedication where he is accused of such a blasphemy. SESSION NOTES I. Jesus Attends The Feast Of Dedication In Jerusalem. A. John 10:22-23 II. Opposition…

In this session, Jesus initiates a call to national repentance, warning Israel in a parable (of a fruitless fig tree) that they will be cut down and out if they don't repent of their disbelief. He then reminds them of the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven. SESSION NOTES I. Jesus' Call To National & Individual Repentance. A. Luke 13:1-5 II…

Jesus warns his 70 new disciples against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, he builds up their courage against death threats of religious persecution and then he gives several parables which admonish readiness and watchfulness for his imminent return. SESSION NOTES I. Jesus Proclaims That All Religious Hypocrisy Will Be Exposed. A. Luke 12:1-3 II. Jes…

For those of you who have ever been burdened by the oppression of religious legalism, you are going to love these next 18 verses in which Jesus verbally lashes out on 2 religious leaders for legalism and hypocrisy. SESSION NOTES I. External Righteousness VS Internal Righteousness. Luke 11:37-41 II. Jesus Rebukes The Legalism Of The Pharisee. Luke 1…

Prayer isn't an incantation which prompts God to move the way we want, but rather it's a live conversation of both speaking and listening to a God who desires to build a relationship with us. We examine how this works and how Satan attempts to stop it. SESSION NOTES I. Mary & Martha: The Importance Of Prayer. A. Luke 10:38-42 B. Psalm 139:1-18 C. H…

If you know how to talk over a telephone, then you know how to pray to God. Unfortunately, Satan has done a great deal to confuse what prayer is all about, even among Christians. In this study, Jesus sets the record straight on prayer and what it's all about. SESSION NOTES I. Mary & Martha: The Importance Of Prayer. A. Luke 10:38-42 II. Jesus Gives…

Jesus has given us the power and the authority over all the powers of Satan and his demonic forces. Christians can fall into one of two dangerous traps concerning this awesome power, one is to completely ignore it, the other is to constantly dwell upon it. SESSION NOTES I. Jesus Commissions 70 New Disciples. A. Luke 10:1-16 B. Related Passages: 1. …

Jesus healed a man who was blind from birth and his behavior afterwards showed evidence of one who not only received physical eyesight, but Spiritual eyesight which freed him from the oppression of the Pharisees. Jesus gave the Parable of the Good Shepherd. SESSION NOTES I. Jesus Gives Sight To A Man Who Was Born Blind. A. John 9:1-7 1. Was Born Bl…

12 verses in John 8 about a woman caught in adultery have caused great controversy. Satan has attempted to remove them from our Bibles for 2000 years because in them we finally begin to get a taste of just how far-reaching the power of God's Grace really is. SESSION NOTES I. Last Segment Before The Disputed Passage. John 7:50-52 II. Day's End: Ever…

Jesus was met with opposition from family members, followers, strangers and religious leaders before, during and after his attendance to the Feast of Tabernacles. His proclamation of origin and authority being from THE FATHER sent everyone into divisions. SESSION NOTES I. Jesus' Brothers (In Disbelief) Offer Him Advice In Public Ministry. John 7:1-…

After Jesus spent time discussing forgiveness and reconciliation, he gave a controversial parable that's become known as the parable of the unforgiving servant. What makes it controversial is that it's been given 4 different interpretations. We examine all 4. SESSION NOTES I. The 1st Interpretation. A. The Ten Thousand Talents (Matthew 18:23-25) = …

Satan has hidden the truth about what forgiveness really is. It's not about the other person, it's not even about the transgression. It's about healing from the hurt a transgression has caused by transferring the debt to another account, THE CROSS. SESSION NOTES I. Reconciliation Has Conditions: In Review. A. Matthew 18:15-17 B. 1st Corinthians 2:1…

Forgiveness is a challenge for most today because we've been falsely taught that reconciliation must always follow. Jesus taught in Matthew 18 that this simply isn't true. Forgiveness and reconciliation are separate things, they are not the same. SESSION NOTES I. Forgiveness & Reconciliation Are Separate Things; They Are Not The Same. A. An Example…

Jesus overheard an embarrassing debate between his disciples about who among them would be greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus sat a little child next to him for visual aid representing the child of God and explained how to be great in the Kingdom. SESSION NOTES I. Jesus Speaks Again Of His Upcoming Death & Resurrection. A. Matthew 17:22-23 B.…

Jesus said the faith of a mustard seed could enable us to move mountains and nothing would be impossible for us. We address how to get that kind of faith, what prayer and fasting is all about, we examine various types of mountains and how God removes them. SESSION NOTES I. The Disciples Fail To Heal A Child From Demonic Possession. A. Matthew 17:14…

Jesus took Peter, James and John to a high spot on a mountain where the super-physics of eternity temporarily intersected. Jesus' face transfigured before them, shining as bright as the sun when all of a sudden, Moses and Elijah showed up to receive orders. SESSION NOTES I. A Special Promise To Peter, James & John. A. Matthew 16:28 B. Mark 9:1 C. L…

Jesus said that whoever saves his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will save it. In this session we talk about seeking 1st the Kingdom of God, what it means to delight ourselves in the Lord and we address unmet needs and the desires of our heart. SESSION NOTES I. Understanding The Meaning Behind The Phrase, "Take Up Your Cross And Foll…

Our warfare is spiritual, not physical. Our enemies are invisible super-beings who've been waging war against the people of God for thousands of years. They use human beings, the circumstances of our lives and even our own thoughts as camouflage. SESSION NOTES I. Jesus Foretells His Death And Resurrection. A. Matthew 16:19-21 B. Mark 8:30-31 C. Luk…

The word Church is used in our English Bibles to define the Greek word, Ecclesia which means Assembly or Congregation. In context of every place the word Ecclesia appears, it has nothing to do with Sunday mornings or worship services. SESSION NOTES I. Jesus Heals Another Multitude / Mark Focuses On One Healing That Employed Unusual Methods. A. Matt…

When men take their man-made religious traditions and call them commandments of God, they're treading on dangerous ground. The more we compare God's Word with our understanding of church and religion, we discover a massive contradiction. SESSION NOTES I. Religious Leaders Complain To Jesus About His Disciples Not Washing Their Hands. A. Matthew 15:…

Jesus said all who come to Him, will be saved. This is a voluntary act of faith on our part. God saves us after we choose him, and not before. But Paul's letters say we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. So who chose who first? SESSION NOTES I. The 5000 Who Were Fed Seek Jesus Out The Next Morning. A. John 6:22-25 II. Jesus T…

Jesus required that his disciples follow his directions and remain focused on HIM and HIS abilities, rather than being focused on their circumstances or limitations. Doing this is what led to 5000 people being fed with 2 fish and 5 loaves and Peter walking on water. SESSION NOTES I. The Beheading Of John The Baptist. A. Matthew 14:3-12 B. Mark 6:17…

6000 demons conjured up a violent storm and sent it to Jesus' location once they became aware that he was headed in their direction. When they realized the storm hadn't stopped him, they escaped into a herd of hogs, who then committed mass suicide. SESSION NOTES I. Leaving The Dead To Bury Their Own Dead. A. Matthew 8:18-22 B. Luke 9:56-62 II. Jesu…

The Kingdom Parables (Matthew 13) are a prophetic timeline of all church history from the 1st century to the Present. This is an amazing and incredible study. If Jesus had given his Kingdom Parables in any other order, this prophetic property wouldn't apply. SESSION NOTES I. Parable Of The Sower Of Seed Into 4 Types Of Soil. A. Personal Application…

What happens when a person's heart is given some truth? Why do some hearts accept it easily while others don't? Why do some Christians grow while others never grow? What about the Christians who become hardened against their faith and turn against it? SESSION NOTES I. Introduction To The Kingdom Parables & The Parable Of The Sower And 4 Soils. A. M…

What is the unforgivable sin? It's given cute little labels such as Blaspheme Against The Holy Spirit but what does that mean? What sin could have possibly escaped the PAID IN FULL declaration that Jesus personally made before he died on the cross? SESSION NOTES I. An Even Deeper Education In Demonic Possession. A. Matthew 12:43-45 B. Luke 11:24-26…

An Abraham Lincoln quote from his HOUSE DIVIDED Speech was actually quoted first by Jesus in Matthew 12. After healing a mute demoniac, religious leaders accused Jesus of working for Beelzebub: The Prince Of Demons. Jesus' response was classic. SESSION NOTES I. A Pharisee Invites Jesus To Dinner Where A Notorious Woman Anoints His Feet. A. Luke 7:3…

One of the most widely misunderstood quotes from Jesus is found in Matthew 8 where he speaks of casting children of the kingdom into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. What does that mean? He's not talking about Hell. SESSION NOTES I. The Faith Of The Roman Centurion That Marveled Jesus. A. Matthew 8:5-10 B. Luke 7:1-…

Jesus touched upon several key doctrines that have become infamously quoted out of context on many occasion, JUDGE NOT LEST YE BE JUDGED being among them. We'll explain all of these in context of Jesus' sermon, distinguishing fact from cliche'. SESSION NOTES I. How To Make Investments Towards Our Future In Heaven. A. Matthew 6:19-21 II. The Impossi…

In Matthew 6, Jesus gave instructions on how to pray and specifically HOW NOT to pray. He stressed the importance of keeping it private between you and God and the importance of keeping it real without fake platitudes or repetitive phrases. SESSION NOTES I. The Rewards In Heaven vs Our Citizenship In Heaven. A. Matthew 6:1 II. How To Give And How N…

Throughout Matthew's book, the Kingdom Of Heaven is tied directly to the future rule of Jesus over the Earth. Knowing this helps us understand what Jesus meant when he said, The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth. Who are the meek and what is the inheritance? SESSION NOTES I. Jesus Heals Another Multitude From All Over Judaea and Jerusalem. A. Luke 6:17-…

This is Luke's record of the Sermon On The Mount. It's much shorter than what Matthew recorded. We will examine what Luke chose to single out, a list of blessings and woes and a difference between the Kingdom Of God and the Kingdom Of Heaven. SESSION NOTES I. Jesus Heals Another Multitude From All Over Judaea and Jerusalem. A. Luke 6:17-19 II. The …

This one's a short and sweet little study. Nothing special except for the great massive throng of people that show up at the end to get healed. Plus it's a lot of fun watching Jesus purposefully spring a Sabbath Trap that the Pharisees tried to lay out for him. SESSION NOTES I. The Legalism Of The Pharisees vs The Lord Of The Sabbath. A. Matthew 12…

Jesus heals a lame man on the Sabbath day and proclaims equality with God in creation, power, authority and judgement. He introduces a new concept of Passover to the Pharisees and speaks of the dead (in 2 different ways) becoming alive after they hear his voice. SESSION NOTES I. Jesus Heals A Lame Man On The Sabbath Day. A. John 5:1-15 1. The Myste…

When Jesus made his way into Galilee, he was repeatedly confronted by demon-possessed individuals. When a land becomes filled with the worship of false gods, demonic possession soon overtakes it. We also examine Jesus' proverb of wine and wineskins. SESSION NOTES I. Early Morning, Jesus Begins A Tour Of Galilee. A. Mark 1:35-39 B. Luke 4:42-44 II. …

While Jesus was visiting his hometown, he made a statement that turned his listeners into an angry mob who seized him to throw him over a cliff, head-first down. Jesus passed through them, probably slipping through a hyperspace as he made his way into Capernaum. SESSION NOTES I. Galilee Welcomes Jesus. A. John 4:43-45 II. Jesus Begins Teaching In T…

After revealing the way to escape God's judgment, Jesus revealed that there are those who've been judged already due to a form of unbelief that's continually self-fed through the love of darkness over the light. Then Jesus detoured to meet a woman at a well in Sychar. SESSION NOTES I. Exploring Further The Meaning Behind John 3:16. A. John 3:14-18 …

We examine a theory concerning what it was like for Jesus when He came into what Bible scholars call, His Full Knowledge. We also get into Jesus' first miracle: the turning of water into wine, then we cover the conversation with Nicodemus which led to the famous John 3:16. SESSION NOTES I. Theories Of When Jesus Came Into What Bible Scholars Call, …

Jesus & John are now 30 years old. We begin with John's bold and controversial ministry (the destiny of wheat and chaff) and Jesus' illogical request to be baptized (and why). Then we examine Satan's attacks against Jesus as he wandered in the desert for 40 days. SESSION NOTES I. Old Testament Prophesies Of The Coming Messiah That Were Well Known I…

Magi suddenly appear into Israel and shake up the whole kingdom, including King Herod. We examine the significance of the gifts they gave to Jesus and then we fast-forward to Jesus at age 12, covering his 1st confrontation with religious leaders. SESSION NOTES I. The Awesome Irony Of Jesus' Dedication. Luke 2:21-24 II. The Surprise Encounter And Pr…

We explore why Jesus had to be born of a virgin and then we cover the Christmas Story. We start off with the first angelic encounter by Zachariah, Mary and Joseph and go all the way to Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, announced by an army of angels to nearby shepherds. SESSION NOTES I. The Introduction To Zachariah / Elizabeth & The Conflict Between Perf…

Matthew & Luke surprised us with remarkable structures found in Jesus' genealogy while John introduced the doctrine of Grace and explained Jesus' pre-existence before time and space, which lead us diving into the controversial doctrine of The Trinity. SESSION NOTES I. Background & Overview Of What Are Commonly Known As The Gospels. II. Personal Int…

A discussion with Andrew James and his co-host Nate from the radio program, Uncommon Christianity: Discussing alien abductions, the technology of cloning and hybridization, and how all of it ties together with end-time prophecy and the coming of the Antichrist. SESSION NOTES I. The 1st Massive Invasion Of Fallen Angels Against The Women Of Earth. A…

Satan has hidden the truth about what forgiveness really is. It's not about the other person and it's not even about the transgression. It's about healing from the hurt a transgression has caused by taking the debt and transferring it to another account, THE CROSS. SESSION NOTES The Biblical Definition Of Forgiveness & The Secret Ingredient. A. Mat…

Forgiveness is a challenge for most of us today because we've been falsely taught that reconciliation must always follow. Jesus taught in Matthew 18 that this simply isn't true. Forgiveness and reconciliation are separate things, they are not the same. SESSION NOTES I. Forgiveness & Reconciliation Are Separate Things; They Are Not The Same. A. An E…