Studies in Matthew
DD119-Christ's Teaching on Living Above and Beyond the Law
Jesus Christ came into a very ancient society that had built its life and customs on the "law and the prophets". He came as a revolutionary, not trying to overthrow the law but to complete and fulfill it. In our study we want to look at Christ as the fulfillment of the Jewish law and what that means for our lives today.
DD123 - God Gives to Us so We Can Provide For Others - Matthew 6:1-4 / 19-21
We can afford to be the most generous people in the world when we're related to the king of the universe. God gives to us that we might be the provider for others.
DD124 - Our Lord's Teaching on Prayer and Fasting - Part 1 (A study of Matthew 6:5-8 / Matthew 6: 16-18 / Matthew 9:14-15 )
Whether you are a believer that doesn't pray, prays very little, or prays much you'll find the Lord's directives in this study uncomplicated and encouraging.
DD125 - Our Lord's Teaching on Prayer --Part 2 (A study of Matthew 6:9-13)
Prayer is to become such an important part of life that Jesus laid out a "pattern" for prayer in response to the request of one of His disciples. These verses in Matthew are traditionally called "The Lord's Prayer" but it's actually a pattern for all of us. It should really be called "The Disciple's Prayer" and thus "Our Prayer".
DD126 - Ask, Seek, Knock -- Our Lord's Teaching on Prayer --Part 3 ( Matthew 7:7-11 )
Prayer is to be an active and engaging exchange with our Heavenly Father. Jesus teaches us that there are three actions we are to take when we pray.
DD127- Coming Out of the Dark and the Cost of Being a Christian ( Matthew 6:22-24/ Matthew 8:18-22 )
We can never accuse Jesus of trying to recruit followers before they knew what would be involved. He wants anyone that wants to be his disciple to count the cost first before making a commitment.
DD128- The High Cost of Worry (Matthew 6: 25,34)
The world says that worry is a normal part of our life but worry in God's eyes IS NOT a normal part of life. IT IS NOT a harmless activity that is natural to the human race. If you are prone to worry then you'll want to carefully consider Christ's teaching on this important subject.
DD129-Christ's Compassion and Heart For Men and Women ( Matthew 7:1-5 / Matthew 9:36-38 )
In this study the Lord starts by being very abrupt with us when it comes to the topic of judging and criticizing others. His advice? DON'T! If we wonder how we should feel toward our fellow men we have only to look at Christ's own attitude.
DD130-Truth and Those Willing To Listen ( Matthew 7:6, 24-27 )
We will look at "truth" in this study and man's willingness (or unwillingness) to hear and act upon it. Can it be that there are some people who will never accept God's truth?
DD131-All Life Is a Choice - (Matthew 7:12-14 )
We cannot accuse God or his son Jesus of being too complicated in what they teach us. Over and over throughout the Bible we can find one verse summaries of how we are to live. In these next verses in Matthew Jesus makes it quite clear that all of life is a choice.
DD132-Belief is Exposed by Actions - Matthew 7:15-23
Watch out! Beware! Peppered throughout the Lord's teaching to us are these warnings. In the world and sadly within the church there are "wolves dressed in sheep's clothing." The bad is mixed with the good and we must be able to tell the difference. Jesus gives us some guidelines by showing how belief is exposed by actions.
DD133-Jesus Choosing His Staff and Our Own Calling - Matthew 9:9-12 & Matthew 10:1-4
How could God ever use someone like me? Why would he want to? What does God see in me? If these are any of the questions you have asked about yourself then this study will answer some of them for you. We may never know what God sees in us but we know that he sees past our ordinary exterior to our heart. Because he knows us from the inside out he is able to use us with other men and woman that are like who we are.
DD134-The Formation of Christianity in a Jewish World with the First Disciples - Matthew 9:16,17 / Matthew 10:5-42
This study looks at the problem of new ideas and the need for Christianity to be established apart from Judaism. Then we'll learn Christ's instruction to his first disciples and messengers which still relate to us today.
DD135- Questioning God From Tight Places - Matthew 11: 1-11
If you've ever cried out to God from a "tight place" then you have been in the same spot as John the Baptist. In these few verses about the great man John the Baptist, Jesus shows us the second half of the gospel that John and his disciples didn't know. We too may be enlightened to know more about the God we seek.
DD136- The Way to Truth - Matthew 11: 12-27
If you have ever met a "know it all" you quickly learn that they don't know it all. You'll discover the two deadly sins that keep "know it alls" from the truth and the one virtue needed by all of us to find the truth.
DD137- Rest for Weary Souls - Matthew 11:28-30 / Matthew 12: 1-14
There is nothing that makes men so tired as religion. Religion is an exhausting web of "do's and don'ts". Real Christianity is about a relationship with Jesus Christ and there is only one law that is needful. When you live by the one law all others are fulfilled.
DD138-We are Called and Equipped For a Mission - Matthew 12:15-21 / Matthew 12:22-29
If you are a Christian then you are Christ's representative now in this world. We'll learn in this study what makes us qualified and how God Himself equips us for the special mission He has for each one of us.
DD139-We Are Either For or Against Jesus But There is No Neutrality - Matthew 12: 30 / Matthew 12: 38-42
The world divided into two parts with the coming of Jesus Christ, the son of God. In the person of Jesus we are confronted with God and every man must decide for himself what to do with Christ. We are either for Him or against Him but there is no neutrality!
DD140- An Unforgivable Sin - Matthew 12: 31-33
Do you ever wonder whether you have committed the "unpardonable sin" or felt fearful lest it should ever happen? This study will reveal the one person that can't be guilty of this sin.
DD141- Words are the Thermometer of the Heart - Matthew 12:34-37
Our words reveal our true heart. This is a short study but from it we learn that words are the thermometer of the heart.
DD142- The Danger of an Empty Mind and Heart - Matthew 12: 43-45
A religion that simply consists of "thou shalt nots" will never be effective at keeping us from evil. It's not enough that we merely stop sinning. The evil must be replaced with the good.
DD143- Christ's True Spiritual Family - Matthew 12:46-50
Often our families are the ones who understand us the least. That was the case for Jesus as well. In this study Jesus makes clear who his true spiritual family is.
DD144- Jesus is There When We Need Him - Matthew 14: 22-33
This study is for any of us in extreme circumstances that feel we are sinking fast. We have a sweet reminder in these verses that God is committed to sustaining us throughout our life.
DD145- How Do We Get a Clean Heart? - Matthew 15:1-20
Are you making yourself sick? You act one way before men but inside you know there is impurity, wrong motives, bad thinking and pride -- all of which you have continually tried to keep hidden. If you are at this point and long for the holiness that God wants for you then this study will clarify what a clean heart is and how you can have one.
DD146-Faith Tested and Passionate Prayer - Matthew 15:21-28
It could be argued that if prayer isn't passionate it's not really prayer. When you go to God are you passionate enough to "not take no for an answer"? We have in our study today the story of a Canaanite woman that was having her faith tested by Jesus himself. Her passionate prayer and persistence earned the highest accolade the Lord could have given.
DD147-The Miracle of Small Giving - Matthew 15: 29-39
God is always in the business of supporting the weak, the tired, the helpless. In the same way, He wants us to do the same. But how is this possible when our own resources are so limited and the needs so big?
DD148 -Warnings From Jesus Concerning False Teaching - Matthew 15:29-39
What did Jesus mean when He cautioned us to be on our guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees? In these verses we'll study the warnings Jesus gave concerning false teaching.
DD149-Jesus--Man's Last Hope - Matthew 16:1-4
It is in Jesus that we see God. If we don't see God in Christ then we will never see him. Jesus Christ is God's last word to men.
DD150- Jesus, Is He Your Personal Discovery? - Matthew 16: 13-23
The end was very near now for Jesus and he was confronting a problem. Was there anyone who recognized him for who he really was? If there was, then his work could safely move on. If not, Christianity would die with him. This study is much more than Jesus dealing with his twelve disciples. It extends right down to us today.
DD151- The First Requirement to be a Disciple of Jesus - Matthew 16:24
Jesus opens the invitation to be his disciples to anyone. He says, "If anyone would come after me....." This "anyone" includes you and I. But -- Jesus lays out three qualifications that must be met first. This study will deal with the first requirement.
DD152- The Second Requirement to be a Disciple of Jesus - Matthew 16:24
We've been looking at the Lord's requirements for being his disciple. The first requirement we looked at was what it means to deny our "self". Our "self" refers to what Romans 6:6 refers to as our "old self". This first requirement is the foundation to the second one which we'll look at in this study.
DD153- The Third Requirement to be a Disciple of Jesus - Matthew 16:24
We have just studied that the first requirement to be the Lord's disciple is to deny the "self" life. The second requirement deals with us taking up our cross daily. Now we come to the third requirement to be Christ's disciple.
DD154 - The Transfiguration - A Spiritual Mountain Top Experience - Matthew 17:1-13
In this study we come to an event called the Transfiguration of Jesus. It was what I call a "mountain top experience" for Jesus, Peter, James and John. It was a time of revelation. God gives those times to each one of us but they are not meant to last. They are meant to strength us for the next step. Let's study together the revelation that God gave at this time and what it also means for us.
DD155 - The Essential Faith Needed For Life's Problems - Matthew 17:14-20
The disciples had just experienced a big spiritual failure. In this study we learn the reason for spiritual failure and how we can avoid falling into the same trap.
DD156- Christianity and Good Citizenship - Matthew 17:24-27
This short study gives us a glimpse of our duty as a citizen and the reason behind our submitting to civil authority.
DD157- Our Attitude Towards God and Our Fellowmen- Matthew 18:1-4
When Jesus brings a bright-eyed little child to himself and has him sit down he proceeds to teach his disciples and us what a Christian's attitude should be towards God and his fellowmen.
DD158- Our Responsibility to Children and Those Younger in the Faith - Matthew 18:5-7, 10
A "child", meaning either a young person or someone young in the faith, is so important to God that Jesus has some very definite teaching to give to each of us concerning our role in their lives.
DD159- Get Radical With Sin - Matthew 18: 8-9
Jesus has radically dealt with sin on our behalf but each of us still need to cooperate with the Holy Spirit as we get radical with sin in our own lives.
DD160- Do We Matter To God? - Matthew 18: 12-14
If you've ever had doubts about whether you matter to God this study will answer that questions once and for all.
DD161 - What Do We Do When Another Believer Wrongs Us? - Matthew 18: 15-35
What do we do when another believer wrongs us? The Lord knew that this would happen and he gives us practical steps to maintain the unity in our relationships.
DD162 - Marriage and Divorce - Matthew 19:1-9
When the Pharisees came to Jesus to ask him about divorce in Matthew 19:3 they were seeking to involve Him in a controversy. Jesus side steps their question and takes us back to the beginning to look at God's original intention for marriage and divorce.
DD163 - To Marry or Not --That is the Question! - Matthew 19:10-12
To marry or not to marry -- that is the question Jesus addresses with his disciples when they are surprised by his teaching about marriage and divorce.
DD164 - "Let the Children Come!" - Matthew 19: 13-15
Using children as an object lesson Jesus shares who will qualify to be part of the Kingdom of God and why.
DD165- The Wrong Idea About Religion - Matthew 19: 16-22
What is it that can block eternal life even for a person apparently doing all the right things? This study focuses on a young man, who like many of us, had the wrong idea about religion and finds himself coming up short.
DD166- Riches and Their Danger- Matthew 19: 23-26
Jesus knew that the rich take on certain attitudes. They are so dangerous that they can keep a wealthy man from the salvation that Jesus has for him. This study continues to focus on the rich, young ruler mentioned in study 165 and exposes the traps that wealth can bring.
DD167- What Will We Get Out of Following Christ?- Matthew 19: 27-30
Men and women who think only in terms of this world conclude that if they give so much they ought to get so much back. If we spend our energy on something, we should expect to get something in return. In this study Peter asks Jesus a question. It is one you may have asked yourself.
DD168 - The Generosity of God - Matthew 20:1-16
Jesus is telling a parable so that we will see more clearly what the Kingdom of Heaven is like and especially about the generosity of God.
DD169 - False Ambition and True Ambition - Matthew 20: 20-28
In a display of great patience, Jesus uses a situation that came up with two of his disciples to teach us the difference between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world as well as the difference between false ambition and true ambition.
DD170 - Let's Get Specific About Prayer - Matthew 20: 29-34
When two blind beggars call out to Jesus in their need, Jesus uses the situation to teach his disciples and us about being specific in prayer and being ready to reach out to receive the answer God wants to give.
DD171 - How to Walk Through Your Life in God's Will - Matthew 20:17-19/ Matthew 21: 1-11
We now hear Jesus for the third time warning His disciples that He was on his way to the cross. And in the next events he uses his own life as an object lesson to teach us about walking in God's will for our own life.
DD172 - A Time to Clean House - Matthew 21:12-17
Overturning the tables of the money-changers and animal booths in the temple was Christ's reaction to the greed and profiteering going on in the name of religion. It was time to clean house. In this study we learn how this applies to our own life -- the temple of our body.
DD173 - Are You Bearing Fruit For God? - Matthew 21: 18-19
When Jesus curses a fig tree for not having any fruit on it he raises the question for all of his disciples, both then and now, as to whether we are producing fruit for God? Without God's fruit we are barren people and like the fruitless fig tree - good for nothing.
DD174 - The Prayer of Faith- A Lesson in Supernatural Living - Matthew 21:20-22
Jesus gives us an incredible word in these verses. He tell us that whatever we ask in prayer we will receive if we have faith. Does he really mean this and if so does he mean it for our lives today?
DD175 - Are You Doing God's Will? - Matthew 21: 23-32
Some of us show reluctance towards God but follow him anyways, while others of us talk like we are on God's side but our actions don't match our talk. So how can we know where we stand in aligning our life with God? This study will help us answer the question, "Are we doing God's will? .
DD176 - Will You Be Found Trustworthy? - Matthew 21: 33-46
In this parable, Jesus addresses the issue as to whether we will be found trustworthy in believing and obeying him as God's son
DD177 - You Are Invited But Will You Come? - Matthew 22: 1-14
In this parable we learn that entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven has been opened to every man and woman because of the Jews rejection of it. But having the right clothes on will mean the difference between acceptance or rejection. What does this mean and where do we get the right clothes?
DD178 - Dual Citizenship - Matthew 22: 15-46
In an effort to discredit Jesus, the Jewish leaders asked a series of trick questions. In his brilliant responses Jesus teaches them (and us) about the concept of our dual citizenship and how it affects all of life.
DD179 - Christ's Warnings For the Jews and the Gentiles - Matthew 23: 1-39
The Jewish leaders who had tried to trick Jesus in his own words had failed. Now, the Lord turns to the crowds and his disciples and gives them some very definite instruction concerning these leaders. It's as applicable today as it was then.
DD180 - End Times - Part 1-Matthew 24:1-14
Matthew 24 is called the Olivet Prophecy and is the most detailed of all Bible predictions. The Lords gives us this detailed account of the end times so that his children will not be fearful but ready.
DD181- End Times -Part 2 - Six Perils - Matthew 24: 4-14
This study continues looking at the six perils that we will encounter during the time before the "end of the age". As believers we are to know what we believe and why we believe it so that we will not be deceived by the false teachers of our time.
DD182 - End Times- Part 3- The Great Tribulation and Rapture - Matthew 24:15-22 / 36-44
Let's continue discussing the end times that Jesus spoke of in the Olivet Prophecy, specifically the events called The Great Tribulation and the Rapture.
DD183 - End Times - Part 4 - The Second Coming of Christ - Mathew 24:29-44
We are studying the end times that Jesus spoke of in the Olivet Prophecy. This study focuses on the second coming of Christ and our part in preparing for that.
DD184- Watching and Waiting For the Lord - Part 1 - Matthew 24:45-51
Jesus tells us several times to watch and wait for him. Then he presents us with three stories that tell us what watching and waiting will mean for those who believe in him. This study is the first of these three stories and teaches believers to be ready for the Lord TODAY!
DD185 - Watching and Waiting For the Lord - Part 2 - Matthew 25: 1-13
Jesus tells us several times to watch and wait for him. Then he presents us with three stories that tell us what watching and waiting will mean for those who believe in him. This study is the second of these stories comparing wise with foolish Christians.
DD186 - Watching and Waiting For the Lord - Part 3 - Matthew 25:14-30
With whatever we have been given we are to risk it all so that God can have his increase and be glorified by our work. This is the third story that Jesus tells comparing diligent with lazy believers.
DD187 - The Sheep and the Goats -- Practical Christianity - Matthew 25:31-46
This parable is about one of three judgments coming in which Jesus will make a decision as to who will be part of His Millennial Kingdom. Will we be surprised by his decision?
For the remainder of the studies in Matthew please click the link TOPICAL STUDIES & SEMINARS on the homepage. Choose the course called Man's Problem, God's Cure. Part 1 of this course deals with the crucifixion, starting a week before Christ died and going through Christ's resurrection. To accurately deal with the Lord's death and resurrection we'll look not only at Matthew but Mark, Luke and John as well.
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