Straight From The Heart
Aired Teaching # Scripture Description Listen
3/18/2024 SPM549 Mark 14:53-15:21 Denied by friend and foe- When Jesus was brought to the Sanhedrin they asked if He was the Christ. He answered, "I am." He was spit on, mocked, and beaten for only speaking the truth. Standing up for the truth won't always be easy. Peter's faith failed, but his failure did not put him out of reach of God's grace and love.
3/15/2024 SPM548 Mark 14:1-52 He took the cup- The significance of the last Passover meal Jesus celebrated with His disciples must have escaped them. What new covenant was Jesus talking about? After literally taking the cup of Passover, Jesus made His way to the garden at Gethsemane where He prepared to accept the cup of God's wrath for all of mankind.
3/14/2024 SPM548 Mark 14:1-52 Anointing and betrayal- Although not in chronological order, the anointing at Bethany by Mary, and the betrayal of Judas are recorded next to each other in Mark to show a stark contrast. Mary demonstrated her love and devotion to Jesus, while Judas was conniving and deceitful.
3/13/2024 SPM547 Mark 13:14-37 Watch and pray- Jesus said He will return one day, but "of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." How could Jesus not be aware of the timing of His return? Does the way you are living reflect the fact that you believe Jesus could come back at any moment?
3/12/2024 SPM547 Mark 13:14-37 The Great Tribulation- Jesus confirmed the words of Daniel that there will be "a time of trouble" on the earth one day unlike any time in history. There are various opinions about end times events, but one thing for certain is that at the end of this period of great tribulation Jesus will return.
3/11/2024 SAM321 Mark 13:9-23 The Antichrist- What does the bible say about the antichrist? There are a lot of opinions and theories out there about this significant end times figure. Could he be alive today? The antichrist will be Satan's greatest attempt to send the world a savior that is not Jesus Christ.
3/8/2024 SAM320 Mark 13:7-8 Signs of Christ's return- What events will signal the coming of the end times? Jesus said there would be wars, earthquakes, and famines, but haven't these things happened all throughout time? What sets our generation apart from generations of the past?
3/7/2024 SAM319 Mark 13:1-6 Predicting the future- After predicting the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, Jesus' disciples naturally became curious about the timing of future events. Jesus warned first about spiritual deception. Just because someone claims things in the name of Jesus, it doesn't mean they truly represent Him.
3/6/2024 SPM545 Mark 12:13-44 Questions for Jesus: Part 2- After observing Jesus answering the Pharisees and Sadducees, a scribe came and asked in sincerity, "which is the most important commandment?" Jesus pointed out to His disciples a widow in the temple demonstrating what it looks like to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
3/5/2024 SPM545 Mark 12:13-44 Questions for Jesus: Part 1- The Pharisees and Sadducees brought some questions to Jesus, but their intentions were not to gain more knowledge. Thinking they were going to trip Jesus up, the Pharisees and Sadducees came away marveling at the wisdom with which Jesus responded.
3/4/2024 SPM544 Mark 11:1-12:12 The chief cornerstone- It's easy to fall into the trap of letting our behavior be determined by comparing ourselves to other people. Our natural reaction is not to be kind or forgiving when we're treated wrongly. Jesus, the chief cornerstone, should be the standard we measure ourselves by each day.
3/1/2024 SPM544 Mark 11:1-12:12 The triumphal entry- When Jesus entered Jerusalem, prepared to begin his final days of public ministry, many people rejoiced to see Him. However, when Jesus came to the temple, those who were using religion for selfish gain were not so happy to see Him interrupt their operation.
2/29/2024 SPM543 Mark 10:23-52 Faith and doubt- Blind Bartimaeus displayed a reverence for Jesus and had faith that he could be healed. Sometimes faith looks like resisting the temptation to doubt God's love or blame Him for the trials we face.
2/28/2024 SPM543 Mark 10:23-52 The last will be first- Greatness in the world means having fame and riches, but Jesus taught that true greatness and joy are found in serving others.
2/27/2024 SPM542 Mark 9:30-10:22 Two big questions- When is divorce acceptable? Is our eternal destiny based on good behavior? Our culture has a lot of confusing answers to these important questions. How did Jesus answer them?
2/26/2024 SPM542 Mark 9:30-10:22 Serving others, not judging- Jesus had to refocus the attention of the disciples, who were spending a little too much time comparing themselves to others. We need to remain humble, daily examining our own hearts, and let God be the judge of others.
2/23/2024 SPM541 Mark 8:27-9:30 Help my unbelief- When Jesus came down from the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James and John, He encountered the other disciples in the middle of a commotion. A father with a demon possessed son begged Jesus to help, but he doubted there was any hope left after the other disciples failed to cast out the demon.
2/22/2024 SPM541 Mark 8:27-9:30 Understanding the gospel- When Peter correctly declared that Jesus was the Christ, Jesus warned the disciples not to tell people about Him. Why would He say that? The disciples did not know what it meant to follow Jesus because they didn't fully understand the message of the cross.
2/21/2024 SAM306 Mark 8:1-26 Sight and vision- Helen Keller said, "the only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision." Riding on a boat after the feeding of the four thousand, Jesus helped the disciples to realize their failure to understand and perceive the lessons He was aiming to teach them.
2/20/2024 SAM305 Mark 7:31-37 Jesus understands- How persistent are you in your prayers and efforts to bring friends to Jesus? A deaf and mute man was brought to Jesus by his friends who begged Jesus to heal him. Jesus couldn't talk with him through speech, but He was still able to communicate that He knew all the man's emotions and desires.
2/19/2024 SAM304 Mark 7:24-30 Purpose in pain- A Gentile woman came to Jesus and "kept asking" Him to cast a demon out of her daughter. Sometimes God uses our pain and heartache to bring us face to face with Him, so we can gain a greater understanding of His love and compassion.