Straight From The Heart
Aired Teaching # Scripture Description Listen
5/15/2025 WED171 Luke 11:1-13 Teach us to pray- People have all kinds of methods and strategies for an effective prayer life. If we are not careful, that can turn into legalism. Jesus shared "the Lord's prayer" with His disciples as a model for what the heart of our prayers and communion with God should be.
5/14/2025 WED170 Luke 10:25-42 Serving and worshiping- Our service to the Lord is very important, but God cares more about the servant than the service. When Jesus came into the home of Mary and Martha, the way these sisters interacted with Him became a living parable for us to learn from.
5/13/2025 WED170 Luke 10:25-42 Who is my neighbor?- We can have all our theology straight, but it means nothing if we are not loving and serving people. Jesus shared the parable of the Good Samaritan to show that our faith needs to be demonstrated through our actions.
5/12/2025 WED169 Luke 9:51-10:24 Lambs among wolves- After laying out the cost of discipleship to some curious listeners, Jesus gave some guidance and instructions before sending out 70 of His disciples. Our ultimate joy should not be found in the things we do for Christ, but in the fact our names are "written in heaven."
5/9/2025 M238 Podcast Interview with Pastor Brian Weed- Pastor Joe sits down with Pastor Brian Weed to discuss a new Calvary Chapel fellowship meeting on Tuesday evenings in Levittown, PA. Pastor Brian shares his heart and excitement for this new gathering.
5/8/2025 WED169 Luke 9:51-10:24 A lesson about anger- Anger is not wrong, but how we use our anger is where the trouble comes in. James and John learned a lesson about anger after they became outraged seeing some people not being very welcoming to Jesus.
5/7/2025 WED168 Luke 9:26-50 Humility and greatness- After delivering a boy possessed by an evil spirit, Jesus instructed His disciples about the importance of prayer and fasting, and what greatness look like in the kingdom of God.
5/6/2025 WED168 Luke 9:26-50 Up on the mountain- Jesus took Peter, James, and John up on a mountain to experience His glory. Jesus knows there are times in our walk with Him when we need a fresh revelation of His love and character, and He will be faithful to give us that.
5/5/2025 WED167 Luke 9:1-26 Who is Jesus to you?- Some people claim Jesus was just a good moral teacher. The truth is, Jesus was either a liar, a lunatic, or the Son of God. What exactly did Jesus mean when He said His followers would need to take up their cross daily, and follow Him?
5/2/2025 WED167 Luke 9:1-26 Healing and feeding- Jesus gave His twelve disciples power and authority to heal the sick and deliver the demon possessed. But what about feeding a crowd of thousands of people with what seems to be insufficient resources? Jesus did not choose us because we are qualified.
5/1/2025 WED166 Luke 8:41-56 Don't be afraid, believe- When Jairus heard his daughter had died, his worst fears came true. If only that woman did not interrupt them, maybe his daughter would have been saved. Why does God allow some to be healed and not others? When our faith is failing Jesus says, "believe."
4/30/2025 WED166 Luke 8:41-56 When God delays- When expectations are delayed it can be difficult to endure. God does not always operate the way we expect Him to. A man named Jairus convinced Jesus to come heal his dying daughter, but another desperate and needy woman interrupted Jesus along the way.
4/29/2025 WED165 Luke 8:19-40 Light and darkness- The Bible says that there is spiritual warfare, a war between light and darkness. After coming through the storm, Jesus displayed His authority over those dark forces when He freed a demon-possessed man.
4/28/2025 WED165 Luke 8:19-40 Finding peace in the storms- Jesus was misunderstood by many throughout His earthly ministry. His family thought He lost His mind. Even His disciples doubted Him at times. Jesus was completely at peace in the storms of life, and He wants us to have His peace too.
4/25/2025 WED164 Luke 8:1-18 Parable of the sower (part 2)- Jesus explains the meaning and application of the parable of the sower. Not everyone will gladly receive the seed of God's word. Are you actively praying for those in your life with hard hearts?
4/24/2025 WED164 Luke 8:1-18 Parable of the sower- What is the "soil" of your heart like? Jesus said there is hard, rocky, crowded, and good soil. We could identify with any one of these four soils at different times in the Christian life.
4/23/2025 WED163 Luke 7:24-50 A dinner invitation- Jesus received an invitation for dinner at the house of Simon, a Pharisee. During their social engagement, a woman living in sin came to Simon's home and washed Jesus' feet. The woman and Simon were both sinners in need of cleansing despite the disparity in their social status.
4/22/2025 WED163 Luke 7:24-50 None greater than John- Jesus affirmed that John the Baptist was the last and the greatest of the prophets. How is it then that "he who is least in the kingdom of God" could be greater than John?
4/21/2025 WED162 Luke 7:1-23 God has visited His people- Jesus spoke a word to a grieving mother's dead son and he came back to life. Only God could display such power and authority. Jesus came to solve the problem of sin and death, but many misunderstood what His mission was.
4/18/2025 SAM793 John 19:38-41 Treasuring the King's body- Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus had a special privilege no one else in history can claim. They showed great honor and dedication for the dead body of Jesus. What would their message be to the church today?
4/17/2025 WED162 Luke 7:1-23 Faith that amazed Jesus- A centurion sent messengers to plead with Jesus that He might come heal a beloved servant at death's door. What was it that impressed Jesus so much about this Gentile's faith? Do you trust the authority of God's word?
4/16/2025 WED161 Luke 6:12-49 A kingdom attitude (Part 2)- What foundation are you building your life on? Jesus taught that the solid rock of His words is much preferred to the shaky foundation of worldliness.
4/15/2025 WED161 Luke 6:12-49 A kingdom attitude- What does it mean to be a partaker in the kingdom of God? What is expected of us as Christ followers? Jesus taught His great manifesto to a crowd of people wondering that very question.
4/14/2025 WED160 Luke 5:27-6:11 Lord of the Sabbath- The Sabbath had become a burden to many religious Jews. It became about following rules and ordinances. The Pharisees were outraged when Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath.
4/11/2025 WED160 Luke 5:27-6:11 The great physician- Jesus seemed to push against the religious status quo of His time. He spent time with sinners, and His disciples did not fast and pray like others. Was He a trouble maker? A rebel? Jesus was clear that He came to start something new. Something better.
4/10/2025 WED159 Luke 5:12-26 God alone forgives sin- Jesus looked at a paralyzed man let down through the roof by his friends and knew what his greatest need was- he needed forgiveness. His paralysis was the result of a sin problem. How much are you willing to do to bring your friends to Jesus?
4/9/2025 WED159 Luke 5:12-26 He is willing- Jesus is willing to cleanse us from our sin just like He was willing to heal the leper. The question is, are we willing to surrender to Him? The disease of sin, like leprosy, will lead to isolation, decay, and death.
4/8/2025 WED158 Luke 4:14-5:11 Preaching, healing, and calling- After his rejection at Nazareth, Jesus went to Galilee and began healing many people, fulfilling what the scripture said would be part of the work of the Messiah. Jesus is calling you and I to be fishers of men, just as He called Peter.
4/7/2025 WED158 Luke 4:14-5:11 A not so warm welcome- Jesus came to his hometown of Nazareth and preached in a synagogue on the Sabbath. Those who were present "marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth." Not everyone was thrilled with what He had to say.
4/4/2025 WED157 Luke 3:18-4:13 Overcoming temptation- The enemy will often come to us with temptation when we are tired and weary. The temptation in the wilderness is a blueprint for us to learn how to overcome temptation and identify the strategies of Satan.
4/3/2025 WED157 Luke 3:18-4:13 Filled and led- Jesus lived most of His life on earth in obscurity. Is there anything from those "forgotten years" we can learn? If Jesus was God what was the point of His baptism? There is no temptation we will face that the Spirit cannot help us overcome.
4/2/2025 WED156 Luke 2:39-3:17 Preparing the way- John the Baptist was "the voice of one crying in the wilderness." He was the last and the greatest of the prophets. Under the New Covenant, followers of Jesus have a message even more clear and powerful than John the Baptist.
4/1/2025 WED156 Luke 2:39-3:17 Where did Jesus go?- After traveling a day's journey, Mary and Joseph realized they had left young Jesus behind in Jerusalem. Does it feel like Jesus has left you at times? Does His presence feel far away? God is faithful to help us grow in our faith and trust in Him.
3/31/2025 WED155 Luke 2:1-38 Peace, goodwill toward men- It did not take long for word to spread that something special happened in Bethlehem. God supernaturally revealed to some that the Messiah had come including shepherds in a field, and a "just and devout" man named Simeon.
3/28/2025 WED155 Luke 2:1-38 The birth of Christ- Let's get the details straight about the birth of Jesus. There are some things about the events surrounding Christ's birth that people believe that are just not biblical. Jesus was born in obscurity, so no one would be embarrassed to come to him.
3/27/2025 WED154 Luke 1:39-80 Zacharias' prophecy- Eight days after the birth of his son John, Zacharias was finally able to speak again. The Holy Spirit spoke a prophetic word through Zacharias about the calling on his son's life, and how it was to be tied to the coming of the Messiah.
3/26/2025 WED154 Luke 1:39-80 Mary's song- Mary was blessed among women but imagine the challenges she faced in having to explain her pregnancy. Especially to her fiance Joseph. Mary's faith was greatly encouraged after a visit with her cousin Elizabeth.
3/25/2025 WED153 Luke 1:1-38 Mary, blessed among women- Unlike Zacharias, Mary had faith that something miraculous was going to take place according to Gabriel. The Bible clearly teaches the virgin birth. If Jesus wasn't born of a virgin, that has serious theological implications.
3/24/2025 WED153 Luke 1:1-38 The gospel of Luke- Dr. Luke's record of the life and ministry of Jesus contains details not revealed to us in the other gospels. Luke begins his gospel with the miraculous, and at times humorous story, of the angel Gabriel's appearance to Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist.