Straight From The Heart Radio

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.

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.

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.

Two big questions- Is divorce ever 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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Clean hands, dirty heart- The Pharisees criticized Jesus and His disciples for not following a ceremonial tradition of washing hands. Jesus used this as an opportunity to point out the danger of being too focused on appearing holy on the outside, but still having a wicked and sinful heart.

The storms of life- It's been said that we are either headed into a storm, in the middle of a storm, or coming out of a storm. There are many reasons why we can find ourselves in the middle of trying circumstances, but one thing we can always trust is that Jesus will be with us in those times.

Feeding the five thousand- The disciples thought they were headed toward a time of rest with Jesus until they were interrupted by a crowd of people. Nearing the end of the day, the disciples wanted to send the people home, but Jesus knew they were hungry and needy. God's provision is always best.

His name became known- Jesus sent out the twelve disciples to preach repentance and gave them power to perform miracles. The name of Jesus became "well known" to the people because of their ministry, including King Herod. John the Baptist called out Herod because of his unlawful marriage. How do you respond to criticism?

The sin of unbelief- Jairus trusted Jesus when He was challenged to believe despite what seemed to be a failed attempt to have Jesus heal his daughter. His faith was rewarded when he saw Jesus raise his daughter from the dead. In contrast, Jesus "could do no mighty works" in his hometown of Nazareth because of their unbelief.

Keep believing- A man named Jairus with a gravely ill daughter, and a woman dealing with an issue of blood flow for 12 years each came to Jesus out of desperation. Jesus chose to help the woman first, while Jairus's daughter died in her sickness. Why does God choose to heal some people and not others?

Who can this be?- When Jesus calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee, the disciples asked in fear and amazement, "who can this be?" When they arrived at the other side of the sea in the country of the Gadarenes, their question was answered in an encounter with a demon possessed man.

Stories and storms- After another day of teaching the gathered crowds through parables, Jesus and the disciples prepared to cross the Sea of Galilee, and quickly found themselves in the middle of a storm. There are some lessons we can only learn in the storms of life.

The parable of the sower- What place does God's word have in your life? People have plenty of excuses they make for not reading the bible, but Jesus showed in this parable that the real problem is whether our hearts are prepared to receive the seed of the word.

The unpardonable sin- Jesus said, "he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness but is subject to eternal condemnation." What is the unpardonable sin? There is an important difference between quenching the Spirit and resisting the Spirit.

Stretch out your hand- Jesus called many to follow Him, but not everyone had faith to accept His invitation. The first work we are called to in a relationship with Jesus is to "be with Him." The Pharisees became more hostile toward Jesus and started to plan how they might kill him.

Breaking tradition- The Pharisees were offended by the fact that Jesus and his disciples did not strictly adhere to rules when it came to religious ordinances, like fasting and the Sabbath. Jesus was not just a rebel. He wanted the religious Jews to know that He came to do a new work.

The call of Matthew- Matthew decided to follow Jesus after a life of observing the hypocrisy of religion and experiencing the emptiness of pursuing happiness through material wealth. How do you see your unsaved friends? Jesus saw sinners as those who are spiritually sick.

The power to forgive- How motivated are you to bring your friends to Jesus? Four men were so determined to get their paralyzed friend to Jesus they broke through someone's roof. Jesus claimed the authority to do something only God can do- forgive sins.

Jesus can make you clean- A man with leprosy came to Jesus, desperate to be free of a disease that isolated him from society. Just as leprosy corrupts the body, sin slowly kills the soul, and disrupts our fellowship with God. Only Jesus can cleanse us from the disease of sin.

Preaching the gospel- In one action-packed day at Capernaum, Jesus taught with authority, cast out demons, and healed the sick. Jesus was clear that the objective of His work was that people would "repent, and believe in the gospel."

The Gospel of Mark- Mark's gospel cuts right to the chase. Unlike Matthew and Luke, who begin their gospels with the birth of Jesus, Mark begins by showing how John the Baptist was called to pave the way for Jesus.

Rest from the enemy- The feast of Purim became a day of celebration and gladness to remember how God used Mordecai and Esther to deliver the Jewish people. We are ambassadors of the gospel, called to spread the good news that Christ has overcome sin and death.

A new law published- With Haman and his evil plot in the past, Esther and her people still faced a problem. The law of sin and death cannot be changed, but the new law of grace has now been issued through Christ.

Haman's demise- After a sleepless night, the king discovered that no one ever honored Mordecai for foiling an assassination attempt against the king. When Esther revealed to the king Haman's plot to destroy the Jews, it was Haman who was hanged on the gallows meant for Mordecai.

A banquet with the king- Esther worked up the courage to request an audience with the king so she could make a request to save her people. Haman and Esther both looked forward to a banquet with the king for very different reasons.

Such a time as this- We can't remain silent in a culture that desperately needs to hear the truth of the gospel. Mordecai sent a message to Esther to encourage her that God had placed her where she was for a reason and a purpose.

Haman's evil plan- Haman successfully influenced the king to make a decree that all the Jews in his kingdom should be annihilated. When Mordecai caught wind of the grave news, he hurried to try and warn Esther that her people were in trouble.

The wrath of Haman- Haman was promoted above all the princes after a failed assassination attempt on the king's life. Haman began to concoct his own conspiracy against the Jewish people after Mordecai refused to bow down and pay homage to Haman.

The king loved Esther- On the search for a new queen, King Ahasuerus noticed something different about one of the applicants, a young Jewish girl named Esther. Esther's cousin Mordecai advised her not to reveal her Jewish heritage.

Vashti said no- Ahasuerus, the king of Persia, was the leader of the most powerful empire in the world, but he was weak because he could not say no to alcohol. In contrast, Queen Vashti said no to the king, and refused to be held up as his personal trophy.

The book of Esther- God is not named one time in the book of Esther. Esther's story reminds us that God's hand of providence and protection is always working behind the scenes, even if we can't feel his presence.

Final exhortations- Concluding his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul announced he would be returning to visit them, and expressed his genuine love for the church there. Paul also challenged those who were critical of him to make sure to examine themselves.

Visions and revelations- There were some voices in the church during Paul's time (and even now) that boasted about having revelations from God. What was Paul's thorn in the flesh? Through persistent prayer, Paul learned that God's grace was enough to sustain him.

Credentials of an apostle- What kind of fool would willingly choose a life of suffering? That's what many who were critical of Paul's ministry said about him. Paul did not use his apostleship as a platform to boast in himself, only to glorify God.

Godly jealousy- Like a loving parent, Paul was concerned about false teachings that were creeping into the Corinthian church. Deceptive doctrines can be very subtle and even appealing, many times containing some hints of truth.

Warning against comparisons- One problem plaguing some people in the church at Corinth was the temptation of comparisons. We should not be measuring the health of our relationship with God based on what other people are doing. Christ alone should be our standard.

Weapons of our warfare- There is a spiritual war going on between good and evil. How do you fight against an invisible enemy who knows your weaknesses? Through prayer and the word of God. These are the weapons of our warfare.

Sowing and reaping- There is a difference between tithing and giving. Paul says the main principle for giving is very simple: "God loves a cheerful giver." God wants us to give of our time, money, and resources out of the goodness of our hearts.

Giving in the church- God can use finances to further His work through the body of Christ. How should Christians think through the topic of giving at church?

Wisdom concerning giving- Some people in the church wrongly encourage giving as a form of investment. We aren't supposed to give and expect something back in return. Paul pointed to Jesus, and the church at Macedonia, as examples of what a giving heart that pleases God looks like.

Godly sorrow- Did Paul regret writing his first letter to the Corinthians? Like a surgeon, Paul knew his words would painfully cut into the hearts of his brethren at Corinth. The news of their repentance brought Paul great joy.

Let us cleanse ourselves- Some of the Corinthians were letting worldliness creep into their lives. They were making excuses for unhealthy fellowship with unbelievers. Paul called them to repentance and cleansing from their idolatry.

Serving with Christ- What can the servant of God expect to experience? It is certainly not a glamorous calling. In fact, you can expect to face hardship in your service to God. Serving Christ means separation from the world, but not isolation.

The word of reconciliation- Christians are all called to be ambassadors for Christ, imploring others to be reconciled to Him. The word of reconciliation is the truth that only Jesus Christ can offer man forgiveness and peace with God.

God's Servant Satisfied- Isaiah chapter 53 paints perhaps the greatest picture of Jesus Christ in the old testament. Follow along with Pastor Joe through this 5-part series as we take some time to focus on the person and mission of Jesus for Passion Week.