Category Archives: Expository Teaching

Scripture Reference: Mark 4:1-34 The Kingdom Keeps on Growing – Continued From Last Lesson: The Jews of Israel expected the Day of the Lord would come at once, and God’s enemies would immediately be subjugated. The story would end with … Continue reading →

Scripture Reference: Mark 4:1-34 The Kingdom Keeps on Growing – Continued From Last Lesson: All this sowing and planting and rooting and growing has been for a purpose, because there is a harvest to come from it. So, what is … Continue reading →

Scripture Reference: Mark 4:1-34 The Kingdom Keeps on Growing In the remainder of this section (Mark 4:26-34), Jesus tells two more parables on the “people are plants” theme, and then Mark neatly closes the section on the parables by telling … Continue reading →

Scripture Reference: Mark 4:1-34 The Purpose of the Parables – Continued From Last Lesson: Jesus tells the parables to everyone. The opportunity is there for anyone to come and ask Him for more. In fact this is what Mark 4:24-25 … Continue reading →

Scripture Reference: Mark 4:1-34 The Purpose of the Parables You might be asking the question, why does Jesus use parables at all? Why doesn’t He just say, for instance, “Look, when I preach, people will react in these four different … Continue reading →

Scripture Reference: Mark 4:1-34 The Parable of Parables Of all the parables of Jesus, this parable of the sower is probably the best known. Here is a farmer; it’s the time of year for sowing, and out he goes into … Continue reading →

Scripture Reference: Mark 4:1-34 Imagine that you have bought yourself some furniture that needed assembly. You dig out the instructions and start leafing through. You find the diagrams and think to yourself, “no problem.” Yet as you continue, you see … Continue reading →

Scripture Reference: Psalm 42 The Delight of the Psalmist “Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.” Now drink in verse 8. “The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in … Continue reading →

Scripture Reference: Psalm 42 The Despair of the Psalmist – Continued John the Baptist became dreadfully depressed. He certainly had valid reasons. John was in prison and eventually was beheaded for his preaching. He was “the second Elijah,” the “forerunner” … Continue reading →

Scripture Reference: Psalm 42 The Despair of the Psalmist – Continued The important thought about your depression is not that you get out of it but what you get out of it. What do you learn from it? If your … Continue reading →

Scripture Reference: Psalm 42 The Despair of the Psalmist My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, “Where is your God?” Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you … Continue reading →

Scripture Reference: Psalm 42 The Desire of the Psalmist “As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear … Continue reading →

Scripture Reference: Psalm 42 Believe me, depression is a normal part of our lives. Rain, for instance, is absolutely essential for health and life on this planet, but we wouldn’t want rain all the time. Right? When there is too … Continue reading →

Scripture Reference: Psalm 42 Coming upon the holidays through the next couple of months (end of 2024), it’s not unusual in the least for people to experience that “blue” period in life. Let’s call it what it is: depression. We … Continue reading →

Scripture Reference: Ephesians 1:3-14 In Christ – Continued From Last Lesson: Indeed, it is for this very purpose that God blesses us, that we might praise His wonderful and glorious name! Every spiritual blessing is ours in Christ, and according … Continue reading →

Scripture Reference: Ephesians 1:3-14 In Christ – Continued “Every spiritual blessing” is ours only “in Christ.” The Christian faith and the Christian life are all rooted and grounded in Jesus. This is what Paul is getting at in that difficult … Continue reading →

Scripture Reference: Ephesians 1:3-14 Every Spiritual Blessing – Continued Assurance (verses 13-14) So then, in verses 13-14, Paul reminds his readers that this inheritance cannot be taken away. For, when we believed, we were “sealed with the Holy Spirit of … Continue reading →

Scripture Reference: Ephesians 1:3-14 Every Spiritual Blessing – Continued Redemption (verse 7) In Jesus, Paul reminds us, we have “redemption through His blood.” Redemption is a slave-market term. In the ancient world, if a person desired to grant freedom to … Continue reading →

Scripture Reference: Ephesians 1:3-14 Every Spiritual Blessing – Continued Predestination (verses 4-5) We are in the kingdom, we possess spiritual blessings, we are in Christ, Paul writes, not because we first chose God, but because “He chose us.” Nor did … Continue reading →

Scripture Reference: Ephesians 1:3-14 “Blessing” is not an unfamiliar term for today’s Christians. If we look through the bestsellers at many Christian bookstores, or watch much Christian television, we are likely to find the word sprinkled quite liberally into sermons … Continue reading →