Walking with Messiah Jesus

Mark 4:35-5:14 | Either Jesus is really sound sleeper, or Jesus is trying to tell us something about the storms of our lives. Maybe it’s both. Regardless, Jesus can sleep through the storms that threaten to kill us. He’s not impressed. Like an unruly child, he rebukes our storms and accomplishes a “great calm.” For that matter, he’s not all that impressed with a legion of demons! Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Matthew 13:44-52 | Jesus continues his parables with two about the value of discipleship. In both, he shows that living the kingdom life is more valuable than everything else we have. He tells a parable about those who are gathered with us in the kingdom, and it’s not all good news. Toss in something old and something new and that’ll close up this round of parables with Jesus.Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Matthew 13:24-35, Mark 4:26-29 | A wise missionary once said, “What don’t start small, don’t get big.” He wasn’t original. Jesus’ parables are recorded to adjust the expectations of the people. The Messianic age had arrived, but not in the way they may want it or in the timeframe they desire. However, when it come in it’s fullness, it’s going to be huge!Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Matthew 13:3-17, Mark 4:21-22 | The parables of Jesus help us to attach a nugget of teaching to a story that allows it to stick in our minds. What can we expect when we share with others about the kingdom of heaven? Should we only share that good news with the people we think are ready to hear it? Jesus has the answer in a simple, powerful story.Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Luke 8:1-3, Matthew 12:46-13:3 | Jesus pushed the envelope on many social norms. He gathered women as disciples who assisted in the funding of the mission. He taught openly so that even the poor and the oppressed could learn about God’s kingdom. He also expanded our idea of family, centering our identity in our Father the Creator. This teaching came about when Jesus’ mother and brothers decided they needed to bring crazy Jesus back home to Nazareth…Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Matthew 11:12-15, Luke 7:29-50 | John the Baptist cracked the door open to the Kingdom of Heaven and the people were all in, especially the downtrodden and outcasts. The religious leaders weren’t sure what to think. Perhaps it would be unwise to get too close too soon. When a sinful woman got “too close” to Jesus, things got really interesting at dinner. Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Luke 7:18-28 | Much of our lives are driven by how our expectations match up with reality. John the Baptist was no different. He had certain expectations for Jesus as Messiah. When those expectations weren’t being met, he sent a delegation to question Jesus. Which Messiah are you… the one who saves by the sword, or your own blood?Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Luke 7:1-17 | After the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus returns to his work of proclaiming the Kingdom of Heaven through acts of mercy. Jesus has a knack of doing so in unexpected ways. First, a faith-filled centurion trusts Jesus to heal his servant. Next, an unsuspecting mother gets her son back from the dead. The interpretation? A prophet has returned to Israel? Yes, and more than anyone could anticipate. Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Matthew 7:13-27 | We continue to explore how the Beatitudes serve as the overarching structure of the Sermon on the Mount. The 6th and 7th beatitudes closely map onto the last two sections of the Sermon regarding false prophets and building your house on the rock. How necessary is spiritual integrity? How do we have peace in the storm with room for others to take refuge?Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Matthew 7:3-12, Luke 6:37-40 | In the previous episode, I wondered aloud if the Beatitudes were the outline and structure for the Sermon on the Mount. In this episode, I test the theory on a passage that seems to be all over the place. Is this teaching about judging, specks, logs, pigs, dogs, asking, seeking and door knocking all about mercy? You can be the judge (pun intended). Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Matthew 6:25-7:2 | Worry is our make-believe superpower. So much energy expended for things outside of our control. Jesus wants us to trust in the power of our heavenly Father, to seek his kingdom and his righteousness. We should hunger and thirst for that righteousness, as the beatitude states. In fact, those beatitudes may be more than just a nice way to start a sermon…Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Matthew 6:13-24 | The end of the Lord’s Prayer corresponds to the beginning. We are delivered from evil in order to abide with our Father, who is in heaven. To be delivered from evil is a current reality too. We need to be delivered from the selfishness that corrupts our acts of righteousness. We need to be delivered from our love of money and materialism. The treasures in heaven are infinitely superior.Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Matthew 6:11-13 | The Lord’s Prayer is structured in such a way that it reaches a pinnacle at the petition regarding our “daily bread.” This is the goal of the prayer. The petitions leading up to that pinnacle then inform the petitions that follow. In that way, the prayer interprets itself and focuses into a powerful expression of what Jesus has come to accomplish in and through those who follow him. Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Matthew 6:9-10 | Jesus gave his disciples a prayer that summarized his teachings. This prayer sought to unite the hearts of those who prayed with the will of God in heaven, so that they may represent him in the midst of this broken world. In doing so, they set apart God’s name and become set apart themselves. Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Matthew 6:1-9 | Jesus is all about the heart. Yes, he wants us to do good, but doing good without the right heart is the recipe for hypocrisy and steals away from us the actual reward for doing good. That reward is to celebrate the lasting benefit of good being done in a broken world filled with suffering. Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Matthew 5:43-6:1 | God gives us the example of how to love our enemies. We see it every day as God gives good things to those who he could easily consider to be his enemies. When we reflect that kind of love, we become more complete in our humanity, bearing the image of God. Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Matthew 5:39-45 | Injustice happens. It’s a broken world. The question is not whether injustice will happen to us, but how we will respond when it does. Will we return evil for evil and escalate the injustice, or will we travel the path of peace and reconciliation? Will we dehumanize our opponent and justify any and all retribution or will we see a fellow image bearer of God, deceived by the world?Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Matthew 5:31-39 | If God made rules about it, then that means it’s ok, right? No. Jesus makes it abundantly clear in his Sermon on the Mount that God’s standard is his original creation and that he’s willing to work with us where we are to pull us in that direction. Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Matthew 5:25-30 | The Sermon on the Mount continues with Jesus instructing his disciples about adultery. Certainly, we should put on the brakes before we get there! Where does Jesus want us to apply the brakes? In our hearts. He warns us about our desires and the pruning that is needed to keep us far away from this very destructive sin. Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Matthew 5:20-26 | The Sermon on the Mount challenges us to our core because Jesus is getting to the heart of what God intends for humanity. God did not give us a law, a Torah, so that we would then find loopholes to do what we want, or to put legalistic fences around the commandments to hide our own hypocrisy. Jesus cuts through all of that. “You have heard that it was said… and…”Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Matthew 5:14-20 | Jesus taught his disciples that following him will make a difference. They would be salt and light. However, the difference they would make would not replace or render useless the previous instruction of God. Rather, they would point to the one God sent to epitomize everything the Torah and Prophets were meant to convey. They would point to Jesus. Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Matthew 5:10-13 | The final Beatitude isn’t about something that we do, but what others may do to us due to our peacemaking. Effectively pursuing peace may mean that others who benefit from the darkness of our broken world will pursue us in an effort to stop us. Our response is to rejoice since our work is making a difference, in a sense, we’re being the salt of the earth. Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Matthew 5:8-9 | If Jesus is giving us the Beatitudes to show us that path toward mature discipleship, then somewhere along the way we should have a sense of where he is taking us. What is the goal of this whole thing? We find it here in the 7th Beatitude, “Blessed are the peacemakers…” Trust me, it’s not for the faint of heart, only for the pure of heart.Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Sermon on the Mount #4 | Matthew 5:7-8 | After all the preparatory work of the first four Beatitudes, we finally get busy making a difference in the lives of others. As we do our part to meet the needs of others, we blossom with the active compassion that Jesus has already sown in our hearts. Mercy is beautiful and stunningly effective. It’s so effective that we may confuse God’s success with our own success. Blessed are the pure in heart…Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Sermon on the Mount #3 | Matthew 5:5-7 | Is your life so full of whatever you value that you don’t have space for those who need what God has given to you? Has your heart become numb to the suffering of so many people in our world? Do opportunities to show compassion pass you by without notice? In these Beatitudes, Jesus wakes us up to the cries of those ravaged by our broken world and shows us how to prepare our hearts and our homes to help. Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Sermon on the Mount #2 | Matthew 5:3-5 | Many of Jesus’ Beatitudes seem to be contradictory. Blessed are those who mourn? Blessed are the meek? Huh? Jesus is preparing his disciples to make a difference in this upside-down world. Jesus knows that he must work on our inner world before we can be effective in the outer world. The first four Beatitudes put our hearts and our priorities in the right place so that we can represent the right-side-up reality of Jesus.Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Sermon on the Mount #1 | Matthew 5:1-3 | Welcome to the first episode of our teaching on the Sermon on the Mount. In this episode we set the stage for the sermon by answering some very basic questions. What is the purpose of the sermon? Who is it for? What does it mean to be “blessed” and why does Jeus start his sermon with these “beatitudes?” What does it mean to be “poor in spirit?” Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Mark 3:14-19 | Jesus prayed to his Father about a very important decision. Who among his many disciples would he choose to be his apostles? In order for us to know the gravity of that prayer, we need to know the difference between a disciple and an apostle. When we do, we appreciate all the more who Jesus chose, the expectations that came with it, and the social dynamics of these 12 guys spending lots of time together.Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Matthew 12:9-21 | Injustice is a daily reality for us. That is just as true in Jesus’ time as it is today. So, how do we effect change? We could choose the path of the Zealots, gathering the warriors for violent revolution. Or, we could follow the Servant spoken of in Isaiah 42, the one who gathers the weak and the lowly, and even makes them apostles.Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Matthew 12:1-14, Luke 6:1-11 | There’s just something about the Sabbath that gets the Pharisees all upset and gives Jesus a chance to set His teaching apart. This episode brings up a number of challenging questions. Is Jesus the lord of the Sabbath and doing away with it here? It certainly doesn’t seem that way. Or is it possible that Jesus is actually showing a high regard for the Sabbath and showing us how to keep the good commandment from becoming our idol? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Matthew 12:1-7 | Jesus seems to have a real Sabbath problem. Is Jesus getting rid of the Sabbath? No. Is he rebelling against the Pharisees’ interpretation of the Sabbath? Not really. Jesus’ disciples clearly break the Sabbath and he defends them by demonstrating from the Old Testament how there is something greater than the Sabbath, love. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Luke 5:33-39 | How do we develop our first impression of people? Are we first assessing if they meet our standards, or do we approach them with openness and compassion? Jesus would have us do the latter. In fact, that is how he chose his disciples. He was open to them, and they were open to him. That openness allowed them to take in Jesus’ teachings, like new wine fermenting in new wineskins. Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Luke 5:27-32 | "Follow Me." Those are two words anyone working a tax booth would never expect to hear. To Matthew, it could have been the sweet sound of a seemingly impossible redemption. Jesus saw past the tax collector to the person. We would do well to be just like him.Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Luke 5:15-26 | It’s one of the most dramatic, puzzling moments of all of Jesus’ miracles. While Jesus is teaching, a paralyzed man drops in on Jesus, literally. All in the room are waiting anxiously to see what Jesus will do. Certainly, he is going to heal this man. Jesus says, “Son, your sins are forgiven” before saying “rise and walk.” Didn’t see that coming. Little did anyone know, Jesus was also showing them all how salvation would come to them too.Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

One of the most famous things about Jesus is that he heals people. So, when people with leprosy come to be healed, it seems like standard fare for Jesus. However, there is something more going on with leprosy that makes it a powerful symbol of everything Jesus has come to do for us. His touch changes everything. Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Luke 5:1-11 | It’s time for Rabbi Jesus to gather his disciples. Who should he choose? The highly educated who know how to handle Torah, or some guys who know how to handle the fishing nets? Jesus has come to seek and to save the lost and to call those who consider themselves unworthy into a kind of service that would otherwise be unfathomable to them. Follow me. From now on you will catch people. Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Luke 4:38-44, Matthew 8:16-17, Mark 1:35-37 | Jesus may be from Nazareth, but his new home base is Capernaum, a small fishing village on the Sea of Galilee. Simon Peter’s house seems to be where Jesus stayed and served as the likely location for many important moments, including the healing of Simon’s mother-in-law. So many people want to see Jesus that he has to get away to a desolate place. After a short-lived rest, Jesus hits the road. Everyone needs what he is bringing.Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Matthew 4:12-17, Luke 4:31-37 | Jesus settles in Capernaum and has the opportunity to speak at the synagogue, much like he did in Nazareth. The people notice something different about the way Jesus teaches. He teaches with “authority.” What does that mean? The authority of Jesus is so evident, even the demons have to point it out. “We know who you are!”Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

John 5:25-39, Matthew 4:12 | Jesus isn’t mincing words when he speaks to the religious leaders after the healing at Bethesda. Not only is he making some astounding claims about himself, but he also casts their greatest hero, Moses, as their accuser. Add the fact that Jesus speaks of two resurrections and it’s a rip-roaring good time!Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

John 5:8-24 | The Healing at Bethesda is a sign. That means it speaks to a bigger reality than just the event itself. What is Jesus telling us through this Sabbath healing? This one may hit close to home for many of us, and it’s important that we hear it loud and clear.Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Luke 4:23-29, John 5:1-13 | Jesus seems to be great at making people upset on the Sabbath day! Not only do we see the people of his own hometown assault him over his claims, but we also see Jesus get the man he just healed in trouble over carrying his mat on the Sabbath. What exactly is going on with the Sabbath here?Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Luke 4:20-22, Mark 6:1-6 | Jesus sat down in his hometown synagogue to deliver the message based on Isaiah 61 and dropped a truth bomb bigger than anyone could have possibly expected. “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” The better we understand Isaiah 61, the better we can appreciate the size of that explosion. Brace yourself!Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

Luke 4:14-16 | What was it like for Jesus to come home to Nazareth? In order for the events of Jesus’ return to make sense to us, it’s helpful for us to have a sense of the town and what Jesus’ history likely was there. Who lived in Nazareth? What did people think of Jesus there? What did it mean for Jesus to be asked to read from the prophet Isaiah? “…and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him…”Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

John 4:27-54 | Imagine being Jesus’ disciples, having left your exhausted Rabbi at a Samaritan well, only to return and find him talking with a Samaritan woman. He really shouldn’t be doing that. What do you say? What Jesus says in response is deep and powerful, not only for the disciples, but also for us. Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

John 4:1-26 | It doesn’t get too much more socially awkward than a Jewish man meeting alone with a Samaritan woman at a public well. Despite the awkwardness and the woman’s many attempts to shoo him away, Jesus sends a message to her and all non-Jews that this Jewish Messiah had come to transform their lives too.Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

John 3:16-4:4 | It’s the most famous verse in the Bible. John 3:16. Who speaks these amazing words and what do they mean? What is “eternal life?” This episode explores these topics and more. We see John the Baptist referring to himself as the “friend of the bridegroom,” and we get our first look at the Samaritans, as Jesus takes the dramatic left turn toward Samaria. Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

John 3:4-15 | In the last episode, we learned that Nicodemus is no lightweight. He and Jesus are having a deep conversation about entrance into God’s Kingdom. Regardless, Jesus is still disappointed. He’s connecting the Old Testament dots that reveal his own work of salvation and Nicodemus doesn’t get it. Even more when Jesus says that the bronze serpent on the pole points to him! Look in faith and be healed.Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

John 2:6-3:7 | The wedding at Cana encapsulates the story of Jesus through the powerful symbols used there. Just as we may struggle to see those symbols unless we know the culture, we similarly misunderstand Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus. What is often seen as Jesus talking over the head of a dim-witted Nicodemus is actually two rabbis conversing at a very high level. Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

John 1:43-2:6 | On the way to a wedding in Cana, Jesus gathers some disciples. Nathaniel wasn’t crazy about following a Rabbi from a good-for-nothing town like Nazareth. That is, until he called him the “Son of God” and the “King of Israel!” The wedding feast is made even more interesting when the entertainment arrives. Find out who that is and more in this episode.Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com

John 1:29-42 | John the Baptist introduces Jesus as “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” As amazing as that is on the surface, it’s even more amazing as we tour the Old Testament for references to “the lamb.” In Jesus, all of these stories and practices abide in one person. You may even want to abide there too.Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidseabaugh.substack.com