Reasoning Through the Bible

What matters more to God—clean hands or a clean heart?
In Matthew 15, Pharisees and scribes travel from Jerusalem to confront Jesus because His disciples do not follow the ceremonial handwashing traditions of the elders. But Jesus exposes a far greater problem: their traditions have become so important that they are actually undermining the Word of God.
Glenn and Steve examine Jesus’ warning about religious traditions, the command to care for aging parents, hypocrisy that honors God with the lips while the heart remains far away, and why outward religious activity can never substitute for genuine love for God.
Jesus then explains that what truly defiles a person does not come from food or unwashed hands. It comes from the heart.
The study closes with a warning about spiritually blind leaders and an important question for every believer: are we following Scripture, or simply following religious habits we have never examined?
Matthew 15:1–20 | The Book of Matthew — Session 30
  Questions discussed in this session include:
How important is taking care of our parents and family members?
What does Jesus say about the condition of the human heart?
What does the Bible teach about foods? 
Is it possible to be spiritually blind and not know it? 
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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

What can Jesus do with five loaves and two fish? And why would He deliberately send His disciples into a storm?
Matthew 14:13–36 contains two remarkable demonstrations of Jesus’ authority. First, He feeds thousands from a small amount of food, showing that resources that seem insignificant in our hands can become more than sufficient when placed in His.
Then Jesus sends the disciples across the Sea of Galilee. They obey Him—and sail directly into a storm.
Glenn and Steve discuss why being in God’s will does not mean every circumstance will be easy, why Jesus sometimes allows His followers to struggle before He intervenes, and what Peter teaches us when he steps out of the boat and actually walks on water.
The study also explores why Peter begins to sink, what happens when we shift our attention from Christ to the storm around us, and why his simple prayer—“Lord, save me!”—remains one of the most powerful prayers a believer can pray.
Matthew 14:13–36 | The Book of Matthew — Session 29
Questions discussed in this session include:
 ·         Can Jesus use our meager resources?
·         When Jesus gives us things, is it sufficient? 
·         What are we capable of doing when we keep our eyes on Jesus?
·         What should we do if we have a mixture of faith and fear?
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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

John the Baptist faithfully prepared the way for Jesus, but Matthew 14 records an ending we might not expect for someone Jesus called a great prophet.
Herod imprisoned John because John openly confronted his relationship with Herodias. Later, a reckless promise made at Herod’s birthday celebration resulted in John being beheaded.
Glenn and Steve examine the contrast between John and Herod. Herod had wealth, political authority, luxury, and the ability to silence his critic, yet his conscience would not leave him alone. John had lost his freedom and eventually his life, but he knew he had faithfully completed the work God had given him.
The discussion also explores why suffering does not necessarily mean someone is outside God’s will, why killing the messenger does not silence God’s message, how Christians should speak truth with both clarity and compassion, the danger of rash promises, and what Herod teaches us about weak leadership.
Matthew 14:1–12 | The Book of Matthew — Session 28
 Questions discussed in this session include:
·         Can bad things happen even if we are in God’s will?
·         Should Christians speak about the moral actions of political leaders? 
·         What should we do if we need to give a difficult message to a powerful person in authority?
·         Does morality change over time? 
 
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You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible
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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

What was Jesus revealing through the mustard seed, the leaven, the hidden treasure, and the pearl of great value?
Matthew 13 continues the kingdom parables as Jesus challenges His listeners to rethink their expectations about the messianic kingdom. Glenn and Steve examine why the mustard seed grows into a large plant where birds can nest, why leaven represents something that quietly spreads, and why the treasure and pearl are worth everything required to obtain them.
They also discuss why these parables should not be interpreted as though people purchase their own salvation. Salvation is a free gift; Christ is the One who paid the price.
The chapter then closes with Jesus returning to Nazareth. The people recognize His wisdom and miraculous power but still cannot get past the fact that He is the man they watched grow up.
The discussion ends by asking what Matthew means when it says Jesus did not perform many miracles there because of their unbelief—and why that does not mean faith mechanically produces miracles.
Matthew 13:31–58 | The Book of Matthew — Session 27
 Questions discussed in this session include:
Is it true that there will be resident evil in the church? 
Does the kingdom have non-believers in it or only saved people? 
Do non-Christians benefit from Christianity? 
How much did Jesus give? 
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You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible
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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Why does God allow good and evil to continue side by side?
In Matthew 13, Jesus tells the parable of the wheat and the weeds and later the parable of the dragnet. Both teach that the world contains those who belong to Christ and those who do not, and that the final separation does not happen immediately.
Glenn and Steve work through Jesus’ own explanation of the wheat and weeds, discuss the reality of false believers and false teachers, and consider why Christians must be careful about trying to determine another person’s salvation.
The study then moves to the dragnet, where fish of every kind are gathered before the good are separated from the bad. That leads into a larger discussion about the end of the age, the present church age, the future millennial kingdom, the return of Christ, and why the final judgment should make the Gospel urgent today.
The central takeaway is simple: the harvest is coming, the net will eventually be full, and today is the day to respond to Christ.
Matthew 13:24–52 | The Book of Matthew — Session 26
  Questions discussed in this session include: 
Why are there a mixture of Christians and non-Christians in our churches? 
What does the Bible say about the end of the age and end times prophecy?
Is there a final judgement day? When will it be? 
Is the kingdom now or later? 
Support the show
Thank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. 
You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible
Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible 
May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve