SWAT Bible Study

This week, Jesus gave the crowd and His disciples a final warning about the religious “Posers.” He has already exposed their character and faulty theology. Now, he condemns them and their hypocrisy and states that their judgment is coming. These posers pretended to represent Yahweh, but actually represent Satan. Satan is a liar, father of lies, and can appear as an angel of light. The Jewish peopl...

This week, it was Jesus’ turn to ask the questions, and he poses a question to the religious leaders (with the crowd listening) and then exposits an Old Testament passage that Jewish teaching had always affirmed was about the Messiah. Every Jew knew that Messiah was David’s son, but they did not see or comprehend that He was David’s God!! They believed that Messiah would be a human ruler with grea...

This week, we come to a text that is simple and straightforward. There is not a lot of interpretation with this passage, but a lot of application and accountability with it. This will probably cause many of us to be uncomfortable or uneasy and what we should do is reflect on the heart of God and how we all miss the mark and really need Jesus! The Sanhedrin debriefed (see Acts 4:23, Psalm 2:2 – ful...

This week, we see the wave of attacks continue. All these groups, Chief Priests, Pharisees, Herodians, Scribes try to trap Jesus with questions that reveal how they have departed from God’s Word in some way. The Sadducees, a group in charge of the Temple and supposedly the spiritual leaders of Israel now try to trap Jesus with the second question. They try to discredit Him with a question about th...

This week, the religious leaders desperately want to get rid of Jesus. So, they come up with a plan that has a series of traps with questions about 1) how much do they defer to Roman authorities, 2)the resurrection, and 3)which commandment is the greatest? They hated and feared Jesus and after the last two interactions, they wanted Him off the scene. They were looking for a way to turn the people...

This week, Jesus goes further into exposing the unbelief of the religious posers and their coming judgment with a parable about a landowner who leases out a vineyard to tenants who were greedy and violent. It is another revelation from Jesus about the coming judgment on Israel’s religious leaders, religious system, their temple, and their nation. You can harden your heart for so long that you go p...

This week, the religious leaders question Jesus as to whose authority He was operating under as He cleared out the temple and taught the things that He taught. Jesus responded to their questions with a question of His own and His question to them exposed their lack of faith in Him as Messiah, and their lack of belief in the One True Living God, Yahweh. They were paralyzed by his questions because...

This week, Jesus uses a Fig tree to symbolize the departure of Israel from True Faith in God. He cursed the Fig tree and within 24 hours it was dead. He also took the disciples into the temple, where He overturned tables and chairs, shut down the marketplace of Annas, and took the leaders back to a couple of Old Testament passages that had an ominous warning about what was about to happen to them...

This week, Jesus fulfills Scripture prophecy by riding a donkey down from the Mount of Olives to the Temple. He is heading into passion week and the last week of His life. The reaction of the crowd was celebratory and exalting, but not for the right reasons. Instead of recognizing Jesus as God’s Messiah and sacrificial lamb, they were trying to claim Him as their National Messiah and deliverer fro...

This week, Jesus continues his instruction by leading them into a situation that illustrates exactly what He was trying to teach them. They came to serve, not to be served. As they are traveling, they encounter a couple of blind beggars, providentially sitting by the exact road where they were walking. Jesus not only heals their blindness, He heals their hearts and they follow Him and the disciple...

This week, Jesus instructs His disciples for the third time about his suffering and crucifixion…and, for the third time, they don’t understand or they simply don’t want to believe what He is telling them. Luke says, they “didn’t understand or grasp what He was saying.” Why? Their minds were not on the CROSS, but on a CROWN!! Matthew and Mark records that their response revealed some deep-seated pr...

This week, we are looking at a passage that deals with two types of people that approach Jesus- young children (people with no visible value) and a wealthy, influential, up and coming ruler. In all 3 Gospels, the story of the rich young ruler is preceded by Mothers bringing their children to be blessed by Jesus. What a contrast…young children (infants) who are totally dependent and have nothing to...

This week, we are looking at a passage that deals with a painful and unpleasant subject-DIVORCE. Most of us grew up during a time when people aspired to be married, be a good husband or a good wife, raise good children of faith and continue to obey God’s command to be fruitful and multiply. Now, God’s standard is ridiculed and hardly anybody expects to be married forever. Now, even children are di...

This week, Jesus again instructs the disciples on His death and resurrection, but again, they just don’t get it…they don’t understand. He is has to deal with their worldly ambition, self-exalting exclusivity, and some worldly influences that threaten to destroy His new leadership. He reminds them with a strong graphic message that they are to be humble servants, a “salting” influence for good in t...

This week, Jesus, Peter, James, and John come down off the mountain into chaos. The scribes are mocking the disciples who stayed behind because they could not cast out a demon in a demon possessed young man. The young man’s father brought his son to Jesus to be healed and the disciples could not cast out the demon. You can imagine the frustration, fear, and confusion taking places….especially with...

This week, David Gray fills in for Doug and looks at Jesus' contrast of the great exchange of our kingdom for His Kingdom! He goes deeper with the disciples as he invites them to “Follow Me!” He also explains the TRUTH about the TRUE Messiah and shares with them the devastating consequences for those who choose “the world” or themselves over HIM!

This week, Jesus fulfilled that Word and was transfigured before the three leaders, Peter, James, and John. He gave them a preview of His Glory that they would never forget! It was a gift to them to bolster them and anchor them through the storms they would encounter as the leaders Jesus that Jesus would entrust with His Euangellion!! He allowed them to see Him, Moses, and Elijah in their glorifie...

This week, Jesus goes deeper with the disciples as he invites them to “Follow Me” and explains the TRUTH about Messiah and what it means to follow Him! Throughout my lifetime, I have heard many invitations given at churches and evangelistic events that fail to meet Jesus’ standard of an invitation to follow Him! Many people relate this invitation to a deeper level discipleship, but make no mistake...

This week, we see Jesus take His disciples to Caeserea Philippi where Peter makes his declaration that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah)! This is the first time in our journey through Mark, that his disciples referred to Him as the Messiah and from this point on, Jesus instructs them on his suffering, death, and resurrection. This passage really deals with the most important question any of us can ans...

This week, we see Jesus return with the Disciples back to the area near Capernaum and encounter the Religious leaders again. They are still upset over their last interaction and demand a “sign from Heaven” from Him. It is a great teaching opportunity for Jesus with the Disciples to help them understand the difference between being “Blind”-permanent and being “Blinded”-temporary. Also, to help them...

This week, we see Jesus finish His training trip into the Gentile world with the last recorded miracle of this particular journey. Remember, the theme of this training trip that began in Tyre- the grace and mercy of God’s Euangellion is for all the nations of the world. It’s not just for the Jews, but for the Gentiles also. This theme would have been very difficult for the disciples to swallow bec...

Jesus continues to train His disciples teaching them that God's plan includes the Gentiles (Syrophoenecian woman-Tyre/deaf/mute-Decapolis). I hope you'll join us for this important study.

This week, we dive into Mark 7 and see Jesus school the religious leaders on what true love of God looks like and Biblical Spirituality!! It comes from the heart!! I hope you are encouraged by this look at what it means to really love God and His son, Jesus!

This week, we finish up Mark 6 by looking at how Jesus continues to stretch and grow His disciples through different trials. We all can identify with the disciple here. Why is this happening? Is God aware? Does God care? Will He help me? We’ve all been in situations beyond our ability and we NEED HELP! We need Him! He walked on water to show His disciples that He is Lord over all, including gravit...

This week, we see Jesus perform His biggest miracle yet. He feeds 5,000 men and their families with a few crackers and some sardines. It's not what you have, but what you do with what you have-Give it to Jesus.