Dr. David Levy - God's Wisdom Freshly Revealed

Part 3/4 John the Baptist was making a big splash. People were coming to him in droves. He was leading the greatest revival in the history of Israel. People were repenting and being baptized. John's ministry was going well, and Jesus said John was the greatest person who had ever lived. Then Jesus said, "the least in the kingdom was greater than John." What did it mean? This was not a salvation issue. I have no doubt John the Bapti...

Part 1/4 Jesus' disciples argue about who is the greatest, but Jesus makes an incredible statement about the greatest man who ever lived. Jesus said it was John the Baptist. What made John greater than Moses, Elijah, Abraham, Daniel, and King David? Jesus said John was greater than every prophet, every priest, and every king who had ever lived. What was so special about John? How did you get your sins forgiven if you sinned in John...

Jesus has high expectations. While waiting four days for Jesus to arrive after the death of their brother, Jesus expected the sisters to stay positive.   How could they? How can you? Jesus requires a profound level of faith from Mary and Martha. They did not know when he was coming. They were expected to use the information they had. This would be for the glory of God. He had raised others from the dead...just not after four days. ...

Jesus raised Lazarus after his death and after he spent four days in the tomb, creating a stir. Some "mourners" were not happy Jesus raised Lazarus. They wanted him dead. They were pretending to be "friends" of the family. What wisdom do you need to deal with people who believe good is evil? Why does Mary anoint Jesus' feet with costly ointment? When Jesus arrived in town, he corrected Martha but didn't speak to Mary. Mary wailed ...

Zachariah and Elizabeth had a long-standing disappointment to overcome. In the process of waiting, Zachariah picked up a negative attitude. While understandable, the angel was not amused at his unbelief. What can you do to keep from being negative when your prayers are not yet answered? Why was the priest "muted" by the angel? How might your speech affect those around you who need encouragement in this season?

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What makes Jesus cry? Jesus walks many hours uphill from Jericho, and nobody says a kind word to him when he arrives. He is not treated as a friend of the family but shamed as a late-comer. Jesus gently corrects Martha, but he does not or cannot even speak to Mary, who is wailing at his feet. The crowd is also wailing, although it is now four days after Lazarus has died, which makes the wailing suspect. Is it grief or drama? Some i...

Part 3/6  He could have come with the messenger, but didn't.  Jesus arrives 4 days after Lazarus dies.  The sisters are angry.   To get to Lazarus, Jesus must take the road from Jericho to Jerusalem, which includes a 14 mile climb of 3300 feet which averages a 5% grade.  Jesus makes the 8 hour climb and arrives looking like...a normal 33 year old man who just walked 14 miles uphill...and is 4 days late. Martha shares her pain and d...

In John 10 we read Jesus was in danger of being killed and he left Jerusalem and went away. In John 11, this is where he is when the messenger finds him, a 2 days journey from Lazarus. Strangely we read, "He loved Lazarus...so he waited two more days," then starts the long uphill journey from Jericho to Jerusalem.  Doesn't preventing a death take priority?  If you could heal, wouldn't you have gone back with the messenger?

Jesus' d...

Jesus, who is a celebrity, visits the home of Martha and Mary and brings 12 men with him. Martha is understandably distracted, anxious and troubled and angrily accuses Jesus of not caring. She feels free to give him a piece of her mind and instruct him about what he should say to her sister Mary.  What does her freedom to instruct Jesus say about her? What does it say about Jesus that he allows us to accuse him?  Luke 10:38-42

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How do you move past a big mistake?

Remember that you are part of the human race. There are people before you who have made similar mistakes, and people coming after you who will make similar mistakes. Having compassion on yourself for making a mistake will help you to have compassion on others who make similar mistakes.  Humility brings compassion. 

Be kind to yourself and speak to yourself as if you were speaking to your best fri...

Do you make mistakes?  Have you ever made a BIG mistake?  Have you hurt people when you did not intend to? How do you handle your sins, mistakes or errors? Do you beat yourself up attempting to pay for your own sin?  Do you engage in harsh self-criticism to try to prevent yourself from ever making another mistake?  Is your self-condemnation a form of punishment which you think will help avoid another error?

Recognizing God is n...

Part 1 of 3. What increases or decreases self-control? How can you know if your self-control is depleted? Psychology research on self-control often involves tempting people with chocolate.  How do you respond to your failures? Self-condemnation weakens self-control while self-compassion increases self-control. People with self-compassion are happier, kinder and more compassionate. Do you love yourself with compassion?  Are you able...

Part 4 of 4. Forgiveness is more difficult during seasons of suffering. Under what circumstances did Jesus forgive? Who was Jesus forgiving and why was Jesus forgiving? Did Jesus simply absolve everyone  involved in his death for everything they ever did? Will Judas and all those who crucified Jesus be spending eternity together with Jesus? The information is useful as we work with Jesus to forgive.

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Part 3 of 4. Why do the sins of others bother us much more than our own? We typically see our sin as much less significant than the sin against us because it feels much less significant. We believe our feelings indicate the debt of our sin but we are greatly mistaken. How does God see your sin compared to sin against you? Jesus tells a parable in Matthew 18 to answer this question. Jesus uses economic terms of debt owed and we are ...

Part 2 of 4. What would you do if someone borrowed your power tools and left town without returning them? Why do we often feel angry at ourselves when we feel anger at someone else? What is bad debt and what does it have to do with forgiveness?

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Further resources on DrDLevy.com and Dr. David Levy App. Dr. David Levy Podcasts  created on Podbean: (Photo for each episode)https://davidilevy.podbean....

Part 1 of 4. In this parable, forgiveness is presented in a new way. You are an accident victim and have some choices to make regarding pursuit of those who hurt you. 

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Further resources on DrDLevy.com and Dr. David Levy App. Dr. David Levy Podcasts  created on Podbean: (Photo for each episode)https://davidilevy.podbean.com/ iTunes Podcasthttps://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/dr-david-levy-gods-wisdo...

Part 2 of 2. Abigail is an amazing woman. She has more dialogue than any other woman in scripture.  In 1 Samuel 25 She speaks positive words of life over David before he becomes King. She prophesies wonderful things about him. Then, her husband dies and she marries him. She marries him before he becomes King. Her prophesy doesn't exactly come true in David's life. And she's never heard from again. What happened? Why is she not the ...

Part 1 of 2. David is on the run from Saul and betrayed repeatedly by his own tribe, the tribe of Judah. David and his men are treated with disrespect by Nabal, a wealthy fool from the tribe of Judah.  David has had enough! He is murderously angry. When David comes to settle the score, he gets a surprise. Nabal's wife Abigail comes to meet him to prevent him from making a massacre mistake that would haunt him the rest of his life. ...