•Sermon on the Mount•
Background @ Mark 3:7-19 || @ Luke 6:12-20a (Jesus chooses 12 apostles, and the crowds follow Jesus)
@ Matthew 5:1-2
It seems that Jesus was always on the mountainside praying to God all night. I wonder what they talked about. At daybreak he called together all his disciples and chose the ones he wanted to go with him. He appointed 12 of them and called them his apostles. They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach, giving them authority to cast out demons. Here are their names: Simon (whom Jesus named Peter), James and John (the sons of Zebedee, but Jesus nicknamed them “Sons of Thunder”), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon (the zealot), and Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed Jesus).
When they came down from the mountain, the disciples stood with Jesus on a large, level area, surrounded by many of his followers and by the crowds. There were people from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from as far north as the seacoasts of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those troubled by evil spirits were healed. Everyone tried to touch him, because healing power went out from him, and he healed everyone.
As he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them.
Story @ Matthew chapters 5 through 7  ||  @ Luke 6:20b-49

•Faith of the Roman Officer •
Background @ Luke 7:1-2
When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people, he returned to Capernaum. At that time the highly valued slave of a Roman officer was sick and near death.
Story @ Matthew 8:5-13 || @ Luke 7:1-10

•Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son•
Background @ Luke 7:11
Afterward Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed him.
Story @ Luke 7:11-17

•Jesus and John the Baptist•
Background @ John 1:6-9, 15 (prologue)
@ John 3:23-36 5:31-47 (John exalts Jesus)
@ Luke 3:19-20 (John imprisoned)
@ John 5:31-47 (witness to Jesus)
John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”
Story @ Matthew 11:1-19 || @ Luke 7:18-35

•Mary Magdalene•
Background @ Luke 7:36-37
Simon, one of the Pharisees, asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume.
Story @ Luke 7:36-50 through 8:1-3

•The Sign of Jonah•
Background @ Mark 3:20-30 || @ Matthew 12:22-37 || @ Luke 11:14-28 (Jesus and the prince of demons)
@ Matthew 12:38
One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority.”
Story @ Matthew 12:38-45

•The True Family of Jesus•
Background @ Matthew 12:46
As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.
Story @ Mark 3:31-35 || Matthew 12:46-50 || Luke 8:19-21

•Jesus and the Prince of Demons•
Background @ Mark 3:20-21
One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn’t even find time to eat. When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said.
Story @ Mark 3:20-30 || @ Matthew 12:22-37 || @ Luke 11:14-28

---

•The Story of the Farmer Scattering Seed•
Background @ Mark 4:1-2,33-34 @ Matthew 13:34-35 (many stories in the form of parables)
@ Mark 4:1-3
Once again Jesus began teaching by the lake shore. A very large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat in the boat while all the people remained on the shore. He taught them by telling many stories in the form of parables. Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet: “I will speak to you in parables. I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world.”
“Listen!” A farmer went out to scatter some seed.”
Story @ Mark 4:1-20,26-29 || @ Matthew 13:1-23, and 9:35-38 || Luke 8:4-15

•Illustration of the Lamp•
Background @ Mark 4:1-2,33-34 @ Matthew 13:34-35 (many stories in the form of parables)
@ Mark 4:21a
Then Jesus asked, “Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed?”
Story @ Luke 8:16-18 || @ Mark 4:21-25

•Story of the Wheat and Weeds•
Background @ Mark 4:1-2,33-34 @ Matthew 13:34-35 (many stories in the form of parables)
@ Matthew 13:24
Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field.”
Story @ Matthew 13:24-30,36-43

•Illustration of the Mustard Seed•
Background @ Mark 4:1-2,33-34 @ Matthew 13:34-35 (many stories in the form of parables)
@ Mark 4:30
Jesus said, “How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it?”
Story @ Mark 4:30-34 || @ Matthew 13:31-32

•Illustration of the Yeast•
Background @ Mark 4:1-2,33-34 @ Matthew 13:34-35 (many stories in the form of parables)
@ Matthew 13:33
Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread.”
Story @ Matthew 13:33-35

•Illustration of the Hidden Treasure•
Background @ Mark 4:1-2,33-34 @ Matthew 13:34-35 (many stories in the form of parables)
@ Matthew 13:44
“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field.”
Story @ Matthew 13:44

•Illustration of the Pearl Merchant•
Background @ Mark 4:1-2,33-34 @ Matthew 13:34-35 (many stories in the form of parables)
@ Matthew 13:45
“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls.”
Story @ Matthew 13:45-46

•Illustration of the Fishing Net•
Background @ Mark 4:1-2,33-34 @ Matthew 13:34-35 (many stories in the form of parables)
@ Luke 5:1-11 (Jesus teaches by the sea to fish for men)
@ Matthew 13:47
“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind.”
Story @ Matthew 13:47-52
~ §tacy §weeney