Wisdom for the Heart

Wisdom International
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Stephen Davey will help you learn to know what the Bible says, understand what it means, and apply it to your life as he teaches verse-by-verse through books of the Bible. Stephen is the president of Wisdom International, which provides radio broadcasts, digital content, and print resources designed to make disciples of all nations and edify followers of Jesus Christ.

  1. Lord of the Sabbath—and Everything Else

    1D AGO

    Lord of the Sabbath—and Everything Else

    Share a comment They’re furious because hungry disciples eat a few kernels of grain. They’re even more furious when a man’s withered hand is restored in front of the whole synagogue. Luke 6 isn’t just a Sabbath argument, it’s a spotlight on what legalism does to the human heart and what the authority of Jesus does to human suffering. We trace the moment the conflict boils over between Jesus and the Pharisees, where man-made rules have become so loud that God’s intent can’t be heard anymore. Jesus refuses to spar over technicalities and instead brings up David eating the bread of the Presence, exposing how selective rule-keeping always protects the powerful and pressures the needy. Then He drops the line that explains everything: “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” If Jesus is Lord over the Sabbath, He isn’t merely correcting their calendar, He is claiming rightful authority over what God created. From there we step into the synagogue, where leaders “spy” on Jesus while a disabled man sits in plain sight. Jesus calls the man forward, asks whether it’s lawful to do good or harm, and commands the impossible: “Stretch out your hand.” The healing is immediate, and the reaction reveals two paths: joy that worships, and rage that would rather accuse than repent. We end with a personal question that won’t let go: have we read God’s Word without applying it to our lives? If this challenged you, subscribe for more Bible teaching, share the episode with a friend who’s tired of performative religion, and leave a review so more people can find it. What part of Scripture do you find hardest to actually live? Get instant, biblically faithful answers to your Bible questions. https://www.wisdomonline.org/ask Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/ Support the show

    26 min
  2. Acting All Spiritual Without Being Spiritual At All

    2D AGO

    Acting All Spiritual Without Being Spiritual At All

    Share a comment Some religious systems train you to look holy while feeling empty. We sit with Luke 5:33–39 and watch Jesus collide with a spirituality built on resumes, rules, and gloomy public displays. The Pharisees can’t stand that His disciples eat, drink, and seem genuinely glad to be near Him and Jesus refuses to play along. He answers with a picture that reframes everything: you don’t make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them. If Christ is present, joy is not rebellion. It is the appropriate response. From there, we unpack what fasting is and what it is not, why public “seriousness” can become a mask for pride, and how easily spiritual disciplines turn into performance. We also talk about the surprising witness of Christian joy: gratitude in hardship, singing through tears, and a steady confidence that the Bridegroom will never leave His people. The wedding image expands into hope that reaches beyond today’s stress, pointing to the Father’s house and a celebration that does not end. Jesus then sharpens the point with two unforgettable illustrations: a new garment is not a patch for an old one, and new wine will burst old wineskins. The gospel is not a religious upgrade or a moral add-on. It is new life under the new covenant through the complete, sufficient sacrifice of Christ. We end with a story that captures grace in real time, the moment someone realizes forgiveness is not earned and says through tears, “I can’t believe it’s free.” If this helped you, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s tired of performing, and leave a review with the one line you want to remember. Get instant, biblically faithful answers to your Bible questions. https://www.wisdomonline.org/ask Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/ Support the show

    27 min
  3. The Trouble with Matthew

    3D AGO

    The Trouble with Matthew

    Share a comment Jesus doesn’t tiptoe around messy people. He walks straight into Levi’s workplace, looks a tax collector with a gangster-level reputation in the eyes, and says two words that change everything: “Follow me.” What happens next is more than a conversion story. It’s a picture of repentance as a real turn, leaving one road and stepping onto Christ’s road, even when your past is loud and your community thinks you’re beyond hope.  We unpack why tax collectors in Luke 5 are despised and feared, how Rome’s tax system rewards extortion, and why a Jewish collector is viewed as both traitor and thief. Then we sit at Levi’s table as he throws a massive feast packed with tax collectors and sinners, not to celebrate himself but to introduce everyone he knows to Jesus. When the Pharisees and scribes grumble about the guest list, Jesus answers with a line that cuts through moral posturing: the sick need a physician. He isn’t excusing sin, He’s treating it, and His call to repentance is both truthful and loving.  Along the way, we explore Levi’s two names, the legacy attached to “Levi,” the possible purpose behind “Matthew,” and the hope that Christ sees not only who we’ve been but who we can become. The big takeaways are simple and demanding: no unbeliever is beyond the reach of redemption, and no believer is exempt from the responsibility of fishing for others. If you’ve ever wondered whether grace can reach someone “too far gone,” or whether you’re qualified to speak up about your faith, press play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review with the line that challenged you most. Get instant, biblically faithful answers to your Bible questions. https://www.wisdomonline.org/ask Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/ Support the show

    27 min
  4. Without a Prayer

    4D AGO

    Without a Prayer

    Share a comment The crowd is packed, the religious experts are taking notes, and a paralyzed man can’t get anywhere near Jesus unless his friends carry him. When the front door won’t work, they do the unthinkable: they climb onto the roof, tear through the tiles, and lower him right into the middle of the room. That’s where the real surprise hits, because Jesus doesn’t start with the man’s legs. He starts with his guilt. We walk through Luke 5 and the tense collision between Jesus and the Pharisees and scribes, the lawyers of the Mosaic Law who arrive ready to catch Him in a violation. Their world is full of rules, categories, and added traditions, and it trains people to believe suffering always signals greater sin. Jesus flips the script by declaring, “Your sins are forgiven,” then backing up that invisible claim with a visible miracle. He even exposes what the leaders are thinking, showing a level of authority that forces one question: who can forgive sins but God alone? We also slow down and apply it. What does it mean to bring spiritually helpless people to Christ? When can “having no other option” become the beginning of real prayer? And why is forgiveness the greater miracle compared to any physical healing we might beg for? If you want a clear gospel-centered look at faith, repentance, grace, and the authority of Jesus, press play and come ready to think. Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review. What part of the story challenges you most: the roof-breaking faith, the crowd in the way, or Jesus’ claim to forgive sins? Get instant, biblically faithful answers to your Bible questions. https://www.wisdomonline.org/ask Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/ Support the show

    27 min
  5. Untouchable!

    5D AGO

    Untouchable!

    Share a comment A man “full of leprosy” breaks every rule to get close to Jesus and that choice could cost him his life. The crowd expects rejection, distance, and disgust. Instead, we see a moment where hopelessness falls at the feet of hope and a single question hangs in the air: “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”  We connect the biblical fear of leprosy and the harsh reality of being labelled unclean with modern caste stigma and the tragedy of the “untouchable.” We talk through why Luke emphasizes the severity of the disease, why the rabbis believed only God could heal it, and why that matters for recognizing Jesus as the Messiah. Then we slow down at the detail that changes everything: Jesus does not only speak healing, he touches the man with compassion.  From there, the story widens. The cleansing is instant and complete, and Jesus sends the restored man to the priest as proof that will spark investigation all the way up the religious ladder. We also linger on what Jesus does next: withdrawing to desolate places to pray, even while crowds press in, modeling a life anchored in the Father. If you feel stained by guilt, isolated by shame, or written off as a hopeless case, this conversation points to a different ending. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. Get instant, biblically faithful answers to your Bible questions. https://www.wisdomonline.org/ask Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/ Support the show

    27 min
  6. Fishing Lessons from a Carpenter (Luke 5:1-11)

    MAY 8

    Fishing Lessons from a Carpenter (Luke 5:1-11)

    Share a comment Get instant, biblically faithful answers to your Bible questions. https://www.wisdomonline.org/ask Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/ Support the show

    27 min
  7. The Crushing of the Serpent Begins (Luke 4:31-44)

    MAY 7

    The Crushing of the Serpent Begins (Luke 4:31-44)

    Share a comment A synagogue service turns into a collision between light and darkness when Jesus teaches with a kind of authority nobody can ignore. We slow down in Luke 4:31–43 and trace three clear demonstrations of who Jesus is: authority in His speaking, authority over the demonic realm, and authority over sickness. No borrowed credentials, no religious theater, no rituals to amplify the moment, just a voice that carries the final word and hearts that know they are hearing something different.  We also tackle the questions people quietly carry into church: Is Satan real or just a symbol? What does demon possession mean, and can a Christian be possessed? We draw an important line between possession from the inside and demonic persuasion from the outside, then watch how quickly an unclean spirit is forced to submit when Jesus commands it to be silent. The episode keeps the focus where Luke keeps it: on the power of Christ’s word and the clarity of His authority.  From the synagogue we move into Simon Peter’s home, where a “mega” fever disappears at a rebuke and strength returns instantly. Then the night opens up into a steady stream of suffering people as Jesus heals disease after disease and refuses to let demons turn into His publicity team. The most moving detail is how personal the power is: He lays His hands on each one, a glimpse of the kingdom of God and the promise of reversing the curse of a broken world. If this encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review, and tell us what part of Luke 4 you want to dig into next. Get instant, biblically faithful answers to your Bible questions. https://www.wisdomonline.org/ask Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/ Support the show

    27 min
  8. Responding to Rejection (Luke 4:14-30)

    MAY 6

    Responding to Rejection (Luke 4:14-30)

    Share a comment They invited Jesus to preach because he was famous. They tried to kill him because he told the truth. We open Luke 4 and follow Jesus back to Nazareth for what becomes his first sermon at home and his last one there, a moment that exposes how quickly “we love that verse” can turn into “we hate that message” when Scripture presses on pride. We watch Jesus take the Isaiah scroll and read a prophecy about the Spirit-anointed Messiah bringing good news to the poor, freedom for captives, sight for the blind, and God’s favor. Then he makes the shocking claim that it is fulfilled as they hear him. The crowd initially marvels, but everything changes when they demand hometown miracles and special treatment. Jesus refuses to perform for applause, names their unbelief, and reminds them that no prophet is accepted in his hometown. From there we trace two explosive Old Testament examples Jesus chooses on purpose: Elijah sent to a Gentile widow in Zarephath and Elisha cleansing Naaman the Syrian. Both stories spotlight outsider faith and insider resistance, and both confront the idea that proximity to religion equals trust in God. Finally, we draw out the practical takeaway: how Jesus responds to rejection with calm, courage, and mission focus, giving us a model for handling ridicule, injustice, and disappointment without losing control, heart, or sight. If Luke 4 has ever confused you or unsettled you, this conversation will clarify why. Subscribe for more Bible teaching, share this with a friend who needs perspective on rejection, and leave a review with the line that challenged you most. Get instant, biblically faithful answers to your Bible questions. https://www.wisdomonline.org/ask Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/ Support the show

    27 min
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About

Stephen Davey will help you learn to know what the Bible says, understand what it means, and apply it to your life as he teaches verse-by-verse through books of the Bible. Stephen is the president of Wisdom International, which provides radio broadcasts, digital content, and print resources designed to make disciples of all nations and edify followers of Jesus Christ.

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