Initiate meaningful conversation with your family no matter how long the commute with Joe White's age appropriate short talks on scripture, parenting, culture, and community.
Episodes
Saturday Dec 21, 2019
Saturday Dec 21, 2019
"We've got a little slogan at our teenage Kamp called K2 that I get to be a part of in the summertime and it's called FUAGNEM. It's not in Webster's. It just means 'Fired Up And Going Nuts Every Minute.' Basically it means the person who gives it all, all the time will end up winning the game."
Family Discussions:
- What does it mean to give it all to Jesus?
- What did the lesson of the perfume bottle teach you today?
- What do you tend to hold back for being a give-it-all Christian?
- Why is it so hard to have a FUAGNEM, as we say, Fired Up And Going Nuts Every Minute attitude when it comes to your faith in Christ?
Transcription:
00:13 Well, you talk about a hero. This verse today is really a hero. Maybe you would say one of the most insignificant people in scripture, but not so to Jesus. Jesus is in Bethany and he's at the home of Simon the leper. And as he comes in there, a woman comes up to him and she takes this bottle of very costly perfume and she anoints Jesus with the bottle of perfume. And some of the followers were indignant. You know, they were like, 'Hey, you know, you could take that perfume and you could, you know, sell it and feed the poor.' But Jesus says this about that woman. I think it's a great example to you and me today in our life for Christ. He said, "Hey, leave her alone. Why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to me for you always have the poor with you and you do not always have me. She's done what she could and she is anointing my body beforehand for the burial. He says, truly, I say to you, where ever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her."
01:20 We've got a little slogan at our teenage Kamp called K2 that I get to be a part of in the summertime and it's called FUAGNEM. It's not in Webster's. It just means 'Fired Up And Going Nuts Every Minute.' Basically it means the person who gives it all, all the time will end up winning the game. I don't know the whole story behind this woman, but I imagine because she was probably very poor that she had been saving this perfume her whole life. Perhaps every birthday she had, you know, her parents would put just a little bit more perfume in the bottle. You know, in those days, that sort of thing was scarce and was very expensive. And I think Jesus basically was saying to her, you know what? Leave that girl alone. She has given me every thing that she had.
02:10 I'll never forget a Superbowl years ago that I paid close attention to because I'd been leading some Bible studies with one of the teams in the Superbowl. Well, they were beaten because the quarterback of the other team had said to his team, I will give it every cent I've ever made in the game for one Superbowl ring. That team went on the field and they creamed the team that I had been working with because they were willing to give it all. I remember my son Cooper when he was a sophomore, he was going to play high school football and in our little town that he played for sophomores don't play. And I said to him, I said, Cooper, don't expect anything this year on the varsity. They never give it sophomores. And he said, dad, I'll either get a brain concussion and I'll die or I'll start. Well, you know the end of that story after about four games, you know, they were starting him in the first playoff game. He got player of the game. Because you know what, when you want it bad enough, you know, it's probably, if it's a good goal, if it's a good incentive and God's behind it, then it's probably going to happen.
03:16 So here's the questions for today. It's one thing to give it all for Superbowls. One thing to give it all the start on your team, but what does it mean to give it all to Jesus? What did the lesson of the perfume bottle teach you today? And then the second question is this, what do you tend to hold back for being a give-it-all Christian? And then the third question is this, why is it so hard to have a FUAGNEM, as we say, Fired Up And Going Nuts Every Minute attitude when it comes to your faith in Christ? And the thought for the day is this. If Jesus was visiting your house today, would you give him your most prized possession whatever it is?
Wednesday Oct 02, 2019
Wednesday Oct 02, 2019
" I heard a story years ago that I will never forget the story was of a man who entered the museum. And the museum was famous for all of its fantastic artwork. But when the man came in, his face was downtrodden and sad and the caretaker of the museum has seen this face many, many times because people would refer people to his museum when they were going through incredible difficulties in life. "
Family Discussion:
- Who is the object of your worship?
- What would your new song be if you were on your knees as close to Jesus as you can get looking up in his face today?
Transcription:
00:13 If you and I could possibly imagine the fascination that John must've been in the day that he saw the vision that the angels of the Lord began to speak to him and tell him that the things that were to come. In this particular passage in Revelation chapter five verses nine and 10, John comes to a moment when he begins to weep because he sees the scroll with the seven seals and scholars believe that the scroll may have been the title deed to the earth. In each of the seven seals is a judgment upon the earth. In Revelation five nine and 10 begins to open up the next chapter of the judgements of God and he says this, "And they sing a new song. Saying worthy are you to take the book and to break its seals. For you were slain and purchased of God with your blood. Men from every tongue and people and tribe and nation, You've made them to be a kingdom of priests to our God and they will reign upon the earth."
01:10 John weeps because no one can break the seals. But then Jesus, who has purchased us with his blood, comes and breaks the seals one at a time in the rest of chapter five and on. Tell us about each of the judgments in the seals of God, but as John beholds Jesus, he begins to worship. He worships Jesus as one who is worthy. He worships Jesus as one who was slain. He worships Jesus as one who bought us out. Scripture says he purchased us by his blood. He redeemed us. And this is where John begins to worship because the word for redemption is the Greek word exagorazo. Exagorazo means that we've been bought out the slave market never to be returned to the slave market of sin again. And John begins to praise and worship Jesus and begins to sing a new song. And it makes me think today, what is the object of my praise and worship? What is the object of your praise and of your worship?
02:07 I heard a story years ago that I will never forget the story was of a man who entered the museum. And the museum was famous for all of its fantastic artwork. But when the man came in, his face was downtrodden and sad and the caretaker of the museum has seen this face many, many times because people would refer people to his museum when they were going through incredible difficulties in life. And as soon as he saw the man, he pointed to a painting over a wall. And it was a gigantic painting, but the man couldn't see what it was. And the curator, the museum said, move closer. And the man moved closer to the museum. And then the curator said, now lower.
02:43 And the man started stooping down and the curator said, move closer. And they may move closer to the painting. And the curator said, now lower. Move closer. Now lower. Move closer. Now lower. Move closer. Now, lower. Pretty soon the man was standing under the painting or actually kneeling under the painting, looking straight up into the painting right over his head and their on his knees as close to the painting as he could get. He could see the face of Christ on a cross crucified with blood down his brow, looking down at him. And a spirit of hope and a spirit of compassion begin to melt into this man's broken heart. And the man became relieved and smiled. You can only see Christ when you're low and when you're on your knees.
03:24 And when I think about the judgements that are coming upon this earth, and I think about the one who could open the scroll to begin to describe the judgments will be the one that would redeem you and redeem me. He purchased us by his blood. It makes me move closer and it makes me get lower. It makes me move closer and it makes me get lower. And there you'll find the compassion in the face of Christ. And when you're in that position, you will sing a new song and you will worship him both men and woman. And the questions for the day are this: who is the object of your worship? And the second question is, what would your new song be if you were on your knees as close to Jesus as you can get looking up in his face today? Make it be a day of worship.
Thursday Sep 26, 2019
Thursday Sep 26, 2019
"Have you ever wondered who it was who invented the 'we're Number one' slogan? I'm not positive, but the first time I ever saw it was at Ohio state and we were playing the Buckeyes before a gigantic stadium of crazy Ohio State fans. And I was scared to death, but they started chanting. "We're number one. We're number one. We're number one." And you know what? After I walked off that field, I agreed with them."
Family Discussion:
- What is your fear in awe look like of Jesus now?
- What does that fear and awe and respect do to motivate you to live your life for his praise and his glory today?
Transcription:
00:14 Have you ever wondered who it was who invented the 'we're Number one' slogan? I'm not positive, but the first time I ever saw it was at Ohio state and we were playing the Buckeyes before a gigantic stadium of crazy Ohio State fans. And I was scared to death, but they started chanting. "We're number one. We're number one. We're number one." And you know what? After I walked off that field, I agreed with them. They sure beat the tar out of us. But today we're going to talk about who's number one. And if you've ever wondered who's really number one, I don't think you're ever going to wonder again after this. This is an exciting study.
00:52 We're in Revelation one verse four through six and it says this, "John to the seven churches that are in Asia graced you and peace from him. Who is and who was and who is to come. And from the seven spirits who are before his throne and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, to the ruler of the kings of the earth, to him who loves us and releases us from our sins by his blood. And he has made us to be a kingdom. Priests to his God and father to him be the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."
01:31 I want to talk about awe today. I am in awe of the one about whom this is written. I had a coach at SMU named Ray Utley. He was the defensive coordinator. And I'm gonna tell you what. I was in awe of this man. He was the toughest, most demanding guy that I'd ever played for in my life. I saw grown men cry when they'd walk off the practice field after training under this man. But I loved him so much that I named my son after him. I was in awe of this man. I feared him, but it was a good, healthy fear. He brought out the best in us.
02:07 There's something like that that comes out in me when I read about Jesus and I've written down a couple of notes because I don't want to miss any of it. John says that, first of all, he's the Christ. That means he's the Messiah. He's the anointed one. Secondly, he says he's the faithful witness. He was the one of whom Paul wrote in Colossians that he's the image of the invisible god. The firstborn of all creation for by hand, Paul said, "all things are created both in the heavens and on the earth, visible and invisible, whether Thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things have been created by him and for him, and he is before all things and in him all things hold together for was the father's good pleasure. Paul said for all the fullness to dwell in him."
02:45 So I believe what John is saying, he's the faithful witness. I believe he's encapsulating all of that that Paul wrote about him in Colossians. Then he says he's the firstborn from the dead. It was indeed he who was resurrected from the dead. John, one of the witnesses of that, by the way. And then he says he's the ruler of the kings of the earth. That means that Jesus is sovereign. He's ruler over everything. And he says to him who loves us and to that, all I can say is wow. After all of that, if he is all of that and he's still the one who loves us, it just blows my mind.
03:21 And then he says, he is the one by whom we'd been released by his blood. We'd been released from the bondage of our sin. Some in drugs. Some in alcohol. Some in pornography. Some in hatred. Some in bitterness. Some in doomed in to live eternity in hell. And yet he said, he's released us by his blood. And then he says that we are a kingdom of priests forever. And that means that we are the ones who represent him. We'll represent him in this earth and we'll represent him in heaven. And that means we will follow him with obedience. And then at the end of all of that, he says to him, be the glory forever and ever. How could there be any thing else if he's all of that? What else is there except to say to him be the glory forever and ever.
04:09 My question to you today is this. What is your fear in awe look like of Jesus now? And then what does that fear and awe and respect do to motivate you to live your life for his praise and his glory today? And like I said before, with all of that, go hug somebody today. Tell them Jesus loves them.