Joe White Drive Time Podcast

Humility Before Knowledge - 1 Corinthians 8:1-3

"Humility comes before knowledge. Every time."

Family Discussion:

• Can you give an example of how knowledge can be a blessing and an example of how knowledge can be a curse?
• Have you ever felt like a know-it-all, and if so, what were the results?

Transcription:

00:06 Hey, if you've ever found yourself on the back row of the classroom with me, or in the middle of the defensive land where they say they don't put the sharpest knives in the box, you're going to be encouraged by this one today. First Corinthians chapter 8, verses 1-3. It says this, "now about food sacrifice to idols, we know that we all possess knowledge, but knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know, but the man who loves God is known by God." Well, you know what? Just when I think I know everything, someone asks me a question I can't answer. Here's one that kind of humbles me. What is uglier than the devil? More beautiful than God possessed by the poor and desired by the rich? If you say nothing, then you're smarter than I am.

01:12 Sometimes on the ladder of knowledge, a man must be knocked down a step or two for him to realize how little he truly knows. You know, the universe is a vast vault of secrets, still undiscovered by the world's greatest thinkers, but in First Corinthians 8:1-3 today, Paul wanted the Corinthians to understand that know-it-all's are like party balloons, all puffed up and full of themselves, yet it only takes one simple question, one tiny pinprick for someone's pride to be popped. Then everyone can see him as he truly is, an empty windbag. Paul further shares that loving God is more important than any amount of knowledge. Love builds up. Knowledge can make you look good to others. Knowledge can make you feel good to others, as others might look up to you, but you know what? It's a false sense of security. As we begin to believe we know it all, we developed an arrogant attitude full of self-pride, and usually those with strong personalities and opinions have a hard time learning from others and listening to God.

02:19 You know what, man? That challenge of the Christian life every day is to crucify that sinful mindset. You know what? Love is more important than worldly knowledge, it's the way to grasp God's knowledge. We must love him and show his love to others being compassionate, loving, caring to others, especially in the family. And you gain more ground with an attitude of love than with an attitude of knowing-it-all, as an old friend of mine said one time, he said, the older I get, the less I know for sure. Until you people who are being married, do you want to be married or you want to be right? That's the question you face every day. Hey, knowledge can be a blessing and a curse. Can you give an example of how knowledge can be a blessing and an example of how knowledge can be a curse? And have you ever felt like a know-it-all, and if so, what were the results? Here's the lifeline for today. "Recognize today that your knowledge, though it may be great, is like a grain of sand in the shore of all the knowledge of all time." Humility comes before knowledge. Every time.

Servant Leaders Like Christ! - 1 Corinthians 4:10-16

"We are all to be servants just as our Lord Jesus Christ was a servant."

Family Discussion:

• In the body of Christ, do you see yourself as a lead climber or as a cleaner?
• Think of one servant leader that you know and list things that make you admire that servant leader and things that distinguish his server code.
• Discuss the ways you and your family can be servants to each other, servants in the church, and servants in your community.

Transcription:

00:13 Man, I will never forget the first time I stepped off the back of a 40 foot tower, doing a repelling thing in our camp, and I did it because there was about a 275 pound football player on the other end holding the rope. Well, today you're going to be encouraged because somebody is holding the rope for you. First Corinthians chapter 4, verses 10 through 16; you're going to love this. Paul says, "we are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honored. We are dishonored to this very hour. We go hungry and thirsty, but we're in rags. We are brutally treated. We're homeless. We work hard with our hands. When we are cursed, we bless. When we are persecuted, we endure it. When we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment, we have become the scum of the earth, the refuge of men.

01:15 "I'm not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear brothers, even though you have 10,000 guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For in Christ Jesus I became your father through the Gospel. Therefore, I urge you to imitate me." What a passage of sacrifice. You know, in the world of technical climbing, there's one who leads and there's one who follows. The one who leads has the job of getting the team of climbers up the cliff or up the mountain safely. He does this by setting protection along the way. Into one crevasse he places a cam, in another, a chalk or a wedge, and into each of these devices the lead climber fastens the climbing rope, and thus the wellbeing of his comrades who climb behind him, hangs on to how well he has done his job.

02:12 If the climb is successful, the lead climber gets the glory. On the other hand, the climber who follows, known as the cleaner, rarely gets acknowledged. He has the kind of unheralded job of un-fastening or cleaning the protective devices set by the lead climber so the team can advance up the cliff. There's nothing flashy about the role he plays. Consequently, he often goes unremembered. Hey, the role of a Christian servant is like that of the cleaner on a treacherous mountain climb. If he does his job well, the whole team advances, but if he's negligent, disaster can happen. You know, I knew a man who broke his leg on an ice climb, snapped the bone clean into because his cleaner had not paid attention to his job. Paul wanted so badly for the Corinthians to take sermon hoods seriously, that he highlighted his own service in verses 10 through 13 in this passage, and even admonishes his readers to be imitators of him.

03:14 You know, whether one is a lead climber or a cleaner, there is no place for arrogance in the body of Christ. We are all to be servants just as our Lord Jesus Christ was a servant. You know, when we get this point straight, our journey upward will be a glorious mountain climb. And here's my questions. In the body of Christ, do you see yourself as a lead climber or as a cleaner; and more practically, when there's dirty dishes in the sink who washes, when there's laundry to be folded, whose job is it to fold it? Hey, let me ask you a last question. Think of one servant leader that you know and list things that make you admire that servant leader and things that distinguish his server code. And here's the lifeline for the day. Discuss the ways you and your family can be servants to each other, servants in the church, and servants in your community.

Are You Built on the Rock? - 1 Corinthians 3:12-15

"The Bible speaks clearly of our future in heaven, and it says that there's going to be crowns for those who build their life on the solid rock of Christ."

Family Discussion:

• What is the foundation of your life today?
• What does the gift you're making for Jesus look like today?

Transcription:

00:14 Peak into your future today, you'll see what it's going to be like for the rest of, not your life, but for eternity. Watch out for this devotional, today. First Corinthians chapter three, verses 12 and on, it says this, "if any man builds on the foundation using gold or silver or precious jewels, or wood and hay and stubble, each man's work will become evident because it will be tested by fire and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. Now, if the work that he has built remains, he will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, he will suffer loss, yet he will be saved, yet as through fire." I'll never forget when this young friend of mine was on a stage, at a university play and he was the lead character.

01:07 But in the play, he was unable to give and receive love. But when the curtain fell at the end of the play, he stepped out and somebody handed him two dozen red roses and he said to a girl that he loved out in the audience. He said, "you know what, my character in the play was unable to give and receive love, but there's somebody sitting out there who I want to give my love to for my lifetime." And then he said, "Jamie, will you marry me?" Well, that friend is named Mandy Brainer and he's now my son in law, and the girl in the crowd was named Jamie. And you know what? When he gave her a ring, he didn't give her this. He didn't give her cubic zirconium. He didn't give her plastic. He gave her a diamond because he wanted to symbolize that their marriage was going to be built upon the rock.

01:58 Believe it or not, when I married my precious Debbie Jo, a guy in my wedding, an old college football buddy of mine, had given my brother $50 to pull out a Mickey mouse ring when I ask for the ring. And it happened. I asked to the best man, my brother, for the ring, and he handed me a Mickey mouse ring for the wedding. My wife could have killed him, but you know what? I didn't build my marriage on plastic. Anymore than you'll build your marriage on plastic, and so much more our life. You know what, the Bible speaks clearly of our future in heaven, and it says that there's going to be crowns for those who build their life on the solid rock of Christ. There'll be the crown of glory. There'll be the crown of life, there'll be the crown of righteousness, there'll be the crown of the victory.

02:50 And all of those crowns are built upon that your life is lived on the solid foundation of Christ. So, what's your future gonna be? Uh, what's your eternity going to be like? Certainly it is Christ alone who will save us. Certainly that, but the Bible teaches that someday we get to lay those crowns at Jesus' feet and we get to celebrate for all of eternity. The rewards for which you lived your life, building on the solid foundation of Christ and Christ alone. And my questions to you are this, what is the foundation of your life today? Is it trophies, little trophies that will fade, that'll fall apart in a few years? Or, is it the future of the trophies in the whole foundation on Christ? And the lifeline for today is: what does the gift you're making for Jesus look like today? Does it resemble a diamond or does it more resemble a piece of plastic?

What Are Your Trophies? - 1 Corinthians 2:4-5

"What are your trophies today? Everything else, Paul said, except for our reliance on God and His Spirit, is foolishness."

Family Discussion

• If you achieved Super Bowl status or some equivalent honor, where would you display your trophies?
• Can you recall a time when some thing or some body you relied upon, let you down? Is it possible you were relying upon that thing that you wanted in place of God?
• What are your trophies today? And where are you laying up your trophies for eternity?

Transcription

00:14 As you look around your room today, or as you look around your resume today, what trophies do you see? Today's scripture is going to help define your trophies and my trophies tremendously. Check this out. This is so good you guys. First Corinthians chapter two, verse four and five. Paul says, "and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God." That hotel room, the night before the Dallas cowboy game was filled with New York giants. They all had their Super Bowl rings. They had just won the year before, the Super Bowl championship. But on that night, I saw 30 to 35 or 36 players take off their Super Bowl rings and humbly walk down to the little place where I shared that devotional about the chain link of being a Bond Servant of Christ.

01:20 And every one of those guys had to have one of these chain links. Every one of those guys wanted everybody on their team. And everybody that was watching to know that that little leak of chain was more important to them than a Super Bowl ring. Those guys learned that and I would admit to become a bond servant of Jesus. I've see it on football fields all over the country and in basketball locker rooms, where they share the simplicity of the power and the wisdom of God, the Father to the fatherless. And all of a sudden all those trophies and everything that ever made them like the greatest, most praised athletes in the world becomes comparatively nothing in their lives. I coached with Jean Stallings at Texas A&M, this boy, Johnny, who had down syndrome and died a couple of summers ago. Johnny had been given more trophies.

02:09 That boy had been given more badges of honor than you could count. But when I went to his room the night after he died, there wasn't one trophy there, not one, because even as a down syndrome child, a boy who couldn't count to 10, Johnny knew the secret of trophies and he knew the secret of victory. He knew the secret of what really matters in life. Johnny had given all of these trophies away. Johnny knew that his trophies were in heaven. Everything else, Paul said, except for our reliance on God and his spirit, is foolishness. The questions for today are these: if you achieved Super Bowl status or some equivalent honor, where would you display your trophies? And then the next question, can you recall a time when some thing or some body you relied upon, let you down? Is it possible you were relying upon that thing that you wanted in place of God? And then discuss a time when you experienced the power of God. And then lastly, what are your trophies today? And where are you laying up your trophies for eternity? The lifeline today is this: take an inventory of the things you rely upon. If they are anything less than God's spirit, take time today and reconsider.

 

It's Not Foolish to be Faithful! - 1 Corinthians 1:18

"Sometimes there is the greatest hidden wisdom in foolishness."

Family Discussion

• What are you doing in your life that seems like foolishness to the world, but you know down deep in your heart it's the power of God?
• What can you change in the way you're treating people?
• How can we change that around where it might be kind of foolish to the world, but it would be absolute bullseye to the word of God?

Transcription

00:14 Maybe if you've ever felt foolish before your friends or the people in the workplace that you operate and you're just representing Christ as best you can, then this verse today is going to be encouraging to you, as it is to me. It comes from First Corinthians chapter one, verse 18 through 20. Verse 18 says this, "for the Word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. But to us who are being saved is the power of God." Man, I'll never forget when Mohammed Ali, some would say the greatest fighter of all time, was in a fight with Smokin' Joe Frazier, the heavyweight champion of the world at the time, and Ali, his deal in that fight was going to be rope-a-dope. And the rope-a-dope trick was going to be to train his abs.

01:02 I mean, his whole training before the fight was to train his abs, just thousands of crunches and sit ups and leg lifts. And then he would hover in the first few rounds of the fight and he let Smokin' Joe Frazier take on his midsection with all of his heart until Frazier was literally worn out. And then Ali took him out in one round. It was foolishness to the world. You don't train your abs to fight. You train your hands and you train your arms. But he trained his abs and it turned out to be victory. I'll never forget back in my days of playing and coaching would Bill Yeoman, the head coach of the Houston team, who invented the veer where you would literally not block the defensive tackle or sometimes the defensive end and you would option off of whatever he did. An unblocked defensive linemen?

01:50 Are you kidding me? It became the most powerful running game in the history of the sport. We had a kicker on our football team at SMU, kicked with the side of his foot. No one in football kick with a side of their foot. That was for soccer. We all kick with the front of our foot. Well, you know the rest of that story. Everybody kicks with the side of their foot today. They're breaking records at the straight oak kickers. And I'll never forget the first time in the Olympics when this guy starts jumping over backwards; you always rolled over the bar and that day and you could roll over five feet or six foot. Well, this guy comes along, his name is Spaz Bernie, jumped over backwards and cleared seven feet - foolishness to the world. But sometimes there is the greatest hidden wisdom in foolishness.

02:37 And so it is when you walk with Christ, so it is when you carry your Bible to school. So it is when you live your Bible in the workplace. So it is when you turn the other cheek in your home, when there's a fight and you're the first one to say, "I'm sorry, will you please forgive me?" It looks like foolishness when the world says fight for your rights, fight for your way. Sometimes foolishness is the heart of Christ because when he hung himself on that cross and they crucified him, and he was God, it looked like foolishness to the world. But we know now there's the power of God. So my questions to you today are these, what are you doing in your life that seems like foolishness to the world, but you know down deep in your heart it's the power of God? And then the big question of the day is this, what can you change in the way you're treating people? Your family or the way you're living your life at school or in your job that you know right now, it may seem like being cool to the world, but it's foolish to God. And how can we change that around where it might be kind of foolish to the world, but it would be absolute bullseye to the word of God? Sometimes foolishness is the wisest thing of them all.

Unifying Your Fellowship - 1 Corinthians 1:10

"Teams go nowhere when they quarrel and argue and fight. They only succeed if they work as a unit."

Family Discussion

• Name some consequences a family like yours experiences when people don't work together.
• In the Corinthian church, what were the sources of their quarrels and squabbling? Can you see the same source in your church or in your small group or in your family?
• Name one way you intend to become more unified today.

Transcription

00:14 Men, as an old college football coach, coaching the Texas Aggies, and then coaching a High School football and even coaching peewee football, I'll tell you, there's nothing that pleases a coach more than a team that works together well, and there's nothing that pleases a dad or mom more, or certainly God, than a family who works together well. Check this verse out today. First Corinthians chapter one, and check out verse 10, it says this: "Now I exhort you brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you will all agree in that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind, in the same judgment." You know, what was going on in the Corinthian church is that same thing that goes on all over the country and all over the world in families and teams and businesses in church.

01:08 And I know it just wearies God probably, you know, brings his anger. But in the Corinthian church, you know, Paul, he had brought unity to the church and they were squabbling. You know, I'm of Paul, some say I am of Apollos, some would say I'm of Cephus, you know, and they were squabbling about who taught them. Paul says in First Corinthians 1:10, he says, "by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but you made complete in the same mind, in the same judgment." Man, teams go nowhere when they quarrel and argue and fight. You know what? They only succeed if they work as a unit. This is what Paul wanted the Corinthian church to know more than anything else. And it's exactly what God wants today's Christians to know too, you know. Our K-2 Buddy, you know, Adam Donia, he runs the K-2 basketball camp.

02:09 He just takes this team of guys to the state championship. For some, it's not by talent, you know, not by height and how high they jump, but because they've got those kids to work together. They were like one family going down the court. We used to play the University of Texas, they were the national champions every year. And I played nose man, and we knew we were going to get killed, not because they had the best talent in America, because they had 11 guys in orange shirts that came off the ball in one heartbeat. They won 38 straight games. Three of them were right over the top of my head because that team was unified under the brilliance of Darrell Royal. And so it is with a family. And if you're in a church working now or a ministry, you could take this principle and apply it and I'll tell you that you'll succeed in whatever you do in the long run.

03:06 So here's the question for today. Football teams get penalized if they spend too much time quarreling in the huddle. Don't you like that? Name some consequences a family like yours experiences when people don't work together. And then in the Corinthian church, what were the sources of their quarrels and squabbling? Can you see the same source in your church or in your small group or in your family? And then name one way you intend to become more unified today. I mean it, you can change in your heart to become more unified with the Christians that are in your family or in your team or in the church that you're serving. And here's the lifeline of the day. "Just as an athletic team must be unified to work toward a common goal, we as Christians must lay aside our petty differences and be unified in the work Jesus has called us to do." What differences have you had in your family that need to be laid aside to create unity today?

Good Source - Luke 18:18-19

We've had challenges just like probably your home has, but the older my kids get, the more good they are to me because they're becoming more like Christ in their life.

Family Discussions:

1. At the first glimpse of this scripture, Jesus seems to be kind of disagreeing with the assessment of his goodness, but what was his real point?
2. What do you think the point of goodness was?
3. Why do you think it's not enough to call Jesus a good teacher?
4. Don't misunderstand, there's so much goodness in Christians, but where does that goodness come from?
5. What can I do in my family and what can I do in my life to bring more of the goodness of God into this home?

Episode Transcriptions:

00:13 If you've been watching these devotionals very long, you've seen Chief sitting up here, my big old 85-pound Labrador retriever, who I'll often say, "Good dog, Chief, good dog." Well, I wasn't saying, "Good dog," this morning because this morning I woke up to a piece of trash on the floor that last night was wrapping a brand new hot loaf of banana bread, but during the night, my good dog decided to take it as his supper. Well, Jesus has something to say about being good, and here's what he says in Luke chapter 18, verses 18 and 19, "A ruler questioned him, saying, 'Good teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?' And Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.'

00:58 Is that scripture perplexing to you? Well, it is to me, but I think I'm getting a picture of it. I'm getting a picture of it in my bride, you know, who I've been married to now almost 40 years. And you know what? To me, she's good. And you know why she's good? Because there's more of God in her every year. That woman lives in God's word, and I'm sure she would say to you, "You know what? Don't call me good." But it's God in her that brings out more of God's goodness to her everyday. You know our home has struggled through the years. You know, we've had challenges just like probably your home has, but the older my kids get, the more good they are to me because they're becoming more like Christ in their life. And you know what? You want goodness in your home? You want goodness in your marriage? You want goodness in your church? I mean, do you really want goodness in the place that you work and do your professional life? Well, I believe there is no goodness except for the goodness of God alone, and what's so much fun about enduring it through the years with somebody in your family or in your job is when that person pours themself into the word. When you pour yourself into the word and more of God takes over your life, then somebody will see goodness in your home, and somebody will see goodness in you. So theologically correct? I hope so. I believe Jesus is saying that the only goodness in anybody is the goodness of God. So here's the questions today. You know, at the first glimpse of this scripture, Jesus seems to be kind of disagreeing with the assessment of his goodness, but what was his real point? What do you think the point of goodness was? And then why do you think it's not enough to call Jesus a good teacher? Don't misunderstand, there's so much goodness in Christians, but where does that goodness come from? And then the lifeline for this is, today, what can I do in my family and what can I do in my life to bring more of the goodness of God into this home?

Sibling Rivalry - Luke 15:25-32

The greatest friendship? It's Brady and Cooper. It's my two grown sons. They're each other's biggest fans, but it didn't always start off that way.

Family Discussions:

1. Who's your sibling?
2. And if you don't have a sibling, who in your working world or your marriage do you have a rivalry with?
3. Who are you trying to impress with some bigger fortress?
4. Who are you jealous of?

Episode Transcription:

00:14 Today I'm going to tell you about one of the greatest friendships I know of, and it grew up right under my roof. It's in Luke 15, 25 through 32, where we find this passage. And you know what, for this friendship I'm going to tell you about, it didn't always start off that way. And just like this one today, this friendship had long way to go. Luke 15 says this in verse 25, "Now, his older son," and it's talking about the prodigal father and the prodigal son who had just come home, "Now, his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and he heard dancing, and he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what was going on in the house. And the servant said to him, 'Your brother has come home, and your father has killed the fatted calf because he received him back safe and sound.' But the older brother became angry and indignant and was not willing to go in, and the father came out and was pleading with him." Scripture says, "But he answered and said to the father, 'Look, for so many years, I've been serving you, and I've never neglected a command of yours, and yet you've never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends, but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him.' And he said to him, "Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours, but we had to celebrate. Rejoice for this brother of yours was dead, and he's begun to live; and he was lost, but now he has been found.'"

02:01 The greatest friendship? It's Brady and Cooper. It's my two grown sons. They're each other's biggest fans, but it didn't always start off that way, and it reminds me of a story of the way it at least started off. And you know what? Sibling rivalry may be the biggest menace in all of family history, but there wasn't a family rivalry like this one. This one is just something that I heard about. It was on the corner of a busy intersection in the middle of a Midwest city that two brothers maintained a constant war with each other. Both brothers were wealthy. Both brothers lived in fabulous mansions, and by all appearances they should have been happy as all get out, but they weren't. They weren't. You know why? Because neither brother wants the other brother to be happy. You know, the older brother built his house first. It was huge, and it was lavish. But then the little brother struck it rich himself, and so in retaliation, he built a bigger house. And so the older brother added a wing to his house, and the younger brother put a pool in, and the older brother had these big columns so the younger brother brought in bigger colors. You know, the older brother poured a tennis court so the younger brother built a stable out in his gigantic, you know, backyard. It's so entertaining to the neighbors. But for the life of me, I can't recall a single time when I've driven by and seen any human enjoying either one of those houses. You know, recently I heard that the older brother's house burned to the ground, and when he was interviewed by the newspaper, by the reporter, he said, "You know what? Actually, I'm glad it was a total loss. Now, I can start all over. And you know what they say? There's always room for improvement."

03:45 Watching Brady and Cooper drop their sibling rivalries and watching them become best friends, as a daddy, is one of the greatest sights my eyes I have ever seen. And so you know what? I got to ask you man, who's your sibling? And if you don't have a sibling, who in your working world that you have a rivalry with, and it may even be in your marriage, who do you have a rivalry with and who are you trying to impress with some bigger fortress? Who are you jealous of? Man, today I encourage you to get a match and burn that fortress that you're building in your mind to the ground because when you burn something to ground, then you too can start all over again.

Louder Than Words - Luke 14:1

I love coaching because it's there on that football field that guys realize that they've got a platform. They've got a platform to share their faith. The reason they put on a football uniform is because that's their chance for people to look to them, not on the field, but off the field to see the witness of Christ in their hearts.

Family Discussions:

1. When you're at school, which of your actions make a good sermon?
2. When you're at home where it counts the most, what are your actions that make a good sermon?
3. Which ones speak the loudest?

Episode Transcription:

00:14 You know that sometimes the tiniest little verses in this Bible or the biggest verses of all. This one today's about that long, but it's huge. And it's in Luke chapter 14, verse one, in Scripture says this, "And it happened that when he went into the house of one of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to eat bread, they were watching him closely."

00:36 There's a little poem that we train our staff with every summer at our camps. And you know what? Watching those guys get it and watching those big, you know, college athletes begin to appropriate this little poem to kids, it's just, it's just so much fun. It's just awesome, and the poem says this, "There are little eyes upon you, and they're watching night and day. There are little ears that are quickly taking in every word you say. There are little hands all eager to do everything you do. And there's a little boy that's waiting to be a grownup just like you. You're the little fellas idol. You're the wisest of the wise. In his little heart about you, no suspicions ever arise. He watches you devoutly, watching everything you say and do. He's the little boy who's waiting to be a grownup just like you."

01:29 You know the reason I love coaching, you know, the teenage football camp, K2 football camp. You know the reason I love coaching the Texas Aggies. You know what? I love coaching because it's there on that football field that guys realize that they've got a platform. They've got a platform to share their faith. The reason they put on a football uniform is because that's their chance for people to look to them, not on the field, but off the field to see the witness of Christ in their hearts.

01:56 The reason I love to speak to the NFL teams, and speak to college teams and the basketball teams, or baseball teams, you know, in major league baseball is because it's there in those chapels that those guys realized that their sport is the platform for their faith. You know I love the college dancers and the college cheerleaders and the women's volleyball players and basketball players that come in and train at our camp because it's there they realize that they've got a platform to share their faith. And, you know, you may just be walking down the hall of your high school, and you make think nobody's watching, but I tell you they are. You may just be another guy in another pedestal in the marketplace in which you work, but there's people that in that place there, watching you closely every single day.

02:43 And you know what's great about that is, man, someday you're going to go to heaven, and you're going to be shocked because there's gonna be people from that same hallway, from that same office complex from that same college team you're playing on, and they're going to be in heaven, and you don't even know it. And they're going to come up to you, and they're going to say, "You know what? I saw Christ in you. I was watching you closely, and because of you, I'm in heaven today.

03:11 So here's the questions for you today: when you're at school, which of your actions make a good sermon, and when you're at home, when you're at home, where it counts the most, you know, what are your actions that make a good sermon? Which ones speak the loudest? And then the thought for the day is this. The greatest sermon we'll ever preach is a sermon we preach that has no words and has no sounds. It's the sermon of the way we live our life.

The Least to the Greatest - Luke 9:46-48

Adam was a basketball player. In fact, at five nine, he could dunk the basketball. He walked on on a D1 college campus and started for two years because Adam had a big, big heart. People might've said he's the least. He's kind of an orphan in a lot of ways. But uh, but man that guy served a big, big, big God. Well, Adam gave his life to working with kids.

Family Discussions:

1. Who in your work, your family, or your school is viewed as the least?
2. How can you become the Adam to that person?

Episode Transcription:

00:14 And today I want to share with you what I think is the greatest story in all the history of the game of basketball, and I also want to share with you one of the greatest passages of scripture that sticks me right square in the heart, and hopefully it will be the same for you. We're in Luke 9, verse 46 through 48. This scripture is great. It says, "And an argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest, but Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by his side and said to them, 'Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For the one who is the least among you, he shall be the greatest of all.'"

01:06 My friend is only five feet nine. His name is Adam Donyes. He's one of the biggest men I've ever met. Adam, even though he didn't get to grow up with a mom and a dad and his grandparents who raised him are now in heaven, somebody taught Adam some things that I'll admired forever, and I'm sure it was God who Adam loves with his whole heart. But Adam was a basketball player. In fact, at five nine, he could dunk the basketball. He walked-on on a D1 college campus and started for two years because Adam had a big, big heart. People might've said he's the least. He's kind of an orphan in a lot of ways. But uh, but man that guy served a big, big, big God. Well, Adam gave his life to working with kids, and one day as Adam was walking down the hallway of a high school that he was doing ministry in, he saw the most overlooked kid in the school. His name was Dave. Dave was in Special Ed. You might've said that Dave was the most insignificant person in the high school, but not to Adam. And Adam talked Dave into going out for basketball, even though David was 345 pounds. He was overweight, out of shape, couldn't play basketball to save his life. But Adam began to train that boy because Adam knew that the smallest things in life can become the greatest. The more insignificant people in life can become the most significant people on earth. They just need somebody to believe in them. And Adam believed in Dave.

02:27 Dave became the homecoming king of his basketball town. I watched him the night he started for his Varsity. I watched him a night that he scored over 20 points for is JV. I watched him when he went to college, even though everybody said, "He'll never graduate. He'll never make it to college." He played in the college pep band. He was student of the month. And today? They're making a film about David and Adam. You know what?

02:54 It's the least among you who will be the greatest. It's the last in line who become the first in line. It's the one who serves, who will become the leader of all. And my discussion questions for you today are this: there's somebody where you work. There's somebody in your family. There's somebody in your school that's an Adam. And guess what? How can you become the Adam to that person, and how can you make a movie with him, or how can you make a movie with her? Guess what? You've got movies in your future. Go out and make them, and be the greatest of all.