Joe White Drive Time Podcast

By Joe WhiteReligion & Spirituality Christianity

Joe White Drive Time Podcast episodes

December 24, 2019God in the Flesh - Mark 14:60-62
"There is no doubt in the world that Jesus knew exactly who he was. He said, I am the vine in John 15. John 10, He said, I'm the door. John 14, He said, I am the way. In fact, he said, I am the only way. He said, I am the Christ."
Family Discussions:
"A man is no fool to give up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." What does that mean to you?
How can you be sure in your mind, in your heart that Jesus was actually God in the flesh?
Why is that statement so significant to you as you face eternity?
Transcription:
00:13          Hey, as we come to the end of this fantastic book together, the book of Mark and the life of Christ. And we get down to the last really breasts of Jesus's life. He's before Pontius Pilate in chapter 14, and we're in verse 60 and it says, "the high priest stood up and came forward in question Jesus saying, do you not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against you? But he kept silent. It did not answer again. The high priest was questioning him and was saying to him, are you the Christ, the son of the blessed one? And Jesus said, I am. And then he fulfill the prophecy of Daniel when he said, you shall see the son of man sitting at the right hand of power coming with the clouds of heaven."

01:06          There is no doubt in the world that Jesus knew exactly who he was. He said, I am the vine in John 15. John 10, He said, I'm the door. John 14, He said, I am the way. In fact, he said, I am the only way. He said, I am the Christ. And then there were other witnesses. You know, Peter said, thou art the Christ the son of the living God. Pontius Pilate in the trial said, I find no fault in this man. Even one of the centurions, one of the guards that crucified Jesus at the end of Jesus' life, he testified. He said, this man must surely be the son of God. And then the apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy spirit in Colassians and other places, he said, Hey, Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. The firstborn of all creation. Paul Roddy said, by him, by Christ, all things were created both in heavens and on the earth, whether visible or invisible, whether rulers or dominions or powers or authorities. All things were created by Jesus Christ and for Jesus Christ.

02:09          Jesus knew who he was. Scripture testifies, and literally from BC to AD, the watershed of human history. History testifies that Jesus was God in the flesh. And you know what's important about that? Only God who created you and created every person on this earth had the shoulders broad enough and the span wide enough to die for the sins of all mankind. And that's why John 3:16 says, but who ever, whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. You know, it has been amply said, a man is no fool to give up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.

03:02          By the way, for questions today, what does that last quote mean to you? A man is no fool to give up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. What does that mean to you? And then the second question is how can you be sure in your mind, in your heart that Jesus was actually God in the flesh? And then number three, why is that statement so significant to you as you face eternity? And here's the thought for the day. You know, an act of love that's unrivaled in greatness, rightly understood, can only produce consistent appreciation and obedience.
4 min
December 23, 2019Christ Becoming Sin - Mark 14:32-36
"I think the top 10 things in my life, most of them have to do with anything my kids ever wanted to do with me. Brady would say, Hey dad, let's go shoot baskets. And we shot thousands of baskets together. Him shooting, me catching and throwing back. Copp would let me, you know, run past patterns. And then, so he'd throw me the football. Jamie and Courtney, let me help them in gymnastics and volleyball. 'Hey dad, let's go to the Dairy Queen. Let's get a snack.' I didn't care what they asked me to do. I was ready to go."
Family Discussions:
Why did God have to turn his head when Jesus died?
Why does God want the relationship between a parent and a child, especially in the home, to be so strong?
Why is it of such high value?
What can you do in your home to build a parent-child bond like that one, that Jesus and God had?
Transcription:
00:13          In this scripture today, scripture speaks very soberly to us about a time in Christ's life that was probably the most difficult day he had on earth. It was the most difficult for sure but probably not for the reason you think it was. He's in the Garden of Gethsemane and it's the night before his crucifixion. And here's what Mark says in chapter 14, starting in verse 32 it said, "They came to a place called Gethsemane and he said to his disciples, 'sit here until I have prayed.' And he took with him, Peter and James and John and began to be very distressed and troubled. And he said to them, 'my soul is deeply grieved to the point of death. Remain here and keep watch.' And he went a little while beyond them and he fell to the ground and he began to pray and he was saying, 'Abba, father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. And yet, not what I want will, but what's your will be done.'" Not my will, but your will be done.

01:22          You know what? I think the top 10 things in my life, most of them have to do with anything my kids ever wanted to do with me. Brady would say, Hey dad, let's go shoot baskets. And we shot thousands of baskets together. Him shooting, me catching and throwing back. Copp would let me, you know, run past patterns. And then, so he'd throw me the football. Jamie and Courtney, let me help them in gymnastics and volleyball. 'Hey dad, let's go to the Dairy Queen. Let's get a snack.' I didn't care what they asked me to do. I was ready to go. I remember one time Courtney asked me to take her to the mall to get a dress for a college forum or prom or something that she did. And we looked at dresses and stuff all day long. I don't even think we bought one, but we had a blast looking together.

02:10          But I didn't know that I'd see a picture that day and one of the clothing stores that would rock my world. It was a sports illustrated. Courtney was trying on yet another dress. And I saw this picture in sports illustrate in fact it was the cover picture. It was Michael Jordan. And at that time, Jordan was Mr. Basketball. It was years ago, but he was definitely the King of the game. But it wasn't a picture of Michael shooting a three. It wasn't a picture of Michael, you know, with the world championship trophy on his hands. He had just won four world championships with the Chicago bulls. But it was a picture of Michael laying on the floor bawling his eyes out, clutching his basketball to his chest, weeping because it was Father's Day. The day he won the championship was Father's Day and his daddy wasn't there. Three years ago his daddy had been murdered.

03:02          I think the biggest pain on the cross for Christ was not the nails or the scorching, although those must have been horrible. But that was the day he had to become sin. That was the day that he had to clothe himself with everything bad. Everything negative, everything sinful that you and I've ever done before a Holy God. Christ became Galatians 3:13 says he became the curse of sin and there his daddy had to turn his back because his daddy, Father God was Holy and always was and always will be. Christ had become sin. The father and son were separated. I believe it was the worst moment of his life. But in that moment came victory for you and me.

03:42          So here's the questions for today in this incredible Bible passage. Why did God have to turn his head when Jesus died? And the second question is this, why does God want the relationship between a parent and a child, especially in the home, to be so strong? Why is it of such high value? And thirdly, you know, what can you do in your home to build a parent-child bond like that one, that Jesus and God had? And the thought for the day is this. You know, parents and their children have a bond that should never be broken. The only bond greater is the bond between us and Christ.
5 min
December 21, 2019F.U.A.G.N.E.M. - Mark 14:6-9
"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?
5 min
December 20, 2019Daddy's Coming Home - Mark 13:28-33
"Hey I had a fantastic dad. People called him Spike. And you know, my dad was firm. I'll never forget my last spanking from my dad with this belt. That was in seventh grade and I lied to my mom and I remember him coming in and he said. It was Friday and he said, bring me my belt on Sunday."
Family Discussion:
Recall an event that you anticipated with excitement or one that you anticipated may be with fear. What was the difference?
How do you personally view the imminent return of Christ?
What can you do to make these days feel secure and bringing great peace in your mind?
Transcription:
00:13          I've entitled this devotional today, "The Lesson of the Fig Tree." But a more personal title would be "Daddy's Home." Listen to this. This is great. We're going to be in Mark chapter 13 in verse 28 and we're talking about the second coming of Christ. In fact, Jesus is giving us the signs of his coming. He said, these things are going to be happening all over the world and when you see these things happening, you better get ready because Christ is going to come and he's going to consummate the age in which we live. Verse 28 says, "now learn the parable from the fig tree when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. Even so, you too when you see these things happening recognize that he is near right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation shall not pass away until all of these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." And then he, and then he hits the nail on the head. He said, "but if that day or hour, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven nor the son, but the father alone, but take heed. Keep on the alert. For you do not know when the appointed time comes."

01:29          Hey I had a fantastic dad. People called him Spike. And you know, my dad was firm. I'll never forget my last spanking from my dad with this belt. That was in seventh grade and I lied to my mom and I remember him coming in and he said. It was Friday and he said, bring me my belt on Sunday. I had three days to die knowing that on Sunday I was going to get creamed. But he probably didn't give me enough of 'em actually I probably deserve more but he was a great dad. Usually when my daddy would come and when I see my daddy, I was really happy to see him. My daddy would travel and he didn't travel because he wanted to. He traveled because he needed to. But when he'd come home, I was always so happy to see him. I'd go wait out in the driveway to see that old station wagon drive into my house. And then as a daddy myself, when my kids were small in the home, I had to travel a lot. And every time I'd leave home I'd look in the rear view mirror and I would grow so sad knowing that I had to go away for two or three weeks on the road to recruit. But I'll tell you what, coming home was an believable. I drive through the night oftentimes to get home, just to get one little glimpse of my kids. It might be three in the morning or four in the morning when I'd get home. And then man, the kids would run upstairs and you know, daddy's home, daddy's home. I'd hear the little pitter patter of their little feet. Those little footie pajamas that they'd wear. Sometimes they put signs and posters on the front of the house and in my closet, daddy's home.

03:02          Y'all, I think the best understanding of the return of Christ, if you really do love him, if you're a follower of his, if he lives in your heart, is that daddy is coming. Oh, it's not to be feared if you're a follower of Christ. Daddy's coming home. Hey, here's the questions for today. Recall, an event that you anticipated with excitement or one that you anticipated may be with fear. What was the difference? And how do you personally view the imminent return of Christ? And I believe it's imminent. And then next, what can you do to make these days, I mean, anticipation. Feel secure and bringing great peace in your mind? And then here's the thought for the day. Daddy's coming home. Daddy's coming home can be the three sweetest words in the English language.
5 min
December 19, 2019The Trophy of Trophies - Mark 13:8;10;13;22;33
"One thing I love about sports is the one who wants it the worst usually wins, especially in team sports. It's not so much about how fast and strong an athlete is, but in a team sport especially, it all depends upon the heart. "
Family Discussions:
Which of Jesus is signs of his coming you observed recently?
What does he mean when he says keep on the alert because you don't know the day that I'm going to come back?
How can your family better pull together as a team to defeat the enemies that are all around you?
Transcription:
00:13          Hey, today I want to tell you about the greatest award ceremony that you'll ever be. The trophy of trophies. We're going to be reading from Mark chapter 13 and we're going to start with verse eight. Jesus is talking about the signs, the birth pains, if you will. The signs that will be proceeding the second coming of Christ to planet earth. In verse eight he says, "for nation will rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There'll be earthquakes in various places." So the world's going to be at war, especially in the area of the middle East. And in verse 10, he says, "the gospel of the kingdom must be preached to the whole world." And then we go, uh, skipping to verse 13, he says, "you Christians will be hated by all nations because of my name, but the one who endures to the end will be saved." And then in verse 22, he says, "for false Christ and false prophets will arise and will show signs and wonders if possible, even to lead astray the elect." They are the Christians. And then finally in verse 33 he says, "Take heed. Keep on the alert. For you do not know when the appointed time comes."

01:24          I'm telling you folks, one thing I love about sports is the one who wants it the worst usually wins, especially in team sports. It's not so much about how fast and strong an athlete is, but in a team sport especially, it all depends upon the heart. And Jesus is saying, man, if you want it bad enough, if you want the love of Christ, if you want to live for Christ bad enough, then the trophy is going to be yours. Are we living in the last days? Well, there's a lot of us who believe that we sure can be. As these prophecies come true all around us. You see the gospel going out the whole world. You see the whole world literally fighting each other over everything, especially in the middle East. You see the terms where the supernatural, the sayans, Satan worship, demon possession, wiji boards, Dungeons and dragons. Movies in their cult everywhere.

02:12          You know, you see Christians persecuted and I'll say this, I am the proudest of the of the young generation, the high school kids and college kids that I get to work with. I've never seen a bunch of heroes like you before in my life. Guys and girls who are willing to go to school with their Bibles. They witness and willing to write papers on creation and intelligent design even when they get ridiculed in their classes, oftentimes are in the hallways for, for wearing crosses and living for Christ. But I will tell you this, the one who overcomes is going to win the prize. So don't lose heart. When he sees you, He'll say, 'well done now, good and faithful servant.'

02:54          Here's the questions for today. Which of Jesus is signs of his coming you observed recently? And then what does he mean when he says keep on the alert because you don't know the day that I'm going to come back. And then lastly, this is great. How can your family better pull together as a team to defeat the enemies that are all around you? And then here's the thought for the day. You know, groups of individuals often lose tough contests, but a team that's united, a team that's focused, a team that's full of heart are almost impossible to defeat, make your family a team like that today.
4 min
December 18, 2019Do Not Be Misled - Mark 13:4-6;22
"Before the end of Jesus's ministry, He talks a lot about his second coming. In fact, some scholars have suggested that one out of every 27 verses in scripture talks about the second coming of Christ. You know what? The world wasn't ready when he came the first time and the world certainly is not going to be ready when he comes back the second time."
Family Discussions:
What has been the most misleading thing you've heard or seen lately in your life?
What is a false Christ?
What is a cult leader?
If someone's speaking, how can you recognize that they're tell him the truth?
Transcription:
00:13          Before the end of Jesus's ministry, He talks a lot about his second coming. In fact, some scholars have suggested that one out of every 27 verses in scripture talks about the second coming of Christ. You know what? The world wasn't ready when he came the first time and the world certainly is not going to be ready when he comes back the second time. But he leaves these signs and he tells us what it's going to look like at the end. And here we are in Mark chapter 13. "So they asked him. Jesus, tell us when will these things be? What will be the sign and when will all these things going to be fulfilled? And Jesus began to say to them, see to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in my name saying I am he, I am the Christ and will mislead many." And then we skipped down to verse 22 and we read him saying this at the conclusion of this thought. He says in verse 22 "for false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show signs and wonders in order to lead a stray if possible, even the elect, even the followers of Christ."

01:17          So, there's an old parable and if you'd like to solve parables or riddles, here's a good one. You're going down a road and there's a Y in the road and there's two men standing at the Y, one on the left and one of the right. All you know about is one of them is always going to lie and the other one is always going to tell the truth, but you don't know which one is a liar and which one tells the truth. One other thing, you can only ask one question to either man it and then you have to choose one road. And what I was going to lead to hell and what I was going to leave to heaven. What question would you ask in which man would you ask it? Now you can think about this later, but the answer is you ask either men, what will the other men say and go the opposite. Because you've asked the liar, he will lie about what the other man's going to say. So if the other man goes right, he's going to say, go left. And then you go, right. If you ask the guy who tells the truth, what's the other man? Gonna say? He knows the other man's gonna lie. So he'll tell you the wrong way to go. So go the opposite.

02:19          You know, there's a lot of ways to get misled. I know that, you know, the television sets are just filled with misleading commercials. These beer commercials, my goodness, they make beer look like the most wonderful, fun thing in the whole wide world. They never show ambulances. You know, they never show, you know, broken and abuse in the homes and all the things that alcohol causes people's lives. They never showed that. They just make it look like this great inconsequential party and millions are misled by those ads. That's one thing, but be misled eternally would have to be the worst thing of all. You know what time magazine says there's over 1800 religious and mystical cults in the United States of America alone. Recruiting millions of followers.

03:28          Let me tell you something. Any man or woman who gets on that TV set or stands in a, some kind of a pulpit in some kind of a religious building and he takes Jesus to less than Jesus said he was or he elevates any man higher than who a man ought to be is a cult. Any man or any religious woman or teacher that says this Bible is less than the complete Word of God. That you have to add anything to it. You have to add other books to it. It's a cult. The Bible is the complete word of God from Genesis to Revelation. Jesus is son of God. He is the complete forgiveness for sins. We go to heaven by grace and grace alone. So don't be misled to do something you'll be ashamed of in this life, but for sure, don't be misled by anyone who will lie to you and cost you your eternity.

04:29          Here is the question for today. What has been the most misleading thing you've heard or seen lately in your life? And then what is a false Christ? What is a cult leader? And then the third one is how can you recognize the truth? If someone's speaking, how can you recognize that they're tell him the truth? And here's the great thing about families. This is the thought for the day. Families discern truth together.
5 min
December 17, 2019The Higher Law - Mark 12:14-17
"Few years ago, I was easing down the highway about 70 miles an hour on in their state and came into a little construction zone and the sign clearly said the speed limit is now 45. Well, I didn't see anybody constructing anything. I just saw some warning signs. So I continued my merry little way at 70 miles an hour. Well, it wasn't long until I was reminded that, you know, what render to Caesar what Caesar's."
Family Discussions:
Which things for your money do you enjoy giving the most?
Which forms of giving and spending give God the most joy?
Why is important to render under Caesar what is Caesar's with a positive attitude?
Transcription:
00:14          It's no wonder they called him Christ. The astonishing teacher. And he blew them out of the water then when he taught. And he blows us out of the water today. Listen to the wisdom of this passage today in Mark chapter 12 and starting with verse 14. It says this, "and they came to him and said to him, teacher, we know that you're truthful and defer to no one for you are not partial in any way, but you teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay tax, a poll tax to Caesar or not? Shall we pay or shall we not pay? But Jesus, knowing their hypocrisy said to them, why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius and look at it. They brought one and he said to them, whose likeness is on that coin? And they said, Caesars. And Jesus said to them, render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are gods. And they were amazed at him."

01:13          Few years ago, I was easing down the highway about 70 miles an hour on in their state and came into a little construction zone and the sign clearly said the speed limit is now 45. Well, I didn't see anybody constructing anything. I just saw some warning signs. So I continued my merry little way at 70 miles an hour. Well, it wasn't long until I was reminded that, you know, what render to Caesar what Caesar's. The red lights were flashing my rear view mirror. Probably the worst site in the whole wide world. I've seen him a couple of times more than I wish I could have, but, I was reminded and I ended up paying some kind of awful fine for speeding in a work zone even though nobody was there working render under Caesar what did the Caesar's.

01:57          You know, it's no wonder that R rated movies have an age limitation and really and truly, probably very few if any of them are good for any age. But for sure, not at a young age. You know, you're not supposed to drink alcohol til you're 21. Listen to the law. I love working in my Bible study with my high school seniors that are grappling with issues like this. And I love the guys that are really following God and are not just not drinking because it's age 21 and under, but because they don't want to ruin their witness to the school or to take the chance of ever becoming an alcoholic. But nevertheless, there's the law. Every April 15th, you know, we get an opportunity to support our government. And you know what? I can't tell you that I'm in favor of a lot of the things that our government does with our money, but you know what? It's the law. And so on April 15th, we pay our taxes, every penny of them. Don't we? Because it's the law of the land. So we rent under Caesar's what is Caesar's.

03:02          But I want to tell you something really important today. There's a higher law. You know, Adolf Eichmann was tried after the, you know, the Holocaust in World War II. He was one of the officers in Germany, one of the highest officers there responsible for killing millions of Jews. And in his trial, he said in his own defense, he said, I have obeyed the law and the flag. So he was obeying Hitler and the Nazi flag. But there was a higher law. It was a moral law. It was a law of God that you don't kill. And so he disobeyed the higher law. Unfortunately, he was convicted of his crime.

03:36          So it is America in the world today. You know, the law says that you can take a little baby, a precious little baby, you know, no matter what size or what age they are inside of your womb. And you can take that baby's life away. Well, it's the law of this land, but there's a higher law. The higher law says that every life is valuable. Every life is precious. Even the life of an unborn child. There's a lot of laws in this country, and you know what? We're gonna pay our taxes and we're gonna, you know, obey the laws of the land. Except when there's a higher law. And that law is the law of God. It's the highest law of all.

04:17          So here's the questions for today. You know, money goes to the government. Money goes to God's ministries on earth. Money goes to our families needs and money goes to our families wants. But which of these things for your money do you enjoy giving the most? And then which forms of giving and spending give God the most joy? And I hope you've got some things in your life and in your homes that really give you joy. That you give sacrificially to. The third question is, why is important to render under Caesar what is Caesar's with a positive attitude? Whew. Here's the lifeline. You know, in a family, you know, dad has his God given authority. In a family, mom has her God given authority. And you know what? If you're a teenager living in a home, you'll have yours in due time. But when you render under Caesar, it brings unity and it brings harmony to the family.
6 min
December 16, 2019Forgiveness Heals - Mark 11:25-26
"An insightful first grade teacher read to her students many wise old sayings that we've all heard since we were young. Then she'd stop each phrase just before the conclusion and she'd ask those five and six year olds to fill in kind of the last part of the phrase. Their answers have made me chuckle over and over again."
Family Discussions:
Why does God put such a high price tag on forgiveness?
How does forgiveness heal so effectively in here and out here with others?
Who do you need to forgive today?
Are you willing to do that before the sun goes down tonight?
Transcription:
00:13          Let's talk about a Bible verse that would change your world, change your life forever. This one will get you right between the eyes. It's in Mark chapter 11 verse 25 through 26. Again, Jesus teaches an amazing principle. He says this, "whenever you stand praying, forgive if you have anything against anyone so that your father in heaven will also forgive you of your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your father who is in heaven forgive you of your transgressions."

00:47          You know, an insightful first grade teacher read to her students many wise old sayings that we've all heard since we were young. Then she'd stop each phrase just before the conclusion and she'd ask those five and six year olds to fill in kind of the last part of the phrase. Their answers have made me chuckle over and over again. Here are just a few of the things that she would say. She'd say 'better safe than...' When kids said 'punch a fifth grader.' And another one she said, 'never underestimate the power of...' One kid said 'termites.' She said, 'don't bite the hand that...' One first grader said 'looks dirty.' She said, 'you can't teach an old dog new...' 'Math,' a kid said. 'A penny saved is...' 'Not much' 'Two's company. Three's...' 'The Musketeers.' 'Children should not be...' 'Spanked or grounded.' 'If at first you don't succeed...' One kid says, 'get new batteries.'.

01:42          You know, there's no Proverbs or wise words, more reliable and more profound than the life shaping time that God said forgive and it will be forgiven unto you. He didn't wink. He didn't smile. He didn't shift his feet when he said it. Hey, have you ever wondered why he spoke so frankly, on this subject. You know, life in the home provides the greatest laboratory in the world for the answer. Forgiveness heals. It heals your relationship with your mom, with your dad, with your husband, with your son, with your daughter. It heals your lack of joy. It heals the lack of peace that's in your heart brought down by your personal vendetta and it heals your relationship with God. No pharmacy, no hospital, no medical doctor can provide a bottle of medicine as powerful as the healing power of forgiveness. You know what? Bitterness kills. It kills your relationships with the ones you love in your home. You know what, there'll be the most important relationships throughout your life. Bitterness kills your inner joy. It kills your inner peace. It kills your daily fellowship with God. So forgive and it will be forgiven unto you. Isn't that great?

03:01          Here's the question for today. Why does God put such a high price tag on forgiveness? And then secondly, how does forgiveness heal so effectively in here and out here with others? And here's the big one. You guys who do you need to forgive today? And are you willing to do that before the sun goes down tonight? The thought for the day is this, forgiving hearts are happy hearts. Isn't that great
4 min
December 14, 2019A Seat on the Donkey - Mark 11:7-10
"You think about the Mardi Gras parade and the Rose bowl parade and the Macy's Christmas parade and all these millions of dollars of floats and millions of dollars of cars and all this fanfare, but there wasn't a parade like this one. There's never been a parade like this one nor will there ever be."
Family Discussions:
Why do we call that day, Palm Sunday?
What was really going on in Jerusalem that day?
How can you lay your blanket before Jesus as he comes riding into your life, into your home?
How does Jesus' life of exemplary humility speak to you today?
Transcription:
00:13          This passage today in scripture is a phenomenal a passage. When you really understand what's going on this passage out of Mark chapter 11, man, it will rock your world. It'll change your life. Mark chapter. 11 verse seven, we call this Palm Sunday and, and I'll tell you why we do it says, "They brought the donkey to Jesus and they put their coats on it and he sat on it and many spread their coats out in the road and other spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting, Hosanna, Hosanna. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father, David. Hosanna in the highest."

01:06          Folks that it was the, it was the greatest parade ever. You know, you think about the Mardi Gras parade and the Rose bowl parade and the Macy's Christmas parade and all these millions of dollars of floats and millions of dollars of cars and all this fanfare, but there wasn't a parade like this one. There's never been a parade like this one nor will there ever be. Jesus the Messiah. He's God. He's about to down the cross. A week later, we're going gonna raise from the dead, but how does he come in to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday? Comes in on a donkey. It comes in a little humble colt. Because Zachariah 9:9 prophesied hundreds of years before that he would ride in the Messiah, would be presented his King on a donkey and according to Psalms 118 the prophecy a thousand years before Jesus said they will cry. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

01:59          And then the prophecy of Daniel 538 BC, 530 years before Jesus was born. Daniel said it will happen on that day. The prophecy of Daniel 9 says that on that day, April 6, 32 AD if you do the math, that's the day that Jesus would come in as King on a donkey being proclaimed as Messiah. No wonder he said, when the Pharasees said, Jesus, tell these people to become silent. If you claim to be God, we're going to kill you. And he said, if they become silent, the stones will cry out. This is the day of my visitation as he wept over Jerusalem He said. You know what? Humility, man, it makes you want to take a towel to dry the dishes, doesn't it? It makes you want to empty the trash cans throughout the house. It makes me want to want to wash literally the feet of the people in your family, by the way you serve them. You know, humility in a home, oh man, it's the smile on your faces in the home. Serving each other. You know, coming in on a donkey, so to speak, on the lowly, lowly colt. You know, they proclaimed him, Messiah and King. And the happiest kids I know, the happiest husbands I know, the happiest wives I know are people who get on their colt and ride every day.

03:19          So here's the questions today. Why do we call that day, Palm Sunday? And what was really going on in Jerusalem that day? The second question is, how can you lay your blanket before Jesus as he comes riding into your life, into your home? And then the third one says this, how does Jesus' life of exemplary humility speak to you today? And here is the lifeline. The thought for today, today in the home, let us mount our pride on the seat of a donkey.
5 min
December 13, 2019In the Eye of the Needle - Mark 10:24-27
"About 10 or 12 years ago, my wife and I in our sports camps were able to adopt 19 schools in Haiti. And so every day we have the privilege of loving and feeding and educating these 5,800 kids down there in Haiti. Men, of all the things that have ever happened around Kanakuk Kamps, you know, the Kamps that, I mean, the schools in Haiti bring smiles to our faces like none other."
Family Discussions:
What is your interpretation of Jesus' metaphor of the camel in the eye of the needle?
Why does our excesses keep us from really enjoying a full enrich relationship with God?
What action can you or your family take to comply with Jesus' command here?
Transcription:
00:13          This devotional today that I get to share with you really puts a smile on my face because it's about some of the most beautiful kids in the world. About, Oh gosh, 10 or 12 years ago, my wife and I in our sports camps were able to adopt 19 schools in Haiti. And so every day we have the privilege of loving and feeding and educating these 5,800 kids down there in Haiti. Men, of all the things that have ever happened around Kanakuk Kamps, you know, the Kamps that, I mean, the schools in Haiti bring smiles to our faces like none other. Every Christmas we get to take Christmas gifts to every single child. We've been doing this for years and years and to see these kids, you know, like take a pack of Lifesavers and eat the first Lifesaver they've ever eaten and get their first Christmas gift from Papa Noel. You know, what they call Santa Claus down there in Haiti. And then to get to share. You know what Christmas is really about with those kids, not Santa Claus, but you know Jesus Christ born on earth. It's the joy of our lives.

01:21          You know what Jesus has something to say about you and about me and about our kids in Haiti and around the world. Listen to Mark chapter 10 verse 24 through 27. Here's what scripture says. "The disciples were amazed at his words, but Jesus answered it again and said to them, children, how hard is it to enter the kingdom of God? It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. They were even more astonished and said to him then, who can be saved? Looking at them, Jesus said with people, it's impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God."

02:08          You know, being really transparent, honest with you, I don't need a bite of food. I mean, I hardly take a bite that I don't think about our kids in Haiti. They are so happy with a bowl of beans and a bowl of rice every day. It just breaks my heart to see the circumstances that they're in and not just our kids that are little schools in Haiti because really they're doing pretty good compared to most starving kids in the world. But God has a word to us and I believe his word is, and you know what? Everybody in America's rich, by the way, if you think you're very, very poor, I will tell you that the kids that we get to work with here at Kids Across American and Kanakuk, many of our kids, 7,000 of our kids come from inner cities and they will tell you because they have a chance to know Jesus. They have meals every day. That even though they are the poorest in our country, they're rich compared to the kids of Haiti whose parents live on about 11 bucks a week.

03:02          But he says, for all of us in America that are rich, he said, you've got to be willing, like a camel who would walk up to the city Gates over the wall villages of that day, and there would be a little opening just to the side of the city gate that a camel couldn't get through with anything on his bag. In fact, the camel would have to get down on his knees and they would have to unload the camel and then he could go through the eye, the needle, what they call this little hole in the gate, on his knees without anything on his back. And then they could reload him. Once he got through the gate.

03:35          The word picture is clear. You know, a rich man. Here we are in our country and in the Western world. Jesus said, we must be willing to give it all to give everything we've got. The heart has got to be willing to let go. And you know what? The more you let go, the more the kids of Haiti and the rest of this world are going to be blessed. And through our gifts, those kids are going to get to know Jesus because they're going to know it was the hand of Christ that unloaded our baggage off our camel and gave it away to them in the name of Jesus.

04:09          Here's the questions today in this perplexing, thoughtful gospel. What is your interpretation of Jesus' metaphor of the camel in the eye of the needle? And the second question is, why does our excesses keep us from really enjoying a full enrich relationship with God? And then the third one, what action can you or your family take to comply with Jesus' command here? And here is the lifeline. You know, families that give together, stay together. People that give generously are the happiest people in the world.
5 min

About Joe White Drive Time Podcast

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Initiate meaningful conversations with your family no matter how long the commute with Joe White's age-appropriate short talks on scripture, parenting, culture, and community.

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