Jesus starts an argument! The author of the second Gospel apparently had never met the greeting-card version of the Savior: the "gentle Jesus" who finds merit in all religious ideas. No, Mark tells us of a Christ who liked to stir things up. He wanted us to know the truth, and that required Him to expose falsehood - especially sanctimonious falsehoods. The reality behind this argument is central to Jesus' ministry - and it is shocking.
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Scripture References: Mark 2
Children, and humility. To conclude our thoughts about Jesus and youngsters, we'll look at a couple of heartbreaking encounters. Nothing touches us more deeply than seeing one of our children sick or in danger, and today we'll meet two parents desperate to find help for their kids. Their faith became very simple and child-like. But let's revisit a lighter moment, to begin.
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Scripture References: Mark 9 & 10
We can understand Jesus ministering to children, and sometimes He did that. What about Jesus ministering with children? Because sometimes He did that! In Mark 9 and 10 we see a few incidents involving youngsters. The Disciples' instinct was to push them away: We're having a grownup discussion here, let's keep the rug rats out of the way, please. But the Lord welcomed them. What can we learn - not from children - but through the way Christ treated them?
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Scripture References: Mark 9 & 10
Christ loves - and the religion of Christ loves - children. To Molech or Allah or the Aztec god Tlaloc, a child is a worthy sacrifice. To worshipers of the American god of materialism a child may be an inconvenience (and a potential sacrifice), or a god itself. Careful not to cross that one. But to Jesus, a child is neither a god nor a sacrifice, but a valuable member of His kingdom.
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Scripture References: Mark 9 & 10
12 years is a long time to be sick... but a very short time to be alive! In chapter 5 of Mark's Gospel we have those two intertwined stories of the woman and the girl who needed Jesus. And the lesson of faith over fear is brought to us repeatedly in this passage. 12 years -is- a long time to be sick; would we have given up after a decade or so? And it's a short time to be alive. But death is death. Isn't it?
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Scripture References: Mark 3:13-19; 4:35-41; 5
There are three stories in Mark, chapter 5. We'll look at all of them today. The man on the other side of the lake was tormented by multiple demons - we'll finish our survey of that account. And back on the near shore we'll read about two members of the fair sex who needed divine interventions of their own. What ties these different episodes together is the need for Faith, Not Fear.
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Scripture References: Mark 3:13-19; 4:35-41; 5
Squatters. They can be difficult to get rid of. We've seen how only a few small concessions in the law, or in the justice system, can cause big problems with illegal tenants. It's the stuff of nightmares: Someone moves into your house and refuses to leave. The nightmares are worse when a human being is the dwelling place, and the trespassers are demons. Today we'll look at Mark, chapter 5 for Part 2 of, Faith, Not Fear.
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Scripture References: Mark 3:13-19; 4:35-41; 5
Have you ever felt like God is sleeping while your boat is sinking? The Disciples' literal boat was actually filling with water, and God the Son was literally asleep in the back. But they didn't know His full identity yet, or they might have let Him slumber on. Does God know about my situation? Is He really with me? Does He care? Why doesn't He do something? The challenge to us is to override our natural fear response, and believe.
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Scripture References: Mark 3:13-19; 4:35-41; 5
Today we're a fly on the wall - watching Christ in His "unguarded moments." When we began this study of the Gospel of Mark, I promised that we would see the real, historical, Jesus. Well, because of Mark's association with Peter, we can learn not just what the Lord said and did in public, but what He revealed to the Twelve in private. In this episode we'll complete that list of Jesus' public demonstrations of authority, then we'll follow Him where the crowds could not go.
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Scripture References: Mark 1
Separation... isolation... estrangement. They're all part of the old kingdom! When the new King arrived, we found out quickly that He was not like other kings. Not like the fraudulent puppet Herod, certainly. Not like any monarch the world had ever seen. In the kingdom of Jesus, barriers between men and women, between Jews and Gentiles, and even between clean and unclean, would come down. Here's Jim, back in the Gospel of Mark.
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Scripture References: Mark 1
Do you ever feel like you're just wandering around with Jesus? The evangelist Mark puts us in the huddle with the Disciples. We see what they saw, and hear what they heard. It wasn't a life of unstructured "hanging out" with the Lord for three-and-a-half years. There was a lesson plan. There was a progression to their training, even though the "hands-on" learning started pretty early in the course! Even the Master was on a timetable. There's a structure to our training, as well.
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Scripture References: Mark 1
What if it's the Kingdom of God versus your kingdom? In the opening pages of the Gospel of Mark we see a Messiah who just couldn't care less about people's expectations. He was on a mission. It was more effective to demonstrate what the Kingdom of God is, than to deconstruct their false imaginings. The effect was divisive. Some people were being set free from the devil's kingdom; others were strengthening their allegiance to him. We're in Mark, chapter 1 with Jim.
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Scripture References: Mark 1:14-3:12
"Jesus is Lord!" Oh, yeah? This young rabbi from the "sticks" didn't build gravitas gradually, over the course of a 40-year ministry; He burst onto the scene as the Boss. "With authority," was the phrase people used about Him. And that authority extended over many things, as Jim will show us today. Jesus -is- Lord, but when He demonstrated that lordship, a lot of people didn't like it. Our message is called, Preaching God's Good News.
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Scripture References: Mark 1:14-3:12
What is the "Good News?" Yesterday we opened Mark's Gospel to learn about the real Jesus. But what's the meaning of that word "gospel" that we throw around? What exactly were the glad tidings that John the Baptist had come to announce? If we answer that it's the message of a Savior, of reconciliation with God, of eternal life, we're right... but there's even more to the Good News than that! Pastor Jim will walk us through some of the major headlines in that news, in Part 2 of this message.
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Scripture References: Mark 1:1-15
The search for the "real" Jesus! A few years ago a popular author wrote a book about Christ without any reference to the Gospels! He used "historical" sources only, he said. But there's no reason to believe that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are not historical records - accurate historical records. They've been validated many times, over thousands of years. Today we'll begin a series in the Gospel of Mark. And in those pages, we will see the real Jesus.
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Scripture References: Mark 1:1-15
When man broke fellowship with God, it broke humanity. God is Life. And separation from Him is death. That disconnection fractures all our other relationships, including the one with ourselves. During the darkest of all tragedies, recorded in Genesis 3, we see more than a Judge administering justice. We see a Father repairing things, protecting us, and promising restoration.
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Scripture References: Genesis 3:22-24
That snake is still lying to us about what is good. We've been studying the goodness of God, but we'll never understand it if we take the devil's definition of "good." There are people today who say it was Satan who told Eve the truth - despite the disastrous consequences of the Fall that we can see all around us. What was God's intention in allowing humans to sin? How can that possibly be "good?" Again we'll open the program with a skit, to illustrate a point.
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Scripture References: Genesis 3:22-24
Solomon wrote, "Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil." A blessed New Year and welcome to Right Start with Jim Custer, Pastor Emeritus of Grace Polaris Church in Columbus, Ohio. Our God is so kind that He gives people time to change their minds, and change their ways. But we mistake His kindness for indifference, and we use that time to descend deeper into evil. In Romans 1 and 2 we see what happens when divine patience meets human hardness.
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Scripture References: Romans 1:32-2:11
When good things happen to bad people.... Many have asked why bad things happen to good people, but we'd say they're peering into the wrong end of the telescope. When we look through the lens of the Bible we don't see any good people; only a good God actively lavishing His goodness on bad people. If that sounds like it could stir up some problems of its own, you're right. Here's Jim to fill us in.
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Scripture References: Romans 1:32-2:11
Did the Good Teacher give the student a good lesson? The Rich Young Ruler, as we find him in Matthew 19, barely gets the greeting out of his mouth before he's challenged. And Jesus will keep challenging him until his eyes are opened. There is good, and there is Good; gold, and fool's gold; God, and idolatry. Will we do better than this fellow when the Lord confronts us about our false "goods?" Here's Jim with Part 2 of, The Only Good God.
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Scripture References: Matthew 19:16-22
"If you know what's good for you...." It's a threat couched as advice: "If you know what's good for you, you'll take your hand out of that cookie jar right now!" But the truth is, we don't know what's good for us. And we really, really want that cookie. This is a problem for children, grownups, and even rulers. We open today's program with a skit, then Jim will tell us about The Only Good God.
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Scripture References: Matthew 19:16-22
We can't go back to that night in Bethlehem. Can we? The divine incursion into our world is history; it's past. We can re-enact it, but we can't actually see it happen again. Or can we? Each time a man or woman (or boy or girl) is born again, isn't that a divine incursion? Isn't that a "Bethlehem event" that we can observe? Here's Jim to conclude his message, The Witness.
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Scripture References: John 1
It was the eternity before Christmas.... That baby in the manger - you know the one - what was His name? Careful: Luke tells us He was officially named at 8 days old, at His circumcision. So what was He called that first week of His human life? Could we use John's name for Him before the world began: "The Word?" The Apostle takes us back to the beginning, and then back a little further.
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Scripture References: John 1
To the shepherds He was a savior; to Herod He was a threat. If we take advantage of this yearly opportunity to peer into the Manger, we may see a Friend or a Foe bundled there in the swaddling clothes. It's imperative that we know His true identity, and His mission. Here's Pastor Jim with Part 2 of, The Reason for the Season.
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Scripture References: Luke 1:30-37
There's some kind of big holiday coming up, but what are we celebrating? It often feels like the world has almost completely hollowed-out Christmas. All the tinsel and lights and food and music are still there, the package is brightly wrapped - but there's nothing inside. Of course Jesus is The Reason for the Season. And His followers are rejoicing about the Incarnation. But who exactly is this Being who has come to us... and who will come again?
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Scripture References: Luke 1:30-37
How are you holding up? With only a few days to go until the Big One, are you exhausted yet? Stressed out? Depressed? Anxious? Frustrated? Or peaceful? If we could see things from Heaven's perspective - and that's what we're instructed to do in Colossians 3 - we would find pretty much the opposite of what the world's offering. And we would feel that "heavenly peace" that we sing about. Here's Jim with the rest of his sermon, The Mystery: Christ in You.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
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Scripture References: Colossians 1 & 3
It's not about Christ in the manger; the objective is Christ in you! For all those who think they can fit God into their puny, broken minds, or neatly graph His eternal plan in their seminar, we have Colossians, chapter 1. There we read that the divine strategy was a "mystery," a glorious secret, revealed only to His "holy ones." And to solve that enigma will take us all the way to death, and a new life.
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Scripture References: Colossians 1 & 3
Today we'll look at God's baby picture. It's a paradox, isn't it? The uncreated God had no beginning, but He gave Himself a human beginning. And that's what we celebrate at Christmas. Jesus is "the image of the invisible God," a kind of living photograph to bring the Transcendent One down into the realm of our senses. And He is much more, as we began to see yesterday in the first chapter of Colossians. Let's continue there, with Pastor Jim.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
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Scripture References: Luke 2; Colossians 1:15-23
You didn't get to choose where you were born - but Jesus did! "The barn out back" wasn't Joseph's and Mary's first choice for a "birthing suite" - or their second choice, or their one-hundredth choice. To them it must have seemed like an emergency, makeshift solution. But all was going according to plan. Today Jim will help us see the Lord's birth from Heaven's perspective.
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Scripture References: Luke 2; Colossians 1:15-23
The stronger Christian is obligated to the weaker - but doesn't the weaker one have some responsibilities, too? We've been looking at Romans 14, and "doubtful things," to use the old term, matters of individual conscience. We're going to have higher expectations of those who are more mature, but even the most fragile believer has something to do, something to offer.
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Scripture References: Romans 14 & 15
You can't judge someone into joy. If righteousness, peace and joy are the land, sea and sky of the Kingdom of God, then what are we doing worrying about our brother's diet? Or have we forgotten which kingdom we're in? Paul writes very clearly about these things in Romans 14; the challenge is applying them to our day, and our concerns.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
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Scripture References: Romans 14 & 15
The first obstacle to Christian unity is my pride. That's a real "Dog Bites Man" headline, isn't it? Of course our pride ruins everything - but especially our ability to bond with others. And that's essential for the church to flourish, and carry out God's program. The lesson we learned in Romans 12, about not thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to think... that'll be needed here, in chapters 14 and 15. Here's Jim to open the final sermon in our Romans series.
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Scripture References: Romans 14 & 15
Are the "strong" really as strong as they think they are? When the Apostle Paul divides us into those strong in the faith, and those who are weaker, what are we to make of that? Is this a proper way to promote unity - by splitting people into categories? Or does he want us to reflect more deeply on who we are, and what is our real position relative to our spiritual relatives? It isn't the position of "critic." Here's Jim to complete his message, Tolerance that Pleases God.
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Scripture References: Romans 14:9
There are just too many opinions these days... that's my opinion. Everyone has a point of view. In the church we even have opinions about other people's opinions - but we don't call them that. No, we have "convictions." And when other people's convictions about how to honor God conflict with our convictions, they're just wrong. Obviously. In Romans, Paul is very concerned about that attitude, because it leads to dysfunction in the Body of Christ.
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Scripture References: Romans 14:9
What is "good?" Governor Pilate famously asked, "What is truth?" But he, and every political ruler, should also be asking every day, "What is good? How should the force of government be rightly applied?" As we're looking into Romans 12 and 13, we're finding a lot of good insights into how Christians ought to relate to the state, to society, and to our circumstances. Here's Jim with Part 2 of his message, Delivered by Deferring.
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Scripture References: Romans 12-13
In the junkyard the meanest dog wins. But we're not in the junkyard anymore. Early in Paul's letter to the Romans we meet a different kind of God: The incorruptible Judge who does not wink at sin, but who also saves from sin. In chapter 12 we're charged with being a different kind of worshiper. We have duties not just to Heaven, but here on Earth. We'll talk about 4 of those obligations in a message called, Delivered by Deferring.
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Scripture References: Romans 12-13
Look... Present... Renew. If we've understood the truths spelled-out in the first 11 chapters of Romans, a response should be rising inside us. In chapter 12 Paul shows us how to shape that response: Take a good look at God's good mercies, make a rational offering of our bodies, and renew our minds. The Apostle gets more specific as he goes on. Here's Jim with the conclusion of his sermon, Living the Good Life.
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Scripture References: Romans 12:1-18
Have you laid your 67 percent on the altar? If God has my spirit and my soul, but not my body, isn't He missing about a third of me? Well, we can't split ourselves up into percentages that way. So the question is, if we've given Him less than all, are we really "His" at all? In Romans 12 Paul urges us to give a kind of offering that involves all 3 dimensions of our being. And it's all because of the mercies of God.
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Scripture References: Romans 12:1-18
The pill that cures your disease is in your mouth. Salvation - achieving right standing with God, and receiving all the benefits that go with that - is hard. It's harder than hard, if you try to do it yourself. But if we let God give us His rightness, then it's easy. Yesterday we began to look at Romans 10, and we saw that salvation is available to everyone. Jim has two more points to bring out, today. But we open with a prophecy by Isaiah.
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Scripture References: Romans 10
Could salvation be that easy? The devil would like us to imagine righteousness as something high and far-off; difficult to attain, even difficult to understand - as if salvation were a kind of sadistic and impossible puzzle. But God exposed that lie way back in Deuteronomy - in the passage Paul quotes in Romans 10. We'll look at that passage today, and Jim will help us make 3 discoveries from this chapter. Here's part 1 of, Mercy for All.
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Scripture References: Romans 10
This wasn't Israel's first catastrophic failure. If you want to know what God's going to do with His chosen people now that they have unchosen Him, just leaf backwards in your Bible to one of the many times it happened in the past. Paul is doing that in Romans 9. He picks a couple of scenes from the life of Moses to show that God is sovereign in His mercy, and God is just in His sovereignty. Here's Jim with the final part of his sermon, Can God be Trusted?
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Scripture References: Romans 9-11
Can you steal a promise? God's promises to Israel - can the church just "appropriate" them? After all, they're not using them. It's hardly even theft. No, as we saw yesterday, God has not disowned the Jewish people. Despite their rejection of the Promised One, His promises stand. In Romans 9 through 11 Paul gives some illustrations of the faithfulness of God. These are historical events that every Hebrew - and every Christian - should know.
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Scripture References: Romans 9-11
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Scripture References: Romans 9-11Your mentor is the Holy Spirit - if you'll listen to Him! We've been examining Romans, chapter 8, learning to be led by the Spirit rather than leaning on the Law. The Spirit of God is speaking to us, and He's speaking to God for us. And right in the middle of this chapter of freedom and comfort and wonderful promises, is the hard reality of suffering. Yes, the Spirit is here to help us with that, as well. Here's Jim to conclude his sermon, Missing Link II.
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Scripture References: Romans 6-8
If you're going back to the Law, Jesus isn't going with you! Romans 3 through 8 reminds us of the letter to the Hebrews - because Jews and Gentiles alike feel the tug of rules and commandments. Maybe it's pride that tempts us to "add our good deeds" to the finished work of Christ. Maybe we like to sit in judgment of others who don't check the legalistic boxes that we check. Here's Jim at the first verse of Romans 7.
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Scripture References: Romans 6-8
For the next half-hour Jim would like to speak to the dead people in the audience. Everybody still with us? All of us are either dead in our sins, or dead to sin. To be "dead in our trespasses" (as we read about in Ephesians and Colossians) is to be cut off from life, the life of God. It's the other kind of Dearly Departed that Jim would like to address today: Those who have been resurrected from that death, and are now dead to sin. Let's listen.
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Scripture References: Romans 6-8
Confirmation, and conformation. When "Christians" don't want to become holy, we have to question whether they're truly born again. But when believers try to sanctify themselves through obeying the Law of God, there's no question they'll fail. In Romans 8 we find the solution: living by the Spirit. He will confirm to us that we belong to Him, and He will conform us to the image of Jesus.That's a process. Here's Jim reading Romans 8, verse 2.
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Scripture References: Romans 7-8
Trying, versus dying. The answer to our recidivism problem - Christians like to call it "besetting sin" - is not to try harder to be good! That didn't work for anyone under the Old Covenant, and it still doesn't work. Yes, God's Law is good, but we won't become good by keeping the Law. The solution is much more radical than that. Today we'll look at some of the most mind-blowing, most glorious words ever written, in Romans 7 and 8.
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Scripture References: Romans 7-8
Have you been scammed by a fake Christianity? Were you promised that if you prayed a certain prayer, or came forward at a meeting, Jesus would take you to Heaven - but leave you in your sin? Were you told that you could accept Christ as Savior, and not as Lord? Were you sold Justification and Glorification, but when you got the package home and unwrapped it, there was no Sanctification inside? We're back with Jim in Romans 7, thinking about the Genuine Article.
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Scripture References: Romans 5-8
We're peeking behind the scenes into how God's transfer process works! In Romans 5 and 6 we see the transmission of Adam's primal guilt to us through our "DNA," if you will; the transfer of Jesus' innocence to us through faith; our change from spiritual death to life... and, as we mentioned yesterday, our graduation from being pardoned on paper, to becoming a functional citizen of the Kingdom of God. Here's Jim with more.
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Scripture References: Romans 5-8
"You're not just declared righteous, you're empowered to be righteous!" Believers here-and-now have the first chapter of our salvation mastered: Jesus paid the penalty for our sin. We stand clean before our holy God. But if we have PhDs in Justification, many of us are back in preschool on the subject of Sanctification. We're missing some knowledge on how to turn our right status into right actions. Pastor Jim is here to help us find that information.
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Scripture References: Romans 5-8
God's righteousness is bad news for us... and good news. In Romans 1, Paul lays out his topic for the letter: righteousness: The absolute perfection of God's moral character. We discover that we're immoral, impure, even rebels against the Right; and we realize that we have no future. We corrupt ones cannot coexist with His incorruption. But then Paul tells us that the righteousness that condemns us, can save us.
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Scripture References: Romans 1-5
God's ultimate goal is not to keep you out of Hell... but to take the Hell out of you! When we surrendered our lives to Jesus our accounts were cleared with God. Our negative moral balance was wiped out, and we were reckoned as righteous. So far, so good. But if we think that's all God has to say to us about the matter of right-ness, we're in deep trouble. The whole point of the exercise is to take that holiness on the ledger, and make it real in our lives.
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Scripture References: Romans 1-5
You're telling me that all the things I'm worried about right now, gripping my mind and dominating my feelings - these are just "distractions?" A lot of our bad decisions come from worry, and a desire to "do something" about the troubling situation. We've been taught better! Yesterday we began to look at five characteristics of a Christian who's becoming more like Christ. Dealing with disagreements graciously, and having a Disposition of joy were the first two.
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Scripture References: Philippians 4
Worry and Peace. That would almost be a good title for a novel! All of us would trade our anxiety for inner peace. And that would surely lead to more interpersonal peace, more social harmony - which is especially important in the church. And that would bring joy to everyone. But how? Paul talks about these qualities and more, within just a few lines in his letter to the Philippians. We've all read them, but have we seen the purpose behind them?
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Scripture References: Philippians 4
What'cha thinkin' about? On Friday we were thinking about fence posts - some metaphorical pillars that can help steady our minds when they start to go wobbly. And Jim will bring that idea home on today's broadcast. But the Apostle Paul has some more general advice for the Philippians: Reflect on the good. The encouraging, noble, inspiring things in life - whatever they are - are worthy of our contemplation. Let's join Pastor Jim at Philippians 3, verse 15.
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Scripture References: Philippians 3-4
What if I've never seen an anchor? In the troubled waters of November, 2025, hope is still our anchor. Even us landlubbers know what an anchor is. Basically. But in this sermon Jim will employ a metaphor that's a bit closer to home: fence posts. If you sink your posts deep into the ground, and get the concrete just right, you can build a fence that will last. We'll be testing the strength of our posts in Paul's letter to the Philippians.
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Scripture References: Philippians 3-4
The creation groans... but it will sing! "...the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." That's a promise that could be overlooked among all the blessings we find in Romans 8. But it has its seed in John 3:16, the verse we've been inspecting so carefully. God's wants to redeem not just you (though you're important), not just humanity, but everything!
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Scripture References: John 3:16
The world is bigger than you think! "For God so loved the world..." we read. But what is the world? The Earth? The humans on it? The Greek word is kosmos, so maybe it embraces the divine order of the stars, and all of Creation! Question: If God loves the heavens and the earth, why will He destroy and replace them? These are things we'll think about in this message. It's the final installment in our study of John 3:16.
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Scripture References: John 3:16
We can't see God - directly. "No man has seen God at any time," but we can see His work. We can discern Him through His vast and wondrous Creation. But on a more personal level, we find evidence of God in the lives of people. An unselfish, upright, truly compassionate person makes us pause. There is a work of God to be witnessed here, just as there is in the pattern of the stars. Here's Jim with more about Living Above Limits.
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Scripture References: John 3:16
Some people don't want eternal life! Many of us have been laboring under the misconception that if we just explain the Good News to people clearly - if we can get them to understand the benefits of trusting Jesus - then of course they'll choose life over death! But there's more to everlasting life than Heaven. And that "more" is the sticking-point. Our study of John 3:16 continues with a sermon called, Living Above Limits.
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Scripture References: John 3:16
The gift of God... is God! For the people we love, a gift of a card or a car - or anything in between - is no substitute for our presence. The greatest gift we can give is ourselves. God took this truth to the farthest extreme when He gave Himself (in the person of His Son) for sinners - not only to die in our place, but to live in us. We're exploring that very famous verse, John 3:16.
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Scripture References: John 3:16
Have you ever had a discussion that baffled both of you? In John 3, Nicodemus wasn't tracking at all with what Christ was saying about going through the birth process a second time - or something. And Jesus was floored by Nick's ignorance: "How can the teacher of Israel not have a grasp of the basics?" That's a difficult conversation. So the Lord simplified His lesson with a picture - a picture that even a professor of religion could understand.
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Scripture References: John 3:16
Does God really love us? Some people believe that God is indifferent and distant. Others have imagined Him as a puppeteer, and that this is all a show for His amusement. Do we have solid evidence that God cares for us - the kind of evidence we could touch? Yes, in His Son, lifted up on a cross. If we can get past our familiarity with John 3:16 we'll learn more about God, and about ourselves, than we imagined.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: John 3:16
Can you express your faith as a percentage? Welcome to Right Start with Jim Custer, Pastor Emeritus of Grace Polaris Church in Columbus, Ohio. The man had brought his demon-possessed boy to Jesus because he believed. But his dealings with believers had battered his belief. Something within us resonates with his reply to Jesus: "I believe. Help my unbelief!" Faith and doubt seem to coexist in our hearts. Here's Jim to help us raise our faith level.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: Mark 9:14-29
"There is one fate for all," Solomon lamented. But what about after that? God's sentence on the children of Adam and Eve stands: "You shall surely die." But when the Last Adam, Jesus, went through death, He changed everything. Today we'll visit the tomb of Lazarus to see not only the Lord's power over death, but His compassion for people, and His anger toward sin and its consequences. Here's Jim with the sermon, What Makes God Cry?
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: John 11:35
Does your God have a name? Some people insist that God has no name; or that He has many names; or that any name will do for "he, she, them, or it." But this seems like a way of de-personalizing the original Personality. The real God, with a face and a name and a particular character, is much more imposing. And much more comforting. Jim is giving us some Anchors for Troubled Waters. Let's return to John, chapter 14.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: John 13:38-14:6
When our world flies into chaos, Jesus gives us control.Today we'll think about that beautiful passage from John's Gospel that begins, "Let not your heart be troubled." The implication is that we can choose to be untroubled, even when distress and tragedy are falling on us. But how can we make that choice? That's what Jim will explain today - and the answers are right here in the text of John 14. The solution isn't to deny our problems, but to believe.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: John 13:38-14:6
We're familiar with the last half of 1 Corinthians 11 - but do we understand it? Divisions at the table. Hungry and drunk at the Lord's Supper. The body. Examination. Eating and drinking judgment. The other body. Dead, but not condemned. What's Paul trying to say in this passage? Whatever it is, it's pretty important; we're talking about life-and-death issues! Here's Jim at 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verse 23.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: I Corinthians 11
The Lord's Supper is a picture. And we need a bigger frame. The Corinthians had distorted the living image that Jesus gave us in the Upper Room. We have cropped out part of that picture. And others have painted over it as they wished, and hung it upside-down. But the picture can be restored - if we'll refer back to the original, as revealed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11. Here's Jim with Part 1 of a sermon entitled, Tempting God to Death.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: I Corinthians 11
Love looks at the optics. "Avoid even the appearance of evil," we used to say. It's good advice! Think about the headline they'll put above the picture of you, doing that. Optics. If we value our Christian liberty above another Christian's tender conscience, the consequences can be dire. Jim has talked about Liberty, Learning and Love. In this broadcast he'll explain what he means by "Leverage." We're in 1 Corinthians, chapter 8.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 8
Science, and con-science. There is knowledge (science), and then there's something called "with-knowledge." That's what "conscience" means: the deeper awareness that must go along with our book learning; the knowledge that divides right from wrong. The Christians in Corinth were impressed with their big brains and all that was in them, but had forgotten how to use their hearts. That gave Jim the idea for this sermon, Turning Rights Into Rewards. Let's listen.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 8
No one says, "One day, I'd really like to be an addict." Whether it's drugs or food or sex or entertainment, we can be enslaved gradually, then suddenly. Our word "addiction" comes from a Latin word that means, "to deliver up, to devote, to sacrifice." So if we don't want to be the sacrifice, we won't sacrifice our time and treasure to idols - demons. Today we'll hear Jim's closing remarks on 1 Corinthians 10.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 9-10
"You shall have no other gods before Me." We're supposed to believe that the biggest problem in the Old Testament - the most intractable sin, and the most abhorrent to God - has just vanished from the earth. If we do talk about idolatry, we might confine the discussion to the love of money - and boy, do we know some other people who need to hear that message! Today our study of 1 Corinthians will help us think more seriously about the rivals for our affection, and what's behind them.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 9-10
If your North Star is your own happiness, you'll most likely be very unhappy! If we point ourselves in the direction of God's approval, we'll get blessing and contentment and reward. (Earthly happiness not guaranteed!) Over the last half-century we've seen what the philosophy of "My Happiness Above All" has wrought: Destruction. And there's no need to tell you that this applies most acutely to our sexual lives. Here's Jim with Part 2 of, Sacred Sex.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 7
We know about the gift of sex, but there's another gift, too! As we continue in 1 Corinthians, we find some powerful principles governing God's gift of intimacy between husband and wife. Oh, what a different world we would live in if those who name the name of Christ would trust Him in this area! But we've also forgotten what the Lord said about celibacy. Paul presents it as a higher gift, without denigrating marriage. Here's Pastor Jim to begin the message, Sacred Sex.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 7
Do we get our ideas about marriage from the Holy Word, or from Hollywood? Some "Christian" weddings today are a mixture of pop culture, pagan customs, trendy fashions, and Disney fantasy. ...and the Bible. We hope the wedding is no indication of what the marriage will be like! The bride and groom will need some renewing of the mind. Today Pastor Jim will continue his thoughts on 1 Corinthians, chapter 6. The sermon is called, The World's Oldest Profession.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 6:9-7
Let's talk about one of the most beautiful - and most dangerous - aspects of our lives: sex! The drives given us by our Creator bring new life into the world, and they bring down kings. They bond husband and wife, and they blow up ministries, careers and reputations. We would expect the church in hyper-sexualized Corinth to have problems with this. But would they look at our society and say, "Whoa! We never imagined that!"
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 6:9-7
Yes, the pose is fun, the tune is catchy... but do not walk like an Egyptian. The children of Israel wanted to return to Egypt since almost the moment they escaped from Egypt. Again and again in their history they were tempted to trust this nation that represents worldly power - and bondage! In the church age we see that pattern repeating, and we talked about it briefly yesterday. Let's look again at 1 Corinthians 5 and 6.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 5 & 6
Yeast goes in the ciabatta, not in the church! The thing about yeast is that it's all around us - it's in the air right now - and it multiplies. We see it often in the Bible as a symbol of sin. This invisible infiltrator is something to guard against, spiritually speaking. Jesus told His men to "...beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." And Paul cautioned the Corinthians about their careless kitchen habits. Here's Jim to talk about Rights and Wrongs.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 5 & 6
Christianity's highest value is not tolerance! Tolerance has become a kind of religion unto itself - and a very popular one. Those who refuse to bow to the god of Tolerance will not be tolerated! What we see in Jesus isn't open-mindedness about sin, but an offer to cleanse anyone who wants to be clean. That requires certain things of His church. We began to speak about those on Friday. We're in 1 Corinthians 5, with Jim.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 4-6
Christianity's highest value is not tolerance! Tolerance has become a kind of religion unto itself - and a very popular one. Those who refuse to bow to the god of Tolerance will not be tolerated! What we see in Jesus isn't open-mindedness about sin, but an offer to cleanse anyone who wants to be clean. That requires certain things of His church. We began to speak about those on Friday. We're in 1 Corinthians 5, with Jim.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 4-6
Our transformation comes with an obligation. We're responsible, of course, for our own actions. But what about the conduct of others? And which others? Are we accountable for the behavior of our minor children, for example? Most would say "yes" - and our laws may one day reflect that idea. But what about grownups who are not our relatives? Aren't our fellow servants of Christ allowed to serve Him however they see fit? The Corinthians had come up with the wrong answer to this question.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 4-6
Our transformation comes with an obligation. We're responsible, of course, for our own actions. But what about the conduct of others? And which others? Are we accountable for the behavior of our minor children, for example? Most would say "yes" - and our laws may one day reflect that idea. But what about grownups who are not our relatives? Aren't our fellow servants of Christ allowed to serve Him however they see fit? The Corinthians had come up with the wrong answer to this question.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 4-6
Our transformation comes with an obligation. We're responsible, of course, for our own actions. But what about the conduct of others? And which others? Are we accountable for the behavior of our minor children, for example? Most would say "yes" - and our laws may one day reflect that idea. But what about grownups who are not our relatives? Aren't our fellow servants of Christ allowed to serve Him however they see fit? The Corinthians had come up with the wrong answer to this question.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 4-6
Falling into factions, versus following a father. The ink was still drying on the parchment where Paul had warned the Corinthians to escape whatever cult of personality they had joined - including the "cult of Paul." But now he felt the need to correct the church, and to do that, he had to remind them that he had a unique relationship with them. It's not about personality, but responsibility. Here's a sermon Jim preached on Father's Day a few years ago, called Faith Fathers.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 4:14-21
Is a carnal Christian really a Christian? When a saved person acts like an unsaved person, all of the alarm bells should go off! We're not talking about new believers - we'll be patient with them and provide good examples while the Spirit helps them grow. But are we growing? Do we even understand that spiritual maturity is the goal? We've got problems with this in the American church, just like they did in the Corinthian church. Here's Jim to conclude his message on, Stunted Growth.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 3
A "party spirit" isn't actually as fun as it sounds. Paul once gave us a list of "deeds of the flesh," including "hatreds, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions," and the one we'll look at today: "factions." An older translation gives that as "party spirit," as in a political party - we would say, "partisanship." Why do Christians divide themselves into streams of teaching, or teachers? We need to stop.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 3
Real philosophers love Jesus. Once you've said that "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden" in Christ, that's it. There's no wisdom left for pretenders like Plato, Descartes, Nietzsche. It's all in Jesus. And it's "hidden." Hidden from those who claim to love wisdom, but who aren't willing to look for it at the Source. We're in the letter of 1 Corinthians today to conclude Jim's message, The Degree That Destroys.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: I Corinthians 1:20-31
Higher education, lower destination? "I am much afraid that schools will prove to be the great gates of hell unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures, engraving them in the hearts of youth." If you know that quote is from Martin Luther, go to the head of the class! The battle for our minds is an ancient one; it goes back farther than we may realize. Today Jim will help us see what's really going on, with his message, The Degree That Destroys
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: I Corinthians 1:20-31
Tongue-tangled. The Corinthian church had become disordered. Not just their church "services," as we would call them, but the church itself was in danger of losing its unity. And all because they had become enamored of certain gifts. Paul sets them straight about the proper hierarchy of spiritual gifts, but then he writes, "Now I'll show you a more excellent way." We've been looking at that "way" that outshines all the gifts, and even rises above faith, and hope!
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: I Corinthians 13 & 14
Love constrains. Since the Sixties at least, "love" has been used to excuse all kinds of harmful behavior. "Free love" was a popular cliché then. "Love is love" something you might hear today. But real love lives in harmony with the Law of God. And it restricts our choices to those that actually help other people. In 1 Corinthians, Paul was teaching that church about the nature and supremacy of love.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: I Corinthians 13 & 14
"Pursue love!" But how? "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." When Paul wrote that, he didn't know that someone would come along later and put a chapter break there! What we call the "love chapter" is really part of a larger discussion about gifts, self control, order in the church... and love. It all started because the Corinthians had valued their gifts above the purpose of the gifts.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: I Corinthians 13 & 14
God will break the standing laws of the universe, before He will break a promise to you! Father Abraham had heard God give a promise. Then he heard God tell him to kill that promise. And he concluded that the Lord must be planning a resurrection! That's faith! And from it grows hope, the quality we were studying last week. Let's spend a few minutes hoping today. We'll join Jim at 1 Corinthians chapter 13, verse 12.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: Various Scriptures
They're delivering it Wednesday... but I own it now! We're actually very familiar with the Christian concept of hope, and most of us use it all the time. "It's mine now - here's the receipt - it's just in transit." That's our situation in the spiritual realm. In the New Testament, the Apostles tried to teach us about our "inheritance." Well, an inheritance is legally, rightfully yours. It's coming - even though you have to wait a bit. Here's Jim in Paul's letter to Titus.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: Various Scriptures
Without faith it is impossible to please God. Without love I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. But without hope... oh, my. "Without Hope" could be the epitaph of our civilization, the caption beneath every picture of the site of another school shooting. We're finding out the hard way that humanity cannot survive without hope. So what is real hope, and where does it come from? Christians do have the answers.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: Various Scriptures
Were you ever surprised that God answered your prayer? It was not the church's finest hour when Peter, miraculously released from prison, showed up at the prayer meeting, and the believers didn't believe that God had answered their prayer - while they were praying it! Today Jim will conclude his three-part message on faith and prayer. We'll look at the petitions of a prophet and a righteous king, and we'll see how God receives our prayers in Heaven. We'll pick up the sermon in the book of Acts.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: Various Scriptures
Sometimes we give our problem to the Lord in prayer... and we think He won't notice when we take it right back. Yesterday we began to think together about prayer - how it grows out of our faith, and then nurtures our faith in return. Today we'll see some examples from the very early days of the church. Granted, these were extraordinary times, and God was shaping the course of history through these prayers, but we'll find that the principles work on the smaller scale of our lives, as well.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: Various Scriptures
How strong is your faith? How's your prayer life? And do we realize that those are the same question? Only those with faith can pray - really pray - and when we do pray, our faith grows. But that feedback loop works in reverse, too, and many Christians find it easy to seek answers in the "self help" section, and difficult to seek God. Here's a message that should help all of us, then. It's called, Faith, Hope, Love in Prayer, and here's Jim with Part 1.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: Various Scriptures
The Antichrist is a nobody! Daniel's vision of the "little horn" surely tells us to expect someone "off the radar," maybe the leader of a small country. He's late to the party, and he really doesn't respect anyone or anything. Today, as on yesterday's broadcast, we'll look more closely than ever at the book of Daniel to see what hints we can pick up about this key figure of the End Times. Jim's in Daniel 9 for the conclusion of, The Career of the 11th Horn.
Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.
Scripture References: Daniel 7