Joe White Drive Time Podcast

"Let me tell you, from what I understand from history, the veil that covered the Holy of Holies in the temple was a veil, it was so thick that it would take more than a team. Two teams of horses pulling in opposite directions to rip the veil. The veil was the place that separated the mercy seat of God in the Holy of Holies, in God's temple in Jerusalem from all the people of the world."

Family Discussions:

1. Describe your personal feelings about Jesus' work on the cross.
2. How would you get to God had the veil not been torn in two?
3. How in the world could you ever approach a Holy God?
4. Describe your feelings about the privilege, the honor that you've been given by the act of love.

Transcription:

"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:

1. "A man is no fool to give up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." What does that mean to you?
2. How can you be sure in your mind, in your heart that Jesus was actually God in the flesh?
3. Why is that statement so significant to you as you face eternity?

Transcription:

Family Discussions:

1. What in the world are you doing to your heart?
2. How can we as a family help each other have pure hearts?
3. What can you do today to change what's coming in here, through here and here to give yourself a pure heart?

Transcription:

"Think about being adopted by a wealthy dad. A dad with all the toys. A dad with all the stuff. Man. What an enchanting idea."

Family Discussions:

1. What does it mean to be adopted by God?
2. What does it mean to be in this same family as Abraham?
3. What does that mean The family of faith?
4. When a grateful son is truly grateful?
5. How does he act towards the family that by grace adopts him?

Transcription:

"If you're an OU fan - an Oklahoma University fan that is - in the last few years, you would probably join many others and say that your favorite player was Sam Bradford. What you would remember of Sam would be the touchdown pass every touchdown pass championship after championship. What you'll try to forget about Sam is the first play of his senior year when he was after yet another Heisman trophy."

Family Discussion:

1. When the earthquakes around you at school or at work, or your marriage or in your family, what are you going to do to build a solid foundation under your feet?

Transcription:

00:14 I don't think there's anything more helpless than being in the middle of an earthquake. I've never been in one. But my friends in Haiti have. All the kids in the schools that we've gotten to adopt and take care of over the years. What a horrible thing it must have been to be in schools and watch those schools caving over their head. But I see so many people. I meet so many people who have earthquakes every single day and just like those schools that unfortunately because of their poverty, we're not built on solid foundations. So many friends that I have their lives are not built on a solid foundation. I'll watch them crumble and fall in sports and in Hollywood and in Wall Street and in schools all across this country. This verse right here should help if you feel like the earth is trembling under your feet today we're in first Peter Chapter two verse four through six.

01:04 Let this build a foundation for you. And it says this, this is awesome. It says, "and coming to him as a living stone, which has been rejected by man, but it's choice and precious in the sight of God. You also is living stones are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God, which is a Jesus Christ for it is contained in scripture. Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious cornerstone, and he who believes in him will not be disappointed." If you're an OU fan - an Oklahoma University fan that is - in the last few years, you would probably join many others and say that your favorite player was Sam Bradford. What you would remember of Sam would be the touchdown pass every touchdown pass championship after championship. What you'll try to forget about Sam is the first play of his senior year when he was after yet another Heisman trophy.

02:01 He gets injured the first game and can't play the whole year. But Sam had a foundation. He found that foundation at home. He found it in his church and he found it at Kanakuk Kamps as a teenager where he came to these Kamps. Sam had a foundation and he came back from that injury and he ends up becoming the number one draft choice that year in the NFL draft. And then if you're from Texas, probably one of your favorite player of recent years would be Colt McCoy. I met Colt as a sophomore at a college event and watch Colt humbly affirm his faith in Christ because his daddy had built a foundation. His family had built a foundation. His church had built a foundation under his feet and then did an event his senior year with Colt and watched this man grow and mature in Christ.

02:49 And once you walk out on that stage with 2000 students, admiring, not the guy who threw touchdown passes, but the guy who threw touchdown passes for God, literally that campus had changed in those four years. Uh, that Colt was there playing varsity football. And then in the championship game where the National Championship and the Heisman trophy was on the line and Colt gets hammered early in the game and a nerve is damaged in his shoulder and he can't play the rest of the game, lose the championship. And after the game they ask him, you know, how did he make it? He said how to make it. He said, my faith in God was unwavering cause Colt had a foundation under his feet and his foundation was Christ. And then my hero, Jim Welch. The guy who led me to Christ when I was a Kamper at Kanakuk Kamps. You know, one of the greatest speakers because he was just so on fire for God.

03:42 Harvard Grad, great man, great athlete. He picks up a hitchhiker and the hitchhiker slits his throat from ear to ear and cuts through his voice box. You could barely hear him speak, but what does he do? Does he give up? No, the best days of his life were after the hitchhiker that cut his throat. Just like the best days of Sam's life are the best days of Colt's life were after that because he had a foundation under his feet. And you know what the Scripture promises that in Christ, you can build that same foundation under your feet. And that's why we do these devotionals together every single day. This is the cornerstone of your life. And here's my question for you today. When the earthquakes around you at school or at work, or your marriage or in your family, what are you going to do to build a solid foundation under your feet? So that window earthquakes around you, you won't fall in the earthquake.

"I have a friend whose name is Snake. His name is Rex Matzenbacher and he loves to collect rattlesnakes. Goodness!"

Family Discussions:

1. Why is taming the tongue more difficult than taming a lion?
2. How can God help you use the rudder of your personality?
3. Why is the tongue like the match of a forest fire?
4. How can we keep our tongue on the good side? How can we keep our tongue on the happy side of our home?

Transcription:

00:14 If this was a real snake, I would not be playing with it. I am not a fan. I have a friend whose name is Snake. His name is Rex Matzenbacher and he loves to collect rattlesnakes. Goodness. You know what? Today I want to talk about a snake and this snake shows up in every person's life almost every day. I think we need to kill some snakes today. Listen to this. Out of James Chapter Three James is talking about the power of the human tongue and he compares it to the bit in a horse's mouth and how, even though a bit is small and the horse is huge, the bit can control the horse that he talks about the rudder on a sailboat, even though the rudder is smaller than the sailboat is large, the rudder can control the entire sailboat. He compares the bit in the rudder to the power of the tongue, even though it's small, it can control like a flame to a forest fire.

01:07 Listen to this, it says "the tongue is a fire. The very word of iniquity. The tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body and sets on fire the course of our life. And it is set on fire by hell itself. For every species of bees and birds of reptiles and creatures of the sea is tamed. It has been tamed by the human race. But no man contain the tongue is a restless, evil, and full of deadly poison." Gossip, cursing, negative comments, sarcasm, cutting people, putting each other down or encouragement, enthusiasm, man. Compliments of praise. Telling your mom how awesome she is. Your dad, how much you appreciate him. Your children. It's like a friend of man says you need to give your kids 10 attaboys 10 I'm proud of yous's for every time you correct them. This friend of mine, you know that I called snake a minute ago, he actually trains rattlesnake.

02:16 You know, he doesn't exactly turn them into play toys, but he subdues them and he really kind of makes pets out of them. If you can imagine that. You know, the most fun part of going to the circus, you know, back when I was a kid was, was the tame lions. You ever seen those? And how they would tame elephants and even bears are tamed. You know, my kids and I used to love to ride horses together and run those big beautiful animals across the pasture and through the woods. You know, at our sports camps, you know, we do surfing, wind surfing and sailing and it's become an incredible sport as you kinda catch that wind and you just skip hastily across the water.

02:58 You know, harnessing the wind, and guiding a horse and, you know, training a wild beast, you know, subduing a rattlesnake. They're all possible with time and patience and a small rudder and a little bit on a horse's bridle. But our tiny tongue continues to hurt each other with poorly chosen words. You know, on the other side of the coin, what a great encouragement it is to get a love letter or a pat on the back or an I'm proud of you or a good job from someone I care about. An encouraging word brings sunshine to a cloudy day. I carry in my wallet a little Bitty Blue Note that my wife stuck in that wallet months ago and she just put two words on that little note. It just says, love you. But from that girl, it's one of the greatest gifts I've ever gotten in my life.

03:54 Here's the questions for the day, man. Why is taming the tongue more difficult than taming a lion? And next, how can God help you use the rudder of your personality? You know your little tiny tongue to guide your words. Proverb says, "Lord, put a guard over my mouth." And then next, why is the tongue like the match of a forest fire? And finally, how can we keep our tongue on the good side? How can we keep our tongue on the happy side of our home? The thought for the day out of this great word from James is this, you know what? Each person can contribute one positive idea and one negative idea of how the tongue could be used for good or for evil. And then we can take all the input and decide how we're going to turn it to good everyday in our family and in our life out in the marketplace and out in the schools.

"I made this Bible about 20 something years ago out of a piece of pigskin and some leather from Tandy leather company and glued it to a New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs. And it's been following me around in my hip pocket ever since."

Family Discussion:

1. Describe the two edges of the sword of the word of God.
2. Why is God's word the greatest offensive weapon that we've got as we're under the attack by the enemy all day, every day?
3. Make some kind of a commitment to make to the word and what you're going to do with this word daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis in your life.

Transcription:

00:14 Man, I hope that you're having half the fun of watching these and doing these devotionals as I am getting to share them with you and if I can only do two with you, I'd want to do the one today and the one that we get to do together tomorrow. In Hebrews chapter four, verse 12, it says this, "For the word of God is living and active sharper than any two edged sword. Its piercing his for is the division of both soul and spirit of both joint and marrow enabled to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." You know what? I made this Bible about 20 something years ago out of a piece of pigskin and some leather from Tandy leather company and glued it to a New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs. And it's been following me around in my hip pocket ever since.

01:03 And if there was only one thing that could be saved in a fire, it would surely be this. People would be first and my pets would be second. But I'd saved this of all the possessions that I have. But after that for sure. But truly, seriously in eternity. Nothing really else matters except this the word of God and I'm thankful to Dr. Howard Hendricks for some time that I got to spend with Dr. Hendricks by listening to him on tape, believe it or not, years ago. And he changed my view forever about the word of God. It's living and active and sharper than any two edged sword. Dr. Hendricks says, the Bible will come alive to you when you read it patiently. When you take your time, when you read the book, prayerfully, when you pray, before you read, during the time you read and after you read, when you read the Bible imaginatively, when you go into the jail with Paul, when he's writing the Philippians or the Ephesians or the Galatians, you imagine what it was like in that jail. The stench and the smell and what it was like to be chained to the praetorian guard that you go to Calvary with Christ.

02:10 That you go to Golgotha and you experience, what it was like around that cross as Christ poured out his life for you. You read it, imaginatively it, and then he said your rent possessively you read it to own it. You read it to put it in your heart, you read it intentionally, you read it to change your life. And then Dr. Henderson talked about, not only reading it patiently and reading it possessively and reading it imaginatively but he said, read it like a love letter. And that's the one that changed it the most for me. That when you go to the word of God, you read it like the greatest love letter you've ever gotten in your life. And I remember back in high school when I first started getting love letters from, you know, high school girlfriends. Don't tell my wife. And how you just pour over those love letters, every word dear.

02:59 Why did he say dearest love? Why did she say Love yah? You know how love letters are, but it's what it is. It's a love letter from God. And then he said, read it like the first time. Read it like you've never been there before. You've read John Three 16 a thousand times. But today when you read it, read it like you've never seen it before. For God so love the world. That's awesome. That he gave his only son that whoever believes in him would not perish but have everlasting life. Go there like as a first time of your life. Go there like it's a gold mine because that's exactly what it is. And here's my questions for you today. Describe the two edges of the sword of the word of God and why is God's word the greatest offensive weapon that we've got as we're under the attack by the enemy all day, every day? And then lastly, make some kind of a commitment, maybe even right now of what you're going to do, a different commitment you're going to make to the word and what you're going to do with this word daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis in your life.

04:10 And if you do scripture promise and I promise that it will change your life in everything you do.

"I have a friend she's just 14, but every day she stands up in her classroom by herself. And says the pledge of allegiance to the flag because it's no longer cool in her school to say one nation under God."

Family Discussions:

1. How are you called to be bold, where ever you are in your walk each day?
2. What sacrifices does boldness require of you?
3. Do you feel rewarded for your troubles and becoming bold?

Transcription:

00:14 Well, I have in my hands a bag of coffee from my favorite place. Not to drink coffee, but drink hot chocolate. But this one sales because it is bold. What is it about boldness that is so attractive, whether you're a coffee drinker or whether you're an athlete or you're in business or you're in a home? Well, Second Timothy Chapter One says a lot about that. And Paul says this to Timothy, he says, "for this reason, I remind you to kindle a fresh, the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God is not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline." I have a friend she's just 14, but every day she stands up in her classroom by herself. And says the pledge of allegiance to the flag because it's no longer cool in her school to say one nation under God. She's bold. Met another dear man who doesn't have any legs.

01:14 They were literally blown off of his body in a war that we were fighting in. But this man, in his boldness, without legs literally for real, walked across America, from coast to coast on his hands and on what was left of the lower part of his body. I see athletes on teams in colleges and in professional football and in high school and even junior high who live for Christ, when most everybody else in the locker room is talking, you know, bad language and talking negatively about girls. But I'll see these folks living it out for Christ and folks know in their locker room that that one guy lives for Christ and he didn't care what anybody else thinks. I've got a couple of buddies in Kansas City that when they were in high school, they started a Saturday night party club without alcohol and without drugs.

02:12 And even though, you know, most of the school was going to the parties with alcohol and drugs, they sometimes would have over a hundred kids who would come to their party alcohol-free because they were bold for Christ. Don't you just absolutely love and admire and respect people that are bold in their faith. I'll tell you what I don't know. I don't know about you, but they are my heroes. I run into business men and women almost every single day that live it out for Christ in the business community. They start prayer groups and Bible studies and discipleship groups in the marketplace. And even though somebody might, you know, maybe scoring them behind their back or ridiculed them because they're so outspoken and bold in their faith, way down, deep inside, I believe they respected more than anybody else in the company. Let me ask you some questions today. How are you called to be bold, where ever you are in your walk each day? And then secondly, what sacrifices does boldness require of you? And lastly, do you feel rewarded for your troubles and becoming bold? Well, I'll tell you this, you're going to be rewarded someday. And the lifeline is: We must be bold to get noticed and acknowledged as examples for others to follow. Paul said, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ." And that takes boldness.

"Seasoned with salt, speak always with grace."

Family Discussion:

• Why do so many Christians dread witnessing? Do you think it's possible that you go about it in the wrong way?
• What are some ways that we can salt a conversation spiritually?
• How can you entertain thoughts that are "salty" with that person?

Transcription:

00:04 Man, I love to cook. I really love cooking when I'm out there on the grill. But the most important part and the most fun part is marinating and preparing, especially when I'm cooking wild game on the grill and salting it up and peppering it up. Paul's got a lot to say about salt, and I'll tell you why in a minute. In Colossians 4:5-6, if there's somebody in your life that you've got a problem with or if there's somebody you'd love to see change, check this out. He says: "conduct yourself with wisdom toward outsiders, always making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace as though seasoned with salt so that you'll know how to respond to each person." And you've probably heard this before, but in that little verse in Matthew Chapter 5, it says: "You're the salt. You're the salt of the world, you're the light of the world." And I think the reason scripture uses salt a lot because salt makes it tasty and also salt makes you thirsty. Let your speech be with salt. What's he talking about? Seasoned with salt, speech always with grace.

01:24 It was just a week ago, I got a phone call from a neighbor and that neighbor was so mad, just mad about my dog and was just threatening to take the dog off so that I'd never see the dog again. I kind of got a little bit hurt, especially when you know how cool my dog is. So what we did was we just cooked a Turkey and got a pumpkin pie and a couple of dozen cookies and took them over there and just left them on his front porch and we didn't even sign it. Well, I called him a couple of days later. My dog had gotten away again and we had one of the greatest, most friendly conversations in the world. He knew who brought him that turkey. He knew, he brought him that pie without even saying anything, and salted our friendship. We're going to be friends for life. And he was, he was cool about my dog. It's amazing when you season your speech with salt.

02:18 I like to play golf and there's this golf pro, and he had nothing in his background about Christ. But I started praying for the guy. For three years, I started just seasoning it with salt and just loving on the guy and just finding ways behind his back just to kind of serve him and to befriend him. And then one day I went to him and here's the greatest salts you can use on somebody who needs to know Christ. I just went to him and said, "how can I begin to pray for you?" And you know what, he gave me some things to pray for. Later, he wanted to get married and so he wanted me to do the wedding. And I actually, in the counseling before the wedding, I got to lead not only him to Christ, but I got to lead his wife back into a relationship with Christ.

03:02 My daddy would literally almost every morning would write little love notes to my mom on a little yellow sticky pad and he would place them on the kitchen counter where when she would go out to work and she'd have her first cup of coffee, that little love note from my dad who had already left, would be on the counter for her. I mean, no wonder they stayed married 66 years. No wonder I'm getting to disciple, this golf pro now. No wonder this neighbor over here and I are going to become friends. Let your speech be with salt. Who in your life are you having problems with? You know, what kind of conflicts are you having or is there somebody in your life that you'd love to see change? Is there somebody in your life that you would love it if they could come to know Christ? And they may even be an agnostic. They may be even picking on you because of your faith. Well, you think of ways to put the salts shaker on them, and watch God change that relationship.

04:04 Here's some questions for today. Why do so many Christians dread witnessing? Do you think it's possible that you go about it in the wrong way? What are some ways that we can salt a conversation spiritually, and even in entertainment stuff, what a great opportunity to witness. Oh, you know, what are some kind of conversational opportunities you can have in witnessing entertainment, sports talk, politics, economics, hobbies instead of seasoning with crashing our opinions. How can you entertain and entertain thoughts that are salty with that person? And here's the thought for the day. If a friend asks you to go to some R-rated slash-em-up nudity movie, write a little paragraph that you would share with that friend and, and how you might, witness to him your faith in Christ, even over something as difficult as that, and then discuss it with someone in your home and watch what happens with you in that frame in that relationship.

"Examine your imperfections and honestly thank God for those imperfections."

Family Discussion:

• How is his power of made perfect in our weakness?
• How did the C's and the D's and the F's of our life buffet us?
• And then why does God show greater love when we're buffeted by him than if he allowed everything on our report card to be straight A's?

Transcription:

00:06 Everybody has their favorite Bible verses, but the Bible verse today surely is one of my very favorites. It was a bible verse that comforted my heart when I was stricken with leukemia a few summers ago. It's Second Corinthians chapter 12, verse 7-9. This one is great. I hope it'll become your favorite, too. It says, "to keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take this thorn away from me, but he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness." And then this verse, which took it home to me when leukemia was at its worst in my life, he said, "therefore I will all the more gladly boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ might rest in me."

01:13 I'll never forget the semester when my daughter Courtney was taking 22 hours in one of her last college semesters, and then working 15 hours a week trying to get out of college and get onto graduate school where she could get her degree in counseling. I remember she, she, she wanted to make all A's but doggone it, at the end of the semester there was a C on her report card. And I remember just taking her into my arms and encouraging her and saying, "you know what, Courtney, I'm so proud of you. I don't care if you made a C or whatever, because I have made so many C's and D's and F's in my life."

01:53 I can't count them. I keep making bad grades. The afflictions just seem to be more abundant all the time. I'm not proud when I fail. I'm sure not thrilled when I make a D on my report card, but I believe there's a reason for the C's and D's and F's on my report card, because those C's and D's and F's, they buffet you, don't they? They humble you. They take you to your knees. But more importantly, as this verse describes in Second Corinthians, it's our afflictions and it's our failures that take us more closely to the heart of Christ. So the questions today, and I know this verse relates to everybody because we all suffer with afflictions, we all make C's and D's and F's, but here's what's cool: How is his power of made perfect in our weakness? And how did the C's and the D's and the F's of our life buffet us? And then why does God show greater love when we're buffeted by him than if he allowed everything on our report card to be straight A's? And then the lifeline for today is this: examine your imperfections and honestly thank God for those imperfections. Because in those imperfections, you received the gift of humility.