Search

Driving Notes

The Official Blog of WNZR's Afternoon Drive

Open Search
Category

Books

Trust and Gratitude

The word trust is mentioned in the Bible over 50 times.  Proverbs 3:5 is a signature verse for many as it reminds us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart…and lean NOT on your own understanding…”  When we learn to trust and we accept this command, we can face ANY circumstance with confidence and hope!  This especially goes for parents as we raise our children.

Our confidence and hope doesn’t come from our strength, wisdom, energy or power.  It comes from God’s ability.

In our devotional “Time With God for Fathers,” by Jack Countryman, he also uses
2 Samuel 22:2-3:

2 And he said: “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
3 The God of my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation,
My stronghold and my refuge;
My Savior, You save me from violence.

When we trust, we tap into an irresistible force that no one or nothing can successfully oppose!

Have you ever heard this? “Life is 10% what happens, 90% how we react to it.”  What about this one? “You need to change your attitude.” How we approach the challenges of like determines the kind of person we become. If we ponder negative things, our frame of mind will soon turn sour, pessimistic and negative. But, if we fill our minds with the things of God, the opposite happens.

Philippians 4:8 says:

8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things arelovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Todd

0

The Dad Manifesto for Valentine’s Day

Today we’re re-issuing a Dad Devotional from last week with a new twist:

A Father’s Prayer – Philippians 4:6-7
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

This prayer is simply, “Guide me with my words and actions toward my children…”

So how can we get some practical ideas this Valentine’s Day?

Here’s a great poster from author Jay Payleitner that hangs in my office…and reminds us of 52 things that we as ‘forever fathers’ should not forget…

Dad manifesto

Thanks for listening!
– Joe

0

The Buck Stops Here?

“The buck stops here” is a phrase made popular by former U.S. President Harry Truman in response to the other common phrase, “pass the buck.”  Truman’s Oval Office sign simply meant that taking responsibility sometimes meant NOT passing on the difficult decisions or actions.

In our devotional “Time With God for Fathers,” by Jack Countryman, he addresses this issue using the framework of Luke 12: 8-9…

8 “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. 9 But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

That means as fathers, we are responsible for the spiritual development of our families, especially our children. Like it or not, we will imprint our character, good, bad or indifferent, on our children. This verse reminds us to reflect God’s character and share His influence openly with our children.

We also shared a devotional today about taking that reflection of God’s character to loving our neighbor.  Exodus 20 commands us to reflect Christ’s love with those around us, also reminds us to avoid petty jealousy:

16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

This is then referenced again by Jesus in Matthew 22: 37-40…

37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Jack Countryman reminds us here to take time each day as we mentor children to point out the power of God’s presence all around us.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Todd

0

Trouble, fear and courage

Today Todd and I continue our devotional series based on the book “Time With God for Fathers,” from Jack Countryman.  This devotional is meant to encourage fathers (and really all parents) with scripture that can guide them as they raise their children.

Our first scripture today deals with when trouble comes around.  It comes in all shapes and sizes, but it’s what we do with trouble that really matters.  Depend on God for wisdom!

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

We’re also sharing about fear today.  We all deal with aspects of it and need to remember to walk in the power of the Lord’s spirit:

Psalm 27: 1 and 3
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?

3 Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.

We also are sharing about how we can get the courage to be a father of integrity.  Honesty and integrity, as Jack writes, are “the blueprint for the man God wishes you to be.”  Yes, integrity is God-ordained, but it also benefits and blesses us.

Proverbs 11:1-3
Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord,
But a just weight is His delight.
2 When pride comes, then comes shame;
But with the humble is wisdom.
3 The integrity of the upright will guide them,
But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe

0

Hope, wisdom and forgiveness…

Today Todd and I continue our devotional series based on the book “Time With God for Fathers,” from Jack Countryman.  This devotional is meant to encourage fathers (and really all parents) with scripture that can guide them as they raise their children.

The first scripture today dealt with our eternal hope in I Peter 1:3-5:

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance [a]incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

It reminds us that despite the challenges of parenting, we always have that eternal hope and nothing can take that away!

Our second passage was about the precious commodities of wisdom and understanding in Proverbs 4:5-7:

5 Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;
Love her, and she will keep you.
7 Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.

Then we also thanked God for his amazing forgiveness in 2 Corinthians 5:17-18:

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not [a]imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe

0

The Reconciliation of Christmas

On this Christmas Eve, we finish our three-day study from Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren where he offers us three major purposes for Christmas. We discover those purposes in the announcement the angel made in Luke 2:10-14 at the birth of Jesus Christ.

The first purpose of Christmas is celebration: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” (Thursday 12/20 show)

The second purpose of Christmas is salvation: “for unto you is born this day a savior who is Christ the Lord.” (Friday 12/21 show)

The third purpose of Christmas is found in Luke 2:14: “glory to God in the highest and on Earth, peace; goodwill toward men. So the third purpose of Christmas is reconciliation.

What is reconciliation?

Reconciliation is when a broken relationship is restored; reconciliation IS peace on Earth, goodwill toward men. As Pastor Warren shares, “there will never be peace in the world until there is peace in nations. There will never be peace in nations until there is peace in communities. There will never be peace in communities until there is peace in families. There will never be peace in families until there is peace in individuals. And there will never be peace in individuals until we invite the Prince of Peace to reign in our hearts.”

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 reminds us of this fact: “for unto us a child is born, to us a son is given and he will be called Prince of Peace.”

There are three kinds of Peace – A peace with God is a spiritual peace; the peace of God is emotional peace; and peace with others is relational peace.

Peace with God: If you’re trying to live your life without God, then you’re at war with God…and you need a peace treaty! How do you make peace with God? Well, you don’t do it by promising to be good. You don’t do it by being perfect. You can’t. You don’t do it by never sinning. You will. You make peace, the Bible says, by faith, faith in God’s grace. Ephesians 2:8 says “for by Grace you have been saved through faith and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

The Peace of God: it happens in your heart when you’ve made peace with God. You’ve got two choices in life. In every circumstance you can pray or panic. You can worship or worry.

Here’s a thought: if you (we) prayed as much as you (we) worried, you’d (we’d) have a whole lot less to worry about. Philippians 4: 6-7 says, “pray about everything…Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Finally, Peace with Others: a relational peace. 2nd Corinthians 5:18-20 says, “God reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation… and he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors.”

In other words, God has given us both a ministry and a message and it is reconciliation – helping people find peace with God and peace with each other.

In the beatitudes in Matthew 5:9, Jesus says “blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.” The greatest need in our nation and in our world is reconciliation. It’s the message of Christmas: peace on Earth, goodwill toward men.

Who do you need to rebuild a broken relationship with this Christmas? Who do you need to reconcile with? You need to let Jesus fill you with his love, so you can love other people the way he does. And then, you’ll have to let him fill you with his forgiveness. Until you feel truly forgiven, you don’t have the ability to forgive others.

Remember, Jesus came to erase the misconceptions about God – he was sent to show us what God is really like!  Christmas tells us that we matter to God.

We are thankful for you!  A blessed Christmas to you and your family.
– Joe and the Afternoon Drive team (Lilly, Hannah, Todd and Malisa)

0

The salvation of Christmas!

We’ve been sharing this week from Pastor Rick Warren’s book and study, The Purpose of Christmas, which offers us three major purposes for Christmas:

  • A time for celebration
  • A time for salvation
  • A time for reconciliation

The second purpose of Christmas can be found in the very next statement the angel made in Luke 2:10-11.  Luke 2:10 reminds us to celebrate, but then…

11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!

The second purpose of Christmas is salvation.

Surveys confirm that around 90% of our society prays on a regular basis…so people recognize their need for someone greater than themselves and ultimately to save them from something they can’t solve on their own.

Salvation is usually three-dimensional. You are saved from something, you are saved for something, and you are saved by something.

Jesus came to save you FROM sin. Sin is an attitude; it is a pride problem.

Sin is saying, “ I want to be my own boss. I don’t need God.”

Romans 3:23 reminds us that everyone has sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious standard. The problem with sin is that it separates us from God. Isaiah 59:2 reminds us that our sins are the “roadblock” between us and our God; that’s why he doesn’t answer our prayers.

Jesus came to set you free from your sin. But there’s something else you need to be set free from. You need to be set free FROM yourself. Romans 7:24-25 says “I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me?” The answer, thank God is, that Jesus Christ can and does.

The answer to your problem is not in a place, a program or a pill. It’s not jumping into another relationship. The answer to your sin problem and to your dissatisfaction in life is Jesus Christ. You need a savior.

Jesus also came to save you FOR a purpose. 2 Timothy 1:9 reminds us that, “God saved us and called us to be his own people; not because of what we have done, but because of his own purpose and Grace.”

It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Ephesians 1 reminds us that long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up “he had his eye on us; had designs on us for glorious living…part of the overall purpose he is working out and everything and everyone” (Message version). God has a plan and a purpose for your life. He’s had it all along! As your creator, he knows what’s best for you.

Pastor Rick says we can live life at one of three levels: the survival level, the success level, or the significance level. Hopefully we know that we were made for significance. Significance comes from what? Knowing God, knowing his purpose for your life, and then doing it. You were made by God and for God and until you understand that, life is never going to make sense.

Finally, Jesus came to save you by his grace. What is Grace? Grace is when God gives you what you need and not what you deserve. One good acronym for Grace is God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.

Ephesians 2:8-9 remind us that by Grace we have been saved; through faith and not from ourselves…it is the gift of God, not by works so that no one can boast.”

The good news is this – Jesus Christ came to save you. He came to save you from your hurts, your habits and your hang-ups. He came to save you for his purpose and by his grace.

Congratulations to our Christmas Gift Exchange winners Tim from Gambier and Mary from Mt. Vernon!

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Lilly

0

Praise Thursday – a time for Celebration!

This study today we’re sharing from Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren offers us three major purposes for Christmas:

  • A time for celebration
  • A time for salvation
  • A time for reconciliation

Today we’ll focus on Christmas being a time for CELEBRATION…

Remember that Christmas was God’s idea…he planned that it would happen, he planned when and where it would happen…and WHY it would happen.

We celebrate the message of good news.  The good tidings of great joy. What are they? There are three parts to it:

1 – The good news that God LOVES us

God is telling us through the arrival of Jesus that He loves us…and that His love is not based on what we do, but who he is.

Romans 8:38-39

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 – The good news that God is WITH us

God isn’t absent or distant – he’s with us through the Holy Spirit.  We may not feel His presence, but He’s here whether we feel it or not.

Psalm 139: 7-10

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

Hebrews 13:5

5 Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,

“I will never fail you.
I will never abandon you.”[a]

God doesn’t like loneliness. You don’t have to face anything by yourself.  You can, but you don’t have to!  You don’t have to be anxious about tomorrow, because Christ’s presence gives us hope.

3 – The good news that God is FOR us

Guilt is what separates us from God.  But the Bible reminds us that God didn’t come to condemn the world, but to save it.

John 3:17

17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

Romans 8:31

If God is for us, who can be against us?

If we are followers of Christ, it is not our role to condemn the world either!  If we want to be more like Jesus, we’re here to point people to Him. Reach out a hand of compassion and show them who Jesus is.

He came to save us, not to scare us – that was how the angel greeted the shepherds.  There are 365 ‘fear not’s’ in the Bible – one for every day of the year.

Christmas is also a time for SALVATION and Christmas is a time for RECONCILIATION

Jesus came to erase the misconceptions about God – he was sent to show us what God is really like!  Christmas tells us that we matter to God.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Lilly

0

Prayers for Everyday Needs

Today, we continue sharing devotionals from the book Let’s Pray: Talking to God with the Words of the Bible, by Dr. James Banks, who serves as a pastor at Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina and is a regular writer for Our Daily Bread.

In this short book, we are reminded that the prayers of the Bible are an amazing gift from God and they have so much to teach us.

This is what Alex and Stephen Kendrick talk about in their book The Battle Plan for Prayer in the chapter called ‘Praying the Word.’ In the prayers of scripture, we find words that can help carry our thoughts and emotions to God. He invites us closer to him through the prayers of the Bible.

This week, we’re sharing prayers from the Word for everyday needs.

Dr. Banks reminds us that sometimes we run into heaven’s throne room with our list of needs.  Yes, Hebrews 4 encourages us to come boldly to the throne of grace, but sometimes we can be TOO bold!

As the angels surround the throne, hiding their faces in worship at the awesome wonder of God, we burst in without knocking, like an impatient child, making all of our wants and wishes known!

But still, even as we do this, we meet a Father who welcomes us in grace…and we can approach without fear, because He knows our daily needs and cares about them.  As we mature in our prayer life, we eventually find that our heart also matures, and starts to beat in rhythm with His heart!

Prayers about everyday needs help us gain perspective.  They are not only about things necessary in life, but also our need for a growing relationship with our heavenly father.  God wants us to seek HIM first (Matthew 6:33), then bring our everyday needs to Him with faith and expectation.

Our prayers from the word today start with Psalm 139, which helps us know that God is with us wherever we go. Psalm 139: 7-12 reminds us that we can never escape from his spirit and we can never escape from his presence:
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

Today we’re also going to share some prayer starters. These are verses from The Book of Psalms that can help us start our prayers.

The first is, “please keep my needs in your thoughts,” inspired by Psalm 44:17…
But as for me, I am poor and needy;
may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
you are my God, do not delay.

The second prayer starter is from Psalm 65: you forgive my sins and bring me joy…

3 When we were overwhelmed by sins,
you forgave[a] our transgressions.
4 Blessed are those you choose
and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,
of your holy temple.

Thanks for listening!
– Hannah and Lilly

0

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑