Driving Notes

Treat People Right!

Well, if you’re my Facebook friend, you got a little dose of some of the annoying things we deal with in our line of work this week. Here was my status update this morning:

What is it this week with mean people? I’ve had it. NEWS FLASH…if you want us to keep promoting your event, don’t call in and yell at us because YOU haven’t heard it yet. Then, when we explain how it is already in the on-air and web calendars, QUIT INTERRUPTING…(exhale).

Sometimes I feel like the station should have a huge sound effect with a horn that shouts: “Get your kindness armor on this week, folks!! Mean people are out in force!”

I don’t know if it’s the cold, the wind, the messy conditions this week, or what. People seem to be on the warpath!! So…just remember this- if you have something to promote or advertise, your approach and attitude with people in a business setting…and yes, we do run a business in an educational setting here…will make or break people’s perception of you and the event or cause you want to promote.

And if you’re a professing Christian, the stakes are even higher, because you can easily destroy a person’s perception of Christians or Christianity by the way you treat other people.

It’s another good reminder that our Christian walk is not limited to the walls of the church! So when you feel like unloading on someone…exhale, say a prayer, and think again. And if you’re the one who got unloaded on, exhale, say a prayer, and know that this guy appreciates you!

-Joe

January 25, 2011 0

John 3:16- what’s the big deal?

Jayme and I have been discussing the Gospel of John for our Thursday Bible series this month. Recently we got to one of the Bible’s signature verses, the one that’s been paraded around on signs for years- John 3:16.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (NIV).

I sometimes get concerned that the “parading” of this verse has weakened its significance. That shouldn’t happen. John 3 is important; critical to our faith. So what’s the big deal?

Here’s the big deal. The entire sequence of John 3 is Jesus teaching Nicodemus about the concept of eternal life, or getting into the kingdom of God. I like what The Promise Keepers Bible says about John 3: it addresses the one most important issue you face- discovering who Jesus is, and either accepting or rejecting His words and His identity as truth.

Jesus taught Nicodemus the plan of redemption in three basic parts:

1- God loves us infinitely and unconditionally and still seeks us despite our rebellion.

2- God demonstrated that love by giving his Son (Jesus) for us, while we were still in sinful rebellion against Him.

3- We must believe in Jesus in order to receive God’s forgiveness and enter his kingdom. Believing in Him means we follow His teachings and commands.

When we read John 3, it’s also important that we don’t forget what author and pastor David Platt’s book Radical calls “one of the most neglected verses concerning God’s wrath.” It’s the last verse of the passage, John 3:36:

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him” (NIV).

The truth is, we need God. We need Jesus. Platt calls it “our desperate need for Christ.” Accepting or rejecting Him IS the one most important issue we face. We become reconciled to God through our belief and trust in Him. Let’s take the time to consider if we are truly trusting in Christ for our salvation!

January 19, 2011 0

God, Can You Hear Me?

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with Michael Tait about the Newsboys’ upcoming stop in Columbus for WinterJam 2011 (Sat. Jan. 29; find the info here). As you probably know, Michael recently joined Newsboys after many years in DC Talk and a solo career.

During our conversation, I shared with Michael that his song “God, Can You Hear Me?” (Lose this Life, 2003) has always been one of my favorites, because I think it speaks clearly to those “prodigal” moments we experience as believers…when we’ve fallen, stumbled or doubted and desire to get back to God’s presence. The lyric, “I’m tired of pretending that everything’s allright” is the cry of many. Michael told me what led him to write the song:

“It came from a deep, deep place…a deep, deep cavernous crater, if you will…in my soul and my heart. A place where we fall into sin, or you fall into a place where you’re unsure about a lot of things. We doubt because we’re human…and I wish I didn’t doubt, but the fact is I do. You cry out to God and say, ‘God, I know you’re out there…I know you hear me. You’re the God of tomorrow and God of yesterday, but I need you right now. I need you in the present, because I’m not sure where I am, what I’m doing, what my purpose is in this moment, but I need you to come in and rescue me…from this dark place, this place of doubt, of uncertainty.’ Every Christian has this moment, sometimes more than once, where we don’t know what’s going on. We need God to be there to reassure us…to say, ‘Hey- every little thing is going to be allright- don’t give up!”

The best part is that we KNOW He hears us! And when we lay down our will, we draw closer to Him.

-Joe

January 18, 2011 0

Football Road Trip

You know what never gets old? Getting a Christmas gift that you didn’t expect….a good one that is…..not the “honey I totalled the car” ones. This past Christmas my parents surprised me with tickets to see the buckeyes play in the sugar bowl!

I immediately started planning a road trip down south for the game with my friend. We left on January 2nd, in the middle of all the New Years traffic. We arrived with a day to spare and enjoyed catching up on our sleep from the all day drive the day before. Finally, game day came! We took our seats earlier than most fans just to enjoy the sights and sounds of the stadium. It was then that we realized our tickets placed us on the Arkansas fans side of the stadium; far, far away from the safety of the Buckeyes.

Our seats put us right in front of the ESPN broadcast set. Which was really cool until we realized Lou Holtz was doing the broadcast. Lou was the former coach at Arkansas and all their fans where extremely excited to see him. Every single Arkansas fan that walked in immediately exclaimed, “Lou Holtz is here! Hey Lou!” As if he knew who they were, and of course he didn’t. This got very old after the first 4,000 fans arrived.

After pregame it was very clear that, even if we didn’t win the game, our band absolutely destroyed theirs. I mean 30 or 40 times better.

The game started and it got awkward quickly. There we were, in the midst of thousands of angry Arkansas fans as we were winning by 18 at halftime. Of course that feeling didn’t last long as awkwardness turned into frustration when the Arkansas Razorbacks starting coming back. Quiclkly we found ourselves standing with our arms crossed, shaking our heads in unbelief amoungst the roaring Arkansas crowd. Thankfully, the Buckeyes managed to hang on…….barely. A sigh of relief marked the end of the game and we quickly realized we were essentially the only ones on our side of the stadium. The Arkansas fans had all left in anger as soon as the game ended, while all the Buckeyes fans remained for the post game celebration.

The trip was not in vain as Ohio State came out on top. We drove back happy the next day. After a frustrating run through Louisville during rush hour we decided that Ohio drivers are the definitely the best. What a great Christmas Present!…..and a complete surprise.

– Jayme

January 10, 2011 0

The oxymoron to obey

In December, we spent a signficant amount of time during our Thursday shows in the book of Luke, looking at its unique contributions to the Christmas story and the overall story of Jesus.

I think one of Luke’s most signature moments comes in Chapter 6:

²⁷ “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹ If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. ³⁰ Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. ³¹ Do to others as you would have them do to you.

³² “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. ³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. ³⁵ But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. ³⁶ Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

For some, this might be the great oxymoron of the Bible…in other words, two things combined that should normally counter or cancel out each other. But this is what’s SO AMAZING about Jesus. He doesn’t operate by the world’s norms or opinions.

One devotional I read about this passage reminds us that this passage doesn’t mean we let others just roll over us. What it means is that when we are confronted with an enemy, or a situation where we are damaged, we don’t lash back and allow emotion or anger to control us. We allow Christ’ s influence to put things in perspective, and respond calmly and rationally.

Oh, and by the way…the DAY AFTER we read this on the air, I had to put it into practice. I had to decide if what I read was just empty scripture, or truth I should live my life by.

I read an article about an athiest group that was launching a six-figure ad campaign against Christmas…that’s right…an anti-Christmas campaign. What do you think my first reaction was? You guessed it…anger. But then as my Bible sat near my computer, I remembered Luke 6.

And I prayed…for my enemy.

Not that the ads would somehow all supernaturally be destroyed…but that whatever had driven the hearts of these men and women against God would be driven from them. That something great would happen to make these folks embrace the Christmas story. That a Christ-follower would blow away their negative notion about Christians and the Christian faith.

Luke 6 is the oxymoron to obey…and man, sometimes it’s hard. But Christ commands it!

Happy New Year!

-Joe

January 5, 2011 0

He came to save us

I’ve been known to make this statement quite frequently- “we’ve made life too complicated.” But I’m finding myself saying it more and more as I get older. I have these moments where honestly, I just crave simplicity. Like watching a sunset…taking a nap…staring out the window at a thunderstorm…or sitting in the dark with a cup of hot chocolate watching the lights twinkle on a Christmas tree. I love simplicity. I think our bodies and even our minds need it. I know mine does.

Let’s face it…we could use a little more simplicity at Christmas. And you know what? The message of Christmas isn’t really that complicated. So, to borrow from “The Christmas Song,” I’m offering my own simple phrase this year- He came to save us.

Matthew 1:21 tells us that the angel told Joseph to give Mary’s child the name Jesus, because he would save his people from their sins. We’ve read that passage time and time again, but do we really get how significant that name really is? Jesus means to deliver or rescue. He came down to deliver and rescue us. I know that I have many days where I need delivered and rescued.

So this Christmas, remember the simple fact that he came to save us…and renew your acceptance of his salvation!

-Joe

December 20, 2010 0

The Veil Was Torn

As part of our series digging deeper into the Bible, we’re finishing Matthew with a phrase that’s been heard by many- “the veil was torn.”

“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split.” Matthew 27:50-51 (NASB)

Jeremy Camp sings about it in his song “This Man,” we’ve seen it near the end of The Passion of the Christ, but do we really know what it means? What is the significance of the veil, or in some translations, the curtain, being torn?

First, we have to remember that the veil was located in the holy temple of Jerusalem, the centerpiece of Jewish religion at the time. The veil was around 60 feet high, 30 feet wide, and between three and four inches (yes, 3-4 inches) thick. It separated men from what was called “The Holy of Holies,” where the Ark of the Covenant resided. This area was considered to be the earthly dwelling of God’s presence. It served as a symbol, or reminder, of God’s separation from man by sin.

The only person that could enter this area was the High Priest, and he could only enter once a year to ask for the forgiveness of sins. When Jesus died, the sudden and supernatural tearing of the veil meant that the barrier between man and God had been removed. The tearing of the veil meant that the atonement for sins had been purchased with the blood of Christ. The veil tearing in two symbolized that Christ was the only way to the Father.

So the next time you hear or sing that line, remember, it means that the blood of Christ has removed the barrier between God and man.

November 22, 2010 0

Matthew part 3: A Grand Entrance

While going through the book of Matthew on praise Thursday, we took a look at John the Baptist. In my mind he was one of the most crucial pieces to the Salvation puzzle. He had the crazy job of preparing the way for Christ, and we say that line……”He prepared the way”……a lot but what does it really mean?

John had the job of introducing the themes and messages that Christ would present in his ministry. John was the opening act in a concert featuring the greatest band of all time. He was the first person to really stand up against the hyprocracy of the Pharisees and leaders of the Church, he constantly encourged people to be baptized (hence the name), and he had disciples following him much like Christ did. The part of the story that really encourages me is his humility. John the Baptist was confronted by his disciples who were discouraged that Christ was taking some of his followers. John replied to them saying “He must become greater, I must become less.” He knew that Jesus’ ministry was going to change the world and that this was the reason he was sent to the earth……to PREPARE THE WAY.

This is what that phrase means. He started a revolution that Jesus would continue, and ultimately finish on the cross. Now it is on us……How will we continue the message of Christ? Will we take the role of a leader but still humbly follow Jesus like John the Baptist did? The road isn’t easy……but then again John’s life wasn’t easy either…….some food for thought.

-Jayme

October 21, 2010 1

Matthew part 2: The Keynote

As we keep diving into Matthew, chapter 5 brings us to what many call Jesus’ “keynote address”- the Sermon on the Mount. It all starts with the Beatitudes, where Jesus tells us we are blessed when we are meek, merciful, pure in heart, and peacemakers. But he also stresses that we are blessed when we are persecuted, insulted and falsely accused.

For some of us, verses 10-12 are tough to get our hearts wrapped around:

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (NIV)

But wait! Doesn’t our culture, and sometimes even modern day American Christianity, tells us to fight back and defend our rights?? Yes, but read the passage again and read this part carefully…”rejoice and be glad, BECAUSE GREAT IS YOUR REWARD IN HEAVEN.” Yea, I bolded the last part. Why? Because sometimes we get caught in the trap of the world’s ways; in other words, we’re too nearsighted to think that this world is not our eternal home. To wait for our reward?? To be patient? To not be able to put those evil-doers in their place? Well, that’s just too much to ask, right? NO. This is where we, as followers of Christ, separate ourselves from the world’s thinking by being OK with letting the reward come in God’s timing, not ours.

Then we get to one of my favorite parts of Matthew: verses 5:13-16, where we are told that we are salt of the earth and the light of the world. What does that mean? Two years ago, in preparation for the 2008-09 school year, our WNZR staff adopted “Shake and Shine” as our theme phrase…you may remember it from Lifeline 2009. I did some reading on this passage and here are some things I discovered…

One function of salt is as an antiseptic, so how can we apply this to what Jesus said? Well, just as salt keeps meat from rotting when it is rubbed into it, we should be engaged with the rotting world we live in. Salt will do no good to meat unless it is rubbed into it. So, we are to be in the world so that the world may benefit by our difference. That also means we must be careful to avoid the mistake of being one with the world and embracing its values and ways.

Salt is white, symbolizing purity. Christians are to be in the world and yet live pure, different lives. Jesus didn’t say you “could be” or “should be” the salt of the earth…he said YOU ARE the salt of the earth! Big difference.

Also, salt causes people to become thirsty. In the same way, we should cause people to thirst for Jesus Christ and his good news. If we live as Christians daily for God’s glory, those around us will hopefully desire to have the joy we do!

But remember…we can lose our salt by all the impurities we fill ourselves with. Jesus said that if salt lost its saltiness, it would become useless and worthless. How do we lose our “salt flavor?” When we conform to the pattern of the world (Romans 12:1-2), when we embrace the selfish values of the world like materialism and pleasure-seeking. We start rotting like the world.

We cannot benefit the world when we are like the world. Christians are to reflect the light of Jesus to the world. And what is this light? It is the light of salvation, eternal life, knowledge of God, and hope. Light should allow us to see people as they are- people who were created in the image of God and who Christ died for! Not just evil people to kick to the curb.

Light also helps us gain perspective…when things are spiraling out of control, we must be the calm in the storm…the light in the darkness!

So…how’s your salt? How’s your light? What can you do this week to “shake and shine??”

-Joe

October 17, 2010 0

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