toddcast

This Sunday is traditionally known as Palm Sunday, the day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to the praise of the Passover crowd.  Much is made of the palm branches, the shouts of Hosanna, the objection of the Pharisees, but overlooked in the story is owner of the donkey. As Jesus was approaching Jerusalem he instructed his disciples to go into a village where they will find a donkey. When they find the animal they are told to just untie it and bring it him. Sounds like a first century version of grand theft larceny. Who in the world is going to let perfect strangers just walk up to their donkey and take it with no explanation? Anticipating that someone may have issue with this apparent thievery, he further instructed the disciples that if anyone asks why they are untying this donkey just tell them, “The Lord needs it.” I guess the disciples are satisfied with the plan and proceed – an act of faith in and of itself. They followed the instructions and as they are untying th...

The recent invasion of Ukraine has resurfaced lingering questions believers have about the sovereignty of God. How can a good, loving, just God seemingly sit back while innocents suffer at the hands of a political juggernaut? How do we process recent events in light of the clear Biblical claim that God is sovereign over the nations? How do we make sense of scriptures like Daniel 2:21 , “He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others;” and Romans 13:1 , “The authorities that exist have been established by God”?     I don’t have the answer, but I can propose a response - one that goes back centuries to an Old Testament prophet named Habakkuk. Let it be known that we are not the first to wrestle with this apparent contradiction, nor will we be the last. Habakkuk asked the same questions we are asking. In his case the evil nation was powerful Babylon who decided to flex their ungodly muscles at the expense of God’s chosen people, the Israelites. None of it mad...

Have you ever started a show on television and seen this warning? The following program contains mature language. Viewer discretion is advised. We all know what “mature language” means, but I wonder why they call it “mature.” We have a way of sanitizing things, don’t we? Shouldn’t they just tell us there’s going to be some cussing or swearing or profanity or words you don’t hear in church? Why would anyone ever call that kind of language “mature”?   Is it really “mature” to use those words? I think those warnings give “mature” a bad rap. I’m all in favor of using “mature” language, but not in the way these warnings define it. Here’s an alternative definition of “mature” language from the Bible in Ephesians 4:29 and few rules to help us. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Rule #1 – If it’s unwholesome, hold it in. If a word is dirty, foul, or obscen...

Several years ago, my family and I were at a family reunion at a lakeside resort in central Texas. Included in the resort were all kinds of activities. One was canoeing. The six of us (my wife, four kids, and me) decided to give it a try – three in one canoe, three in another with my wife and I serving as “captains” of our respective boats. We were a little nervous. The kids were young and neither of us were canoeing experts, but the attendant assured us that this type of canoe was nearly impossible to tip over. Well, you can guess what happened. The canoe my wife was in tipped over. The water was only waist deep and I sensed no imminent danger, so I yelled out to my drenched wife and kids, “Swim for the shore.” Maybe I should have jumped in (there was no maybe about it in my wife’s mind). But I thought there was no sense me getting all wet as well. Needless to say, it was not one of my proudest moments. While I was shouting helpful advice I spotted out of the corner of my eye that the...

My, how things change! That is essentially how McDowell and Stonestreet begin their defense of the historic definition of marriage. The two thoughtfully take us through the unprecedented changes we have witnessed in the definition of marriage and the perception of homosexuality. For those of us on the other side of forty, we remember the days when homosexuality was talked about in hushed voices and even when it was listed as a psychological disorder by the American Psychological Association. Not so anymore. “For the high school and college students we work with today – even the most conservative, churchgoing ones - homosexuality is not a far-off issue like it was for us,” they write. As Christians who hold to the inspiration of scripture the authors call us back to the biblical definition of marriage. While warning against discrimination or hatred to those who disagree, it is still critical to remember that words matter. “Marriage can’t mean everything, or else marriage means nothing,”...

Christopher Yuan enters the discussion on same-sex relationships from a truly unique and personal perspective - a man who has same-sex attraction, has acted on that attraction, has lived as an unbeliever, and yet now holds to the historic Christian position that marriage is a one-man, one-woman, God ordained institution. His life and story add a level of credibility and sincerity that is difficult, if not impossible, to rise to. Yuan is not only an observer, he is a combatant and commands respect as both observers and combatants seek God’s truth on sexuality. A clarion call of our generation is to understand this teaching leading with compassion. “How can anyone hold to a teaching that marginalizes people?” is a common objection to the historic view. Yuan warns us, “But compassion without wisdom can be careless, even reckless. Wisdom without compassion is useless, even pharisaical. True compassion flows from wisdom, and true wisdom results in compassion – there should be no dichotomy. ...

I love fall. I love the cooler weather. I love the changing colors. I love football. I love fall with this exception—raking leaves. I have a big oak tree out in my front hard and it is amazing how many leaves that tree can produce. I was out raking the other day and not only was I amazed at all the leaves but also amazed at all the acorns. So not only do I bag up tons of leaves but also hundreds of acorns. Within each acorn is the potential for another oak tree and as beautiful as the tree is, the last thing I need is more oak trees in my front hard. Every year I scoop up the acorns and for the ones that don’t get scooped up in the fall I find myself pulling up the tiny saplings that begin to burst through the ground in the spring. This fall as I was picking up all those potential oak trees I thought to myself, “That poor tree. All it wants to do is make more oak trees and here I am foiling its plan.” If trees had feelings I suppose it would be sad. But you know what? Year after year t...

“Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you've got till it’s gone,” are lyrics from the popular Joni Mitchell song Big Yellow Taxi . The song was released in 1970 and has been covered a few times since then. You’ve probably heard it. If not, you get the message. The sentiment is pretty straightforward – we tend to appreciate things only after they have been taken away or lost. I hear the same thought at funerals and, being a minister, I have been to more than my fair share of them. Mourners are known to remind those in attendance to make sure they hug their loved ones and live in appreciation of their relationships. As an officiant I have often expressed that very same feeling. It really is a good reminder. But isn’t it sad that we have to be reminded? Isn’t it sad to think that we are living with joys and blessings and pleasures and we don’t even know it? Isn’t it sad to only appreciate the gift of life only when it’s gone? Shouldn’t it always seem to be that we do kn...

The Bible is a book not just to read but to interact with. Some might seek out cross references. Others may look for archaeological insights. Some might research cultural implications. Some may even explore the original languages. Some may want to artistically interact with the Word, and if that’s you then The Radiant Virtues Bible may be just for you. Saying that, I must say this is not a coloring book, but an invitation to spiritual interaction and introspection through art and journaling. The Radiant Virtues Bible , which contains the full text of the popular NIV translation, guides the reader through a 52-week journey of the Bible with well-written and thought-provoking devotionals all 52 of which come with a coloring page related to that week’s reading. The devotionals are centered on the three virtues of 1 Corinthians 13 – Faith, Hope, and Love. These virtues are also emphasized throughout the text with passages highlighted the color that corresponds to each virtue.  In addit...

Jesus was a master teacher, and one of his most often employed teaching techniques was telling stories. These short stories utilize people, objects, and situations that we are all familiar with – things like farming, working, weddings, buildings – and then uses them to make a spiritual application. These stories are often called parables and some of them are so powerful that they are familiar even to people who have never read the Bible. Everyone has heard of the lost sheep, the good Samaritan, the prodigal son, the pearl of great price.  All of these familiar phrases have their origin in one of these stories of Jesus. They are really quite remarkable and if you haven’t read them you need to!   I recently taught on one of these parables, the Good Samaritan . It’s a story of man traveling a treacherous road and is robbed, stripped of his clothing, and left for dead on the side of the road. Three people pass by, but only one stops to offer aid. The first two are known to be reli...

I recently attended a “White Coat Ceremony” for first year medical students. During the ceremony the incoming first year students receive a white coat symbolic of the beginning of their journey into the medical profession. Before the white coats were distributed the Dean of the college introduced the ceremony with a talk listing the merits of that particular medical school and, more importantly, the merits of the call to the medical field. In that talk he referenced another ceremony earlier in the month where the students receive their first stethoscopes. He said the stethoscope was one of the doctor’s most valued tools as it allowed them to hear what was happening inside the body. In hearing what was going on inside the body the doctor would be better prepared to diagnose and treat the patient. He urged that that same attentive hearing would be employed in all interactions with patients. He urged them to be good listeners and in doing so truly hear their patients. A good doctor hears ...

It’s happened to me more times than I care to admit. My wife will ask me to get something out of the pantry or refrigerator and, after a quick check, I’ll report that the item she wants is not there.   Then she looks and there it is, right where she said it would be. Right there staring me in the face. I shake my head and wonder how I could have missed it. Maybe I give up too easily. Have you ever driven a route you’ve driven a million times and one day you spot something that you’ve never seen before? You ask a friend if that’s new and they tell you it’s been there forever. You wonder how have you not noticed it before? There are things all around us that for some reason or another we simply do not notice. For the most part these things may be insignificant, but what if we are missing out on some really beautiful things in life because we just don’t notice? There’s a wonderful story in the Bible that may help us.* The prophet Elisha is advising the King of Israel during a military...

I’m a terrible typist. I’m old enough to have taken typing class in high school when that kind of thing was taught, but I never thought that I would need to be proficient on a keyboard; so I bowed out. Typing was not in my future. But here I am on a keyboard just about every workday hunting and pecking my way to letters, articles, and sermons. After even the shortest of documents I’m left staring at a screen filled with red-squiggled underlined words. And then I click on spellcheck – the savior of the keyboarding- deficient like me. Magically it corrects all my misspellings. That is for all but one word. I nearly always mistype the word “the”.  I transpose the “h” and the “e” and almost without exception type “teh.” The problem is that somewhere down the line I told my computer that the correct spelling of “the” was indeed “teh”. I must have clicked the wrong option in my spellcheck menu and now the computer thinks “teh” is a legitimate word – even though it isn’t. So, there’s no r...

The other day I was sitting on my back porch. On my porch is a bird bath with a small solar-powered fountain. The fountain only works when the sun is directly on it and, since that day was a clear day, the fountain was operating at full steam.  As I was sitting enjoying the day a brief passing cloud blocked the direct sunlight and the fountain came to a halt. No light, no power. The apostle John records in his gospel several “I am” statements of Jesus – I am the bread of life; I am the resurrection and the life; I am the way, the truth, and the life; and so on.  One of those “I am” statements is, “I am the light of the world.” Jesus goes on to say, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John would later write three letters to Christians that are included in our New Testament. He borrows that “light” imagery of Jesus and encourages believers to “walk in the light." There are several nuances to this “light” imagery. Light gives direct...

There have been some really bad deals made throughout history. In 1976 Ronald Wayne sold his shares of an upstart computer company for $800. That upstart was Apple Computer. In 1803 the French sold the Louisiana territory to the United States for 4 cents an acre. In 1867 Russia sold Alaska to the United States for 2 cents an acre. In 1919 the Boston Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. All bad deals. A biblical bad deal that rivals these is in Genesis 25 . Esau sold his birthright, a priceless blessing and inheritance from his father, to his twin brother Jacob for a bowl of stew. Esau had been out hunting and came back famished when he came across his brother’s freshly prepared bowl of stew and made a deal that would haunt him and his ancestors for years to come.   As foolish and impetuous as these bad deals may sound, it’s not beyond us to make a bad deal every now and then. We’re offended by an off-handed comment and let off some steam in uncontrollable anger and ...

(Written during one of the coldest spells in Texas in a long time. Millions lost power and water for extended periods of time.) I’m writing this on Tuesday in the midst of an unprecedented cold spell here in Texoma. At our house we have lost electricity and are fighting freezing water lines. As we suffer through this cold I’m wishing I had been more prepared. Looking back there are plenty of things I could have done to have made the conditions more bearable. A Facebook friend of mine asked what we will buy after we get through this season. Some said generators. Others indoor propane heaters. Other are longing for more firewood. But it’s too late for that. Maybe we can prepare ourselves better for the next storm, but it’s too late now. Preparation is a key to survival and I wasn’t prepared.  The weather forecasts told me it was going to be bad, but I just shrugged it off. Certainly the predictions were more alarming than they had to be. And no disrespect to weather forecasters, but ...

This weekend is usually an exciting time for me. You see, I’m a Patriots' fan and for the better part of the last two decades my New England Patriots would be set to enter the NFL playoffs - most likely one of the favorites to advance to the Super Bowl.  But not this year. For the first time since the 2000 season my team ended the schedule with a losing record. No playoffs. No hope for another title.  But they are still my team. (And by the way, I am not rooting for Tom Brady. He is not a Patriot. He’s nothing but a traitor. In fact, I hope Tampa Bay loses in the first round. But I have no hard feelings about this). The Pats were my team long before this incredible run and they will be my team even if the next two decades bring nothing but mediocrity. I’m not like those front-runners. People who switch from team to team depending on performance. Those people really annoy me. One year they’re sporting Chief’s gear. The year before that they were Warrior fans. The year before th...

It’s one week before Christmas.  Seven days. One hundred sixty-eight hours. The countdown is on. Presents still need to be bought and wrapped. Meals need to be planned and cooked.  Decorations better be up, but if not, there’s still plenty of time for those last-week touches.  What do you do seven days before Christmas? I wonder what Mary and Joseph were doing the week before Christmas? Had the edict to return to Bethlehem been issued yet? Were they packing their bags for the trip? As they lay in bed that week before, was Joseph gently holding his hand on Mary’s now large belly and feeling the baby kick? Was Mary being constantly bombarded by questions like, “When do you think the baby’s coming?” Was Joseph, the carpenter, putting the finishing touches on a crib for his expectant son? They knew the baby would be arriving soon, but did they know it was only one week away? How their lives would change in seven days. And oh, how things changed when Jesus came. And not ju...

Remember that movie about the animals who amazingly found their way home after thinking they had been abandoned by their owners? They survive the dangerous mountain terrain, ferocious wildlife, and several other dangers but made it home! It’s been made and remade and recently I confirmed that the movies were based on actual events. The instinct to return home is so powerful. There is something about the security, love, and belonging of home that calls us back, even through dangers and troubles. Church leaders have been wringing their hands with worry at church buildings that have gone from maximum capacity to 50%, and that’s a generous estimate. We know many have been watching from afar online, but we’re concerned. Will those unable to attend in-person find their way back home, whenever that will be? I believe they will. There’s something about home that calls us back. The faces, the voices, the communion, the passing of the peace – these are calling out to our spiritual instincts lead...

Over the pandemic I reunited with an old friend – Survivor. That’s right, the father of all reality shows and I had been apart for several years when the shutdown brought us back together. I had faithfully watched the first few seasons, but, as it is with many relationships, we drifted away over the years. I really don’t want to confess how many seasons I’ve watched and since streaming mindless television episodes is not on many people’s list of virtues, I figured I needed to redeem that time with some spiritual application – so here it is. The premise of Survivor is to gather 20 or so people on some remote location and let them fend for themselves as they systematically vote each other out of the game until there are only 3 left. Those 3 are then voted on by those they had cast out to determine who will win the title of “sole survivor” and the check for one million dollars.  The climax of the season is the final “tribal council” when host Jeff Probst collects all the votes. But in...