Right Start Radio with Pastor Jim Custer

Signs in the Earth, signs in the Heavens! Mark informs us that it was Peter, James, John and Andrew who got a private audience with Jesus. Christ had just foretold the destruction of the Temple, and the four wanted to know about Heaven's timing. What the Lord told them surely shattered all their notions about the End, and the coming Kingdom. Today we'll look at what they learned, and how today's headlines may start to look like old news. 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. RS02272026_0.mp3Scripture References: Mark 13:4

Today we'll look at what Jim calls the "greatest prophetic passage in the Bible." The Disciples thought they had asked an easy question, but Jesus gave them an answer that we're still sorting out today. Some of them wanted to know, "What will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?" And the Lord gave them a very detailed reply. It would cover the destruction of Jerusalem, the Antichrist's blasphemy, and the return of Christ. Here's Jim to open his sermon, What is the Sign? 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. RS02262026_0.mp3Scripture References: Mark 13:4

Not everyone in the Temple was there for the wrong reasons! The merchants and moneylenders had come to church to line their own pockets. Paul would later write about those who confuse godliness with gain, religion with riches. The Jewish leaders had come to strut their superiority, it seems, and to police everyone else's religion. But at least one woman had come to the place of worship to worship - with her offering. And of course, Jesus noticed. Here's Jim, reading from Mark 12:43. 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. RS02252026_0.mp3Scripture References: Mark 11 & 12

One bride for seven brothers! Oh, those soft-headed Sadducees! They weren't just hostile to Christ, like most of the religious VIPs around them - that was bad enough - these fellows were opposed to one of the foundational teachings of their own scriptures! But they thought they had enough brainpower to trap the Lord, and so they came up with a trick question for Him. One bride, seven brothers - and no fractions allowed! Here's Jim with part 3 of, The Authority of Jesus. 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. RS02242026_0.mp3Scripture References: Mark 11 & 12

Your boss ... the king ... God: Three people you don't cheat! We've been reading from Mark chapter 12, and what has been called the Parable of the Tenants. By the time it was done, the Pharisees were practically indicting themselves as "wretches," "worthless" and "corrupt" - information that we get from Matthew's account. The parable and Jesus' later answers are connected, as Jim will show today. 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. RS02232026_0.mp3Scripture References: Mark 11 & 12

Your gifts won't save you. The Jewish leaders thought they were sitting pretty on a five-legged stool... until Jesus knocked each leg out from under them, one by one! These five things were gifts from God, given uniquely to the Hebrew people. That's surely evidence that they were on the road to Heaven! And all of these gifts were real. And their recipients were not on the road to Heaven. We're in the Gospel of Mark. Here's Jim to open a sermon called, The Authority of Jesus. 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. RS02202026_0.mp3Scripture References: Mark 11 & 12

"I can't recall, Senator." In the 11th chapter of his Gospel, Mark describes a scene with "the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders." These prominent men lied in their answer to Jesus about John the Baptist. He knew they'd lied. Everyone knew they had lied. And they knew that everyone knew they had lied. Such beacons of righteousness! But just when we're about to write them all off, there is one - just one - scribe with a good 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. RS02192026_0.mp3Scripture References: Mark 12:1-12

Just who do you think you are?! When Jesus dared to do some much-needed housekeeping in the Temple, the religious elite were furious. They challenged His authority. He challenged their authority... and identity... and destiny. Before the day was over Christ would checkmate the scribes, the elders, the Pharisees, the Sadducees and even the Herodians. It was a bad day to be a hypocrite. Here's Jim to open a sermon from Mark 12 called, Who Owns the Vineyard? 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. RS02182026_0.mp3Scripture References: Mark 12:1-12

There will be another mountain after this one. We're rejoining Jesus, Peter, James, John, Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration. There will be One more joining us. And then we'll make our way down to the challenges of our daily lives. And we'll face away from this mountain, and toward the much less impressive hill called Golgotha, or Calvary - only 777 meters high. Here's Jim with the final segment of his message, The Transfiguration. 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. RS02172026_0.mp3Scripture References: Mark 9

Mountain men! Moses received the Ten Commandments on a mountain. Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. The elevation of Carmel, by the way, is about 1800 feet. Sinai rises 7500 feet above sea level. So, on the day we're about to study, Moses and Elijah were higher than they'd ever been: If this is Mount Hermon, it's 9,000 feet. That's a "high mountain," as Mark calls it in chapter 9 of his Gospel. 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. RS02162026_0.mp3Scripture References: Mark 9

If Jesus is the king, when is the coronation? Peter had declared to Jesus, "You are the Christ (the Anointed, the coming King)." But then the King says some very strange things: "Tell no one," and, "I'm going to be rejected and killed. But the kingdom is coming." The death of the prince before He can ascend to the throne is not defeat... it's the plan. 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. RS02132026_0.mp3Scripture References: Mark 9

"I'll take one large-size salvation, please - hold the suffering." Once the Disciples finally understood who the Lord is, He could disclose some more things to them. Yesterday Jim described three imperatives - three "musts" - that follow from the revelation that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah. One of those is that we must deny ourselves and take up our cross - pretty much the opposite of the popular, "your best life now" gospel. We're in Mark, chapter 8, 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. RS02122026_0.mp3Scripture References: Mark 8:29

If Jesus is the Christ... so what? As we've followed Mark's Gospel - and now would be a good time to remind ourselves that this is most likely Peter's Gospel - it's become clear that the Disciples' training has been leading up to this moment: "Who do you say that I am?" That will prove to be the defining question of their lives, our lives, and the course of the world. But, once we've answered that question in unison with Peter, what follows? 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. RS02112026_0.mp3Scripture References: Mark 8:29

What is the lesson of the loaves? Whatever the lesson was, the Disciples were not grasping it. Maybe it was that the God who had made the wheat, as well as the Sun to shine on it and the rain to fall on it, could just as easily make the loaves. Maybe it was that, if you give your little bit to the Lord, your next problem is going to be where to put all the leftovers. We're in Mark 6, looking at the Feeding of the Five-Thousand. Here's Jim to round out his sermon, He Sent the Twelve...with Power. 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. RS02102026_0.mp3Scripture References: Mark 7

The Disciples were doing it, but not getting it! If you feel like you're just taking the same life-lessons over and over again, this message may help you. The Twelve had the same problem. Jesus would show them a miraculous sign... they would marvel at it... but their minds didn't click into a new gear. So they went 'round again. In fact, Mark writes that their hearts were hardened! Jim has asked a young man to read the text for his message, He Sent the Twelve...with Power. 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. RS02092026_0.mp3Scripture References: Mark 7

Mark gave us the most powerful parenthetical of all time! "Thus He declared all foods clean" is the way it's most often translated. And it's not even the main thought of the sentence, just a little aside, a little "oh, by the way," usually set off in parentheses. But wow! What a potent tangent! That's enough geeking out about words. What was Jesus saying in the seventh chapter of Mark, and how does it apply, not to the Pharisees, but to us? 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. RS02062026_1.mp3Scripture References: Mark 6 & 7

Lip-syncing isn't as easy as it looks! The people in Jesus' audience were giving a very bad performance. Their lips were out-of-sync with their hearts, just as Isaiah had prophesied. Their leaders had taught them to break God's Law in order to keep their traditions (and line their pockets). They were defiling themselves in an effort to make themselves clean. How can Christ untangle this mess? We'll read about it today, as our survey of the Gospel of Mark moves forward. 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. RS02052026_1.mp3Scripture References: Mark 6 & 7

What does it mean to be clean? There is physically clean - and that's good. It's a sign of mental illness to prefer to be grubby. Karl Marx was infamous for his horrible hygiene. Then there's spiritually clean. But the Scribes and Pharisees were focused on another type of purity - the ceremonially clean. And for some reason they thought their cleansing ritual should be endorsed by God, and mandated for everyone. Jesus had other thoughts. 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. RS02042026_1.mp3Scripture References: Mark 6 & 7

Worries, wealth, and the Word. In the field - I'm talking about a farmer's field - the crops are competing with other things for the resources of the soil. Thorns, Jesus called them. When the soil is the human heart, the good seed of God's Word is contending with just about everything else that will cross your mind today. As we've studied Jesus' Parable of the Sower in Mark chapter 4, we've talked about the hard ground and the rocky ground. Today Jim will help us think about the thorny ground. 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. RS02032026_1.mp3Scripture References: Mark 3-5

Most people are lost, and getting "lost-er." Jesus' Parable of the Sower went right over the heads of the crowd. But the Disciples would have missed the meaning, too, without the Lord's explanation. It's that relationship between the Teacher and His learners that we'll bring out today. We're continuing a message called, Teaching the Twelve. If you were with us on Friday, you'll remember that Jim is helping us hunt for 7 pivotal events in the Gospel of Mark. And we were talking about the Scribes, and the unforgivable sin. 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. RS02022026_0.mp3Scripture References: Mark 3-5

Have you ever gone hunting... in the Bible? We're not talking about hunting for a verse - I know you've done that. There are insights in the Word of God that are like deer walking around in a forest, to borrow a picture from Augustine. We'll never see them if we're not looking for them carefully, and if our souls are not still. Jim will help us spot seven of these wild and beautiful creatures, these revelations roaming the Gospel of Mark, in the sermon he'll begin today. It's called, Teaching the Twelve. 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. RS01302026_0.mp3Scripture References: Mark 3-5

The Disciples got prime teaching, but they also became prime targets. We imagine what it must have been like, to be a Disciple; to see those miracles with our own eyes, to hear Jesus' parables and their explanations. But we must include in our daydream the persecution of the Twelve. Satan wasn't going to take the assault on his kingdom lying down! Being a disciple isn't something we can volunteer for; it starts with a call. 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. RS01292026_0.mp3Scripture References: Mark 3:13-19

A "superstar" is what Jesus refused to be. The crowds were coming to see a show. Standing-room-only crowds. The kind of multitudes that any ministry would love to have. But the Lord shut that down, hard. He wasn't trying to gain an audience to watch, listen, and get a free sandwich on the way out. Christ was after commitment. Everything He said and did made a claim on our lives. And that's not the road to celebrity; it's the road to the Cross. 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. RS01282026_0.mp3Scripture References: Mark 3:13-19

God's New Thing is not going to fit in your old religious box! Jesus said that He had not come to abolish God's Law, but to fulfill it. Human traditions, on the other hand - oh, those have got to go. And some of those traditions seemed pretty sacred and solid, like the customs that had accreted around fasting and the Sabbath. They were opportunities for the King to illustrate how the new Kingdom works. Here's Jim at Mark chapter 2, verse 18. 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. RS01272026_0.mp3Scripture References: Mark 2

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. 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. RS01262026_0.mp3Scripture 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. 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. RS01232026_0.mp3Scripture 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? 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. RS01222026_0.mp3Scripture 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. 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. RS01212026_0.mp3Scripture 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? 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. RS01202026_0.mp3Scripture 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. 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. RS01192026_0.mp3Scripture 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. 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. RS01162026_0.mp3Scripture 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. 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. RS01152026_0.mp3Scripture 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. 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. RS01142026_0.mp3Scripture 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. 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. RS01132026_0.mp3Scripture 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. 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. RS01122026_0.mp3Scripture 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. 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. RS01092026_0.mp3Scripture 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. 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. RS01082026_0.mp3Scripture 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. 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. RS01072026_0.mp3Scripture 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. 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. RS01062026_0.mp3Scripture 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. 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. RS01052026_0.mp3Scripture 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. 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. RS01022026_0.mp3Scripture 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. 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. RS01012026_0.mp3Scripture 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. 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. RS12312025_0.mp3Scripture 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. 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. RS12302025_0.mp3Scripture 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. 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. RS12292025_0.mp3Scripture 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. 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. RS12262025_0.mp3Scripture 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. 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. RS12252025_0.mp3Scripture 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. 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. RS12242025_0.mp3Scripture 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? 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. RS12232025_0.mp3Scripture 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. 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. RS12222025_0.mp3Scripture 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. 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. RS12192025_0.mp3Scripture References: Colossians 1 & 3