Was Jesus actually born in December? If not, why do we celebrate it then and not his actual birthday? Does celebrating it in December along with the traditional things that are a part of it have pagan roots? If so, does that mean Christians are wrong for celebrating Christmas? Does having a Christmas tree and other items as part of our celebration violate rules in Deuteronomy or other Bible passages?

The story I told in episode 19 was based on two different visits to Chicago. I was the one with the shirt who did nothing. My 12 year old daughter, Addi, was the one who made the care package. That 12 year old girl will be 23 in less than a month, and she is not the same person she once was.

Who do you think of when you think of a highly organized person? Perhaps you’re like me and think of a TV or movie character like Monica Geller or Claire Dunphy. You know who doesn't come to mind? ME! For today's story let's jump into the time machine and go back to the early days of my career at the bookstore.

George Bernard Shaw said, “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” Communication is tricky. On one hand, we are all communicating something, verbal or non-verbal at all times. On the other hand, I think most of us have significant room to grow in this area. I think most communication issues arise not from things said, but from things unsaid.

For most of us, reading the Old Testament is not fun. All of those names and laws are difficult to read and are the reason many who have tried reading the Bible from cover to cover often fail once they get to Leviticus. Those books do serve a purpose, though, and today we’ll explore that. It’s a bit of a deep dive, but because the laws are so misunderstood by today’s culture, it’s important we take the time to explore this fully.

Thanks to Geoff for sharing his struggles today. Especially for men, I think, it's hard for us to admit we need help and accept that help. That mentality is often detrimental to our wellbeing. Geoff has shown us an example of humility and wisdom in action.

Sometimes we fail to allow grace in our own lives. Once we miss or fail for any reason, we allow those feelings of failure to defeat us causing us to miss more often or quit altogether. It’s important to understand you will miss the mark sometimes. It’s equally important to think about that up front so that you have an understanding and a plan for how to respond and get right back to keeping up the good habit you’re trying to maintain.

I struggled for a long time about whether or not to share this story with you because I felt like it was a story that was not very common and therefore not very applicable. But then I realized this story is very common. If you peel back the layers a bit here, you realize that the first step was the thoughts in the mind of one or more of the employees. They were disgruntled for whatever reason and allowed those thoughts to fester.

As we were raising our kids we knew eventually we'd have to make a decision on cell phones, and it became an issue, a struggle, a battle. For parents today, that battle starts at an even earlier age. It’s a tough battle to traverse, a minefield of dangers with a few benefits sprinkled in. Do those benefits make navigating the dangers worth it? If so, at what age are those battles worth waging?

I would guess that John 3:16 is the most commonly known and quoted Bible verse, but perhaps the passage at the forefront of today’s episode would place second on that list. Today we’re looking at Matthew 7:1, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” We see this verse thrown out all the time by people when they feel like Christians are judging them. The Bible tells the Christian not to judge, therefore, the Christian is wrong when they proclaim something as sin or tell someone they should repent. Right?

In the original Zelda game, Link can earn a new sword, the white sword, once he has expanded his health to five hearts. Once Link has twelve hearts, he is capable of wielding the most powerful sword in the game, the magical sword. In much the same way, as we adventure in our jobs, parenting, relationships, and all facets of life, we should be leveling up. We should be improving our skills, learning better methods, finding lessons in defeat, making notes for future battles, and investing in tools which will help us reach our ultimate goals.

According to Google AI, a Minimum Viable Product is a stripped-down version of a product or feature designed to be released early and get customer feedback. It focuses on the core functionality necessary to address a key customer need and allow for rapid iteration and learning. Essentially, it's a way to test an idea with the least amount of effort and cost before investing heavily in a full-fledged product. FAR too often our desire for perfection turns into fear of failure. We never launch. Perhaps whether we know it or not we have a great MVP, we just don’t ever let it get off the bench and enter the game.

We thought we had set up a college savings plan for each of our kids but we were wrong. The reality was that we'd only receive a fraction of the amount of money that we expected. We’d been scammed.

Christian friends, we must remember that political movements are not the main thing. The Jews of Jesus’ time refused to believe he was the Messiah in part because they expected the Messiah to be a political hero that would rescue them from Roman occupation. But Jesus was never here for those man-made systems, or to use a phrase from a recent episode, those man-made kingdoms. Jesus was focused on bringing people into his kingdom, and so should we.

Thirty six days ago my OKC Thunder won the NBA championship! Watching my city and state grow over the last 30 years has been incredible. When friends visit from out of state I love taking them downtown and letting them experience the great things our city has to offer. So the question I want to consider today is: how did all of this happen?

Jean-Jacques Rousseau famously said, “Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” He’s right. Patience is bitter. As I look back on those times now, I see so much growth that happened in the waiting. Jean-Jacques Rousseau IS right. Not only is patience bitter but its fruit is truly sweet. Those years between buyer and director shaped me and prepared me for my future. The skills I acquired, the relationships I fostered, and the person I became during that time ended up making me uniquely qualified and prepared for the next phase of my career. 

Unlike the annoying barn swallows occupying my porch, my son has flown from the nest never to return. He’s spread his wings, experienced the freedom and independence that comes with that stage of life, and he is perfectly content to navigate those waters on his own. He knows full well that we were just a phone call away and less than an hour away if we are needed, and that he can reach out to us for any need he has. I was not ready for this. It bummed me out and made me sad. One day it was hitting me especially hard. I was super proud of him and his independent spirit, but I was missing my boy. In that moment of reflection, I realized that I’d done the same thing when I was his age.

Today’s story is pulled from a television episode that aired 25 years ago. However, its claims about the Bible are ones that I still see being used often today, and the very scene has been making the rounds on social media this year, which is why I decided to address it on this podcast. It’s easy to see why the Old Testament laws can be confusing and hopefully it’s easy to see why I’ll be devoting an entire episode to this topic. What we see in this clip from the West Wing is not an example of putting someone in their place. No, what we see in this clip is what plagues our culture. That is, Biblical illiteracy. In fact, this clip demonstrates Biblical illiteracy from both President Bartlet and Dr. Jacobs. 

Thanks to Jeff and Ruthie for sharing their stories. I found both of these stories to be incredibly inspiring and I appreciate each of them being willing to be vulnerable enough to share these raw moments from their lives. These stories represent the true heart of this podcast and the best of what community looks like.

In 2017 I received an email from a podcast associate of mine named Shawn. I reached out to Shawn to learn more about the mission and determine how much I could donate to make maximum impact. Shawn was great with answering my questions, but the conversation didn’t go as I expected. Rather than simply taking my money, Shawn repeatedly emphasized that the best impact I could make was not in purchasing multiple stoves and floors. Instead, he insisted the biggest impact would be made if I joined him in Guatemala.