Right Start Radio With Pastor Jim Custer

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

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

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

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_1.

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_1.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_1.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_1.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_1.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_1.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_1.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_1.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_1.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_1.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_1.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_1.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_1.mp3Scripture References: Mark

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_1.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_1.mp3Scripture References: