Right Start Radio with Pastor Jim Custer
1,271 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 20 ratingsRight Start Radio with Pastor Jim Custer
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Josiah Reforms Judah - Part 2 of 2
August 05, 2019 04:00King Josiah revived the nation of Judah, but he also made a pivotal mistake. When we began this message on Friday, we saw that Josiah chose to follow the ways of God; and how he was confronted by the word of God. Today we'll note that he was unable to avoid the wrath of God. One stubborn decision was the beginning of the end for the whole nation. We're reading in 2 Chronicles 34, with Jim. Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WH...
Josiah Reforms Judah - Part 1 of 2
August 02, 2019 04:00Josiah's reforms were not too little, but they were too late. The world was changing - like our world today. The kingdom of Judah was following Israel down the long, wrong road to exile. But there was time for one final wave of blessing. Here's Pastor Jim with Part 1 of the message, Josiah Reforms Judah. 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 and WRZN 720AM ...
Hezekiah: The Praying King - Part 2 of 2
August 01, 2019 04:00Hezekiah was human: He prayed, but he also got proud. Confronted by enemies - his enemies the Assyrians and our common enemy, Death - Hezekiah saw his deep need for God, and humbled himself before the Lord. But entertaining foreign dignitaries he couldn't resist the urge to show off. He had prospered, he had done well for his subjects, but he had forgotten that all of those blessings were gifts from the King of Kings. We'll hear that story today. We have records of Hezekiah's rule in 2 Chro...
Hezekiah: The Praying King - Part 1 of 2
July 31, 2019 04:00When trouble strikes, who do you call? Maybe you've got "Web MD" bookmarked on your laptop. Perhaps you've got some close friends whose advice you trust - and when you get bad news, they know about it almost instantly. Family is a natural place to turn. But, when good king Hezekiah was faced with a threat that could end his kingdom, he reflexively turned to God. He prayed. He made his problem God's problem. And the Lord rescued Judah with a miracle. We've been observing selected kings in th...
The Decline And Fall Of Israel - Part 2 of 2
July 30, 2019 04:00Beware of prophets who always tell you what you want to hear. Israel's King Ahab was one of the worst; King Jehoshaphat of Judah was one of the best. So when these two heads-of-state had a summit meeting, there was bound to be drama. Like all kings of their day, they consulted the prophets before going into battle. And all the prophets said the same thing - except one! We'll be in 1 Kings 22 today, after a brief review of chapter 18. Jim will conclude the sermon, The Decline and Fall of Isr...
The Decline And Fall Of Israel - Part 1 of 2
July 29, 2019 04:00It's like two Old West gunfighters in the middle of the street at high noon. When one says, "Draw," their dispute is about to be decided. The biblical counterpart of the "shootout" is Elijah against the pagan prophets on Mount Carmel. One party will be victorious; the other, dead. Things had gone from bad to worse in the northern kingdom, one evil king after another had practiced and promoted idolatry, and God sent a drought that had lasted 3 years. This standoff had to end. Listen to Righ...
The Kingdom Divides - Part 2 of 2
July 26, 2019 04:00The "Ten Lost Tribes of Israel"... are not lost! Some people will believe the most outlandish nonsense, rather than read the Bible. We're glad you're eager to hear the Word of God as Jim opens again to 1 Kings, chapter 12. Yesterday he began to retell the story of how the kingdom of Israel was split after Solomon died. Two tribes followed Solomon's son, Rehoboam, and ten rebelled under Jeroboam. Jeroboam saw that the whole religious life of his subjects tended to pull them away from him, an...
The Kingdom Divides - Part 1 of 2
July 25, 2019 04:00One statement of humility would have kept the nation of Israel intact. But Rehoboam chose arrogance instead. Solomon was dead. And the kingdom was about to be torn in two. God had promised David that he would never lack a man to sit on the throne, but He had also promised to judge idolatry and lawlessness in the land. So Solomon's son, Rehoboam, in what seems to be his first official act as king, offends most of the nation and splits the kingdom. It's a morality tale - but a true one, as Ji...
Solomon's Splendor And Decline - Part 2 of 2
July 24, 2019 04:00God's punishment of Solomon was tempered by His love for David. Habakkuk prayed, "...in wrath remember mercy." And that heavenly restraint, that softening of the blow, was just what Solomon experienced - not because of any merit on his part, but because of one whom God called "My servant." Sound familiar? There are parallels for us in the book of 1 Kings, chapters 9 through 11. Today, Pastor Jim concludes the message he calls, Solomon's Splendor and Decline. Listen to Right Start Radio eve...
Solomon's Splendor And Decline - Part 1 of 2
July 23, 2019 04:00You and I don't have much in common with Solomon. Or do we? Solomon was a king; I've never even seen a king. The servants' quarters in Sol's mansion were probably nicer than my house. But there's one way in which you and I are exactly like Solomon: we've received lavish gifts from God. And if we don't recognize the importance of one of these gifts, the Word of God, we're headed for trouble - just like him. Here's Pastor Jim to open a sermon called, Solomon's Splendor and Decline. Listen to...
Solomon Dedicates The Temple - Part 3 of 3
July 22, 2019 04:00Why would God enter into a covenant knowing that the other party would break it? It's like the question, "Why would God create people with free will, knowing they were going to sin?" The answer must be that He had something better in mind for "after" our failures. We've been considering 2 Chronicles, chapters 5, 6 and 7 in Jim's message Solomon Dedicates the Temple. Today we'll hear that God knew of the destruction of the Temple even as the paint was still tacky. And still He offered hope. ...
Solomon Dedicates The Temple - Part 2 of 3
July 19, 2019 04:00Solomon had built a "house" for God; now it was moving day! Was Solomon nervous that God might not accept the temple he had built? Did he have any idea what would happen, in front of the whole nation, when he brought in the Ark and formally dedicated this structure? What did happen would leave no doubt about God's approval, and His choice of the Temple, and Jerusalem, and Israel. We're ready for Part 2 of the message, Solomon Dedicates the Temple. Pastor Jim is in 2 Chronicles 5 and 6. Lis...
Solomon Dedicates The Temple - Part 1 of 3
July 18, 2019 04:00Christianity didn't just drop out of the sky. We're headed for real trouble if we try to take Jesus' words, or Jesus Himself, out of context. And a lot of that context is the rich history of the Old Testament. No, believers don't live under the Old Covenant, but it's far from irrelevant when asking the all-important question, What Does God Desire of Us? Today we'll start a sermon that may help us understand what God was trying to convey to us, then. Here's Jim with part 1 of Solomon Dedicat...
Solomon's Wisdom - Part 2 of 2
July 17, 2019 04:00The wisest man in the world turned out to be pretty foolish! Solomon's name comes from the word shalom, meaning "peace." And there was peace for 40 years under his reign. But when we see him accumulating wives and gold and horses and chariots, we get the sense of a man who is restless inside. His heart is not content, even with the lavish gifts of God. And his divided heart would divide the kingdom. Today we'll conclude the sermon we began yesterday, called Solomon's Wisdom. We can learn fr...
Solomon's Wisdom - Part 1 of 2
July 16, 2019 04:00God is not a genie! In those "Arabian Nights" stories we read the same pattern repeated: the genie will grant your wishes - but in the end you'll wish you hadn't wished them. There's always some dark twist to his gift. But when God granted Solomon his deepest desire, it came with no tricks, and a bonus besides. He is a good, as well as a great, God. In our series called What Does God Desire of Us, we've come to the famous episode about young Solomon, and what he desired of God. Listen to R...
Solomon Becomes King - Part 2 of 2
July 15, 2019 04:00Solomon was Chosen - chosen by God to lead His people. He was Challenged. But he wasn't very keen on the Chase. Pastor Jim started this sermon on Friday giving us this 3-word outline - Chosen, Challenged, Chase - so that we could learn from the example of King Solomon. He had supernatural wisdom, but in some ways acted like a complete fool. Just like we do. Here's Jim with Part 2 of Solomon Becomes King. Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH...
Solomon Becomes King - Part 1 of 2
July 12, 2019 04:00The devil will have a lot less success against us if we remember that we are chosen. As the elderly David transfers the crown of Israel to one of his sons, he emphasizes to the whole nation that Solomon is chosen by God. He is a chosen king of a chosen people. God's plan cannot be thwarted, and if you and I realize that we have specific roles in that plan...well, we might live more regally. We're back in 1 Chronicles to open a new sermon called, Solomon Becomes King. Listen to Right Start ...
A Matter Of The Heart - Part 2 of 2
July 11, 2019 04:00Are we going through the religious motions...or are we serving God from the heart? If our hearts are right, we will want to do God's things in God's way - even though we sometimes fail. Few of us have failed as badly as David. But unlike Saul, he was "a man after God's own heart," and that made all the difference. We started a sermon yesterday called A Matter of the Heart. Jim's using the final chapters of 1 Chronicles to show us why, and how, to get our hearts right. He said that, first of...
A Matter Of The Heart - Part 1 of 2
July 10, 2019 04:00Philosophers seek to know the "highest good." Theologians ask, "What is the chief end of man?" But maybe the primary question should be, What Does God Desire of Us? Today we begin a new series on that question. At the end of 1 Chronicles, David is passing the kingdom to his son, Solomon - so we can examine the differences between those men. But more importantly, the Temple is about to be built. And from that place we learn about God's desire to have fellowship with us, and what's necessary ...
Tips To Insiders - Part 2 of 2
July 09, 2019 04:00The future will be very different. You can take that to the bank! On those investment commercials they say, "Past performance is no guarantee of future results." But when it's God's performance and God's guarantee - well, now! We're talking about an investment opportunity in the most "disruptive" disruption ever imagined: a new heaven and a new earth. But in order to reap the rewards of this investment, we've got to hang on to our shares. Here's Jim with the conclusion of, Tips to Insiders....
Tips To Insiders - Part 1 of 2
July 08, 2019 04:00Manhattan Project scientist Richard Feynman said that anyone is qualified to judge the scientific evidence - but "we must listen to all the evidence." A refusal to "listen to all the evidence" has brought error to courts, to journalism, and even to the church. As Peter was penning his final words, he saw that Christians would be tempted to lose heart when the Bridegroom was delayed a long time. So he reminded us of that piece of physical, scientific evidence that many pretend not to see. Ji...