Slave of Sin - Apples of Gold - July 6, 2011 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 6, 2011

“Slave of Sin”

 

Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.

“But I’m an American.  I am free.  I’ve never been a slave to anyone.”

Funny.  That’s how the Pharisees responded the first time Jesus uttered those words.

“Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.”

Each sin has its own ball and chain, its own handcuffs.  When we sin we lift up our hands and say, “Cuff me.”

Don’t think you are in control.  A slave is not in control of his own destiny. 

Whatever your sin of choice is, that sin is controlling your destiny.

Look at these politicians who fall from great heights.  They chose to commit sin but thought it was under control.  They had a misguided sense of their own power.

When you sin, you surrender your power.  You surrender your future and you become a slave of sin.

If you tell lies, don’t think you are in control and can stop anytime.  You become a slave to lies and the sin of lying now controls your destiny.

Have you ever looked at someone famous who is caught in a lie and think, “Why did they lie about something so stupid when they could be so easily caught?”  It’s because they were a slave to lies.

If you look at porn, don’t think you are in control and can stop any time.  You became a slave to lust and the sin of lust now controls your destiny, not you.

Have you ever looked at someone who is caught with some illegal pornography and think, “What?  It was on their computer at home and their computer at work and even on their work cell phone.  How could they be so dumb?”

It’s not really because they are dumb.  It’s because they are a slave and they did what their master told them to.

Why do people put themselves and their bodies into so many horrible and humiliating situations?  It’s because they are slaves of sin.

If you don’t stop thinking about your neighbor’s husband, if you don’t stop “neighing” after your neighbor’s wife like some kind of animal, you will become a slave of sin and like the old song says, “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”

The good news is that the Son can set you free!

And when the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed!

That’s what Jesus said in John chapter eight.  It started when He said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

His Jewish audience took exception to that and said, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone.  How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”

Now that’s a funny statement because the Jews had been in bondage, many times, and at that very moment they were under the Romans; but Jesus didn’t get into that because He was looking at something quite different.

Listen to what He said in John 8:34-36.  “Jesus answered them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.  Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.’”

We do not have to be a slave of sin!  Through faith in Jesus Christ we can be set free from the bondage of all sin. 

Here’s how it works.  We repent of our sin and trust in Jesus for forgiveness.  Our sin debt is wiped out and we are made right with God.  He sends His Holy Spirit to dwell within us, and the Spirit begins to set us free.  We grow in the Lord.  We abide in His Word.  We follow Him, and we listen to that still small voice of His Spirit.  As we walk in the Spirit, God gives us light.  He illuminates the path and unveils the truth about sin.  We see sin as the slave master it really is and we become repulsed by it. 

We prefer the freedom for which God created us, and we work to avoid sin, knowing that whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.

Jesus said, “…abide in Me, and My words abide in you…” (John 15:7)

He said, “The words that I speak to you are Spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63)

Ephesians 3:16 says we can be “…strengthened with might through His spirit in the inner man…”

So don’t think you can dabble in sin and keep a lid on it.  There’s no such thing. 

Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.

The good news is that we can be made free and “free indeed” through Jesus Christ our Lord!


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.


© 2011 The Arrow’s Tip 
 To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000
-vi-

What Easter Means to Me - Apples of Gold - April 22, 2011 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 22, 2011

“What Easter Means to Me”

 

Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

Here is what Easter means to me.

Oops, I’ve only said one thing so far, and already somebody’s annoyed with me for using the word “Easter.”

Yes, I’ve heard for years about the pagan roots of the word Easter, but language is fluid, just ask Fred Flintstone who sang about having a “gay old time.”  The meaning and connotation of words can change over time.

For me, Easter has always meant the story of the death and the resurrection of Christ.  It was the same for my parents and my grandparents and who knows how far back you’d have to go before you ran into someone who thought Easter meant anything but “He’s alive!”

I remember sitting in church with a bunch of family members singing those great hymns of Easter such as “Christ the Lord is Risen Today,” and “Christ Arose.”  I remember Dad putting a big cross in our yard and draping a purple cloth over it at Easter.  Yes, we did Easter baskets and Easter eggs, and there was never any doubt that it had anything to with anything other than celebrating the awesome resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

So the word Easter may have some funky origins, but to me it stirs up nothing but a thrill in my soul of the crowning moment of our Lord’s work here on earth.

And now, here is what Easter means to me – and I will simplify it into three categories.

First of all, it means forgiveness.

Ephesians 1:7 says we have redemption through the blood of Christ, “the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace.”

Jesus shed His blood as He offered Himself up as the perfect sacrifice for our sins.  He paid the price for our forgiveness.

That means, through Him, my sins are forgiven!  I don’t have to live under a burden of guilt or shame.  I am clean through Christ!  Though my sins were as scarlet, they have been washed whiter than snow.

And that leads me to the second thing that Easter means to me.  Forgiveness makes it possible for me to have a relationship with my heavenly Father. 

Ephesians 2:16 says that I have been reconciled to God “in one body through the cross.”  Sin created a giant gulf between me and my Creator, but Jesus’ work on the cross spanned that gulf.  As it says in Ephesians 2:13, I have been “brought near by the blood of Christ.”

And not just “near,” but listen to this.  God now lives inside me in the form of His Holy Spirit.  Jesus said in John 14:7 that the Spirit would dwell with us and even be inside of us.  I love this phrase in Ephesians 3:16, “…to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man…”

So to me, Easter means forgiveness through Christ, and that forgiveness paved the way for God to live inside me.  His Holy Spirit dwells in me, and He bears good fruit – all the “fruit of the Spirit” mentioned in Galatians 5 including love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  He loves me and comforts me and teaches me and leads me into all truth and brings fulfillment and purpose to my life; and that all goes back to what we celebrate on Easter.

And now the third thing that Easter means to me:  hope for the future. 

Titus 3:7 says that, “having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Colossians 1:5 talks about the hope we have because of what God has laid up for us in heaven.

Romans 8 says that, right now, we have the “firstfruits of the Spirit,” but we are eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.  For we were saved in this hope…”

Peter called it “a living hope.”  Listen to First Peter 1:3.  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”

My life does not end in the grave.  The work of Jesus opened the door for me to have eternal life, and I have great expectations for the future!

So there you go, the three main things that stand out to me at Easter: 
--That I am forgiven through faith in the shed blood of Jesus,
--That His forgiveness opens the door for the Holy Spirit to live inside me for the rest of my life on earth,
--And that His forgiveness gives me the hope of eternal life.  And thus, like it says in First Thessalonians 4:17, I shall always be with the Lord. 

And that’s what Easter means to me.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.


© 2011 The Arrow’s Tip 
 To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000
-vi-

I Was 28 and I Owned a Beer Joint - Apples of Gold - April 18, 2011 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 18, 2011

“I Was 28 and I Owned a Beer Joint”

 

Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

“I was 28, and I owned a beer joint.”

That’s what Phil Robertson told me last week.

Phil is in his 60’s now, and is best known as The Duck Commander on the hit TV show on the Outdoor Channel. 

Growing up in Louisiana, Phil was always an outdoors enthusiast, but something changed his life when he was 28 and running that beer joint.

“Some guy came up there,” Phil said, “and wanted to share some things with me out of the Bible.”

Now can you imagine tracking down the owner of your local bar and trying to tell him about Jesus and his eternal destiny?  How do you think that would go?

Well that’s about how it went for the guy who talked to Phil Robertson. 

“I pretty well ran him off,” Phil said.

I’m sure that wasn’t that guy’s best day.  I don’t know why he went to talk to Phil, but maybe he felt God prompting him.  Maybe he felt a certain burden for Phil Robertson, so he worked up the courage, went to the beer joint and shared Jesus with him. 

Can you see him licking his wounds afterward?  “God, why did You send me there?  What a waste of time.  It was embarrassing!”

Now listen to this.  When you share Jesus with someone and it doesn’t go well, that’s usually not the end of it.  You have planted some powerful seeds in that person’s heart and mind.

That was the case for Phil Robertson.  After he ran the guy off, he got to thinking, “You know, if he had enough gall to come to some beer joint, I might want to look that cat up because, my life was pretty well in shambles, I’ll tell you that.”

Long story short, Phil came to Christ and now says, “Trust me, the second half of my life has been a lot better than the first half.”

And now Phil shares his faith all over the place, including at a huge gathering of outdoorsmen in the Super Dome. 

And it all goes back to that guy who was willing to do the uncomfortable thing of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the owner of a bar.

In Luke 16, Jesus shared an interesting story about a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus.  They both died.  The beggar was carried by angels to Abraham’s bosom, and the rich man was tormented in Hades.  The rich man cried out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.”

Abraham told him it couldn’t be done.  Then the rich man said, “I beg you…send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.”

Again Abraham said it couldn’t be done, but here is where we need to stop and think for a minute.

The rich man was pleading with Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his brothers, to spare them from also coming to the place of torment.

“Send Lazarus to my brothers,” he was begging.

Lazarus couldn’t go, but guess what?  We can. 

Perhaps dead loved ones are crying out from Hades right now, “Send someone to my brothers and sisters, that they may be spared this torment.”

Years ago, one man answered that call, walked in a beer joint and shared Jesus with Phil Robertson. 

There was probably a time in your life when someone risked rejection, went out of their way and shared Jesus with you.

And now it’s time for us to share Jesus with others.

And you know what?  This is a great week to do it.

Good Friday and Easter Sunday are on the way, a perfect time to talk about Jesus’ death and resurrection and what it all means.

And if you aren’t sure what to say, just invite them to church.  Lots of people are willing to go to church on Easter weekend.

So be motivated by these two stories today:  the rich man begging for someone to warn his brothers, and the man who went out of his way to share Jesus with Phil Robertson.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.


© 2011 The Arrow’s Tip 
 To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000
-vi-

Can You Hear the Prophetic Voice? - Apples of Gold - April 6, 2011 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 6, 2011

“Can You Hear the Prophetic Voice?”

 

Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

Make straight the way of the Lord.

That’s what John the Baptist said, and he was quoting the prophet Isaiah.

He was the voice of one calling in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord.”

Can you hear that prophetic voice calling out to you today?

It’s a calling to higher ground, to a more God-filled, God-pleasing, God-centered life.

It’s a call to take a cleaver and hack the worldly fat from our lives. 

Ephesians 4:22 says to put off the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.

You might think that Christians don’t have to deal with the “old man,” our old sin nature, but there it is, right there in the Bible:  put off the old man which grows corrupt.

Notice that it says grows corrupt.  If we don’t put off the old man, if we don’t hack the worldly fat from our lives, it won’t just lie dormant.  It will grow more corrupt. 

I’m going to church tonight.  I could skip it.  In fact, I was tempted to.  I saw in the paper that a Harvard professor will be speaking tonight in Tallahassee about the Civil War.  I’d love to go, but while I was thinking about it, something rose up inside me that said I need to go to church and draw near to God. 

I am faithful to the congregation of the saints, and one reason is to keep that old man at bay. 

My daughter and I were watching a show and a woman in the show ended up weeping on the floor.  I turned to my daughter and said, “Of course she ended up like this.  She built her life on worldly sand instead of the Word of God, and when you do that, you’ll always eventually end up with your foundation crumbling beneath you.”

I don’t want my foundation to crumble, so I must build on the sure foundation of Christ and His Word.  Sure, I could go hear the Harvard professor tonight.  I’m not legalistically bound to go to a church service, but I want to keep my focus on God.  I want more of God and less of the world.  I want less of the old man and more of the Solid Rock.

Colossians 1:23 says, “…if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel…”

That’s exactly what I want, to be grounded and steadfast in the faith.  I want to walk worthy of the Lord. 

Colossians 1:10 says, “…walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God…”

There’s nothing wrong with increasing in the knowledge of the Civil War, but my higher purpose for this evening is to increase in the knowledge of God.

I want to walk worthy of the Lord, don’t you?

I want to walk worthy of the calling with which I was called, as it says in Ephesians 4:1.

I want to walk worthy of God, who has called me into His kingdom and glory.  (First Thessalonians 2:12)

Galatians 5:16 tells us to walk in the Spirit, then we won’t gratify the desires of the flesh.

So how do I put off that old man which grows corrupt?  By walking in the Spirit, by living according to the directives of the Holy Spirit.

Walk in the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the old carnal flesh.

A lot of people do just that.  They live entirely to fulfill the desires of the flesh, but they are building their lives on sand.

I don’t want to build on sand.  I don’t want to waste time on things that are here today and crumble tomorrow because the foundation was pathetic.

I want to build on the solid rock foundation of Jesus Christ and the Word of God.

Jesus told a man he healed, “Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”  If I walk in the flesh, if I listen to that old carnal man, if I live a worldly life, I have every reason to believe that some “worse thing” may come upon me.

Ephesians 5:1 says, “…be imitators of God as dear children.”

Children imitate their parents by being around them and mimicking them.  I want to be around the Lord so I can take on His characteristics.

So I draw near to God, and He draws near to me.  (James 4:8)  I read His Word and listen for the voice of His Spirit.  I want to hack away the worldly fat that slows me down, and put off the old man which grows corrupt.

I want to be grounded and steadfast in the faith, and walk worthy of the Lord.

And that’s why that prophetic voice is ringing in my soul today, “Make straight the way of the Lord.”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.


© 2011 The Arrow’s Tip 
 To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000
-vi-

Make Your Decisions at the Altar - Apples of Gold - March 25, 2011 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for March 25, 2011

“Make Your Decisions at the Altar”

 

Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

Listen to this little piece of advice and see what you think.

Here it is.  Make your decisions at the altar.

What I mean is, make your decisions while praying and submitting yourself to God.

Offer yourself up to God as a living sacrifice, as it says in Romans 12:1.

Wherever we offer ourselves up to God, that place becomes an altar.

An altar is a place of sacrifice, a sacred place where offerings are made to the Lord.

Many church buildings have a place they call the altar.  People are invited to come to the altar to pray.  Of course you can sit in your seat and pray, or out in the parking lot for that matter, but the important thing is that you seriously offer yourself up to God, and I’ve found that the altar at church is a great place for that. 

Just a few days ago I accepted the invitation myself to come to the altar and spend time drawing near to God in prayer.  I got down on my knees, bowed my head in humility, opened my hands up before God and prayed.  I surrendered myself to Him once again, offering myself as an offering.

So what does that have to do with making decisions?

Well I think we should submit our decisions to the Lord.

First Corinthians 6 says that, as Christians, we are not our own, but we were bought at a price.  Our body is now the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in us, so we are to glorify God in our body and in our spirit, because we actually belong to God.

Think of your job.  You are probably under someone’s authority.  Some decisions you can make on your own, but big decisions have to go through your manager, right?

How much more should our decisions go through God?

That’s why I’m saying this today.  Make your decisions at the altar.

Recently I talked to Dr. Charles Stanley about his new book on prayer.  One thing he recommended is having a place in your house that is set aside for prayer.  He said to make it a sanctified place, in a sense, a place that is designed especially for drawing near to God.

I remember hearing the testimony of a businessman named Kim Stone.  He said that God told him out of the blue one day to set up an altar in his home.  He thought it was odd, but he did it, and that place became a great place of communion between himself and the Lord.

Listen to this story of submission in prayer.  One man offered up prayers and supplications, with fervent cries and tears, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

Did you hear that?  He was heard because of his reverent submission.

That story is about Jesus, found in Hebrews 5:7.

We also need to offer up prayers and supplications in reverent submission.  We need to reverently submit ourselves and our decisions to our heavenly Father.

Have you ever been unclear about your future direction?  Have you ever not known what decision to make? 

Make that decision at the altar.

I’ve heard women say things like, “I just make bad decisions about men.”  Well I submit to you, dear lady, that you should start making those decisions at the altar.

We should make personal decisions at the altar, and business decisions at the altar.  We are His and not our own.  He is the Master and we are the servants.  All decisions fall under His authority.  With that in mind, we make our decisions prayerfully, in reverent submission, at the altar.

And when we do, amazing things happen.  One thing is, we see more clearly at the altar.  The Holy Spirit teaches us things and leads us toward wisdom.  He opens our eyes and reveals potholes and pitfalls.  God knows best, and He reveals things to us at the altar.

We can see farther at the altar.  God knows what the future holds.  He knows how our decisions today will not only impact tomorrow, but generations.  At the altar He gives us glimpses of that.  At the altar we can trade short-term, small-vision decisions for long-term, big picture decisions.

Something else happens at the altar.  Decisions that are made there are infused with faith.  Too many times faith is a missing ingredient in our decisions. 

When you are in prayer, and the Holy Spirit stirs within you that sense that you just know what you are supposed to do, then a certain conviction rises up, a certain willpower.  You are more determined, more likely to overcome obstacles because you sense that God is with you, that He is both leading you and behind you as you move forward with your decision.

When it comes to making decisions, yes, get wisdom from others.  Yes, balance everything with the Bible.  Include all those other things that go into good decision making.

Then take it to the Lord in prayer.  Cry out to Him in reverent submission.

And make your decisions at the altar.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.


© 2011 The Arrow’s Tip 
 To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000
-vi-

Living the Most Excellent Way - Apples of Gold - March 23, 2011 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for March 23, 2011

“Living the Most Excellent Way”

 

Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

Our love should be maturing.

We should see growth over time.

How we love people this year should be better than how we loved people last year.

In the same way we can watch our income grow, or our investments, or our education, we can watch our love grow for people.

How we love our spouse or our siblings, or our parents or our neighbors – we should see measurable growth over time.

How can you tell if your love is growing?  Here is one measuring stick:  patience.

First Corinthians 13:4 says love is patient.  If your love is growing for someone, you will find yourself being more patient with them, because real love is patient.

“But Doug, I do love them; but they are driving me crazy, and you want me to just sit around and be patient?”

Picture a grandfather and his little granddaughter fishing on a dock.  He is teaching her to cast, but my goodness, that hook is flying everywhere!  Does patience mean the grandfather sits there and does nothing while the little girl whips her fishing line all over creation?  No.  Patience means helping her work on it, even when it’s frustrating. 

Can you feel the love in that scene, a loving grandfather patiently teaching his granddaughter to fish?  That’s a great picture of mature love because there’s so much patience.

Now that grandfather may not have been so patient with his own daughter, but here’s the good thing.  His love has grown.

So the question is, is our love growing?  Do we love people more now than we did before?

This is a good indicator of spiritual growth.  If we are really growing as Christians, it will show up as increased love for people.

If we find that people are annoying us more, it’s likely that we are shrinking spiritually. 

Galatians 5:22 says that love is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.  It’s a byproduct.  Walk more in the Spirit and you automatically walk more in love.

We all say dumb, ignorant things from time to time, so how do we respond when people say dumb, ignorant things to us?

Our response today should not be the same as it was a year ago.  Why not?  Because our love should be growing.  Ignorant statements have less impact on us because we love people more. 

Love is the power position.  It puts you on the high ground.  It makes you bigger than the situation. 

When you love someone, and they say something ignorant to you – and I’m talking about real, Godly love here, not some Hollywood flakery – their ignorant statements don’t have the same impact because love deflects them.  Love is an outward-flowing energy that overpowers everything coming back at it. 

Jesus told us to do something that, on the surface, sounds impossible.  In Matthew 5:44 He said, “…love your enemies…”

I’m not sure we can consistently love anyone, friend or foe, in our natural selves; but it can be done as we walk more and more in the Spirit.  The more in tune we are with the Holy Spirit, the more fruit of the Spirit we will see in our lives, and the more love we will have for people.  This love will grow and mature to the point that yes, we will even be able to have a great love for our enemies.

If you want to find someone to follow as a leader, if you want someone to be your mentor, find someone who has this mature love.  Pettiness, selfishness and pride will be shrinking in them, and mature love will be taking their place.

So how can we have more and more of this powerful love? 

Love is a fruit of the Spirit, meaning we need more of the Holy Spirit, or maybe I should say we need to be more under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

One way we do that is by eliminating the things that beat back the influence of the Spirit.  First Thessalonians 5:19 says, “Do not quench the Spirit.”  Ephesians 4:30 says, “…do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God…”

We should repent of all sin and turn from it.  Then we can draw near to God and He will draw near to us.  (James 4:8)  And the Spirit will teach us to walk in holiness and righteousness so that we won’t grieve Him.

Luke 11:13 says, “…how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

So we can ask God for more of His Spirit, to be influenced more and more by His Spirit.  As we come under more and more of the Spirit’s influence, we will see more and more fruit of the Spirit, including God’s great love.

In John 15:13 Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

Paul said love is the most excellent way.  (First Corinthians 12:31)

Isn’t that the way we want to live our lives, in the most excellent way?

It’s the way of love, and it’s a love that should continue to grow and mature all the days of our lives.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.


© 2011 The Arrow’s Tip 
 To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000
-vi-

Thoughts I Refuse to Entertain - Apples of Gold - March 11, 2011 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for March 11, 2011

“Thoughts I Refuse to Entertain”

 

Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

Some thoughts I refuse to entertain.

Yes, they come knocking, but I won’t let them in.  I hear them come up on the porch, but I refuse to entertain them, or show them any kind of hospitality at all, other than a stone cold “take a hike.”

One of those thoughts is, “I don’t feel like getting up today.”  I never entertain that thought.  If it bothers to pay me a visit, I kick it out immediately.  When my alarm goes off, I get up.  I want to get up.  “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.”  In fact, my alarm is a praise song that immediately starts my day on the right foot.

Another thought I refuse to entertain is, “I don’t feel like exercising.”  As you might imagine, my job in radio is not exactly physical.  You don’t get much of a workout turning a microphone off and on, so I exercise.  I love the results.  I love the health and the feeling of wellbeing that it brings, so I do it.  Sure, the thought pops up sometimes, “You don’t feel like doing this today.”  Or sometimes, when I’m out jogging, the thought occurs to me, “Wow, this is hard, I should just turn around and go home.”

But those are thoughts I refuse to entertain.  They pop up, but I immediately shoot them down.  I refuse to think about them at all.  I have decided to exercise and it’s not up for debate.

I have also decided to memorize the book of John.  It’s a big job, and once in a while the thought pops up, “You need a break,” or “You’re getting burned out.”  That is a thought I refuse to entertain.  I immediately stamp it out, because I am committed to this.  I will not let some random, loopy thought drag down my attitude.  It’s a wonderful job, a rewarding job, a job I love to do that will bear some of the best long-term fruit of my life, and I refuse to think for one second about quitting or even delaying it.

Now listen to this.  I refuse to entertain any critical thoughts about my wife.  Let that sink in for a minute.  I refuse to entertain any critical thoughts about my wife.  I am committed to her forever, until death do us part.  No, we certainly aren’t perfect people, but I refuse to let my mind marinate in critical thoughts.  Where’s the value in that?

Many spouses end up in a downward spiral of critical thinking.  They get stuck on something and can’t get it out of their head.  Maybe it’s several somethings, and they sink their teeth into them like a bulldog.  They are critical, negative thoughts about their spouse, and they will not let them go.

What’s the point?  Does that help you reach the goals in your marriage?  Do you even have goals in your marriage?

Some of the goals for my marriage are found in Ephesians chapter 4.  Paul wrote, “I…beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Man, that is an awesome scripture for marriage!  We are to walk worthy of the calling of God.  We are to walk in gentleness and humility and patience.  We are to bear with one another in love.  We endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

How can I do all that while entertaining critical thoughts about my wife?  I can’t, so I don’t.  I refuse to entertain critical thoughts about my wife.  If they pop up, I kick them out, and I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful the results are! 

Ephesians 4:7 goes on to say, “To each one of us grace was given…”  She was given grace.  I was given grace.  We both have been given grace, and God’s grace is sufficient for our marriage; so for me to think critical thoughts of the recipient of God’s grace…that would be counterproductive and I won’t do it.

These thoughts stand in the way between me and things that are important.  That’s why I refuse to entertain them.

Listen to me.  You do not have to think about every thought that comes along.  Some of them must be booted out immediately!

People who have affairs – they started with thoughts that should have been booted out.

People who commit crimes – all crimes begin with thoughts that should have been booted out.

Fear – some people live their lives in fear instead of faith, and those fearful thoughts need to be booted out and replaced with faith in the Almighty.

I refuse to think anything negative about my job.  Some people turn thoughts about their job into a thorn in their side.  They dwell on the negative and live in the critical.  They whine about going to work and everything about work.  Why do that?  Do not dwell on anything negative or critical about your job.  That’s just thought poison.  Work as unto the Lord, the Bible says.  (Colossians 3:23)  If our work is unto the Lord, then we have no business dwelling on critical thoughts about the Lord’s work.

Some people dwell on negative things from the past.  Talk about a worthless waste of good brain power!  Forgive, forget and move on.

Some people dwell on doubts about God.  Yes I see where they are coming from, but God saved me.  He changed my life.  I see His good fruit in my life, so even though I don’t understand it all, the debate about God is over.  It’s a non-issue, so I refuse to entertain any doubtful thoughts about God.

What does the Bible say about controlling our thoughts?

Colossians 3:2 tells us to set our minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Philippians 4:8 says, “Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.”

That is what we are to focus our brain power on, thinking on things that are good, and things that are of God.

And with that in mind, there are some thoughts I simply refuse to entertain.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.


© 2011 The Arrow’s Tip 
 To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000
-vi-

Hannah Montana Destroyed My Family - Apples of Gold - February 23, 2011 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for February 23, 2011

“Hannah Montana Destroyed My Family”

 

Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

Billy Ray Cyrus makes an incredible statement in next month’s GQ magazine.

He says that the hit TV show “Hannah Montana” destroyed his family.

Billy Ray is the father in the show, and Hannah Montana is played by his daughter Miley.

It sounds like a wonderful opportunity, doesn’t it?

I mean, just imagine that you are loving father with a 12-year-old daughter, and the Disney corporation offers to pay you both a lot of money to do a family-friendly TV show together.  You get to work with your daughter.  It’s a good job with a good income, and you can all be together in one place.  Doesn’t that sound like a great opportunity for your family?

In the interview, Billy Ray was asked, “Do you wish Hannah Montana had never happened?”

“I hate to say it, but yes, I do,” he said.  “Yeah, I’d take it back in a second.  For my family to be here and just be everybody okay, safe and sound and happy and normal, would have been fantastic.  Heck, yeah.  I’d erase it all in a second if I could.”

It might seem like Hannah Montana has been around forever, but just five years ago you’d never heard of it.  The show debuted in March 2006, and took off like a rocket.  By Christmas, Disney was selling Hannah Montana dolls and clothing and jewelry; and by February 2008, the Hannah Montana franchise was so important that Disney gathered dozens of leaders for an international meeting to plan Hannah Montana’s future.

And there was Billy Ray Cyrus and his little girl Miley, right in the middle of it, a real father-daughter success story.

And yet Billy Ray says it destroyed his family and he would take it all back in a second.  How can that be?

Let’s take a look at something Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount.  In Matthew chapter 7 Jesus said, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.  But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

That seems to be a fitting description of Billy Ray’s family, “great was its fall.”  That includes a divorce from his wife and separation from his famous daughter.

Meanwhile, Miley keeps tarnishing her Hannah Montana image.  Her 18^th birthday party was held in a bar and video was captured of her smoking a bong.

Billy Ray said, “There’s a train wreck happening and my daughter’s right in the middle of it.”

He said he heard about other photos or videos that Miley’s handlers were “trying to make disappear.”  When he tried to intervene and see what was going on in his daughter’s life, one of her handlers told Billy, “It’s none of your business.”

Can you imagine being the father of a teenager and being told “It’s none of your business”?

That may not be what Billy Ray originally signed up for, but it’s a result of building on a foundation of sand.  That is exactly the kind of thing that happens to a family when it builds on worldly sand instead of the rock solid teachings of Jesus.

The thing is, from the outside looking in, most people would have drooled over Billy Ray’s situation.  They would have hopped right into his shoes, not realizing that he would take it all back in a second.

That should be a lesson for all of us.  It’s so easy to covet someone else’s situation.  The little green-eyed monster of jealousy sinks his teeth into us, and we become dissatisfied.

The point is, we should not look at someone else as the standard.  No one has the blueprint for our lives besides Jesus.  We need to look at His words and do them.  Then we will build on rock, not sand.  Then our families will stand strong, even in the midst of great storms.

Then we can avoid wasting years of our life chasing worldly dreams, only to end up saying along with Billy Ray, “I’d erase it all in a second if I could.”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.


© 2011 The Arrow’s Tip 
 To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000
-vi-

Blessed is the Man Who Trusts in the Lord - Apples of Gold - February 22, 2011 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for February 22, 2011

“Blessed is the Man Who Trusts in the Lord”

 

Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

Here’s a word you can write in big capital letters.

TRUST

Print it out and hang it on your bulletin board.

Write it with a big black marker on a piece of duct tape and stick it somewhere.  Let it be a constant reminder to put your trust in the Lord.

Trusting God means we have confidence in Him.  We put our faith in Him.  We believe in Him.  We rely on Him.  We bank on Him.  We lean on Him.

Trusting God means letting go of our trust in other things. 

What other things are we prone to trust?

Other people, for one; but Psalm 118 says it’s better to trust in the Lord than to put our confidence in man.

In the book of Second Kings, the Israelites trusted Egypt to be a faithful ally.  God said, “If you lean on Egypt, it will pierce your hand like a broken reed.”

Psalm 44 talks about not putting our trust in weapons.

Psalm 49 talks about not trusting our wealth.

Proverbs 11:28 says, “He who trusts in his riches will fall…”

Of course we know that trusting in idols is foolish.  Isaiah 42 says that those who trust in idols will be put to shame.

Proverbs 28 warns us against even trusting our own heart.

So what can we trust?

The Lord.

Psalm 4:5 says, “…put your trust in the Lord.”

Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart…”

Psalm 62:8 says, “Trust in Him at all times…”

First Timothy 4:10 says, “…we trust in the living God...” 

We aren’t trusting in a religion or a superstition.  We aren’t trusting in a set of moral principles or even a holy book.  We put our trust in the almighty, living God.

And good things happen when we do.

Psalm 34:8 says blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord.

Psalm 84:12 says, “O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in Thee.”

Psalm 31 says that God has prepared goodness for those who trust in Him.

Proverbs 28 says that those who trust in the Lord will prosper.

Psalm 18:30 says that God is a shield to all who trust in Him.

Proverbs 29 says that all who trust in the Lord shall be safe.

Psalm 32 says that mercy surrounds those who trust in the Lord.

Isaiah 26:3 lists trusting God as a key ingredient to experiencing peace.

First Chronicles 5 says that God answered their prayers because they trusted Him.

I like the example of King Hezekiah.  According to Second Kings 18 he trusted in the Lord so that “there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him.”

Or what about Job who made the incredible statement, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.”

Or David who said, “Oh Lord my God, in Thee do I put my trust…” (Psalm 7:1)

David knew what it was like to trust God in hardship.  He trusted God when promises were delayed.  He trusted God when things didn’t go as expected.  He trusted God in the face of giants, both figuratively and literally.

David trusted God, and he was blessed for it.

And the same is true for us.  It’s not the easiest thing to do, but it’s a great thing to do; so write that word down somewhere in big capital letters:  TRUST.

Trust in the Lord at all times, with all your heart, knowing that this saying is true both now and forever.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.


© 2011 The Arrow’s Tip 
 To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000
-vi-

He Who Holds Your Ear Holds Your Future - Apples of Gold - February 21, 2011 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for February 21, 2011

“He Who Holds Your Ear Holds Your Future”

 

Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

He who holds your ear holds your future.

Choose wisely who you listen to because they will greatly affect your life.

You will become a disciple of those you listen to the most.

Do you listen to Rush Limbaugh everyday?  Then, in a sense, you are putting your future into his hands.

Every morning on my way to work I listen to Family Life Today.  When my children were young, I listened to Focus on the Family.  I chose to give my ear to wise men with great depth of knowledge on marriage and family, and it had a mighty impact on me as a husband and father.

I know a pastor’s wife who cheated on her husband.  She said one thing that influenced her was listening to the wrong music.  Whatever music you listen to, it will have an impact on your future.

I was standing in a parking lot last week and a couple men pulled up in a pickup truck.  I could hear the music loud and clear, and it was very denigrating to women.  I hope their wives or girlfriends are paying attention, because that music will affect their future.

Success speakers know this truth.  That’s why they tell you to buy their CDs and listen to them over and over. 

Some people are disciples of Donald Trump.  They want to be rich like he is, so they listen, knowing that his words can affect their future.

Let’s say you watched Oprah everyday for 20 years.  Do you think she affected your life?  Think about her philosophies and those of her guests.  Think about the books she recommended.  If you watched that much Oprah, I’m guessing she was a large influence in your life.

If you read Cosmopolitan and watch Sex in the City, your future is going to be quite different from the person who reads PC Magazine and watches the History Channel.

He who holds your ear holds your future.

What I’m saying is, the people we listen to are the people who influence us.  Those who influence us change our thoughts and actions, and that changes our future; so we need to choose wisely who we listen to.

Think about it.  Who do you listen to the most? 

Who should you listen to most?

Here is my suggestion, and it breaks down into four S’s.  The first S is:

Scripture.

I think God’s Word is the highest wisdom, and I want that wisdom to hold the most sway over my future.  That means I need to hear Scripture more than I hear Sports Center.  Yes, I did just say that.

One way I do that is by memorizing Scripture.  As many of you know, I’m on a quest to memorize the book of John before I turn 50.  I’ve already memorized the books of Ephesians and Colossians, and I keep going over them so I don’t forget them.  That is one way I keep my ear tuned in to Scripture.

The second S is:

Spirit – as in the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said the Holy Spirit will “teach you all things.”  (John 14:26)

He called Him “the Spirit of truth” and said, “He will guide you into all truth…” (John 16:13)

As Christians, the Holy Spirit dwells inside of us, and He is teaching us.  We need to tune in to the still, small voice of the Spirit inside of us.

So that is a powerful one-two punch that will mightily impact our future if we lend them our ear:  the Scripture and the Spirit.

The third S is:

Saints.

By saints I mean Christians who are grounded in the first two S’s.  Their life is founded on Scripture, and they are full of the Spirit. 

I want to lend my ear to the saints, the people of God who have built their own life on the solid rock of Jesus Christ, the people who believe it, who live it, and who are bearing the good fruit of it.

And my final S is:

Sermons.

I love to listen to good sermons.  I listen to sermons at church, of course, and I also listen to them on the radio and online.  One great source of sermons is a website called www.SermonIndex.net. 

When I think of sermons, I don’t just think of fire and brimstone preaching.  To me it includes a wide variety of teaching by Christians, covering topics from doctrine to dollars, from faith to family. 

Sermons are delivered by people with the first three S’s.  They are saints full of Scripture and the Spirit delivering a Spirit-empowered sermon based on the Word of God.

Those four S’s – Scripture, Spirit, Saints and Sermons – those are who I choose to listen to the most, because I think they will provide the best possible influence for my future.

Choose wisely who you listen to, knowing this…

He who holds your ear, holds your future.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.


© 2011 The Arrow’s Tip 
 To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000
-vi-

The Cure for Most Arguments - Apples of Gold - February 18, 2011 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for February 18, 2011

“The Cure for Most Arguments”

 

Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

Jennifer and Jeff had a beautiful wedding.

All the family was there, tossing bird seed as the newlyweds departed in a white, horse-drawn carriage trimmed with red roses.

An idyllic scene, right?  Until you look inside the carriage.

“You’re sitting on my dress!”

“What are you all snippy about?”

“Get off my dress, you’re smooshing it.”

“Wow, we just got married and you’re already a nag.”

“We just got married and you’re already a pig.”

Fortunately they kissed and made up and life went on…something like this.

Jennifer comes home from a hard day at work and finds Jeff absorbed in a video game.  There is a huge slice of pepperoni pizza hanging over the side of a paper plate sitting on the carpet. 

She says hello but he is completely caught up in the game.  She steps into the kitchen and finds a pizza box balanced on top of a full garbage can.  And there’s his oatmeal bowl from breakfast, unrinsed in the sink.

She steps back into the living room and says, “You’re a moron!”

Just then his man dies and he looks up at her.  “What?”

“You heard me.  I can’t come home to this mess every day.”

“Wow, you’re cranky…as usual.”

“If I’m a crank it’s because you’re a jerk.  You never take out the trash and you never rinse your bowl.”

“Never?  I ‘never’ take out the trash?  And I didn’t rinse the bowl because I was running late because you hogged up the bathroom all morning.  Can’t you just go without all that makeup?  You’re sister doesn’t wear all that makeup and she looks great.”

“My sister looks great?  Well look at you, Romeo, with pizza grease all over your shirt.  You eat like a child.”

Okay, let’s stop right here.

Does any of this sound familiar?  Have you ever had conversations like this, that just swirled out of control?

What happens is one person says something with a point in it, and the other person reacts to that sharp point with something pointed of their own.  The first person reacts to that point, and off they go.  It escalates from one jab to the next – and what on earth are they talking about?  What are they really trying to communicate?

This is a common mistake in immature relationships.  We react to the pointed statement rather than the real meaning.

For example, when the wife came home to a mess and called her husband a name, what was she really trying to communicate? 

What she was really saying was, “I’m frustrated to come home to a mess after a long day at work.”  Instead of saying that, though, she said something with a sharp point.  In fact, their whole conversation was basically a reaction to sharp points. 

It is so easy for conversations to get out of hand and become hurtful, and it is so unnecessary.  Divorce courts are full of people whose main problems are toxic conversations.

People quit jobs or get fired from jobs for conversations like this.  Friendships are destroyed.  Families are broken, but there is a solution.  There’s a simple cure that can put an end to these downward spiraling conversations.

When someone speaks to you, don’t react to any pointed words.  Those words rarely represent what’s really going on, so skip over them.  Think right past them.  Just let them fall to the floor as you step back and see what’s really going on.

“But Doug, those words hurt.  I must react to them.”

Well I say forgive…instantly.  You have to forgive anyway, so why not forgive instantly? 

You want to defend yourself from sharp words, right?  You can do that by firing sharp words back, but it’s better to defend yourself with instant forgiveness.  Instant forgiveness causes their sharp words to drop to the floor without hurting you, and that sets you free to step back and assess what is really going on.

For example, when Jeff sat on Jennifer’s dress, she reacted, and he verbally punched her.  What he should have done was forgive her instantly, then think, “What is really going on here?”

He would have seen that it was nothing personal.  She wasn’t trying to hurt him, it was just a poorly worded way of expressing dissatisfaction.  Then he would have had the presence of mind to simply say, “Oh, I’m sorry,” move off her dress and get back to enjoying the honeymoon.

Colossians 4:6 says that our conversation should be full of grace so that we can always give a right response to everyone.

To give a right response, we need to know what’s really going on.  And to know what’s going on, we have to look past the pointed words to see the big picture.

That will stop the endless volleys of pointed, hurtful words.

It will stop most arguments before they even begin, and many relationships will be saved in the process.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.


© 2011 The Arrow’s Tip 
 To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000
-vi-