The Weekend Bible Study with Ronald L. Dart

The Weekend Bible Study with Ronald L. Dart http://www.borntowin.net The Weekend Bible Study is brought to you by Ronald Dart and Christian Educational Ministries. Ron is the voice of the Born to Win radio program and has been educating people on the Bible for nearly 50 years. In the Weekend Bible Study, Mr. Dart has the opportunity to answer questions from listeners in an informal environment, and help you learn about the Bible in the process. New episodes are posted every Friday afternoon at Borntowin.net. Come join us! en-us Copyright 2009 - Christian Educational Ministries Fri, 4 Dec 2009 16:52:25 GMT tdscripts.com Podcast Generator lsw@cemnetwork.com (Larry S. Watkins) ron@borntowin.net (Ronald L. Dart) 240 Episode 102 - Book of Deuteronomy http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2010-04-09-wbs102-book-of-deuteronomy.mp3
Hello everyone, and welcome back. We are pleased that so many are taking this opportunity to spend time in the Bible, and glad to be sharing it with you.

All is well here in Whitehouse, Texas. We are meeting our reduced budget well enough, but we are still struggling a bit with the web site. I don't think many of us realized how much content we have on the site. Not only that, but we have a lot of material that has never made it up there. This would be Weekend Bible Study number 102, we have 850 radio programs in the can, and I have no idea how many sermons we have that have not been mastered. I am grateful to Doug Young for his work at cogsermons.org. We don't have many of the sermons that he has made available there.

I saw an item a few months back that bemoaned how much information is being lost, partly to deterioration of the original media, and partly due to changes in technology. Tape duplicators have disappeared from the market, and tape players will be gone in a few years. But then, some information deserves to be lost, so the news is not all bad.

On a sad note, I just learned this morning of the death of Tony Hubbard. Some of you know Rufus and Debbie King. Tony married Rufus' daughter Tonya. He learned 10 months ago that he had brain cancer. He fought for his life, but his time came this morning. Our heart goes out to Tonya and the children-and to Debbie and Rufus.

hat's the news for today. We have questions before Deuteronomy 22, so warm up your coffee, and help yourself to that blueberry muffin you couldn't have last week. Someone wondered if I had found a recipe for an unleavened muffin. I haven't, but Keir Graham sent me a picture of one from Zurich. Help yourself by clicking rondart.com and then clicking the Weekend Study tab on the left.

]]> Fri, 09 Apr 2010 04:15:00 GMT Episode 101 - Book of Deuteronomy http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2010-04-02-wbs101-book-of-deuteronomy.mp3
Welcome Back to the Weekend Bible Study. We're glad you are here. We aren't sure, but it seems like the number of folks tuning in each week is growing. I'm sure there is a way of checking that out, but everyone is too busy.

We are making some progress now on the new web site. You can look in and watch the progress at www.cemnetwork.com. You do not need to register. That is for the staff who are working on the site. Just come on in and look around. Skip has brought the Feast of Tabernacles housing up to date on the new site, and will maintain it. He was spending last night bringing info over from the old site. The Feast portion should be up to date pretty quickly, although the various activities and schedules will not be up until a little later.

Calls have been pretty heavy this week on two programs in particular. "Three Days and Three Nights," and "Passover or Easter." It's that time of year. And we have a recent record in the number signing up for the email newsletter. We are only just beginning to make the best use of the service.

We had so many sad faces about our not streaming the last day of Unleavened Bread services, we have decided we will do Pentecost for sure. You'll still have to provide your own food, but that's a small price to pay. And as usual, you'll get to watch our gang snack. You can access the live streaming service from the new site, under Home - CEM Live. Be sure and let us know you are with us.

We have no questions this week, so we should be able to easily cover three chapters of Deuteronomy, so grab a cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin, open your Bible and your notes to Deuteronomy 19, and we'll begin.

]]> Fri, 02 Apr 2010 04:15:00 GMT Episode 100 - Book of Deuteronomy http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2010-04-02-wbs100-book-of-deuteronomy.mp3
Hello everyone, and welcome back. Not a lot of news this week, but we all have our thoughts turning toward the Passover. It is hard to realize that it is so close. We will be live streaming our Passover service starting at 7:30 Central Standard Time. I realize that won't work well outside of the US. But we have a service on DVD which most who need it already have.

Got a new radio station to report this week:

Philadelphia, PA and Trenton, NJ - WCHR AM 920 - Monday through Friday at 11:30 AM and 2:00 AM and Sunday morning at 9:30 AM. I am not sure of the starting date.

We have come to the enviable situation that stations call us first. From what I hear, they like the program because of the professional production and presentation. And the fact that we pay our bills on time doesn't hurt.

No questions this week. I have had a few personal questions but nothing that appeared to be for the study. It may be a good thing, because we have a lot to talk about.

So, Grab a cup of cocoa and a bran muffin and open your notebook and Bible to Deuteronomy 17, for some heavy study.

]]> Fri, 26 Mar 2010 04:15:00 GMT Episode 99 - Book of Deuteronomy http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2010-03-19-wbs99-book-of-deuteronomy.mp3
Hello, and welcome back to the Weekend Bible Study. It is good to get together in this rather strange way, but we feel oddly together in doing it. I know we have students from Switzerland to Australia, and that is terrific, and new people are finding us right along and we're glad to welcome all of you with us as well.

All is well here in Tyler and Whitehouse. I thought I might mention that today is episode number 99 of the Weekend Bible Study. Gary and I are trying to figure what special treat we want to have next week as we celebrate number 100 of the Weekend Bible Study. You can do it with us, find yourself a bran muffin, a special tea, some gourmet coffee or something of that sort. So, next week we celebrate episode 100!

We've got some questions this week so go ahead and grab yourself a hot cup of coffee and a cookie and let's go.

]]> Fri, 19 Mar 2010 04:15:00 GMT Episode 98 - Book of Deuteronomy http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2010-03-12-wbs98-book-of-deuteronomy.mp3
Our new station in Dallas messed up last week, but that is only one side of the story. They are making it up to us by improving our time slots and not charging us for the whole week. I will let you know what the new schedule is when we receive the information.

March is off to a good start with strong mail. That's a good sign, and we are encouraged about the months ahead.

We will be live streaming Passover services, and the first day of Unleavened Bread. Unfortunately, we can't live stream a pot luck, so you are on your own there. If you are near enough to join us, we will be doing the Night after Passover at the Pot Pourrie house in Tyler. If you need directions, just give us a call.

For the last day of Unleavened Bread, we will be in Terrell, Texas. If you have never been there, call for directions. We would love to see you there.

Pentecost services are up in the air. I had been invited to Kansas City, and it broke my heart to have to turn them down. But with only a week before Memorial Day in Branson, I just couldn't work it out. We may be in Terrell again for Pentecost. Keep in touch, and we'll let you know.

I understand Philip Huffton is progressing well, considering how badly he was hurt. He can't talk yet, but he hears and understands everything, and responds with hand signals. He can be a poster boy for wearing your helmet on a bike.

We don't have questions today. Either I am doing a very good job or you folks are getting lazy. So, grab a cup of coffee and an oatmeal cookie, open your notebook and your Bible to Deuteronomy 13, and we'll begin.

]]> Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:35:00 GMT Episode 97 - Book of Deuteronomy http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2010-03-05-wbs97-book-of-deuteronomy.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Weekend Bible Study. We are delighted you are joining us. All is well here in beautiful downtown Whitehouse, Texas. We are looking forward to a couple of visitors for Sabbath Services, coming in from Washington state, if memory serves. They are in Texas to visit relatives, and are doing us the honor of joining us for services

There is no new radio to tell you about, but at least there are no cancellations. We are hanging in there, and praying for all of you. Too many people are telling us we have some nasty surprises ahead in the national economy, so we are being extra careful. We almost made budget in February, and March is starting well. It is comforting to know someone is looking out for us.

I had a nice email from Maureen Linacre tonight. She is cheerful and doing well. Her only downside was having no little kangaroos to love, as theirs have grown up and been reintroduced to the wild. She sent pictures. It is something how big our family is when we all stay in touch.

Just a reminder to all of you to look in on the CEM and Friends Forum. It is a great place to keep in touch.

We have three emails this week to talk about, so grab a cup of tea and a biscuit, open your notebooks and Bible, and Let's talk.

]]> Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:35:00 GMT Episode 96 - Book of Deuteronomy http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2010-02-26-wbs96-book-of-deuteronomy.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Weekend Bible Study. All is well in Whitehouse as we dodged the worst of a couple of snow flurries. We seem to have lost more work hours to jury duty than to the snow.

For your interest, we have been steadily moving material into MP3 format and putting it on CDs for convenience. Thirteen major albums are now each available on one CD. These range from the very long Christian Origins series which goes all the way through Acts and the Epistles in, if memory serves, 96 radio programs. Two albums available in this form are the non-radio readings of Isaiah and the Psalms.

In addition, several of our Weekend Bible Study lessons are now available in MP3, including:

Weekend Bible Study Disc 1 - Galatians/ Hebrews/Jude -15 programs on 1 MP3 disc

Weekend Bible Study Disc 2 - Mark/Luke - 34 programs on 1 MP3 disc

Weekend Bible Study Disc 3 - Book of Ezekiel - 21 programs on 1 MP3 disc

More will become available as we continue the conversion process.

We are hoping to see some of you in Branson over Memorial Day. This may be the last year for the Memorial Day family retreat as we are thinking of moving it to Pentecost. If you have an opinion or preference, we'd love to hear from you.

We have no questions this week, which gives us more time for Deuteronomy, so organize your notes and Bible, grab a cup of coffee and a bran muffin, and open up to Deuteronomy, Chapter 9.

]]> Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:35:00 GMT Episode 95 - Book of Deuteronomy http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2010-02-19-wbs95-book-of-deuteronomy.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Weekend Bible Study. All is well here in Whitehouse. We are getting ready to send out an email about the Memorial Day Family Retreat in Branson. I hope you will plan to join us there if you aren't too far away or otherwise engaged. I heard someone who might otherwise be there is getting married that weekend, so I guess there is an excuse for not coming.

We have a full schedule of activities for learning and fellowship, as well as worship. Then there is Branson, which is one of the finest family resorts anywhere.

By the way, if you aren't signed up for the email newsletter, you should do so. It is one of the best ways we have of keeping folks up to date.

Good news for anyone living in or around Dallas, we have one new station in Dallas, KVCE 1160 AM. We will be there at 7:00 a.m. Monday through Friday, 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and a bonus program at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. If you are in the Dallas area, check it out and let us know how it's coming in.

We have a couple of emails before the study, so get yourself organized, warm up your coffee, and I will share them with you.

]]> Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:55:00 GMT Episode 94 - Book of Deuteronomy http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2010-02-12-wbs94-book-of-deuteronomy.mp3
Hello everyone, and welcome back to the weekend Bible Study. We feel for you folks who are buried in snow out there. Snow is pretty, but it wears on a person after a while. I hope you aren't suffering too much from cabin fever. I joked on the forum that the weather blokes are forecasting up to 3 inches of snow for us here, and we don't have snow blowers or plows down here. Who knows, they may cancel school. But we will struggle through somehow. Look at it this way: If it weren't for global warming, it might be much worse. If you are snowed in, you have our sympathy, and we hope you have some hot chocolate to keep you warm inside.

It seems we are getting increasing responses from the radio program. I'm not sure of the numbers over all, but I can tell by the number of emails I get. When a person goes to the trouble to look us up on the web, and find the contact information, it is a good sign.

A warm welcome to all those joining us as a result of the radio program. For your information, you can ask questions or make comments by emailing me from the Contact Us page at Born To Win. There is a long list of the books we have covered on the web site, and some of them have been put on disc in mp3 format. For information, the simplest thing to do is call the office on the toll free number and ask.

One of the good things about this method of distribution is that you can stop the playback anywhere to talk it over, and you can back things up to listen to them again. That is the downside of live streaming, and even listening to a sermon. Lots of people have commented on the ability to listen again. One of the interesting developments is the round table we are including with the Sabbath live streaming. There is no way to do that with this Bible study, because we are all in different time zones. Our friend in Zurich is sound asleep while our Friday night gang in the central time zone are still online and listening.

So, we keep experimenting. I think we can, in time, do a lot with live streaming, but we won't abandon the Weekend Bible Study. Here, we conquer the time differences. We can't hug one another, but there is always the feast. By the way, don't forget Memorial Day in Branson. We aren't expecting a big group, but the fellowship is grand, and there is no better family resort than Branson.

We have no questions this week, but some response to a question I asked last week. So, throw another log on the fire, warm up your cocoa and have another peanut butter cookie, and let's talk.

]]> Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:12:00 GMT Episode 93 - Book of Deuteronomy http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2010-02-05-wbs93-book-of-deuteronomy.mp3
Hi everyone and welcome back to the Weekend Bible Study. We are delighted to know you are tuning in and listening.

All is well here, and Larry thinks he may have found the missing link in the live streaming problem. We concluded this week that it is not in any of the equipment we are using, but either in the Ustream server being overburdened, or our own bandwidth going up to the server. We have thought about returning the server we used during the feast two years ago, but I think we will purchase more bandwidth going up. Last week's service was unacceptable-which you probably already knew.

Work still proceeds on getting our content over on the new site. There is so much of it, that we will have to make the switch to the new site before all of it is up. Daniel discovered some new programming which will, once we get the structure there, enable us to radically improve the look. Mercifully, the key elements of the old Born To Win site still function remarkably well, and the email newsletter allows us to communicate to most of the core list.

Financially, we are okay, but unable to expand into radio. What expansion we may be able to do is thanks to a special donation given for that purpose. When that is gone, we will have to contract a bit, and then the Internet will become even more important. But God will provide for what he wants done.

Meanwhile, we have some emails to talk about this week. So, grab a cup of coffee or cocoa, and a banana nut muffin, and let's talk.

]]> Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:51:00 GMT Episode 92 - Book of Deuteronomy http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2010-01-29-wbs92-book-of-deuteronomy.mp3
Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Weekend Bible Study. I hope you have taken a look at the new website as it is being developed. My instructions to Daniel are not to worry about esthetics just now, but to get the navigation established, with all departments and sub-departments in existence, even though they don't have full content yet. Once we have that in place, we can think about how the site looks, add graphics and color. As you probably have guessed, this is a real headache. But it is important, and we will get there.

We have little idea of how many people are joining us for this study, but our best estimates are in excess of 350. Maybe even as many as 500. We have the same problem with live streaming. There we know how many computers are on line, but not how many are watching each computer.

Thank you for bearing with us in our experimental stage.

So far in the new year, we haven't been forced to cancel any stations, although our budget is a bit thin. Larry watches things every day, because we want to be faithful stewards of what God provides.

For now, you have tuned in for a Bible study. There are no questions, but two comments we will deal with next. So grab a cup of coffee and a muffin, and let's begin.

]]> Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:55:21 GMT Episode 91 - Book of Ruth http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2010-01-22-wbs91-book-of-ruth.mp3
Hello folks, and welcome back to the Weekend Bible Study.

I have had several suggestions for the next book which include Ruth, Esther, Joshua and Deuteronomy. My present plans call for doing the book of Ruth, followed by Deuteronomy, then Joshua. Esther would come later. Deuteronomy is an extremely important book, and I have never done the whole book, verse by verse. All this is subject to change, of course, as the Spirit leads.

For now, we have a lot of ground to cover in Ruth today, so have a cup of tea and a muffin, open your notebook and your Bible to the Book of Ruth and let's read it. ]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:14:21 GMT Episode 90 - Book of Ecclesiastes http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2010-01-15-wbs90-book-of-ecclesiastes.mp3
Hello folks, and welcome back. All is well here and the new website is being filled in day by day. If you want to watch the progress, it is at cemnetwork.com. And don't pay much attention to graphics and appearance. The first task is to get the content in and working. It is time consuming and a bit tedious, but I feel better about it than I have for some time. Daniel Minter, AKA Daniel the second, is doing a very good job on it.We had a very solid end of the year, and it is good that we did, because January has been a bit soft. I don't think that is unusual, because not a few people move January's donations to December.

So far, I haven't heard any reports from Haiti about people in our tradition. One American missionary was on the phone with Fox news, and it really sounded bad. Now, of course, we have pictures. Some have asked about our giving to help out, but we recommend anyone wanting to help do so through the more direct channels like the American Red Cross. Giving through third party organizations is inefficient and invites abuse. There were some scandals about TV ministries raising money for overseas orphanages, and applying some of the money to their operational expenses. We don't want to walk on that road.

We will be finishing Ecclesiastes today, and thinking about what comes next. I have a suggestion for Esther and Ruth, and another for the book of Judges. So I'll think about it and see what feels right.

Meanwhile, we have a short two chapters today, but I have a couple of emails to talk over which may help make up the difference.

So, open your Bible and notebook, warm up your coffee and grab a muffin, and let's talk. ]]> Fri, 15 Jan 2010 11:16:21 GMT Episode 90 - Book of Ecclesiastes http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2010-01-08-wbs89-book-of-ecclesiastes.mp3
Hello everyone, and welcome back. It is good to be with you again. All is well here, except it is quite cold. I guess we can be thankful for global warming. If it weren't for that, we could be as cold as some of you are up there in Minnesota. It must be a little disorienting to the gang that assembled in Scandinavia to talk about this issue to have had record cold. One would have though Cuba would have made a better locale. Or maybe Argentina. It is summer down there.

But it is warm and comfy here in the studio, and Gary and I are well into our second cup of coffee. No doughnuts, though. None of the staff seem to be indulging these days.

We finished the year in better shape than we thought we might be. December income was strong, so we aren't having to cut any further than we already have.

We are currently testing the new web site. You can take a look at cemnetwork.com. We aren't worried about aesthetics right now. Navigation and content are what we are after, so if you see something that isn't working, feel free to drop us an email and let us know. Meanwhile the old site will still serve basic needs.

Our prayer list seems to be getting longer by the day, so don't forget to pray for one another. I am persuaded that it makes a difference. Prayer is a work we must not shirk.

Before we return to Ecclesiastes, we have one email to talk about.

So, have a cup of cocoa and a cruller, open your Bible to Romans 14, and let's talk. ]]> Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:14:52 GMT Episode 88 - Book of Ecclesiastes http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-12-31-wbs88-book-of-ecclesiastes.mp3
Hello gang, and welcome back to the Weekend Bible Study, moving on with Ecclesiastes 6 today. All is well here as it looks like December will be a little better than last year. Still making budget, and hoping we won't need to reduce radio any further.

As you know by now, they cancelled my fight to Lexington, so I missed the winter family weekend there. By all accounts, it was very successful with 500 or so folks in attendance. I was sorry to miss being there and seeing everyone, but not so sorry to not be playing airline tag trying to get there. I think flying is going to be a thing of the past for me. Just need a more robust vehicle for travel.

We are looking forward to Memorial Day in Branson and hope some of you will join us there. We have no idea what to expect in terms of attendance.

I have two emails this week, so warm up your coffee and grab another peanut butter cookie, and let's take a look at them. ]]> Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:42:13 GMT Episode 87 - Book of Ecclesiastes http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-12-25-wbs87-book-of-ecclesiastes.mp3
Hello folks and welcome back to the Weekend Bible Study.

All is well here in beautiful downtown Whitehouse, Texas. Our street outside is finished at last, the stripers finished marking the lanes yesterday. And now that the mess is all gone, we are planning to put our spare lot up for sale shortly. The lot we bought was a bargain at two plus acres, and we plan to sell off half of it and hope to recoup the cost of the whole thing. So, if any of you are looking for a piece of land for a business, just give us a call.

I will be flying out for the Winter Family event in Lexington, Kentucky this weekend, and would appreciate your prayers for Allie's safety at home, and mine in the air. I suspect a lot of you are catching this later due to travel, so we will be thinking about you.

Meanwhile, I have one question this week, and then we'll go back to Ecclesiastes

Arrange your notes, open your Bible, grab a cup of coffee and a piece of cake. We'll be right back with our question. ]]> Fri, 25 Dec 2009 16:42:13 GMT Episode 86 - Book of Ecclesiastes http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-12-18-wbs86-book-of-ecclesiastes.mp3
Hello Folks, welcome back to the Weekend Bible Study. If you are new, we are approaching the Book of Ecclesiastes and there is one session before this one. You can access all WBS sessions from the Born to Win web site.All is well here. Thanks to all of you that have been praying for Allie and me since our accident. We are fine, apart from small struggles that don't affect our ability to perform. I had a talk yesterday with Wayne Cole, whom many of you know. He had a stroke some weeks ago, but he sounded good. He said he has finished with the rehab and apart from all the stuff that goes with getting older, he and Doris are fine. Wayne said he will shortly be 80 years old, and that is a real milestone. He doesn't seem sure how he feels about it. We will be lunching together in a week or so. I know he would appreciate your prayers.

I have been struck more and more by some of my reading of the Psalms, that God doesn't always act without our prayers. I suppose if he did, no one would pray. I don't pretend to understand all that, but if we think about it, we know it is true. As I remarked while we were still in Romans, one of the things that keeps us together is that we pray for one another. It is a good thing.

We learned yesterday why it is taking so long to make the Web site changeover. Larry got the bill from Daniel the first, and he has not been able to give it much time. All I can say is that we all have our cross to bear. This is one more thing to pray about. But I can't bring myself to pray that Daniel would lose his day job. He has a new baby. So, we will tough it out a little longer.

Meanwhile, organize your notebook, pen and snacks; open your Bible and we'll begin with two interesting questions. ]]> Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:42:13 GMT Episode 85 - Book of Ecclesiastess http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-12-11-wbs85-book-of-ecclesiastes.mp3
Hello Gang, and welcome back to the Weekend Bible Study. We start a new book today. I am trying not to be repetitive, but when I analyze what I have actually done in one medium or another, it is not easy to find something I haven't already done. I thought for a while about doing Revelation again, but couldn't get motivated by it. I believe that entire series was done in 1996 and I don't think I have anything new to say. I have settled on Ecclesiastes, because there are some profound lessons there, that may have more to do with your life than merely knowing what is coming in the last days and how far away it is. Revelation is always fascinating, and includes some strong admonitions, but that isn't the main interest of most who go there.

All is well here in Whitehouse as we transition to a new website, hopefully within a week, and as our new Tech guy, Daniel comes on board full time today. He is not the Daniel doing the web. That's Daniel number 1. The new full timer is Daniel the second - Daniel Minter. Daniel has done a lot of work with social networking and plans a presentation on the subject in a few days. I have dabbled in it myself, but simply don't have the time to develop it. Daniel's arrival is timely and very much to the point of what we need to do.

About the web site: The present site is custom built by Vicki, our web master of previous years. She was very good at writing the code for that program. So good, in fact, that we couldn't find anyone who could work with it. Jim Ross originally recommended that we go with a growing dot net community, and that is where we are going now. It will be much more manageable for those who are Web challenged.

Financially, we are making ends meet, but we are not able to do much in the way of expansion. The only reason we can afford Daniel 2 is because Faye Brown retired and we were able to overload some of our other staff to pick up her work. Don't forget Jesus' instructions to pray the Lord of the harvest to send workers. I think both Daniels are an answer to those prayers

Today, we are going to start with questions rather than tack them on at the end, so get yourself ready. Arrange your notebook, Bible and pen. How about some cocoa and a banana nut muffin? That sounds about right. I'll have coffee myself. ]]> Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:42:13 GMT Episode 84 - Epistle to Romans http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-12-04-wbs84-epistle-to-romans.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Online Bible Study, where we plan to finish Romans today. If you are a new arrival, you can go back through Romans starting with the beginning on the Weekend Bible Study page of the Born to Win website.

All is well here in beautiful downtown Whitehouse, Texas. It is so good to be away from Tyler in this crazy shopping season. People amaze me. Even if I was a devotee of Christmas, I would find ways to avoid the crush.

Our new tech guy is working part time and goes full time next Thursday. He and Larry managed to get the live streaming working right today but God only knows what will happen Saturday. The gremlins are out to get us. Regardless, please join us this Sabbath at 2:00 PM CST on CEM Live.

These are strange times we are living in. We may be starting to crawl out of this recession but I am not optimistic. Too much that I am another in these times. So far, unemployment among our folks is not as bad as the country but there are still a lot of people out of work. The American people are doing the wise thing in paying off debt as much as they can.

I am sharing what I am finding in the news with those who have signed up on rondart.com to get my email newsletter. Note: There are two sources of these letters. One is CEM and comes from our staff over my signature. The other comes from me personally. You should check your profile on either list, because we don't automatically send everything to everyone.

It is going to be cold tonight here in Tyler-down in the 20's so I am going to have to go home and cover my outdoor faucets. I know, you folks in Minnesota and Michigan can restrain your sympathy.

Okay, grab a cup of coffee and a peanut butter cookie, arrange your notebooks and open your Bible to Romans 14. ]]> Fri, 4 Dec 2009 16:42:13 GMT Episode 83 - Epistle to Romans http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-11-20-wbs83-epistle-to-romans.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Online Bible Study. And if this is, for you, the old Friday night Bible study, a warm "Good Evening" to you all.

What a unique service the Internet is. Every Sabbath now, we can get together for live streaming and for those who can't we have the ability to warp time and be together when time comes to us. Please do try to joins us live this Saturday afternoon at 2:00 CST.

Thanksgiving approaches and we may suspend the study for the holiday weekend and come back afterward. We usually record this study on Thursday and Gary and I will be enjoying turkey and pumpkin pie. Allie and I will be traveling to Houston Thursday to enjoy the day with my deceased sister's kids, grandkinds and great grandkids. We'll let you know if we're on. Live streaming Saturday afternoon will continue as always.

So, in the meantime, grab a cup of coffee, arrange your notebook and Bible and open up to Romans, chapter 12. ]]> Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:02:55 GMT Episode 82 - Epistle to Romans http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-11-13-wbs82-epistle-to-romans.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Online Bible Study.All is well on the home front. Our new tech guy, Daniel Minter, is learning the ropes and will be full time in mid-December. Some of you may know that our Web designer is Daniel Rycklick. To avoid confusion, the staff refer to them as first and second Daniel.

We finished the fiscal year at the end of October. Since we planned the budget last year at the time everything was coming apart, we reduced our budget sharply and made some significant reductions. As it happened we kept our expenditure within 300 dollars of the planned budget and thanks to some generous donors, we were able to cover expenses without losing ground. Right now, it doesn't look like we will be able to increase the budget much, if at all. The times are so uncertain and we aim to stay out of debt as far as possible. The only debt we have is the mortgage on the building, which is little more than our rent would be somewhere else. God will provide, but he expects us to stay on point.

I am still planning on being at the Winter Event in Lexington this year. I'll be flying up and will see some of you there. I will be giving the sermon Sabbath afternoon.

Our guys are still working on live streaming of Sabbath services. For some reason, it seems to be a tricky business. Do try to join us this Saturday afternoon at 2:00 CST.

We have no questions again today, which gives us plenty of time for Romans. So prepare your notes and Bible, freshen up your coffee and open to Romans, chapter nine. ]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:13:27 GMT Episode 81 - Epistle to Romans http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-11-06-wbs81-epistle-to-romans.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Online Bible Study.

Work is proceeding on a revamp of our website. It is a bigger site than many think and it is quite a job to get it transferred over to a new technology. The chap working on it is part time, which is one reason it is taking so long.

The good news is that we have just hired a new employee for the wide range of technical jobs we have with audio, video, computer maintenance, live streaming and network experience. His name is Daniel, just like the fellow who is redoing the website. So, we call him Second Daniel.

Our resources are limited, but I do think we may be getting out of the mud in short order. Thanks to all of you for your encouragement and support.

By the way, if you can't watch during live streaming the sermon will still be up at the live link for some time afterward and there are folks hinging out in the chat room for some time before and after. I hope you will join us this Saturday afternoon at 2:00 CST.

Had a nice email yesterday from Anita in Las Vegas: I have been listening to you on KKVV Las Vegas, NV. I amd delighted that you are on our Christian radio station. I look forward every morning at 7:00 to listen to your bible study message. I am learning so much...I have impaired hearing but I am able to understand every thing that you say. I do attend a non denominational Bible Teaching Church, no compromising. Thank you so much. I pray that you will remain on KKVV. You bring the Bible to life. GOD bless you.

Okay we will be doing three chapter today, six, seven and eight because I want to keep 9, 10 and 11 together.They are something of a a unit. And we have no questions this week. So, have some more coffee, arrange your notebook and open your Bible to Romans 6 and we'll begin. ]]> Fri, 6 Nov 2009 16:38:25 GMT Episode 80 - Epistle to Romans http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-10-30-wbs80-epistle-to-romans.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Online Bible Study. Glad you have joined us.

Allie continues to recover, but isn't all the way back yet. She has received so may nice cards and is very grateful for the prayers of so many. An injury like this can be discouraging and I know she gets a lift from all the support. We are looking forward to a feast next year that is pain free. We won't be taking that for granted, I assure you.

All is well here and I'll be working with editorial on a new project for spreading the word on the Internet. We have experimented with it in the past but there is a pretty steep leaning curve to doing it right. The editorial team of Allie, Mickie and Paula will work with me on some new approaches. Several months ago, we experimented with ads giving away a YEA book for home schoolers and added over 100 folks to the list. Unfortunately, we weren't extablished with a whole program at the time and weren't able to follow up. That is what we are working with and experimenting with Constant Contact's email program.

By the way, if any of you are inclined toward Internet marketing, services like Constant Contact are worth a look. They have a good learning center that makes it pretty easy.

We will be live streaming the sermon once again this Saturday afternoon. Please join us live at 2:00 PM CDT.

We are going to do two chapters in Romans today, plus we have questions, so we had better get started. Grab a cup of tea and a cruller, arrange your notebook and open your Bible to Romans, chapter 4. ]]> Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:28:45 GMT Episode 79 - Epistle to Romans http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-10-23-wbs79-epistle-to-romans.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back. All is well here in beautiful downtown Whitehouse. I am pleased to say that the local economy is not all that bad. And the trees are just beginning to turn autumn colors, the bucks are becoming more interested in the does and we hope to have a good crop of spotted fawns next spring.br>
I am thinking about doing a program next week on how to stay sane when the whole society is going crazy. Be careful not to get stampeded. Pay attention to what is going on, but don't forget who you love and who loves you.

We have a new station, by the way, in Russellville, AR, KCAB 980AM at 11:00 a.m. on Sundays. That will catch the "not in church" crowd.

I told Larry to take all such offers. Why are the doing it? They like the program and it improves the neighborhood. Moreover, we don't lose listeners for them.

We will be live streaming the sermon Saturday afternoon at the same link we used for the feast. Check it out at 2:00 p.m. CDT each Saturday. We are still experimenting to find the best way of doing this and will continue to improve as we move along.

Today, I found a couple of questions I got before the feast and I hope to answer both of them as well as do two chapters in Romans, so we had better get started.

Warm up your coffee and grab another scone. Open your Bible to Romans 2 and your notebook accordingly. Let's begin. ]]> Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:22:09 GMT Episode 78 - Epistle to Romans http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-10-16-wbs78-epistle-to-romans.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Online Bible Study. For the majority of you, I gather it is Friday night and you are starting your Sabbath. For Gary and I, it is Thursday morning. We do the study in what used to be a time slot for doing a radio program, then Gary uploads the program to what is called an FTP site and sends you the email newsletter with a link to the study.

Thanks to all for their prayers following our accident. In case you haven't heard the story, I fell asleep at the wheel and struck a guard rail just NW of Lucedale, Mississippi. We spun out and totaled the car. I was uninjured, but Allie suffered some injuries from the seat belt. There were no broken bones and no bloodshed. We rented a car that afternoon and went on to Destin for the feast. The type of injury Allie suffered involved the sternum and is very painful. She was asleep when the accident occurred and I think she may have been hurt worse than she would have been if she had been upright in her seat.

So, take a lesson. If you are at all sleepy (I was) then pull over, get out and walk around or take a brief nap. If you are a passenger, sit upright in the seat. We have changed our rules for the road. One other thing. I won't use the Bible Study to promote an insurance company but check your insurance company's reputation for handling things like this. Our service has been outstanding.

We will be trying online streaming of the sermon Saturday afternoon at the same link we used for the feast. We are still experimenting to find the best way of doing it. And a suggestion. Save your chatter for after the sermon. It was amusing looking at the conversations but it is hard to think you were able to follow the sermon. It is sort of like passing notes in school.

The festival offering was, I think, a new record and easily covered our expenses. We will hold some of it over to cover what may be unusual expense in 2011 for a feast in Branson. And no, we are not negotiating with one of the theaters. You will like the place, it is just a little expensive for us. For us, our permanent site is the conference center in Ft Walton Beach, Florida. On the years it is not available, we may visit other parts of the country.

I think that covers all the gossip. There are no questions this week, so we have the whole time for the book of Romans. So get yourself organized with notebook, Bible and pen. Freshen up your coffee and grab another cookie and open your Bible to Romans, chapter one. ]]> Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:29:18 GMT Episode 77 - Book of Ezekiel http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-09-11-09-book-of-ezekiel.mp3
Hello again and welcome back to the Weekend Bible Study.

All is well here, except for a very strange occurence at our web server. I have been told what happened and if I knew how to explain it to you, I would. Apparently, our domain name expired briefly and before we could set it right, problems started popping up. Once this sort of problem is corrected, it can take as long as 48 hours to propagate throughout the internet system. Most of you never saw a problem. i am on there daily and i didn't. But quite a few of you did. We are sorry for the inconvenience and we hope it is cleared up by the time you hear this.

We are struggling a little financially. Not that we are in danger of shutting down but there is a risk of having to cut a radio station or two. We are operating on a budget somewhat reduced from last year and we're falling slightly behind that. Not that we are complaining. We know a lot of you are struggling too. But for us, getting the message out is our life. When I publish a book, we distribute maybe 1200 or so. When I do a program, I reach as many as 100,000. So you can understand where we place our primary interest.

This will be the last Bible study before the feast. We could send along a golden oldie, but it will be simpler if you just go to the website and find a program or a sermon that suits you. There is a wealth of material available there.

Current plans call for resuming right after the feast with the book of Romans, in some ways, the most important of Paul's letters.

But for now, let's close out the enigmatic book of the prophet Ezekiel.

Grab a cup of coffee and peanut butter cookie, open your notebook and Bible to Ezekiel chapter 46 and lets begin. ]]> Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:36:08 GMT Episode 76 - Book of Ezekiel http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-09-04-wbs76-book-of-ezekiel.mp3
Hello everyone, welcome back to the Weekend Bible Study.

I have good news this week. Our new webmaster has found a much better way to reconstruct our website and thinks it can be operational in a couple of weeks. I can't tell you how happy that makes me. Ironically, he is going the direction Jim Ross was planning to take us before his untimely death. So I recognized immediately what he was suggesting.

I really am pleased with that development, because coupled with the email newsletter, we can provide much better service for everyone.

W still plan to finish Ezekiel before the feast and then we will resume the WBS after the feast. I am definately planning on the New Testament, possible Romans.

By the way, we had an incredible mix up in our email server. Mail to me at ron at borntowin.net was supposed to forward to my Gmail account and then delete. It wasn't deleting and my mailbox had some 39,000 emails in it. It is all corrected now, but i am still digging out, not of the 39,000 but of a hundred backed up emails. So in the words of a Jedi master, operational, we are.

Now before we start back into Ezekiel, remember the four questions we are going to ask:

1. Is the temple and its worship literal or figurative?

2. Do these things take place at a time now past or at some point in the future?

3. If it is in the future, does it involve the millenial kingdom of Christ on earth or the heavenly state?

4. In any case, what is the purpose of the sacrifices described?

Ready? Then freshen up your coffee or tea, open your notebooks and Bibles to Ezekiel 43. ]]> Fri, 4 Sep 2009 16:14:33 GMT Episode 75 - Book of Ezekiel http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-08-28-wbs75-book-of-ezekiel.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Weekend Bible Study. All is well here in Tyler and we are all beginning to get Feast fever.

We had a meeting yesterday about a new Bible Study book we are experimenting with. We're hoping to take a bunch of these down with us to the Feast of Tabernacles this year, so if you're there, check with us to see if there's a copy to take home with you so you can evaluate it and get back to us on what's going on there.

We are starting into the temple of Ezekiel. There is a wealth of material on the internet about Ezekiel's temple and it remains something of an enigma. R.J. Anderson lists four main questions which we can think about as we make our way through these passages and they are as good a place to start as any:

1. Is the temple and its worship literal or figurative?

2. Do these things take place at a time now past or at some point in the future?

3. If it is in the future, does it involve the millenial kingdom of Christ on earth or the heavenly state?

4. In any case, what is the purpose of the sacrifices described?

I don't know anything about Anderson and this should not be considered an endorsement. He is just convenient. I'll include a link to Anderson's article on rondart.com.

For now, grab a cup of coffee and a donut, get your pad and pencil and Bible ready and open up to Ezekiel, Chapter 40. ]]> Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:04:10 GMT Episode 74 - Book of Ezekiel http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-08-21-wbs74-book-of-ezekiel.mp3
Welcome back again to the Weekend Bible Study as we pursue Ezekiel through the thickets.

All is well here and thak you for being patient with the foibles of our web site. Daniel is working on it day by day. And for those wanting live streaming from the feast, it is planned and provided for. But as you know by now, anything connected with computers and the Internet has vulnerability.

We are very grateful for another thing. Just as we seem to be fraying at the edge financially, someone comes along and gives us a significant push. Candidly, the message I am getting is that we need to stay steady on radio while we can. The night is coming when no man can work.

I really don't know what to make of the confusion in Washington these days. I think Peggy Noonan got it right when she said that government is terrifying us. I also think that fear lies beneath the intense anger directed at Washington these days. I spoke often of failed leadership in the days of the Clinton administration, but we seem to have reached a new nadir in the department. I will comment further on that later.

But for now, grab a dish of ice cream and make yourself a sundae. We could use a little comfort food as we tackle Ezekiel. ]]> Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:33:15 GMT Episode 73 - Book of Ezekiel http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-08-14-wbs73-book-of-ezekiel.mp3
Hello again friends and welcome back to the Weekend Bible Study. Not much new to report this week. I did a small test of emails and some of you may have gotten one or the other of them. I was wondering if the graphics, the masthead, etcetera, made any difference in the open rates of these emails. I sent tow emails that were identical except that one had graphics, the other plain text. The service reports the number of emails that were opened. Turns out they were opened at virtually the same rate with no statistical difference.

One of the great things about the sustem we are now using is that it tells us point blank whether it is working. This will enable us to give you more of what you want and less of what you don't want. Feel free to give us your opinion on any of our services. We are especially interested right now in how you are affected by what we are doing on the Internet.

By the way, if any of you are homeschoolers, there is an interesting discussion on home schooling right now on the CEM and Friends Forum. Join up by clicking on the borntowin.net front page.

KTYM is a recent add and it is doing better than we thought it might. California markets are tough because they are expensive and the demographics are so diverse. But we have two stations in LA now and both of them are fairly high on our list.

That's the news, so grab a cup of coffee and a scone, arrange your notebook and Bible and open up to Ezekiel 36. ]]> Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:45:22 GMT Episode 72 - Book of Ezekiel http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-08-07-wbs72-book-of-ezekiel.mp3
Hello everyone, welcome back. It is good to to talk to you again. I don't have a lot of news for you this week. We are continuing to work with our new webmaster. Websites these days exist in two parts, content and presentation. All our content is intact and the management system still works. But due to a damaged file, we are unable to change the presentation. So, Daniel is having to rework the entire presentation side. Steps have been taken to see that this doesn't happen again.

Meanwhile, my poor efforts on rondart.com are still working just fine. Sometimes simple is better. I used Microsoft FrontPage to build it and almost anyone could work on it if needed.

We got a note from Marion Snyder of Los Angeles today: I just wanted to drop you a quick note letting you know that the radio station in Los Angeles KTYM 1460 comes in loud and clear especially in the car.

KTYM is a recent add and it is doing better than we thought it might. California markets are tough because they are expensive and the demographics are so diverse. But we have two stations in LA now and both of them are fairly high on our list.

I just finished a pair of radio programs you will want to watch for. They are titled Opposing Evil 1 and 2. They talk about the failure of German Christians to oppose the Hitler rise to power and the reasons for that failure that are still all too relevant right now. They were hard programs to make and I think I only see part of the picture. But all we can do is our best.

I guess in a way, that is a good summary of the Ezekiel studies. They are hard to do, and all we can do is our best. I am thinking we will go to Romans after Ezekiel. It will feel like a vacation for me.

Anyhow, grab a cup of coffee and a cruller (you may need some comfort food), organize you note stuff and open your Bible to Ezekiel 33. We have work to do. ]]> Fri, 7 Aug 2009 15:52:35 GMT Episode 71 - Book of Ezekiel http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-07-31-wbs71-book-of-ezekiel.mp3
Hello folks and welcome back. It is good to be here again. Our new web guy, Daniel, has started sorting things out and we think we will be rebuilding the website on a different database. The information in it will be the same, but the site will handle it differently. We have been blessed so far, and we will get on down the road as though we know what we are doing.

For those of you who have never looked in on the CEM and Friends Forum, you really should take a look. it is linked off our front page. Registering has a confirmation step which some have found daunting. So, if you run into trouble, write to us and we'll help you through the process. It is such a good place to discuss questions that naturally arise here that I hate to see you miss it.

We have just migrated the forum to the updated version of the software and we are all eager to see how it goes.

In Born to Win radio news, we are happy to welcome two new stations to our roster - AM1040 WLVJ in Pompano Beach, FL (Monday-Friday at 5:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. and Sunday at 7:30 a.m.) and AM1020 KCKN in Roswell, NM (Monday-Friday at 10:00 p.m. and Sunday at 8:30 a.m.)

That's the update and now let's prepare for the study. Get you snacks together, open your notebook and your Bible to Ezekiel 30 and we will proceed. ]]> Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:54:38 GMT Episode 70 - Book of Ezekiel http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-07-24-wbs70-book-of-ezekiel.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back. I am pleased to announce that we added a new staff memeber on Thursday of this week, a part time Webmaster. He will, like all new employees be on trial for 90 days but I think he has the skills we need. This is a time for you to let us know about broken links or other problems you encounter, for at last we are in a position to do something about it.

In a way, it is testimony to the robust program Vicky Mo built for us, that we were able to manage the content of the site as long and as well as we have. You may not notice a lot of difference to start with, but you will.

I don't know how many of you took the survey we sent out last week but the results were interesting and enlightening. The most gratifying thing about it was the sky high approval ratings our respondents gave us. I was only a little surprised that on the list of services we provide, the strongest were all at around 77% and they were, 1.Online and podcast listening 2. Weekend Bible Study 3. Website in general

We are somewhat on the right track. We haven't done much yet with the chat room and it may not be that important. I have always preferred the bulletin board approach because we don't all have to be there at the same time. That is why I created a WBS forum on CEM and Friends. If you would like to join the forum but need a little help, just let us know.

For now, let's dive into Ezekiel again. Warm up your coffee, grab a cookie, open your Bible and notebook, and let's study. ]]> Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:44:32 GMT Episode 69 - Book of Ezekiel http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-07-17-wbs69-book-of-ezekiel.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back. All is well on the home front. You will be interested to know we are interviewing three fellows this week to help us with the website and internet issues. It is facinating to notice that the Net is changing in important ways. It manifests in the way different programs interrelate. We have had some really strange things happen as different email programs handle our newsletter. I learned recently that there is a developing set of standards of the World Wide Web that is making older sites more difficult to maintain. Even FrontPage, which I used to develop my own web site is becoming obsolete.

Much of this should be unnessary, but there are people who always have to be improving something. Well enough must not be left alone. That may go a ways in explaining that is happening in government these days.

I have located a pretty good source for biblical maps based on the Google system. Check in rondart.com, under Weekend study, Ezekiel for the link to it. I find it helps a lot to understand the lay of the land. There is a surprising amount of history connected with the sites on the maps. It takes a little persistence to find it all, but it is worth the effort. I noticed that the information is derived from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 1913 edition, which I find to be a very reliable source.

Also, I have found a better chat room alternative. It is on rondart.com and the link is included near the top of the left column.

I think I warned everyone that the prophets are a hard study, not so much because they are hard to understand, but because the message is hard to take. God does not send a prophet to tell you how well you are doing. When the prophets, the real ones, begin to speak, things have already gone sour.So, have another cup of tea and some comfort food, perhaps a scone or a peanut butter cookie, open your Bible to Ezekiel 25, arrange your notebook and pen and let's go. ]]> Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:24:12 GMT Episode 68 - Book of Ezekiel http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-07-10-wbs68-book-of-ezekiel.mp3
Hello everyone, right from the heart of Whitehouse, Texas. All is well on the home front and we are happy to welcome Gary Gibbons back after a rather severe illness. It was good of him to time his illness between two recording sessions and I know all of you are appropriately grateful. Otherwise we would have sent what we affectionately call, "A Golden Oldie". That is radio lingo for a sermon that is so old you probably won't remember having heard it before. We have a rich trove of such sermons.

I have good news. We have added a new radio station, Las Vegas, KNVV 1060AM Sun-Fri 7:00 am. That is a good time, and if you will pardon me for saying so, the station is a good gamble. If any of you can hear it, please let us know.

Also, since this whole effort is experimental, we have created an experimental forum for it that includes a chat room. I will put the link to it on rondart.com and the first scheduled experimental chat session starts at 8:00 PM CST. Friday night. For those listening in late, we'll catch you next Friday night. The chat room is there all the time, so you can come early and stay late.

And for your convenience, the link to the new forum is: WBS Forum. Remember, this thing is experimental and I have only paid for it through September, so it might end then or we might move somewhere else. And the forum is there all the time for discussion of the WBS and anything else on your mind. If you have problems with it, ask. We have a team of expert moderators standing by to help you.

One other link I will mention in the study and place here for your convenience: Tyra Banks on the teen sex crisis.We don't have any questions this week, so we'll have a little more time for Ezekiel if we need it.

So, warm up your coffee, grab a cruller and open you Bible to Ezekiel 23 and you notebook to the first blank page.

Oh, by the way. This has some strong content, so you might want to give the kids a YEA book and let them do something else. ]]> Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:22:36 GMT Episode 67 - Book of Ezekiel http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-07-03-wbs67-book-of-ezekiel.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back to all you hardy souls. It is good to be with you again. All is well here in beautiful downtown Whitehouse, Texas. Income fell a little behind budget, but we have the flexibility to do what we have to do to keep rolling. So far, we have had to do relatively little cutting of radio. And we have some prospects to help us with our website. I feel certain that in the years to come, the Internet is going to be a vital tool.

Unfortunately, I am just as certain that dangerous times lie ahead. I would like to think that we could solve the problems that face us, but it is possible to get too far down the slippery slope to come back. I am not talking merely about the economy. I am talking about the chaos developing around the world and our inability to head it off. As a nation, we are well described in the prophets and we have drifted far from the founding principles of the country. And we have a generation that is not well prepared for what is coming.

I appreciate your hanging with us through Ezekiel. It is a hard study in many ways. But painful as it is, we have some serious lessons to lear from it.

So, open your Bible to Ezekiel 21, prepare your notebook and pen, warm up your coffee and lets suffer along with Ezekiel as he speaks truth to people who aren't well prepared to hear it.

I might add, that this is not a children's study, so you may want to find them something else to do. ]]> Fri, 3 Jul 2009 15:15:25 GMT Episode 66 - Book of Ezekiel http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-06-19-wbs66-book-of-ezekiel.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Weekend Bible Study, as we walk through the Prophet Ezekiel's work and answer your questions.

There is no new radio to announce this week, but stations keep calling us with time available. Problem is, we have gone about as far as we can go with this year's budget. We appreciate your prayers and support more than we can say.

As you probably know by now, we are without a webmaster again and are trying our best to work that out. You would think, with all the unemployment, that people would be knocking on our door, but it doesn't seem to be that way.

I know some of you have either lost jobs, or been moved to a lower paying position. I pray God will see you through. I am an optimist by nature, but it is getting harder and harder to maintain that posture. I can't help of thinking about the job of a prophet and how tough it was to be one in hard times-now that I think about it, it was hard to be a prophet in good times.

I am not a prophet, but I can read the prophets. I fear we are entering a time when their message will be all too apt.

So, open your Bible to Ezekiel 19, get your notebook and a pen. Warm up your coffee, and let's study a real prophet. ]]> Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:45:10 GMT Episode 65 - Book of Ezekiel http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-06-19-wbs65-book-of-ezekiel.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back.

The latest edition of Living to Win should be arriving at your house this week. It was there Monday night if you are an email newsletter subscriber. We are just beginning to learn how to us this thing. Diane and Kim got the latest one out on time, and we are going to start earlier next time. If you have signed up, you will get at least two emails a month which will have most of what you will want to know. Some have signed up saying, "Send me everything," so they will hear more often. The weekly reminder for the WBS study is just a reminder that some feel they need. You can go to the web site anytime and find it.

By the way, have you made your reservations for the feast yet? Skip's article in the latest LTW outlines a very convenient and economical housing arrangement available this year. It turns out that the least expensive place is also the closest. You can save on housing and gas by not having to drive to services.

Ezekiel is a hard study, but if we are going to claim to be students of the Bible, we have to study it. I have told you before, if you see a prophet walking down the road to your house, prepare yourself. For God does not send a prophet to tell us how good we are doing.

If we are doing well, it is for our own benefit, so why should he give us a pat on the back for it?

I didn't feel that Isaiah was a good book for radio, so I did it as a recording instead. I feel Ezekiel is similar, and didn't feel it was right for radio.

So now get ready for the 17th chapter which is a pair of allegories. Open your Bible and notebook, get a cup of coffee and a cruller and let's talk about Ezekiel. ]]> Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:28:05 GMT Episode 64 - Book of Ezekiel http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-06-12-wbs64-book-of-ezekiel.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back.

All is well here in Whitehouse after a stormy night. There were some tornados north of town, but as far as I know, none around here. But it was very noisy for awhile.

We have launched our new email newsletter this week. We moved our mailing list from our own server to an off site service called "Constant Contact". If you have subscribed to our list before and have not been getting regular mailings, you will need to go to borntowin.net and click on the link to subscribe to the email newsletter. Then you can subscribe again. We have found that there were a lot of bad addresses in the old program.

We will be learning how to do this for a few weeks, so bear with us. Put "The Staff" at borntowin@borntowin.net in your address book to be sure it gets through. The new software tells us when emails are blocked by ISPs. Be sure and look at your profile found when you click the blue link at the bottom of every email and update it in order to not get what you don't need.

So, open your Bibles to Ezekiel 15, get your notebooks ready and your refreshments to hand and lets talk about a real prophet. ]]> Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:28:05 GMT Episode 63 - Book of Ezekiel http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-06-05-wbs63-book-of-ezekiel.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back. It has been a busy time for me since we last spoke. I had a sermon on the Sabbath and again on Pentecost then I did my 800th radio program on Tuesday. I am ready for a weekend off.

We had a little celebratory lunch after the program. I told the staff it was for all of us because we are all involved. Gary Gibbons tried to find our traditional blueberry donuts, but no one had them. We have noted that blueberries are good for the eyes. it may be a bad sign for our times that there were no blueberry donuts available. Ezekiel would not be pleased.

We had a small meeting Wednesday about shifting our email newsletter to another service. We feel we can do a better job of maintaining a relationship with our listeners than we have been. We'll migrate all the existing addresses we have into the new service and all you will notice is a format change. We have over 1400 email addresses on our database. I expect to see that increase greatly.

For your information, we have two email lists that are completely separate. One is the CEM/Born to Win list and the other is my personal list connected to my personal website, rondart.com, a site I have created myself using MS Front Page and it is a separate entity entirely from the borntowin.net site. Call it my hobby.

We'll keep you posted on what we are doing.

For now, we head into one of the strangest sections of the Book of Ezekiel. So, open your Bible to Ezekiel 13, grab a cup of tea and if you are so blessed, a blueberry donut and let's deal with this difficult section. ]]> Fri, 5 Jun 2009 15:03:31 GMT Episode 62 - Book of Ezekiel http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-05-29-09-wbs62-book-of-ezekiel.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back. I am getting the impression that a lot of you, perhaps most, are listening to this study on Friday night. I almost called it the Friday Night Bible Study.

I generally record the study on Thursday morning to give Gary plenty of time to get ready to put up by Friday afternoon.

I am enjoying Ezekiel again after a long absence.

We are ready to roll out Ezekiel, chapter 11, so grab a cup of coffee and a cookie, or for our friends in England, some Stilton cheese and biscuits. Open your Bible and notebook and let's continue with this very strange vision of Ezekiels that started in his house, with the elders of Judah sitting before him. Remember, He was transported in vision back to Jerusalem and the Temple. God is not amused by what is going on there. Idolatry in all its nastiness has invaded the very Temple of God. ]]> Fri, 29 May 2009 15:25:12 GMT Episode 61 - Book of Ezekiel http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-05-22-wbs61-book-of-ezekiel.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back to the weekend Bible study.

All is well here in Whitehouse, our new Webmaster, Diane is settling in and learning the system. Our website is complicated, to say the least and it is going to take a little time.

We are returning to radio station KAAY out of Little Rock. This is a powerhouse of a station that has been poorly managed in the past. It covers most of North America after dark when the sky wave is working.

I recorded my 798th radio program this week, which seems astonishing. It just shows that creating a body of work takes time and persistence. Last week was number 60 of the WBS. We'll just keep on keeping on.

Meanwhile, have a cup of tea and another scone, lets go see what Ezekiel saw, and try to understand what it all means. ]]> Fri, 22 May 2009 16:32:52 GMT Episode 60 - Book of Ezekiel http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-05-15-wbs60-book-of-ezekiel.mp3
Happy Sabbath, everyone and welcome back. For those of you tuning in after we started this series, I strongly recommend that you start Ezekiel at the beginning.

A new radio station just started Tuesday in Los Angeles. This station is a little more expensive but we are pleased to be in that market.

We welcome Diane our new Webmaster to our staff this week.

It is time to tackle the Book of Ezekiel again, so grab a cup of coffee, open your Bible and notebook and let's talk. ]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 16:12:02 GMT Episode 59 - Book of Ezekiel http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-05-08-wbs59-book-of-ezekiel.mp3
Hi everyone, glad to be back with you again. I am truly sorry we had to cancel the Paris Landing event. We are sure that feast attendance will be off this year, but you never know.

We will be adding three or so radio stations over the next few weeks, thanks to a special contribution sent for that purpose.

I have had some very strong programs recently. Seems like I have to get them out there while I still can. God still seems to say no to retirement.

So, if you are ready, let's get organized and start off into Ezekiel. Get your refreshments, your Bible and notebook, and let's open to Ezekiel chapter 4. ]]> Fri, 8 May 2009 15:45:12 GMT Episode 58 - Book of Ezekiel http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-05-01-wbs58-book-of-ezekiel.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back. It is good to talk again.

We have a new Webmaster and Network person. Her name is Diane and she will be starting a week from next Monday. I have already offloaded some ideas I have for the Internet and that is to have a Friday night chat room for all you WBS folks. We'll keep you posted.

I have one email about last weeks study before we launch into Ezekiel, so off we go. ]]> Fri, 1 May 2009 17:01:06 GMT Episode 57 - Book of Ezekiel http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-04-24-wbs57-book-of-ezekiel.mp3
Hi everyone and welcome back.

Over 200 of you have signed up for my experimental newsletter and when we get a good computer person on board, we want to start using the same newsletter for the CEM email letter.

As promised, we will be starting the study of Ezekiel. So get yourself organized, with your refreshments du jour, your Bible and your notebook. ]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:01:06 GMT Episode 56 - Passover http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-04-03-wbs56-passover.mp3
Hello everyone, and welcome back to the last of the Weekend Bible Studies before Passover.

I told you this WBS would be experimental and Gary and I are going to try something new soon. We will try to combine making a program on the book of Ezekiel with the WBS.

So, grab a glass of milk and a cookie and open your Bibles and notebooks. Let's study what John had to say about the Passover. ]]> Fri, 3 Apr 2009 14:02:42 GMT Episode 55 - Passover http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-03-27-wbs55-passover.mp3
Hello again, everyone, and welcome to the next to last WBS before we leave for Passover.

For now, we are going to look at the Passover according to Luke. So, warm up your coffee, grab a brownie and open your notebook and Bible. ]]> Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:35:10 GMT Episode 54 - Passover http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-03-20-wbs54-passover.mp3
Hello everyone, welcome back.

Today, we are going to look at Matthew's account of the events surrounding the last Passover of Jesus. And then we'll look at some of the questions coming in.

So, grab some refreshment, get out your notebook and Bible, and turn to Matthew 26. ]]> Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:35:10 GMT Episode 53 - Passover http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-03-13-wbs53-passover.mp3
Hello everyone, it is good to be back. All is well here in Whitehouse. The radio situation is not as bad as it might have been. One station already has come back with a better offer which has moved it up the scale and saved it.

It is only four weeks to Passover. We have a lot of ground to cover today, so get your Bible and notes ready, grab a fresh cup of coffee, perhaps a blueberry Krispy Kreme, and let's study the Passover. ]]> Fri, 13 Mar 2009 17:15:12 GMT Episode 52 - Passover http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-03-06-wbs52-passover.mp3
Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Weekend Bible Study.

Paula Hughes joined our editorial staff this week. She will help us round out our YEA curriculum, and get us back on track with the adult Bible lessons, and a range of other things as well.

We have made some radio cuts, mainly due to budget considerations, but the stations we cut were at the bottom of the list of responses.

I know things are getting tight at your house. We have had a handful of reports of our friends losing jobs. We are a team and we have to work together. We have to stiffen up and do the right thing.

So gather your stuff, warm up your coffee, open your Bible and lets talk. ]]> Fri, 6 Mar 2009 16:25:36 GMT Episode 51 - Passover http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-02-27-wbs51-passover.mp3
Hello again, and welcome to the Weekend Bible Study. A special welcome to those of you who are joining us for the first time. We are glad you are here.

We have a lot to cover this time, and only six sessions between now and Passover. I won't attempt to answer all the questions I have today, because some of them relate to later times, and many will be answered in the ongoing discussion. So warm up your coffee, and we'll begin. ]]> Fri, 27 Feb 2009 16:10:18 GMT Episode 50 - Gospel of Luke http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-02-20-wbs50-gospel-of-luke.mp3
Hello folks and welcome back as we close out the Gospel according to Luke with Chapter 24, on this, our 50th Weekend Bible Study program.

Okay, we are ready to finish Luke, so get yourself a snack and a drink, and let's see how Luke finishes. ]]> Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:05:09 GMT Episode 49 - Gospel of Luke http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-02-13-wbs49-gospel-of-luke.mp3
Hello again,gang, glad you're here as we circle in for the conclusion of Luke's Gospel.

February will be over before we know it, then March, then Passover.

That's my introduction for this week so freshen up your coffee, get yourself another cookie, and when I come back we'll start out again in Luke. ]]> Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:45:19 GMT Episode 48 - Gospel of Luke http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-02-06-wbs48-gospel-of-luke.mp3
Hello everyone. I am finding this Weekend Bible Study to be perhaps the most efficient and helpful thing we have done to date. What I really like about this is that it is relatively easier to do than most means I have tried for teaching the Bible.

Well, Luke 22 is a long chapter, so I won't delay. So warm up your coffee, get another cookie, arrange your Bible and notebook, and let's begin. ]]> Fri, 6 Feb 2009 15:55:22 GMT Episode 47 - Gospel of Luke http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-01-30-wbs47-gospel-of-luke.mp3
Welcome back. We will finish Luke in about three weeks and I am thinking about doing a series here about the Passover because it will be close upon us. After doing the Passover, I am thinking about Ezekiel.

Put some popcorn in the microwave, warm up your coffee, arrange your notes and open your Bible to Luke 21. ]]> Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:37:15 GMT Episode 46 - Gospel of Luke http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-01-23-wbs46-gospel-of-luke.mp3
Hi everyone, and welcome back. Well, we have a new President, and I still don't know what to make of him.

We are at budget time here at CEM. We are planning a telephone conference board meeting to get approval on the fiscal 2008-2009 budget shortly. We are cautiously optimistic about the coming year.

Thanks to all our friends out there who keep us going.

We are continuing our study of Luke today. So grab another cup of coffee and a scone, open your Bible to Luke 20 and let's talk. ]]> Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:15:44 GMT Episode 45 - Gospel of Luke http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-01-16-wbs45-gospel-of-luke.mp3
The core mission of CEM is being served, and we haven't had to cancel any radio because of the financial situation. I fear, though that will become necessary as the year goes on. Trying to budget our income this year is like walking off into the dark without a flashlight.

This week, still having our torch, we walk a little further through Luke, getting on toward Passover. So get organized. Open to Luke 19, and freshen up your cuppa. ]]> Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:10:24 GMT Episode 44 - Gospel of Luke http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-01-09-wbs44-gospel-of-luke.mp3
I know this is a little late, but we had a few technical problems. Thanks for your patience as we work through the bugs.

December seems to be ending on a strong note in terms of mail, and that is encouraging for the coming year. We have had no idea what to expect, and are planning for maximum flexibility.

Responses to the radio program have been running quite strong, and that keeps me encouraged and pressing on.

Get yourself organized with your Bible and notes, and a cup of whatever you like, and let's go into Luke 18. ]]> Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:14:48 GMT Episode 43 - Gospel of Luke http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2009-01-02-wbs43-gospel-of-luke.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Weekend Bible Study, the first study of the year 2009.

Please remember us in your prayers that God will send workers into the harvest. We are in better shape that we were a few weeks ago, but we still have needs.

Meanwhile, the Gospel according to Luke awaits us. Open your Bible and get your notes ready. Grab a fresh cup of coffee or cocoa, and let's begin with Luke 17. ]]> Fri, 2 Jan 2009 15:12:45 GMT Episode 42 - Gospel of Luke http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-12-26-wbs42-gospel-of-luke.mp3
Hello everyone, and welcome back to the newly refreshed Weekend Bible Study at least we hope so.

We are seriously considering how to serve our list better. Soon, we may be back to providing a stand up sermon from the three of us and more. We just have to figure out a few issues and your prayers are appreciated.

We have been looking hard at next year's budget, and while we aren't worried, we know we may have to make some adjustments. We can't provide the service you folks need without people, and they do impact the budget.

Now grab a cup of coffee or tea, maybe a cookie or a scone, open your Bible and notebook, and lets study Luke 16. ]]> Fri, 26 Dec 2008 15:17:35 GMT Episode 41 - Gospel of Luke http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/gseven_2008-12-12T13_40_05-08_00.mp3
I hope this week represents getting back on schedule after a December to remember. I wouldn't say we had a perfect storm of problems, but certainly a confluence that threw us off a bit.

Speaking for myself, I am really glad to be getting back to normal. Having looked at the question situation for today, I have decided that the best approach will be to start with Luke and then see how we are fixed for time and questions afterward.

Get yourself organized, get a cup of coffee, your Bible and a notepad, and let's talk about Luke chapter 15. Because we are still having server problems the link takes everyone to GG Media's site as a temporary place for the study. ]]> Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:25:12 GMT Episode 40 - Gospel of Luke http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/gseven_2008-12-11T08_10_02-08_00.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Weekend Bible Study.

I am sorry we have had a gap in the study but I have had a bad cold and then Thanksgiving holidays, then I had the flu. Having the flu places stress on every organ in the body but I have recovered well. I appreciate all everyone's prayers.

So freshen up your drink, open your Bible and let's see where we go with Luke 14. Because we have been having server problems the link takes everyone to GG Media's site as a temporary place for the study. ]]> Fri, 12 Dec 2008 15:33:25 GMT Episode 39 - Gospel of Luke http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-11-14-wbs39-gospel-of-luke.mp3
We are hurting a little here at the office, being short handed. It is strange because we haven't been getting many resumes in response to ads. Apparently the unemployment rate in Tyler is still low. Be patient with us. We may be a little slower in responding to requests than before. What the future holds for all of us in this society is still murky, but our long term prospects are good especially as we hold on to the things that are truly important to us.

One caution for you to take seriously. I have seen this in churches, and it is bound to be just as true online. People come to church, plop themselves down and say, "feed me." Others read the material ahead of time, study it, and come prepared to participate, to ask questions, make comments. The first group tend to fall in the category of the seed that fell among thorns, and the cares of this world render them unfruitful and vunerable to false teachers.

The latter category tend to be those who bear fruit. So gird up your loins, open your Bible to Luke 12, and let's study together. ]]> Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:45:35 GMT Episode 38 - Gospel of Luke http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-11-07-wbs38-gospel-of-luke.mp3
Howdy everyone, and welcome back. All is well for us here, although we are struggling through a personnel transition. There are a few things we would like to do but they will have to wait until we have the right people on staff. Larry has some interviews today, I think, so perhaps it isn't far off. I am especially encouraged by the enthusiastic response to live streaming at the Feast.

The project I really want to do is a live streaming Bible Study on Saturday afternoon at about 3:00 PM, perhaps 3:30. The objective is to pull everyone together from Australia to Europe at the same time. I think that would be 7:30 in the morning in Brisbane and Melbourne, and maybe 9:30 Saturday evening in Europe. With the chat room active, and receiving emails at the same time, I can answer questions from anywhere.

I think we would want to activate the chat room for a half hour before, and until the last dog goes to sleep afterward. Anyway, let us know what you think,especially about fine tuning the time. It might be something to do once a month, perhaps.

Okay, since this Bible Study is an experiment, I decided to give you an experimental quiz. You can take the test from the link I put up on Rondart.com. It has to do with the first few chapters of the Luke series. ]]> Fri, 7 Nov 2008 15:42:34 GMT Episode 37 - Gospel of Luke http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-10-31-wbs37-gospel-of-luke.mp3
Good afternoon everyone! We're getting back to normal after the feast and I'm now recording usually three times a week. It's better than rusting away, right?! While we were gone at the Feast, Kim and Karen did a fantastic job holding down the fort for us. If you happen to call in and speak with them, please be sure and tell them thank you for the work they do for us and for you. Without them, this place wouldn't run. I hope you'll find time to join us for this Weekend Bible Study! ]]> Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:39:34 GMT Episode 36 - Gospel of Luke http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-10-24-wbs36-gospel-of-luke.mp3
Hello everyone, it's good to be back. Most everyone is back home and settling back into our routines again. I got in Wednesday night and went right to work on the Weekend Bible Study.

We had a wonderful feast, and I know some of you tuned in via live streaming. We aren't entirely sure how many, because we didn't have a way of counting those that watched from our web site without going through into the "JustIn" chat room. There, they were counted.

It was a great feast in every way, and as of today, we don't know whether we are going back to Destin, or staying in PCB. We will have to be back in PCB in 2010 in any case, but we can't be there every year either. It seems that we must remain pilgrims, and after all, that is what the feast is all about, isn't it?

I got a couple of emails just before the feast, and we will read them next. After that, we'll move into Luke chapter 9. I hope you'll join us for this Weekend Bible Study! ]]> Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:39:34 GMT Episode 35 - Gospel of Luke http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-10-03-wbs35-gospel-of-luke.mp3
Hello everyone, welcome back. Well, I said this was experimental, didn't I? Well, the guys decided to put a video camera in here to try live streaming as I do the study. But if you aren't watching right now, you may never see it at all. I have to look at it first and figure how bad it is.

The Internet has opened up so many avenues of doing things, we don't know what we will be doing next week.

Well, I do. Allie and I are leaving Sunday for Panama City Beach, where we will chill out for a while before the feast, thinking and preparing.

But, what that means is that this is the last Bible study until after the feast.

But remember. A few tears are okay, but no whining.

We were in Haltom City, Texas for the Feast of Trumpets this week. 68 good souls assembled there including two brand new folks from the radio program, which is always a thrill for me.

They had a mexican food potluck which was the best church supper I have had in a long time. Thanks to Ralph and Becky Collins and all the gang for hosting this.

I saw a news item a on Tuesday, that said the gas shortages in the Southeast should be end in two weeks. What a coincidence. In two weeks, we will have hundreds of folks on the road. If I were you, though, I would tank up before crossing the Georgia line.

Instead of questions this week, I have answers. Remember, I asked you to stop and think about something twice.

I only got two answers, so the rest of you need to shape up. I hope you'll join me for this Weekend Bible Study! ]]> Fri, 3 Oct 2008 21:25:49 GMT Episode 34 - Gospel of Luke http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-09-26-wbs34-gospel-of-luke.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back. It's good to be with you again. You are loyal Bible students, and you are to be commended.

All is well here, and I am experimenting with a new way of serving our scattered flock. I felt there was a modest conflict of interest in using the Tyler church of God pulpit exclusively, because they have a lot of things they need to talk about that don't concern all of you. Strange as it may sound, sermons really aren't "one size fits all." Especially where churches are concerned.

I have been aware for some time that the needs of you folks left me talking across the people in front of me, which isn't good for the speaker or the folks.

So, in case you aren't aware, I am doing videos from my office in place of the usual Sabbath sermon. I am on a bit of a learning curve, so I hope you will bear with me. You can get them in either DVD video or CD audio. I prefer the audio when I listen, but we are all different. And be sure and tell your friends this service is available, and there is no charge.

Allie and I are leaving October 5th for Panama city Beach, so we can chill out for a few days before everything starts in earnest. It will not only give us some rest, but some valuable preparation time.

After next weekend, we will put the WBS on hold until after the feast. I should have one or two more sermons done before I leave.

Please give me any feedback you want on how we can serve you better.

By the way. We are hoping to have live streaming of the feast services. It will be experimental, and is somewhat iffy, so be sure and check the web site under "what's new" for the links.

This is a good week for questions, since I have saved up two weeks worth, so get yourself organized, and we'll begin. ]]> Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:59:14 GMT Episode 33 - Gospel of Luke http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-09-19-wbs33-gospel-of-luke.mp3
This week's edition of the Weekend Bible Study is a special one. This week, GG Media's studios were scheduled to be closed on vacation, with Gary and his wife taking a cruise out of Galveston, TX. In preparation of their vacation, two episodes of the Study were recorded last week, this one being done on Thursday, Sep. 11. Of course, Hurricane Ike changed their plans and kept them in East Texas. Regardless, we are still going to use the episode of the Weekend Bible Study that was recorded last week and you can hear it today.

This week we'll be going through chapters 5 and 6 from the Gospel of Luke and then we'll discuss a little bit about languages and Philippians chapter 2. ]]> Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:56:03 GMT Episode 32 - Gospel of Luke http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-09-12-wbs32-gospel-of-luke.mp3
Hello everyone, welcome back. I am glad to hear from so many of you that you are enjoying this study. So am I. It is one of the healthiest things I do.

Let me forestall a rumor that may be making the rounds.

Years ago, I started a small Bible study in my living room to give me a forum for what we called "the tape program." We had a gaggle of scattered folks who relied on us for their Sabbath teaching, and it was easier for me to do the tapes for them if I had some folks present at the time.

That study grew out of my living room, and eventually, at the desire of the group, became a church. I was not their pastor, and only served as an elder. The church voted to allow CEM to use their services as the basis for our ongoing tape program, and we continued on like that for years.

But in recent months, some began to feel that the church should direct their own speaking schedule, which posed an immediate problem for CEM. At the same time, I was feeling that the relationship wasn't quite right, so I withdrew the CEM program and left them to decide what they wanted to do.

It should be obvious to anyone that a local church has its own special needs which should be addressed locally. CEM, on the other hand, has to address a much wider and more diverse audience. Experienced speaker that I am, I can't be unaware of the people in front of me, and I was feeling, well, not quite right about it.

In any case, I made the decision to start producing a video sermon/Bible study from my office. The first of these went out this week, and I will be preparing my atonement sermon for the next taping.

Naturally, in any situation like this, feelings get involved, and the Tyler church is now sorting out their direction from here. We wish them the best and pray that God will guide them in their decisions going forward. I have been feeling that I should get out more, anyway, instead of taking the easy route of speaking to the same folks, week after week.

All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose, said Paul. And I certainly feel we love God and have that call.

So, stick with us through the transition as we explore ways of serving the remnant out there.

As for this weekend's Bible Study, we're up to Luke chapters 3 and 4 and we'll discuss a question about the relationship between John and Jesus. Join us for this Weekend Bible Study! ]]> Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:11:06 GMT Episode 31 - Gospel of Luke http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-09-05-wbs31-gospel-of-luke.mp3
A happy Sabbath to all of you. I hope you are enjoying a day off. Every once in a while the amusing thought crosses my mind that there are those who consider the Sabbath day a yoke of bondage.

What makes it amusing is that, when God released the slave from Egypt, people who had worked every day of their lives, one of the first things he told them was, let's take a day off every week.

That is a yoke of bondage? Now that's funny.

I did an important thing this week. I took a fresh look at the subject of the Antichrist, and I have concluded that we may have overlooked something. I now see the Epistles of John in an entirely new light.

The results of that thinking are coming out in two media. One is a radio program, the other is a DVD recorded from my desk. If you are on our weekly sermon program, you will get it next week, as a replacement for the usual sermon. It will also be available in audio for those who prefer that medium. Later it will be on the Web.

The radio program is titled, The Spirit of Antichrist. The sermon from my office is titled, Antichrist Revisited. They are both made from the same notes, so you don't need both of them.

I watched some good political speeches this week, and there is no way we are not going to make history this year. We will either have our first black president or our first woman vice president, and the country will stand at a crossroads.

John McCain surprised me. I had predicted that he would make a bad choice for VP. He didn't.

The best three political speeches I have heard in years were given by Fred Thompson, Rudy Giuliani, and Sarah Palin.

I worried a little about Thompson, because he looks like his health may be failing. He is a good man and a fair actor. But his speech was a work of art and totally different from the others. He held that huge crowd in the palm of his hand.

Rudy gave a stem winder of a keynote address, with great humor. I would hire him for my attorney any day.

Then there was Sarah Palin. She did something I didn't think could be done. She awed the news people who were present. Chris Wallace summary from the floor that the overall impression was "a star is born."

My impression was that no one could ever say she is out of touch with the common man.

One pundit observed that what you saw there was a gift.

One thing is for certain. We have a clear, well delineated choice before us this year. Things will be different, for better or for worse, four years from now.

Not everything. Congress will still be there, with the lowest approval rating in the history of those houses, and strange as it may sound, the people will vote them back in office again.

We have two questions unrelated to the current book we are studying. The first asks for my recommendation for a Bible commentary, and the second deals with Satan as a murderer. We'll cover both of those and then move on to Luke chapters 2 and 3. I hope you'll join us for this Weekend Bible Study! ]]> Fri, 5 Sep 2008 16:21:12 GMT Episode 30 - Gospel of Luke http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-08-29-wbs30-gospel-of-luke.mp3
Howdy everyone, and welcome to the Weekend Bible Study. I checked yesterday, and our downloads are still running in the low 300's, and there are about 50 more who are downloading old lessons trying to catch up. Realizing that many of you are listening with two or more folks, I feel comfortable in declaring our group to number close to 500.

And to you folks who are trying to catch up, well, we'll leave a light on for you.

I experimented with video this week, recording at my desk, using a new microphone like those you see the anchors using on television. The sound and video were very good. We aren't distributing this one, as we were just trying to see how it would work. I don't know exactly what use I will make of it. Perhaps a one man online Bible college.

No, that sounds a little too ambitious at my age, but as long as I am having fun, I might as well play with the new toys. Especially if it is helpful to all of you.

Boy! The feast is getting close. I am looking forward to it more than I can tell you. I trust you are praying that the nasty hurricane will go somewhere else-perhaps somewhere that they need more rain. We do not need it coming into Panama city. But don't pray it off onto another feast site. We need it to just die out there.

Okay, I have a couple of unrelated questions, so I will put them at the end of the study. Get yourself organized, warm up your coffee or cocoa, find your pen, and open your Bible to the Gospel according to Luke.

I know, someone is wanting to know "Why Luke?" Well, it fills out the last gap in my recorded work on the New Testament. Matthew and John are both developed in radio series. We just did Mark on the WBS, and Acts through Jude is all covered in the Christian Origins series. As for Revelation, well, that was the first series I ever did.

So, in a way, this will complete something of an oral commentary on the New Testament.

I thought about Deuteronomy, but that is a more complicated task, and no one seemed very interested. Maybe later.

And for some reason, I feel a need to teach in Jesus' own words. Not long ago, after a sermon based on one chapter in one Gospel, a friend came up and very sincerely thanked me for a sermon about Christ. It wasn't that no one in our group is doing that, but perhaps we have lost our focus a little. There is always a danger of building off the foundation.

So now, about Luke.

We'll be right back. ]]> Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:46:23 GMT Episode 29 - Epistle to Hebrews http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-08-22-wbs29-epistle-to-hebrews.mp3
Hi folks, and welcome again to the Weekend Bible Study. I have an idea it is Friday evening for a lot of you, and I wish you a restful Sabbath. The nice thing about this is that you don't have to be online at the same time. Actually, I do this study on Thursday mornings to give us time to get it posted for you late Friday afternoon.

We have found ourselves in the position to be able to do live video and we may experiment with a Sabbath service out of our office. There is something about live that makes a difference. I know I will watch a movie on television when I never get around to watching a DVD. I think it has to do with the solidarity of watching at the same time.

So keep in touch, and we'll let you know what we are up to. The big thing for us is providing the service that you need. The catch is that we need to know what you need and like, so let us know.

We have no questions this week, which suggests that I am doing a good job. Thank you. That gives us plenty of time to close out Hebrews. Stay tuned to find out what we're up to next week. Until then, join us for this Weekend Bible Study! ]]> Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:48:39 GMT Episode 28 - Epistle to Hebrews http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-08-15-wbs28-epistle-to-hebrews.mp3
Hello Everyone, and welcome back to the Weekend Online Bible Study. We are glad you are here. We are making a fair approximation of a live Bible study-in some ways it is better, because you don't have to hit the precise time-and, neither do I. Thank God for the Internet.

Remember to send your questions and comments to me, ron@borntowin.net. I am still pondering where I will go next. I would even consider a topical Bible study if that is of any interest. I am running out of books of the Bible that I haven't recorded in one form or another. I have not done the Gospel of Luke as an independent study. If I were to do that, I would close out the NT. We could do a giant album titled, "The NT According to Ronald Dart." It is exhausting to even think about it.

I recorded a program Tuesday titled, "About the Messiah." It follows the theme of a set of programs I call, "What the First Christians Believed." This one is what they believed about Christ, about Jesus. It is what we have come to call "Christology." The First Christians had a very high Christology, and they were a lot closer to events than we are.

Last week's sermon has a similar theme, but not quite the same.

Yesterday, I read two more chapters of the coming Audio Book of The Lonely God. Should be out before the Feast, but don't order it now.

We have one question about last week's study, so get yourself organized. Our other questions will come at the end. ]]> Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:50:29 GMT Episode 27 - Epistle to Hebrews http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-08-08-wbs27-epistle-to-hebrews.mp3
Happy Sabbath everyone, it's good to be back. For your information, downloads seem to be holding stead in the low 300s, which makes a pretty good congregation, if we aren't live and at the same time. This is virtual live, in that we do our best to be current with everyone. I am having just a little bit of a problem with emails coming from the WBS in that I was assuming that some questions were from listeners and it turned out they weren't. Oh well, no one's perfect.

We had our first staff luncheon in the new facility and discussed how we could better serve our folks. If you have any suggestions along the lines of how we can serve better, just drop me an email at ron@borntowin.net and we will give it every consideration.

By the way, I mentioned some sermons on the tabernacle ceremony on the Day of Atonement. Doug young has helpfully provided some links. They can be found on the CEM forum, or on rondart.com, under the Weekend Bible Study, Hebrews. That is very helpful, Doug, and is much appreciated. ]]> Fri, 8 Aug 2008 20:53:02 GMT Episode 26 - Epistle to Hebrews http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-08-01-wbs26-epistle-to-hebrews.mp3
Hello again everyone and welcome back. I'm glad you're here.

We had an exceptional response last week to the program titled "Fairness and the Christian #2" I think there were over 70 calls on the answering service over the weekend, but there will be much more from letters and calls during the week. The old rule of thumb is that for 1,000 listeners, on average, only one will get in touch. So we had between 70,000 and 100,000 listeners over the weekend. We'll see what the week as a whole brings.

I think it is a seminal program, and you can still get a free CD of both one and two this week. As of today, both of them can be downloaded from the Radio Archives page.

We've been holding steady for the Hebrews series with about 300 listeners each week. As we've made our way through different books of the Bible, we've noticed that each one interests a different audience, and we're glad that you're here particpating in this one.

I am thinking that perhaps my next Bible study book might be Deuteronomy. It is a daunting project, but I would kind of like to do a radio series on it as well.

But for today, we're making our way through Hebrews chapter 9 and I've also got a couple questions to answer. We'll talk about the difference between a tabernacle and a temple, and we'll also revisit chapter 8 from Hebrews and talk about the New Covenant. I hope you'll join us for this Weekend Bible Study. ]]> Fri, 1 Aug 2008 21:33:49 GMT Episode 25 - Epistle to Hebrews http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-07-25-wbs25-epistle-to-hebrews.mp3
Hello again, folks. Glad you're back.

All is well on the home front. Had a nice visit with Bill Linden, from South Carolina, this week. He is one of the Bible study group, and if any of you are near Tyler, I hope you'll drop in.

Festival preparations are on apace. There is a LOT that goes into that feast, and a lot of work is put in on it. Allie's YEA group are working like beavers. Diane Kleeschulte is leading YEA at the feast this year. She is a professional teacher and we are so pleased she has undertaken the effort. Allie has been up late putting the finishing touches on the material all the teachers will need. We have no idea how many to expect this year, but at our peak, if memory serves, we registered about 195 kids for YEA.

I know all you can't make it to Florida, but we will all be together in spirit.

We have stirred up some questions this week, which I always enjoy. This isn't quite as good as a classroom, but it gets close.

One thing I would like for you to know is that I have a limited amount of time for preparation for these studies, and so much of what I will say is ad lib. One of the reasons I decided to do this study is because it is easier than doing a program. That being so, it is quite possible that I won't catch every question you have in mind. So don't hesitate to send follow up questions or ask for clarification. I am pleased with that just as I would be with classroom questions.

I miss the give and take of the classroom. Perhaps you can tell. By the way, if anyone out there has the skills to create an online, self grading quiz, let me know.

We have two questions from previous chapters in Hebrews this week. By the way, don't worry about asking questions when you are running behind-on the assumption that I may answer it later. If I did, I will remember and let it ride for the later answer. I may even repeat the answer. The important thing is that we don't leave stuff hanging out there. When in doubt, ask. If I don't want to answer online, I can answer by email. Oh yes, and be sure and let me know that you are listening. I am assuming that if you include name and town, that it is a WBS question.

I also have a number of other questions I'll answer including various topics like women in the church, praying, when the book of Revelation was written, and a question about Zechariah 12. After you listen to the question, click here to download Minor Prophets #30 where I go in depth into this chapter.

Have a great weekend everyone, hope you have a chance to join us for this Weekend Bible Study! ]]> Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:41:08 GMT Episode 24 - Epistle to Hebrews http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-07-18-wbs24-epistle-to-hebrews.mp3
Hi Folks, and welcome back,

Here in Tyler, we are hitting the warm season and I, for one, prefer to stay indoors in the air conditioning. It is one thing Gary and I seem to have in common, but we are just relieved that we haven't seen a 100 degree day yet.

Watch for a radio program that will be the Online Exclusive in a week or so, titled, "A Tale of Two Nations." What I did was take the two sets of descriptions from Deuteronomy 28, and considered the reasons for them, pointing out that actually, they could be descriptions of the same nation at different points in her history. You won't have much trouble figuring out that I am talking about the USA, and how we have changed over time.

I suggested a new parlor game. Keep an open Bible by your chair, turned to Deuteronomy 28, and see if you can determine about where your country falls along the descriptors. It isn't an all or nothing thing. It is a continuum from the one extreme to the other.

Be careful about one thing, though. Don't just assume it is all those sinners causing the problem. We are right in the middle of all this ourselves, and we have our burden to bear. After all, some of our brothers and sisters may have been in on the flooding in the midwest, and the drought in Georgia. It is just possible that we are all doing something wrong.

Anyway, that program was taped Tuesday and is waiting for a second program to go on the same CD. When we have 'em, you can listen to them online. If, of course, you have become a subscriber to the online newsletter. Otherwise, you'll have to wait.

If you haven't ordered your copy of Doctrinal self-defense, we still have some of the first printing. We sent over 200 of them out the week they arrived. I don't know what the numbers have been since. There are two other chapbooks coming later this year. One is based on my sermon titled "Christian Pharisees" and the other will be the third of the Psalms devotional books. One or the other should be ready by the feast.

By the way, things are shaping up well for the feast, so, if you haven't already made your reservations, it is time to start thinking about it. We have no idea what to expect this year, partly due to gasoline prices. But no matter, we are going full steam ahead.

To the people in Bermuda, thanks for enduring Big Bertha. We tend to be concerned from now all the way to the feast, and there is no where on the mainland a hurricane can land with no effect on someone's Feast. ]]> Fri, 18 Jul 2008 21:22:09 GMT Episode 23 - Epistle to Hebrews http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-07-11-wbs23-epistle-to-hebrews.mp3
Welcome back everyone. I hope you have recovered from the holiday weekend and have caught up.

This is a busy week for me.

I did Radio on Tuesday, recorded the first three chapters of The Lonely God for an audio book of the same, today we do the Bible study, and I have a sermon on Sabbath.

It is nice to have plenty to do. By the way, don't attempt to order the audio book right away. It will be a couple of months in reaching completion.

By the way, we would very much like to have an intern this summer. Tyler has two colleges you can attend, and CEM can always use help. We would look favorably upon any young person who has electronic aptitude or editorial. Send us a resume, a trancscript or a letter and tell us who you are and what you would like to do.

And It could go beyond summer. Our last two interns have been here a long time.

I've got one question this week on our current study of the Epistle of Hebrews, as well as one I'll cover at the end of this week's episode discussing insects and locusts in the Old and New Testament. Keep your questions and your comments coming, you're what keeps this Bible Study going. ]]> Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:35:35 GMT Episode 22 - Epistle to Hebrews http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-07-03-wbs-22-epistle-to-hebrews.mp3
Hi folks and welcome back. Some of the guys thought maybe I wouldn't do a study this weekend, but I was already scheduled and saw no reason not to go ahead. If you are away, you can catch up when you get home.

I think we will celebrate the 4th at home and take it easy. May try out my new charcoal grill. I bought one of those neat chimneys for lighting the charcoal without lighter fluid. I probably should stop off somewhere and pick up an aerial bomb, just for old times' sake.

Gerald is okay now, but he whacked his head unloading the trailer after Summer Camp, and got a mild concussion from it. Missed a couple of days of work, but he will be back in harness right away.

I hope some of you have your chapbook on Doctrinal Self-Defense. Pam and I are anxious for feedback from readers. We had over 200 orders waiting when they came in. Don't know how many since then.

Last week was week one in the study of the book of Hebrews. If you missed it, please go to the website and listen to it before you tackle this lesson. You'll have plenty of time to catch up later, and I like to proceed on without having to backtrack for students who are behind.

So, gather your Bible and notebook, and let's study Hebrews. ]]> Thu, 3 Jul 2008 20:52:29 GMT Episode 21 - Epistle to Hebrews http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-06-27-wbs21-epistle-to-hebrews.mp3
Hi Folks and welcome back. We are now ensconced in our new studios, but with the same old personnel. Gary Gibbons and I will be doing our best to find ways to help you learn.

We have celebrated the new Studios with a Blueberry donut, and are ready to begin a new study of a new book of the Bible. I hope we don't have a problem getting this out for you as Gerald and Larry are gone to summer camp. But you can rest assured that we will do our best.

We have some questions, but since they cannot be arising from a previous study, we'll push them down to the latter part of the study.

I had about three people suggest that we go to the Book of Hebrews for our next study, and that seemed reasonable enough. Then, I got a question on Hebrews in Springfield this week that more or less made up my mind on it.

So freshen up your iced tea, and we'll be right back with the Epistle to the Hebrews. ]]> Tue, 1 Jul 2008 15:45:41 GMT Weekend Bible Study - Signs of the Times http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/signs_of_the_times.mp3
Good afternoon everyone, I hope you've had a great week. Ron and Allie are on vacation this week while GG Productions is moving to their new offices. Based on all the noise we've been hearing from their end of the office, the move has gone well and everything is on schedule for them to reopen next week. It is certainly going to be different having them under the same roof as us, and we're all excited about the possibilities.

As for next week's Weekend Bible Study, if you haven't already mailed in your suggestion to Mr. Dart, be sure and do so. Click here to visit our Contact Page on the website.

In place of a normal weekend Bible Study, we have a sermon from the archives titled Signs of the Times. It was recorded in Brisbane, Australia back in 2002 and includes a stirring rendition of the song, Amazing Love to start the message.

I hope you enjoy this week's message and we'll see you back here next week as we continue on with the Weekend Bible Study.

--R. Gerald Saul ]]> Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:51:35 GMT Episode 20 - The Second Epistle of Peter http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-06-13-wbs20-2nd-epistle-of-peter.mp3
Earlier this week, I was reading an article by P.J. O'Rourke in the Weekly Standard. I really enjoy his material--he doesn't take himself too seriously and it comes across in his approach to certain topics. The article was actually an interview with Senator John Sununu and I'll quote him:

Does Senator Sununu find his principles compromised by the American Idol stagecraft of practical politics and its Paula Abdul logic? "Too many politicians," the senator said, "fail to realize that voters are intelligent enough to understand that they can't agree with you about everything. What people want is someone who's thoughtful, direct, and able to explain. Reagan reveled in explaining. Was he 'too simplistic'? He was as deep and thoughtful as any of his contemporaries."

The idea that people are smart enough that they don't have to agree on everything--I thought that was good. I really like the idea of being a person of revels in explaining things. I've done that for years in my life and I rather enjoy it.

Now, going through Jude last week made me more than a little aware at the constant state of heresy among Christian folk. This week, I want to take the time to discuss this a little bit and then that will lead us into our study of Peter's second letter. ]]> Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:17:27 GMT Episode 19 - The Book of Jude http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-06-06-wbs19-book-of-jude.mp3
Happy Pentecost, everyone, and welcome back. After this week, I only have two sessions left in this studio until we pull up stakes and move. I'll ask Gerald to find some thing good to put up the week we are down, so we don't lose touch. And then, we'll inaugurate the studio in new settings.

Gary and I plan to have some blueberry donuts for the first session in the New place. Blueberries are very good for the eyes, you know. We'll be fine if Gary will just keep the crumbs out of the electronics.

I had a couple people suggest the Book of Jude as a Bible Study topic while we get ready for the move, so that's what we'll take on this weekend. I've also got a question I'll answer from a friend in Canada about keeping the Sabbath.

Have a blessed Pentecost celebration, and I hope you'll join me for this Weekend Bible Study! ]]> Fri, 6 Jun 2008 20:03:39 GMT Episode 18 - The Epistle of Galatians http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-05-30-wbs18-epistle-of-galatians.mp3
Hi folks!

We missed those of you who couldn't make it to Paris Landing last weekend. We had about 110 people in spite of 3 weddings and $3.84 gasoline! Everything went swimmingly; we made it home tired but feeling that a lot of good things happened up in Paris Landing. We don't know for sure what we're going to do next year--we have penciled in to do it there again. Meanwhile, we're going to do a little research to see what else is available and see what develops in the next year.

We're going to finish the Book of Galatians this week and we've only got two weeks left before the studio move. I'm not sure how I want to use those just yet--I'll welcome your suggestions. Current plans are to put up an archive sermon for the weeks we are down, and then after we'll take on more serious approaches to longer books.

A question was asked at the Family Retreat that I thought I might profitably explore here. It's a question about the calendar and about church division in general. After we discuss that, I'll wrap up Galatians chapters 5 and 6. I hope you'll join us for this Weekend Bible Study! ]]> Fri, 30 May 2008 19:48:54 GMT Episode 17 - The Epistle of Galatians http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-05-23-wbs17-epistle-of-galatians.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back. I guess you have the entire weekend to catch up on the Bible studies. As for us, as soon as I finish recording this study, I am bolting for the door and heading out to Paris Landing state Park in Tennessee for the Family retreat.

Unfortunately, we have had a few families have to cancel because of gas prices. They want to make the feast, but they can't make both. We understand, and hope to do whatever we can to keep people tied together.

I've been discussing with staff the possibilities of live video streaming, not only of church services but Bible studies as well. If the pattern of expensive travel continues, we may end up becoming the Internet Church. We could even have a chat room set up where you could send questions while the Bible study is going on.

I just wanted you to know that we are thinking about you.

In this week's installment, I'll discuss one question about just where it was that Paul went to when he received his instruction from Jesus. Then, we'll continue in the Epistle of Galatians with chapters 3 and 4. Have a safe Memorial Day weekend wherever you are, and I hope you'll find time to join us for this Weekend Bible Study. ]]> Thu, 22 May 2008 15:35:23 GMT Episode 16 - The Epistle of Galatians http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-05-16-wbs16-epistle-of-galatians.mp3
Hello again everyone and welcome back to the Weekend Bible Study. It won't be long now before we see some of you in Paris Landing, TN. We will have a nice group, but I fear a lot of stalwarts will be distracted by weddings or intimidated by gas prices. But we can still all get together for the weekend Bible study, which goes on wherever we are.

I have a couple letters I'll answer, including one related to the Jerusalem Conference that we're covering in chapter two of Galatians this weekend. For the other letter, the answer includes this link to a YouTube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wpPk8qk3uQ) that our theme music is based on here at the Weekend Bible Study. I hope you'll join us! ]]> Fri, 16 May 2008 16:35:32 GMT Episode 15 - The Epistle of Galatians http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-05-09-wbs15-epistle-of-galatians.mp3
Hello everyone and welcome back. We are starting to think ahead about the Memorial Day Family Retreat in Paris Landing, TN. We have a full selection of workshops and seminars plus the worship service on the Sabbath. We are also planning for plenty of fellowship and fun. Paris Landing is on the Kentucky Lakes, and very close to the Land between the lakes. I hope a lot of you will be joining us there.

I have one question this week, but it is an often asked one:

Patt Pall Mammoth Spring, AR

My mechanic was closed yesterday and he said it was because of the New Moon. I thought he just wanted to avoid some of the crazies that seem to pop out of the woodwork on a new moon, but he said it was a day to be observed just like the Sabbath. There are 12 references to the "New Moon". Six of the OT references seem to equate New Moon with Sabbath observance. In the NT there is only Paul's reference to "a new moon" in Colossians 2:16. I'd never heard of the new moon being observed as a Sabbath and there doesn't seem to be anything about it being observed "from generation to generation." What's your thought on this?

I also got an interesting email this week:

My husband and I were recently driving to Florida from Alabama and on the way we picked up your show. We are eastern catholic (both of Middle Eastern decent) and what you spoke about (easter/Pascha) pleased us. It is rare for a non Catholic radio show to speak about the historical Christian church and its celebrations. We as you probably know follow a full calander of feast days that not only include Pascha and Chrismas(Nativity or Incarnation) but feasts like Pentecost,as you referred to it the "Harvest" feasts, or the feast of weeks, the feast of the elevation of the Holy Cross, etc. As our Melkite church teaches one must know the Old Testament and Judaism in order to fully understand Christ, and the New Testament. Hope to catch your show again sometime. In Christ, Jo Ann Shahid

Okay, pause the playback and grab your snacks. I'll be right back with more of the introduction to Galatians. If you missed the first lesson, I'd recommend you listen to it first. ]]> Fri, 9 May 2008 14:45:22 GMT Episode 14 - The Epistle of Galatians http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-05-02-wbs14-epistle-of-galatians.mp3
Hello everyone, and welcome back. We have just passed into the merry month of May, and we are in the last weeks of the nicest time of year in Tyler. The Azaleas and dogwoods are gone, and the trees are all leafed out, and the temperatures have not become unbearable. . . yet.

As of now, it looks like the studio move will take place the week of June 16th, and we'll find a useful sermon from the Archives to fill in while Gary moves and Allie and I vacation. We are thinking about going up to Branson for a week, and we might have a Bible study up there somewhere.

I have some questions this week, but I decided to put them at the end of the Study.

I had several suggestions on where we might go next with the WBS, and after giving it some thought, I decided on the Book of Galatians. It is such a problematic epistle and has been so abused in proof-texting arguments, that I felt like going back and laying some groundwork.

I have taught Galatians many times, but the book, Law and Covenant, brought some issues into a slightly different light, and I thought we might all profit from a fresh look at the letter.

But before we do, there is some important foundation to be laid for a correct understanding. That is where we are going to start.

So, get yourself organized, be sure you have everything you need, and we'll begin after this break. ]]> Fri, 2 May 2008 18:35:00 GMT Episode 13 - The Gospel of Mark http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-04-25-wbs13-gospel-of-mark.mp3
Good evening to the Friday night gang and hello to those of you listening later. You all come together here at the same time.

In this week's episode, we will discuss a little bit about the timing of Passover celebrations and why I've come to do things the way that I do. Also, we've come to the end of the Gospel of Mark, wrapping up with chapters 15 and 16.

The number of downloads seem to be holding up, although it is plain that any number of people are running along behind. Maybe they can catch up when we move the studio.

It now appears that the move will take place the week of June 16. We will probably put some archival material up for the WBS for a couple of weeks. Allie and I are going to take the opportunity to take a short vacation.

I haven't decided where to go next with the Bible study, but we will let you know with the email newsletter. ]]> Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:38:15 GMT Episode 12 - The Gospel of Mark http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-04-18-wbs12-gospel-of-mark.mp3
Welcome back, everyone. We are glad to be with you again. We are having some glorious spring weather here in Tyler, and the azaleas and dogwoods are just past their prime.

I have a few questions this week, one about a scripture in Luke 24 that was brought to mind by my radio program last weekend, Three Days and Three Nights. Also in this week's episode we'll discuss clean and unclean foods, a question about figs from last week's installment, and a short conversation on the resurrection. After all that, we'll make our way through Mark chapter 14. Let's dive in! ]]> Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:16:00 GMT Episode 11 - The Gospel of Mark http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-04-11-wbs11-gospel-of-mark.mp3
Hi again, pleased to be with you.

I am wondering how many of you are planning to be with us over the Memorial Day weekend. Information can be found on borntowin.net under events. Be sure and drop us a note if you are coming.

We are fully settled in now from the move, and everyone is starting to catch up on a lot of stuff that was put off for a few days. We'll have a new level of normalcy soon.

I've only got one comment that I want to share with you this week. It comes from Peter Kamen up in Long Island, NY and deals with the parable of The Rich Man and Lazarus. After that, we'll cover chapters 12 and 13 of the Book of Mark, since I've got no questions to answer from last week's study. So get your cup of tea ready and come join us in our Weekend Bible Study. ]]> Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:19:30 GMT Episode 10 - The Gospel of Mark http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-04-04-wbs10-gospel-of-mark.mp3
We're completing our second week here in the new office, we've just about got everything put away. Not only that, but no one has snapped anyone's head off!--moving, as you know, is a real test. By the time you hear this, we will have had our annual board meeting in the new office, as well as a short dedication of the building to God, to His work and His honor. That should serve as a challenge to all of us to shape up and make this place all it ought to be; it's not about us, it's about Him. He didn't give us this place for our pleasure, it's for His work.

We're still thiking about what to do in the approximately two week period when the radio studio is moving. If you haven't figured it out, yet, I do this at the studios of GG Media Productions, who are moving in with us. Gerald and I are thinking about doing this in my office on video and putting it up on YouTube for those couple of weeks. We'll see if we are smart enough to make that happen. That's a challenge Gerald will have a hard time turning down. Meanwhile, we've got some questions to answer.

First, I had a comment in our ongoing discussion of the New King James Version of the Bible. Plus, I've got an explanation of the Veil of Moses that I'll share with you before we delve into Chapter 11 of the Book of Mark.

After our lesson from Mark, I've got questions about Lazarus and the Rich Man, the Health and Dietary Laws of the Old Testament, and a question about how long people will live during the millenial reign of Jesus Christ. We look forward to you joining us for this weekend's Bible Study. ]]> Fri, 4 Apr 2008 20:54:12 GMT Episode 9 - The Gospel of Mark http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-03-28-wbs9-gospel-of-mark.mp3
Hello everyone, welcome back. We have finished the move of our offices to the new building in Whitehouse. We all survived the move. Allie and I went in Sunday and unpacked all my stuff and arranged my office. Kim, who leads in our fulfillment section, brought her whole family over Sunday and they worked all day and into the evening unpacking and setting up.

The move wasn't easy on the staff, but I can report that everyone is over it and settling into our new digs.

We have not lost much time in fulfilling requests. By the way, we have some old VHS recorders and some cassette stuff you may be able to get out of Larry for shipping costs. We have made the full transition to CDs and DVDs. (And Web distribution). We wondered a little if our transfer to the Web would affect our income, but it apparently has not. People have transitioned to using the web and PayPal to contribute. I expect many will start using direct bank transfers. Technology is moving so fast we can hardly keep up.

By the way, we may have an opening for an intern this summer. If you are interested, get in touch. Someone with Web and Tech skills would be attractive.

I had two students take me up on my question about Moses and Elijah, I'll share that with you before we move into this week's chapter from Mark. After that, I've got a handful of questions to answer, unrelated to our ongoing study. I hope you'll join us for this Weekend Bible Study. ]]> Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:47:12 GMT Episode 8 - The Gospel of Mark http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-03-21-wbs8-gospel-of-mark.mp3
The CEM offices are moving today, so it's been a little chaotic in our lives. Because of that I don't have a detailed description available, but you can still check out the link below to get this weekend's bible study. I hope you'll join us. ]]> Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:41:30 GMT Episode 7 - The Gospel of Mark http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-03-14-wbs7-gospel-of-mark.mp3
Howdy students, good to be with you again. Our overall average of downloads held at 415, but the last three weeks are closer to 350. Still a very good group.

I went by yesterday afternoon to look at our new offices, which are mostly complete. We should be moving in next Friday, and I will spend part of Sunday packing my office. We are all a little daunted with the move itself, but really looking forward to our new digs. Kim especially, because she could reasonably walk to work. Three of our folks actually live in Whitehouse, so they are pleased.

We have quite a bit more room, and it's much better organized, so we should be more efficient.

So far, I have only had one suggestion for how to be out of town for the move. I've also got a question about tithing in regards to last week's study. Then, after we make our way through Mark Chapters 8 and 9, I'll answer some more of your questions. Come join us for the Weekend Bible Study! ]]> Fri, 14 Mar 2008 02:18:30 GMT Episode 6 - The Gospel of Mark http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-03-07-wbs6-gospel-of-mark.mp3
Howdy again everyone, and a happy and relaxing weekend to you all.

All is well here in Tyler.

The next two weeks are going to be hectic getting ready for moving the office. (I'm still looking for an excuse to be out of town, but with no luck yet.)

It is interesting watching the flow of downloads of this WBS. The average number was up this week to 415, but those participating are spread out from lesson 1 to up to date. There are new people checking in all the time, but time pressures cause some to run behind. That's okay, because what we have is a virtual togetherness, not a literal one.

This week we've got a question about demons in the Book of Mark, as well as a short question on the Holy Days this year. Join us for this week's Weekend Bible Study! ]]> Fri, 7 Mar 2008 16:18:20 GMT Episode 5 - The Gospel of Mark http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-02-29-wbs5-gospel-of-mark.mp3
Hi gang, and welcome back. For your information, in the last month we have averaged 401 downloads each week. That probably averages at least 500 who listen. Thanks for joining in. Remember, if you have questions, you can email them to me at ron@borntowin.net.

Or go to the contact link on the front page of our website.

We will be moving our offices in three weeks, so we will be in some confusion around that date. I hope we will be able to continue uninterrupted, but we may have to ask you to go to the web page for the download instead of getting the email newsletter.

Also, in a few weeks, the radio studio will be moving, and I won't be able to record as I normally do until they are back up and operating.

Otherwise, all is well here at CEM and we appreciate the encouragement we get from all of you.

We have three questions today on the material we have covered so far... ]]> Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:18:20 GMT Episode 4 - The Gospel of Mark http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-02-22-wbs4-gospel-of-mark.mp3
Welcome to the Weekend Bible Study, which, if you need it, can go on all week.

Someone asked if we had considered live streaming, and the answer is yes, we considered it.

The problem is that not everyone is available at the same time.

And effectively, there is no difference from where you sit.

One thing, I don't know if I mentioned is that we have provided a forum for this group in case you would like to discuss it with one another. To join the forum, go to the front page at borntowin.net, click on the link to the forum and follow instructions.

Be advised, we don't use assumed names, screen names or pseudonyms on the forum. You have to register with your real name.

If you have trouble, drop me an email and I'll help.

Also address your questions for this study to me at ron@borntowin.net.

You can also use the contact us link on the front page of the web site.

Looks like we are going to settle in for now at around 4-500 listening to the study each week.

Some really encouraging emails this week, many from people with no like minded group to meet with.

Ron ]]> Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:18:20 GMT Episode 3 - The Gospel of Mark http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-02-15-wbs3-gospel-of-mark.mp3
A warm howdy to all you Bible students, and welcome to this experimental online Bible study.

All is well here in Tyler as we work our way through the various frustrations of moving. Our new offices should be finished in a couple of weeks and we have already got boxes out putting stuff in them for the move. I am trying to figure a way to be out of town when all this comes down.

But, we are getting more room and more efficiency. I'm just glad I don't have to move my home.

We are getting some really nice emails these days and hardly any that are critical. I got a condemnation this week for using the NIV. It is odd, but most of the rare critical emails come from King James only advocates. I need those folks though, because it is not a good thing to have everyone speak well of you.

We have had some 575 now who have downloaded the first Bible Study. We will never know for certain how many are listening in, but it is obviously worth doing for all the saints.

Ron ]]> Fri, 15 Feb 2008 16:18:20 GMT Episode 2 - The Gospel of Mark http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-02-08-wbs2-gospel-of-mark.mp3
Howdy everyone, and welcome to the second of our Weekend Bible Studies.

You will be interested to know that by Thursday, we had over 375 downloads of the Bible study. We have no way of knowing how many are listening, but in many cases it is a family. So we could have 500, as many as 700 Folks participating.

Welcome, and welcome to all newcomers. If you missed last week, be sure and visit our website to listen to last week's study.

We have a slight format change. Remember, this is experimental. There will be three sections of the study. First are questions arising from last week's study. Second, we'll start through the Gospel of Mark, third, we'll answer unrelated questions.

So I will kick off tonight with three questions that arose from last week's study...

The link is below, so click in and be in touch.

Ron ]]> Fri, 8 Feb 2008 16:18:20 GMT Episode 1 - The Gospel of Mark http://www.borntowin.net/radioprograms/weekendbiblestudy/2008-02-01-wbs1-gospel-of-mark.mp3
Hi,

Beginning tonight, we are trying something new: "The Weekend Bible Study." With the Internet age, so many things are possible, even easy, that we could never do before. Now, I can conduct something like our old Friday night Bible study and do it for hundreds, maybe even thousands of people at the same time.

Here's how it will work. Every Friday afternoon, we will mail out a link to our email newsletter list with a link to the file where you can listen to the study. (It will be audio, in MP3 format. We will also link the study from the "What's New" section of borntowin.net.) I will talk about the news, answer questions, and then start teaching through a book of the Bible. There will be an email address where you can mail your questions during the week and we can answer them the next weekend. Approximate time for the study will be 45 minutes.

The beauty of this is that you can save the email and listen at your convenience. You can load it up on your ipod and listen as you drive to work if you wish. (But I hope you will be somewhere with your Bible open in front of you.)

The link is below, so click in and be in touch.

Ron ]]> Fri, 1 Feb 2008 16:18:20 GMT