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Luke 16:19-31 When you were a child, what were you expecting Heaven to be like? Now that you're older, what are you anticipating about Heaven? If poverty didn't exist, would people have a problem experiencing God? If there was no service to do, how would people be Godly? How do the lives of the rich man and Lazarus compare? What kept the rich man from helping Lazarus? (Note that the rich man even knew his name!) Who are the Lazaruses who are right at our gate but we ignore? Note that it isn't money that is the problem in this story. It is the refusal to use that money to serve another. Some important things to learn from this story: there is life after death; how we live this life affects the next; we need to listen to God; we need to share with others; we need to re-evaluate our priorities. Feedback: hello@CastTheNet.net

The Wise and Foolish Builders - Luke 6:46-49 Why would somebody call Jesus “Lord,” and then not do what he says?  What does this parable mean to you?  What does the rock represent?  This parable is also in Matthew 7:24-27, it uses "rock" and "sand." Why is a solid foundation important to a house?  Why is a solid faith important to your life? Besides Jesus, what other “foundations” do people depend on?  What is Jesus promising to those who live by his words? What is he not promising? Notice that storms hit both houses. What kinds of "storms" hit people? If somebody were to say to you that their faith foundation was a little shaky, what would you advise them to do? feedback: hello@CastTheNet.net

Acts 2:1-15, 22-24, 36-42 Acts 2:1-4 What was this like?  How did it sound? -was it startling? -did it last the whole time?  What did it look like?   Was it hot--could you feel the flame?  How did they feel? …fascinated? confused? scared? emboldened?  What would you do with the gift of speaking other languages? Acts 2:5-13 See how loud the disturbance must have been. Compare the reactions of the people in versus 12 and 13.  Why were there skeptics?  Why are there skeptics today?  Acts 2:14-15, 22-24, 36-42 How does this all suddenly make sense to Peter? Where did he get this knowledge?  What can you say about the Holy Spirit equipping people to do God’s work?  When have you experienced that personally?  What was the reaction of the crowd to Peter’s sermon? _Peter, you are the rock upon whom I will build my church._ Matthew 16:18  Who do you think was more impacted by this day--the ones who received the Holy Spirit or the ones who witnessed all this? The book Katarina mentions is called, _Tongue of Fire on the Daughters of the Lord, Or, Questions in Relation to the Duty of the Christian Church in Regard to the Privileges of Her Female Membership._ Comments, Questions, Requests: hello@CastTheNet.net

What is your favorite picnic food? **John 21:1-14** Some interesting things: the number of fish are counted; the disciples didn't recognize Jesus at first, but then knew it was him; Peter gets completely dressed and then jumps into the water. Peter often leaps without looking, which leads us to today's conversation. Why are the disciples back up in Galilee? When we are surrounded with uncertainty, don't we also look for the familiar? Did the disciples think their time with Jesus was over? Were they confused about why they had been following Jesus in the first place? Asking the men to throw their nets off the other side of the boat is a throwback story to Luke 5:1-11. Peter knew that Jesus heard him deny Jesus. Even though Peter is bounding toward the shore to see Jesus, wouldn't you expect the conversation after the denial would be difficult? In Mark 16:7, the angel tells the women to go and tell the disciples "and Peter." Why would Peter be singled out specifically? Had he resigned his discipleship with the denial? Even if he had lost his status as being a disciple, was he not still chosen by Jesus? Jesus had a job for Peter. **John 21:15-19** Why is Peter asked three times if he loves Jesus? Is it because of the three denials? Notice that Jesus isn't calling him by his nickname, "Peter," but by the more formal, "Simon, son of John." Why is this? When Jesus asks, "Do you love me more than these?" what does he mean by _these_? There are two different meanings of the word _love_ here: Agape, which is the unconditional love we get from God; Philia, which is the love shared between siblings and best friends. 1\. Jesus asks Peter if he loves him unconditionally (agape). Peter responds he loves Jesus in a brotherly way (philia). Why does Peter not think he can answer with unconditional love? Is it a feeling of being unworthy; is it a feeling of being inauthentic? Even though Peter doesn't feel like he can offer his unconditional love, Jesus still believes in Peter; still has a job for him. 2\. Jesus again asks about unconditional love; Peter again answers with brotherly love. 3\. Jesus now asks about brotherly love; Peter agrees with brotherly love. There is little doubt that Peter eventually discovered unconditional love for Jesus, but he was not ready at this time. But Jesus was not going to give up on him. Instead, Jesus was willing to meet Peter where he was. feedback:hello@castthenet.net

**Luke 24:13-15** How would you describe the mood/disposition of these two men? What kept them from recognizing Jesus? Why do you suppose Jesus decided to have a Bible study rather than just revealing his identity? What Scripture do you think Jesus might have told them about?  Why do you think these men were leaving Jerusalem? Wouldn't they have stayed to see what was up with the empty tomb?  Why do you think Jesus acted as if he was going further? When did the men finally recognize Jesus? What helps you to recognize Jesus? If you were to walk a few miles with Jesus, what would you want to talk about along the way? feedback:hello@CastTheNet.net

**Acts 3:1-16, 4:5-12** When has your name been misspelled or mispronounced? What was the beggar probably expecting from Peter and John? Was he expecting much?...aren't beggars often just ignored? The beggar's healing was immediate and full! The people expect that Peter has some special power that allowed him to perform this miracle. Peter wants to be sure people know the credit goes to Jesus. How had Peter depended on his own power, instead of Jesus's, before? How did that work out for him? Annas and Caiaphas were among the council of religious leaders who decided to crucify Jesus. How would you feel being Peter or John appearing before these men? Where did their courage come from? Can the Holy Spirit offer us courage today? Why don't we tap into that? We know the names of all the main characters in this story except for the beggar. Why is the beggar nameless? Are there nameless people in our society? Should there be? Why did the religious leaders want to know in whose name this miracle was performed? There is power in a name. Has your name ever been misused? God is clear that God's name is not to be misused. How is God's name often misused? The name of Jesus doesn't just offer healing. It also offers salvation. What is salvation? Our hope come from the fact that God not only loves us, but has _chosen us_ to spend eternity with. This hope is secured with the empty tomb--Jesus has power over death. We all know people who need to know this hope. Let us come together and proclaim the hope that is in the name of Jesus! Feedback: hello@CastTheNet.net

What is your favorite story to tell? Acts 4:32-35 After Jesus ascended into Heaven, his followers needed to organize themselves so that they could continue to spread the Word. But how would they organize themselves? How would they support their efforts? In this reading, what seems very different about the early church than our church experience today? How did they support one another financially? Does anything that we have actually belong to us? What about a mindset that says, "This belongs to God; I just have temporary custody of it?" The early church had no needy person among them. What contributes to a person being "needy?" To be a witness...to give a testimony, you have to know what you're talking about and you have to be able to articulate it? Are there still powerful testimonies about Jesus today? What goes into a testimony? What facts about Jesus do people need to know? Your testimony can include facts about Jesus, but even more powerful is a personal story. Have you have an opportunity to talk to a friend about Jesus? Why is it difficult to bring up this subject? Let's pray for opportunities to present themselves and let's be ready to make the most of those opportunities. What testimony can you offer without even using words? What is the testimony of your church/youth group? **We will not have an episode for April 15, because it's spring break here...We'll be back for April 22.** feedback: hello@CastTheNet.net

Happy Easter!    John 20 Have you ever received news you could not believe? Mary Magdalene found the tomb open and empty. What did she assume happened? John and Peter run to the tomb. What do they see? They did not yet understand that Jesus had to rise from the dead...why did Jesus have to rise from the dead? It says that they saw and believed. Can you believe without understanding? Why did they go home? Why does Mary not recognize Jesus? Does his resurrection do more than just bring him back to life? Has his physical appearance changed or been enhanced somehow? Why doesn't Mary react to the angels? Why did the angels and Jesus wait to appear to Mary? Why does Jesus greet the disciples with "Peace by with you?" Why doesn't Thomas believe the other disciples? Why does Jesus appear again? If Thomas is a doubter because of this one story, don't all of us have to take on that title, too? feedback: hello@CastTheNet.net

Matthew 26:17-35 -- The Last Supper What is meal time like at your house? Why is it significant that this was the Passover celebration? What is Passover about? How does the plague of death passing over the houses of the faithful connect to Jesus and his sacrifice? How do you think the disciples would have reacted when Jesus announced he would have been betrayed? Why was Judas confused that Jesus was talking about him? What may have motivated Judas to lead the Jewish officials to Jesus? Is there any clue as to where Judas may have been sitting? If they are sharing the same dipping bowl, they may have been sitting right next to each other. Why would Jesus seat his betrayer right next to him? Jesus is not motivated by rationale. He is motivated by love. When Jesus breaks the bread and says, "This is my body," it was matzo bread, and there would have been an audible snap. If Peter has already identified Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, why is he arguing with Jesus here? Peter has a history of relying on his own wisdom and strength rather than on Jesus, and it never goes well. Here, perhaps Peter should have stepped back and reflected on what Jesus was saying. Maybe he should have asked Jesus for strength in facing the temptation of denial. Nothing surprises Jesus. He knew his betrayer and he denier, and he invited them to dinner anyway. He knows us, he knows our faults and our shortcomings, and he loves us anyway. Feedback: hello@CastTheNet.net

The Transfiguration and Palm Sunday Have you ever had a celebrity encounter? Matthew 17:1-13 What happened here? Why did Jesus want Peter, James, and John to experience this? What message did God have for these three? How might this experience have been beneficial to Jesus? Why is it significant that Moses and Elijah are there? How does Peter recognize them? Why does Jesus ask them to not tell anybody about this? Matthew 21:1-11 What were the people doing with the branches? How many people were probably there? What do they think they were celebrating? How did things change for Jesus by the end of the week? What is the victory that Jesus accomplished? What does this mean for us?

When have you ever mistaken somebody for being somebody else? Matthew 16:13-20 Why do you suppose Jesus is interested in knowing who people think he is?  Who are some of the people that Jesus is apparently being mistaken for?  Let’s say somebody were to ask you, Who is Jesus? …what’s your answer going to be?  What was Peter’s answer? Did Jesus seem to be surprised by Peter’s answer? How did Peter get his answer?  What does it mean to call Jesus the Messiah? Peter gets a cool new nickname. What does it mean to be the rock upon whom Jesus will build his Church? (Acts 2) Peter gets the keys to the kingdom of Heaven …what does that mean?  Matthew 16:21-28 What does Jesus say needs to happen? …why does this need to happen? Why does Peter say that’s not what should happen? Why does Jesus call Peter Satan?  In what ways are followers of Jesus called to deny themselves and take up their own cross? 

John 8:1-11 Have you ever been caught "red-handed?" There is someone missing in this story. It is evident the Pharisees are corrupt and biased in their handling of justice. Why are the Pharisees trying to trap Jesus? How are they trying to trap him? How does Jesus respond? Why does he say this?  Jesus says he doesn’t condemn the woman.  Why does Jesus forgive her?  What else does he tell her?  Forgiveness is a very powerful thing.  Why makes it so powerful? Is there somebody you need to forgive?  So, Christians can do whatever they want and then just be forgiven?  Did it seem like Jesus wasn’t paying attention?  Do you ever feel that way? 

As we pick up the story, Saul has been trying to kill David . David had the opportunity to kill Saul, but refused, and he had hoped that Saul would see he wasn’t a threat. It didn’t work. Saul was still trying to kill David. David took refuge in Philistine territory, hoping to be safe there. Meanwhile, all this probably took Saul's attention away from fighting the Philistines. 1 Samuel 31:1-6 Why does Saul ask his armor-bearer to kill him? How do you think David is going to feel about this?  2 Samuel 1:1-16 Something doesn’t seem to add up here …Why would this man lie? Are you surprised by David’s response? David wasn’t very fond of his predecessor, but he respected Saul’s position as being God’s anointed. His response doesn’t seem to make sense, but it's also difficult, sometimes, to make sense of Jesus's commandment to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. It's a good opportunity to reflect upon how we treat and regard those whom we find challenging.  Saul is dead. David is God’s anointed, but Saul’s son, Ish-Bosheth, assumes he will be king . This leads to some civil war. Two men (read it in chapter 4) kill Ish-Bosheth and bring his head to David. It’s like a repeat of the story we just read. David is not pleased and has them killed. But then, David becomes king. He establishes Jerusalem as the capital. He brought the Ark of the Covenant into the City. He led a huge celebration for God. (There’s some great story for you to read in chapter 6.) Meanwhile, David’s army continues to be victorious over their enemies. Things are going well for David ..but he does get tripped up.  2 Samuel 11:1-5 Bathsheba really didn’t have any say in this matter. The blame here is totally David's. Now, she is pregnant, so people are going to find out. Now what?  2 Samuel 11:6-11 What is David thinking here? Why didn’t it work?  2 Samuel 11:12-13  Try again? Maybe get him drunk first? It still didn’t work 2 Samuel 11:14-17  What do you have to say about Uriah’s honor?  What do you think of David now? What do you suppose God will have to say about all this?  2 Samuel 12:1-14  What do you think of Nathan’s tact in approaching David?  David had a very angry reaction to Nathan’s story…what does that tell you? How do you think David felt when he realized he was the point of Nathan’s story? How do you know? Why does David receive God’s forgiveness?  What is the difference between receiving forgiveness and bearing consequences? 

We pick up the story after David had been anointed and defeated Goliath. His victory boosted him to fame. It appears he is becoming more popular than Saul, which stokes Saul's outrageous jealousy. (Even Saul's son, Jonathan, seems to like David better than Saul.) 1 Samuel 18:1-11 What is David so successful? Why does Saul feel so threatened by David? Is it strange that Jonathan doesn't feel threatened? Instead, Jonathan admires David, and that frustrates Saul. 1 Samuel 20:30-24 This is awkward. How would you characterize Saul? What do you see as his biggest problem? Jonathan warns David that his father will kill him. He tells David to go into hiding, so David leaves by himself. Remember, Saul had made David a pretty high officer in the army. David was well-known . Now, though, he’s on the run from the king, and he needs food and a weapon.  1 Samuel 21:1-9 Why does David lie to the priest?  Is David justified in telling this lie? If David had told the truth, do you think Ahimelech would have helped him anyway?  We can "justify" any sin we commit...but it is still a sin. Knowing that he was God's anointed, David should have relied on God more to protect him. Instead, he lied. 1 Samuel 22:11-19 Remember, in the last episode, how Samuel was worried that Saul would find out he was going to anoint a new king…he was afraid Saul would kill him? Apparently, he had good reason . Is David guilty for these deaths?  David could not have know how far-reaching the consequences of his "little lie" would be. How you ever experienced something like this? So, Saul begins to pursue David all over the countryside. Some men are loyal to David, but Saul still commands the army.  1 Samuel 24 Would David have been justified in killing Saul? Why didn’t he? Do you believe Saul’s repenting is sincere? How can you tell if somebody is sincere?

1 Samuel 16 and 17 From the previous 2 episodes...Samuel had anointed Saul as king. Everything started out fine, but Saul soon developed a disdain for God's authority over him. God recognized that Saul's heart was not in the right place, so God removed him as king. Somebody new needed to be anointed, although Saul would not just abandon the thrown. 1 Samuel 16:1 Why was Samuel mourning? He had high hopes for Saul and for his leading God's nation...but he was let down. 1 Samuel 16:2-5 Why was Samuel afraid to go and anoint a new king? What does this fear reveal about Saul's character. How do the people of Bethlehem react when the prophet shows up? Why? What does this tell us about the job of being a prophet? Jesse and his sons are told to consecrate themselves for the sacrifice. What does consecrate mean?  1 Samuel 16:6-13 Why does Samuel think Eliab must be the chosen one? Where was David? Why had his family not called him in from the field? What can you say about the difference between how his family regarded him and how God did? What does that mean for us? There is a new battle brewing with the Philistines... 1 Samuel 17:4-11 How big was Goliath? What do you think of his proposal? The standoff continues for a long time. David is not at the front lines--he's not old enough to be a soldier, but his brothers are. Jesse sends David with food to check how his brothers are doing. When he gets to the front, he gets a couple of ears full. 1 Samuel 17:23-29 Notice the nasty sibling rivalry. Why does David's brother call him conceited and wicked? How does this compare with what we know about David's character so far? The same is true for us...God has an opinion of us and other people do, too. God's voice is the truth; other voices are not God's voice. Now, Saul wants to talk to David... 1 Samuel 17:32-37 What does David say to Saul to convince him to be allowed to represent the entire nation of Israel in battle against Goliath? What does taking care of sheep have to do with winning this battle? Aside from those facts, what else must be at work here? Now, it gets a little comical... 1 Samuel 17:38-51 How did David win? What is the most important thing for us to learn from this story? What giants are you facing right now? What other characteristics did David's deep faith bring to him? How can we use that same faith and other characteristics to overcome our obstacles?

1 Samuel 13:1-15, 15:13-29 If you are supposed to meet somebody, how late can they be before you give up on them? We pick up the story of King Saul from where we left off in Episode 12\. Saul became king, even though he had no standing, experience, or training, but he did have God and Samuel to rely on...if only he had... 1 Samuel 13:1-15 What is Saul’s rationale for offering the sacrifice? Does this sound like good reasoning to you? The truth is, we can rationalize just about anything that goes against God’s word.  Does Saul have a problem with authority? Saul wants to *be* authority. He does not respect God's authority or the authority God has bestowed upon Samuel. Have you ever had trouble with authority? What do you think of Saul's punishment? What does the severity of the punishment tell you about God's opinion of the infraction? This is not an isolated incident. There's another issue in chapter 15\. God wanted to bring the Amalekites to justice through Saul's army. In the time of Moses, the Amalekites would attack the wandering Israelites from behind, robbing and killing the old and sick who were straggling. Moses announces God's intention of dealing with them in Deuteronmy 25:17-19, "You shall blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven." Saul's instructions were to completely wipe out the Amalekites. Everybody. Animals, too. But Saul decides he knows better than God what to do!  He captures the Amalekites’ king and keeps all the best cattle and sheep . Then, there is this awkward conversation with Samuel…  1 Samuel 15:13-29 Do you think Saul intended to offer the animals as a sacrifice to God or do you think he lied once he got caught?  We cannot know. What we do know is this is now a pattern of disregarding God’s authority. We also know what it says in 1 Samuel 16:7: “... the LORD looks at the heart.”  God knows all kinds of things about all kinds of situations that we cannot know , so we have to trust the Word of God …we have to trust God’s judgment. If God felt that Saul was no longer fit to be king, then that’s the truth. This time, Saul acknowledges his mistake and asks for forgiveness (vv. 24 & 25). His apology is rejected. Why? We cannot know Saul’s heart, but God certainly did . If the confession was rejected, we are left to assume it was not authentic--not true repenting, but mere lip-service. Have you ever had a friend apologize, and even as they’re doing it, you have the feeling they don’t mean it? …you just feel that they are going to turn around and do the same thing . Well, God has more than a feeling. We have to trust the Word of God …we have to trust God’s judgment.

1 Samuel 3, 8:4-22, 10:1-11 When did you ever wake somebody up? By request from Dani, we are going to be talking about King Saul and King David. But before we to Saul, we need to pick up the story of Samuel, one of God's prophets who plays an important role in the stories of Saul and David. What is the job of a prophet? At this time, Israel is a mess. The current prophet, Eli, is ineffective. He seems to lack the respect of the people and his sons are corrupt. Eli either can't or won't bring them under control. Meanwhile the Israelites head into battle against the Philistines. They brought the Ark of the Covenant as the sign of God's presence, but they never bothered to check in with God before the battle. They lost both the battle and the Ark to the Philistines.  Samuel is born in the midst of this to a woman named Hannah who had not been able to conceive before. Having been blessed with a son, she dedicates him to God and brings him to Eli to raise. That could be a risky move because Eli isn't necessarily a good parent, but God does amazing things through flawed people all the time. 1 Samuel 3 Did you ever get the distinct feeling that you hear God or that God was trying to reach out to you? How do you think Samuel felt in hearing what God had to say? How do you think he felt having to tell Eli? Has anything ever made your ears tingles? Samuel becomes the new prophet. He seems to be well-respected, but his sons are also not very righteous. While the people had been governing themselves through a system of judges with God as King, they decided they wanted an earthly king like other nations had. 1 Samuel 8:4-22 How do you suppose Samuel felt about this request? What were some of the warnings God had for them against having a king? Why do you think God agreed to let them have a king anyway? Have you ever had to learn something "the hard way?" So, God brings Saul to Samuel. Samuel was out looking for his father's donkeys that had run off. The servant who had accompanied him suggested they ask the prophet if he knew where the donkeys were. Samuel said that they'd been found and invited Saul to stay for dinner. 1 Samuel 10:1-11 Has God ever used something that seemed like "chance circumstances" to being about something awesome in your life? Verse 9 says, “As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart.” What sort of change do you think was necessary at that time?  (Maybe that’s a good prayer for all of us…Lord, change my heart that I might see your workings.)  In verse 6, Saul is told, “The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you…and you will be changed into a different person.” How does that verse make you feel? ---is it exciting? scary? mysterious?  Have you ever experienced anything like that?  So now, Saul is king. Next week, we'll continue to talk about him and hear a little about Daivd, too. feedback: hello@CastTheNet.net

John 11:1-44 Have you ever been "dead on your feet?" What do we know about the relationship between Jesus and Mary, Martha, and Lazarus? (Luke 10 shows that Jesus had visited their home in the past.) It makes sense that they would send for Jesus to help their sick brother. Why does Jesus delay heading back to Bethany? It didn't seem as though he had pressing business where he was. Jesus said that this illness would not end in death, and the he said that Lazarus had died. Why the contradiction? It ain't over until it's over. Perhaps there is more to the story. Meanwhile, Jesus says that he is glad he wasn't there to prevent Lazarus' death. There is definitely more to the story. When Jesus arrives, Martha says that if he had been there, her brother wouldn't have died. Jesus says that Lazarus will rise again and Martha agrees that she expects to reunite with her brother in the resurrection at the end of time. Jesus says that he is the Resurrection, that anybody who believes in him will live even though they die. Martha says she believes in Jesus and what he says, but can she really be processing it all? When Mary comes out and Jesus sees how distraught she is, he begins to weep. Jesus orders the stone removed from the tomb, but Martha argues with him, even though she said he is the Messiah. Do we do the same thing? Martha is clinging to her belief that Jesus is the Messiah even though she can't fully comprehend the difficult situation she is in. We should do the same thing. Jesus prays out loud. Why? Jesus orders Lazarus out of the tomb. Why did Jesus call him by name? What is the impact on the people who witnessed all this? If Jesus knew all along that he would raise Lazarus from the dead, why was he weeping earlier? What does this say about Jesus' reaction to our heartbreak? Lazarus had a difficult assignment, but it was worth it for the glory of God. Our assignments can also be difficult and a blessing. Martha and Mary would have described their situation as being bad and yet it turned out to be very good for everybody who was there. We don't have enough knowledge about out situations to call them bad...Romans 8:28 tells us that God works for good in the midst of all things. Feedback: hello@CastTheNet.net

Matthew 13:44-46 What is the most valuable thing you own? Is value measured in money or in what it means to you? What is your first impression of the parables of the found treasure and the pearl? There are two scenarios described here--one in which the person is planning for great gain in the future and the other which has an immediate return on his investment. What can we assume about the merchant? How will he gain from purchasing the pearl? He doesn't know how long it will be until he sees this great gain, but he *knows he will* see it. He doesn't enter into this foolishly. How is that like the Kingdom of Heaven? What do we gain with Heaven--what's Heaven like? Is it possible to get bored living forever? What about the places we can visit? What new things will we be able to hear and see? What about all the other people who will be there? How will we know them? And moreover, what is missing from Heaven? Grief, sickness, loneliness, jealousy, regret... Imagine life without any regrets. The greatness of Heaven is far more valuable than anything we could have now. The man who bought the field had an immediate return on his investment. How is pursing a relationship with God beneficial for us right now? If the treasure and pearl are symbols of salvation, then why did the people in both parables have to sell everything to buy them? God has things in store for us that are greater than we can comprehend--we should faithfully pursue God, regardless of the cost. Our rewards are abundant! Feedback: hello@CastTheNet.net

Luke 2:1-20; Matthew 2:1-12 Listener Email! (hello@CastTheNet.net) Warm-up question: What kind of travel difficulties have you endured? Mary and Joseph just could not catch a break. How do you think they felt about the timing of the census? How difficult was the journey to Bethlehem? Was there even a donkey? Why was there no place to stay? What would you do if you couldn't find a room? What is a manger? Where would the mangers be located? Was there even a barn? What must have been going through the shepherds' minds when the angel appeared? Why did the shepherds get the birth announcement? Did shepherds have any significant social standing? The truth is, Jesus came for everybody and anybody is allowed to approach Him. Do you think Mary and Joseph were pleased when the shepherds came looking for them? Were they still scared and wondering what to do? Their situation was very difficult. Who are the magi? Why is it unusual that they were coming to honor the new king? They probably practiced sorcery and astrology. Why was Herod "disturbed" to hear the news of the new king. Why did he tell the magi to come back and get him when they found him? Herod ordered the killing of all children 2 and under in the vicinity of Bethlehem, trying to eliminate his political foe. Mary and Joseph were warned in a dream to escape to Egypt. Our savior and his parents were refugees from political persecution. Other interesting stuff: the magi entered the "house" and saw the "child." How many magi does the Bible say there were? What were their names? Do they belong in the nativity scene? Why were the gifts so appropriate? Gold: royalty; Jesus is the King of kings. Frankincense: used in the Temple; Jesus is God in the flesh. Myrrh: perfume, often used for burial; Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice. Program note: The next episode will release the first Sunday in January. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! feedback: hello@CastTheNet.net