The Trip Home

We stopped at the Danish Windmill in Elk Horn, Iowa on the way home.

Here’s what our backyard garden looked like when we got home. We’ve got pumpkins and cantelope.

More pictures have been posted on my Facebook page.

Father’s Day in Moline

Here’s a picture after an evening of backyard fun on Father’s Day.

A Visit to John Deere

Here are a few pictures from our trip to the world headquarters of John Deere, where Kari’s mom works.

Some Casteels on Nightline

As I mentioned before, my family attended a screening of The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry while we were at the Foursquare Convention in Anaheim. Nightline was also there filming for a segment about Christian films that they aired last night.

You can see my family sitting in the front left corner of the auditorium (house left/stage right). My mom is shown wiping her tears after a moving scene and my dad offers to help promote the film in Phoenix.

Watch the segment Box Office Busters from ‘Godlywood’ by clicking this link

The Kids Meet the Captain

Grace, Joel, and me with Gavin MacLeod at the 2009 Foursquare Connection in Anaheim.

My family got to see a special screening of Mr. MacLeod’s new movie, The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Gospel

From the Confessional Statement of The Gospel Coalition.

6. The Gospel
We believe that the gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ—God’s very wisdom. Utter folly to the world, even though it is the power of God to those who are being saved, this good news is christological, centering on the cross and resurrection: the gospel is not proclaimed if Christ is not proclaimed, and the authentic Christ has not been proclaimed if his death and resurrection are not central (the message is “Christ died for our sins . . . [and] was raised”). This good news is biblical (his death and resurrection are according to the Scriptures), theological and salvific (Christ died for our sins, to reconcile us to God), historical (if the saving events did not happen, our faith is worthless, we are still in our sins, and we are to be pitied more than all others), apostolic (the message was entrusted to and transmitted by the apostles, who were witnesses of these saving events), and intensely personal (where it is received, believed, and held firmly, individual persons are saved).

Free ESV Bible Audio

Go here to learn how to download mp3 audio of the English Standard Version Bible for free.

I don’t think it works with the Max McLean audio, though. Also, you can’t add too many verses together in one file or the end verses will be left out. Three to four chapters usually works for me.

Crossway, the publisher of the ESV, seems to be cool with this.

James 3 – A Practical Application

Getting ready for church.

So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God (James 3:5-9, ESV).

(via)

If My Words Abide In You

From John Piper’s sermon on the importance of abiding in God’s word.

1. Memorizing Scripture makes meditation possible at times when I can’t be reading the Bible, and meditation is the pathway of deeper understanding.
2. Memorizing Scripture strengthens my faith because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ, and that happens when I am hearing the word in my head.
3. Memorizing Scripture shapes the way I view the world by conforming my mind to God’s viewpoint.
4. Memorizing Scripture makes God’s word more readily accessible for overcoming temptation to sin, because God’s warnings and promises are the way we conquer the deceitful promises of sin.
5. Memorizing Scripture guards my mind by making it easier to detect error—and the world is filled with error, since the god of this world is a liar.
6. Memorizing Scripture enables me to hit the devil in the face with a force he cannot resist, and so protect myself and my family from his assaults.
7. Memorizing Scripture provides the strongest and sweetest words for ministering to others in need.
8. Memorizing Scripture provides the matrix for fellowship with Jesus because he talks to me through his word, and I talk to him in prayer.

Read, listen to, or watch the whole sermon here.

The Santa Way or The Jesus Way?

John Piper commends the Jesus way.