NMC Audio Podcast

Augustine once said, “The new is in the old concealed; the old is in the new revealed.” The Scriptures are not isolated, disconnected thoughts or stories. Everything in human history has been pointing to the person and work of Jesus Christ. Everything has been fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Do you have eyes to see?

Everybody wants to know the secret. What’s the secret to wealth, fitness, financial success, or a happy family? So what’s the secret to contentment, a joy-filled life, and soul satisfaction? The apostle Paul declares that he has found the secret (Phil. 4:12). So, just what is that secret? Will it really work?

Paul again begins the third chapter of Philippians by calling the churches to rejoice, to express the deep, soul-satisfied joy that they possess. Again, we ask the question, “What might hinder the experience and the expression of joy in my life?” Paul clearly lays out two different ways of living—one that leads to the fullest experience and expression of joy and the other that leads to destruction. Which way are you living?

It’s a dead end street! The paths that we think lead us to joy often leave us disappointed and unfulfilled. While those paths can provide moments of pleasure, they only give us temporary happiness. They can take our mind off of our troubles, yet fail to deliver true, deep joy. Amidst brutal circumstances, the apostle Paul outlines a clear path towards deep, abiding joy. Walking that path is counter-cultural and counter-intuitive. In spite of that, God’s path leads us to a deep, abiding peace. It’s the way to live with joy in the journey.

Philippians is a power-packed letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to the churches in Philippi. It offers us the opportunity to see that there is joy in the journey. Paul’s life and letter preach this message loudly, "Rejoice! Life is full of mountain highs and valley lows," and we can often ask the question: "What just happened?" We may be unsure of how to respond to our circumstances. We may be unsure of how to feel, emotionally, about our circumstances. Through it all, Paul makes the case that it is possible for the believer to experience joy.

October 31,2021 / Heb 10:23-25, Rev 19:6-9, 1 Pet 2:1-11, Mat 5:14-16
Weddings are beautiful moments of celebration. The union of a man and woman becoming one is an incredible symbol of hope for the Church. We eagerly await the wedding of the Lamb that is depicted in the second coming of Christ, the union of Christ and His bride. Christ loves His bride. Do we? What if we loved Christ's bride in the same way He does? The results could be special.

Conflict is something we all face. Many times we experience conflict in our families, our friendships, our places of work, and even places of worship. We want to help. We want to give you the inspiration and information you need to reconcile and resolve your conflicts.

In a time of strong opinions, harsh rhetoric, and polarizing ideas, the gospel cries out for us to do “one another” with intentionality and excellence. It’s not an option. Consistently and clearly we are called to do “one another” as Jesus did. Walking "with" Jesus means that as brothers and sisters, we learn to walk "with" one another. Isolation and self-protection aren’t an option. Walking "with" one another well is the desired outcome of truly walking "with" Him.

It is one thing to know something, but it is a whole different thing to put that knowledge into practice. We now know that doing life WITH God is the better way to relate to God, but how do we practically live out that knowledge? The Word of God lays out a very simple path to the posture of WITHNESS, but one that takes a high level of intentionality.

Life for God sounds like a great posture to take in our relationship with God, but is it the best? Could it be that in such a posture our motivations may be distorted, as well-intentioned as they may be? A life for God posture can quickly place the mission over the Master, significance over salvation and performance over presence. May we reorient our hearts to choose what is better, like Mary did in the presence of Jesus.