NMC Audio Podcast

It’s so very easy for us to say that we believe that God can do anything, but we often live as if we don’t really believe that. A father who encounters Jesus in the Gospel of Mark helpfully illustrates that strange tension. Jesus’ response helps us see a deeper truth about who He is and the nature of a deeper faith that can change how we live!

Our culture today is constantly bombarding our children, trying to get them to conform to their way of living. As an adult, many times we don’t know what to do. What does it take to be inspired and equipped to raise Godly children who are able to stand strong in a world that falls short?

Jesus, in the Gospel accounts, asks His disciples to come and follow Him. But what does that mean? And does followership look different today than it did when Jesus walked the earth? Are we missing something crucial in the pursuit of following Jesus? Sometimes when something seems off or missing, the answer is rather simple or obvious. What would happen if we took a different approach to following Jesus?

It is so easy for us to lean back into our flesh and forget the power of what Christ has done for us. Paul is addressing the church at Colossae to challenge them to remember who they are because of Christ so that they can live the life Jesus invites us to. Paul will have us look back at who we once were and then help us change our clothes into who we have been called to be.

Have you ever been troubled when thinking about what happens after death? Have you ever been lost in thought in regard to the meaning of life? Why am I here? What is next? These are common questions in the human experience called life. The Apostle Paul, and the way in which he lived his life, offers a beautiful perspective on what life and death are all about. To live is Christ; to die is gain!

Jesus offers a very important invitation in the Gospel according to Matthew. He says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Are you weary? Are you burdened? Are you just flat out tired? What is holding you back from receiving what Christ is so freely offering? Come to Jesus.

In the closing moments with His disciples, Jesus sits with them at a special location. This location probably stirred up many memories of the moments Jesus showed up and made incredible impact on their lives. As He spoke, He gave them their mission, their life’s purpose – to make disciples. How do we continue the mission of making fully committed disciples?

Born. Filled. EMPOWERED. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…” In describing your relationship with God, would one of your descriptors be power? When God’s people are filled with the Holy Spirit, they are plugged into an omnipotent power. What would it look like to be unleashed with the power of God? He is available!

It is God’s idea. He’s the one that put it all together. He created the blueprint. He gave everything necessary for it to be a healthy, beautiful, functioning family. He birthed the local church. When spiritual gifts are understood, appropriately used, and fully invested the local church, it is a beautiful, healthy, fully-functioning body. When spiritual gifts are not used biblically, the local church becomes a beast. So it’s a simple choice—BEAUTY OR BEAST!

The Holy Spirit is a person. The Holy Spirit can be grieved. The Apostle Paul writes to the church in Ephesus, warning them to not grieve the Holy Spirit. Grief can best be described as a deep sorrow experienced from the loss or betrayal of something or someone. What does it mean to grieve the Holy Spirit, and how can we make sure not to do it?