NMC Audio Podcast

Moses received the divine calling from a burning bush, Elijah received the divine calling in a glorious vision, and Hosea got the divine calling by marrying an adulteress. The most unlikely love story is woven throughout the prophetic book of Hosea. While the calling may not be glamorous, the message of redemption is matchless. This is our story.

Singing does a lot for the soul. The songs we sing say a lot about us. When times get tough, we never want to lose our song. Amidst the pressures of life, it’s not only possible, but necessary to maintain our joy. There’s a clear path to remain joyful in joyless times.

It’s called infantile regression. That’s when an older person reverts to immature, childish behavior. It’s unhealthy. It’s destructive. It destroys healthy relationships. Yet there is a better path. It’s all about maturity. It’s about dying to childishness. It’s about openly confronting sinful patterns of behavior. It’s about an internal transformation of the heart. It’s God’s plan for His children.

Overwhelmed by all of the uncertainties of this season, it’s so easy to cry out and say, "I’m done!" I’m so done with _________. (Fill in blank however you want.) That feeling isn’t unique to us or people living through this pandemic. It happened in the early church. And God’s Word to them is His word to us—Live all in for Jesus!

All it takes to unravel a ball of yarn is one good tug. All it takes for a giant collapse is to knock over one domino. Likewise, the entirety of the Christian faith hinges on the death and resurrection of Jesus. If there is no resurrection, the Christian faith unravels and collapses. Is it reasonable to believe in the resurrection? Paul has been building up to this moment in his letter to the church in Corinth. He saved the biggest and most important question for last—the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

One of the most mind-numbing thoughts in the Christian faith is that God chooses to use the Church to further His Kingdom. He chooses broken, flawed and ordinary people like you and me to do His work. His calling isn’t for a small group of elite believers. No, every believer has a role and responsibility in the Kingdom of God. Will you answer the call?

We love an underdog story. We love to cannonball in refreshingly cool water on a hot summer afternoon. We love grandma’s secret recipe, road trips with friends, and the family pet. We love a lot of things, but what is love? Are there different kinds of love? What does God mean when He said He so loved the world? In the thirteenth chapter of Corinthians, Paul speaks to a love unlike anything else we’ve ever experienced.

The book of James was written to early Christian diaspora(those who fled due to adversity). Their land was stolen, they lost jobs, lived in danger, etc. In the context of their hard times, they were grumbling, biting each other, not sharing with poor, etc. Essentially, they became self-centered. This the context in which James was written. James Chapter 1 says not to flee trials, but rather to embrace them as character-builders... Also, be patient in trials. Seek MORAL wisdom in trials, because we tend to make immoral decisions when under pressure. We should confidently seek God's divine wisdom in adversity. This whole response is distinctly Christian - which is why it is in the New Testament. We are to operate in faith during hard times, a faith that faith transcends our basic instincts of self-preservation.

There is a lot of satisfaction in building something. In I Corinthians 8, Paul challenges us to love one another with a self-sacrificing love, a love that is focused on doing what is good for others. This love edifies or builds up. He suggests that the misuse of knowledge can hinder any effort to sacrificially love each other. In this day of social media, where thoughts and opinions can frustrate, confuse and often provoke to anger, we can relate. Today, we will look at some of the ways we misuse information and how we can recover a love toward each other that contributes to the positive building of our faith.

If you’ve ever had a major surgery or a life threatening illness, you know the deep intense desire for healing. You want to get to the place of full health quickly (and as painlessly as possible).

Right now, our land needs healing … we are divided; economically, generationally, politically, and racially. Tensions are high, opinion are strong, fears are growing. Our desire: Lord, heal our land!