NMC Audio Podcast

Whenever you see two people wrestling, you know that one person is likely to win. Someone will prevail. In the Old Testament, Jacob had a wrestling match with an angel. It was long. It was painful. And there was a winner. That’s the way it is in our wrestling matches with God. But the difference is, when He prevails, we are the winners. This match is won by surrender!

Isaac is getting older in age, and the time is coming to pass on the inheritance and his blessing. There’s only one problem…Which son gets to inherit God’s promises for the future generations? If you think your family has issues, you’ve got nothing on Isaac’s family. Yet, in the midst of all the conflict, there is clear evidence of God’s mighty hand at work.

It’s just around the corner. All signs point to it. This seems like the early stages. These are all statements that point to something that’s about to happen. There’s a sense of anticipation. That’s what the Old Testament is all about. All signs point to Jesus. He’s coming! There’s hope! The greatest disease ever, this thing called sin, can be cured. And it will all happen only through Jesus. That’s the story of Abraham and Isaac. And it’s an event that gives us incredible confidence and hope.

The cycle continues: God has made covenant with Abram, and as a part of that covenant, God has promised Abram that his offspring will be as numerous as the stars. Years pass and conflict arises, because Abram and Sarai are not getting any younger. There is still no child. They begin to question, “Is God really who He says He is?” “Is God and His word faithful?”

Do you ever feel like you keep making the same mistakes? Are there negative behaviors that you just can’t shake? Are there negative default behaviors that drag you down? It’s possible to live beyond the downward spiral of hope, failure, and repentance...doing failure over and over again. Understanding and applying truth, especially from the Old Testament, can lead us to victory. We can conquer the negative destructive behavioral cycle through Jesus.

How’s your memory? Can you remember what you wore yesterday? What you were doing five years ago? Our memory can be downright terrible at times, especially when it comes to remembering the ways in which God has been faithful. We forget that even though our circumstances may change, our God does not.Let’s learn from Joshua and make monuments to His name.

We’ve all done it! We’ve made choices and decisions we regret. Not knowing what to do, we recognized after the fact that our choice was foolish. So, how can we make wise decisions? How can we have a life that isn’t marked by regrets? It’s been said, "We are the sum total of the choices we make." That being the case, let’s learn how to make wise decisions.

It’s a fear of the unknown. It’s unexplored territory. It’s sudden changes. It’s about living overwhelmed, not knowing which path to take. All of us face curveballs in life. One text, an email, a doctor’s visit, or a call from a child can change our lives. In those moments, we move into uncharted territory. It’s a road we’ve never traveled. It’s a season we’ve never experienced. It’s in those times when God’s leadership in our life is critical. It’s when following Jesus shines light into the darkest places.

Most everyone has a sense of smell. Some smells are mouth-watering and pleasant. Others are painful. Oftentimes, we don’t recognize the smell we bring into a space. God designed us with the ability to smell but also with the ability to create a beautiful fragrance. Everywhere we go, we have the opportunity to spread God’s beautiful fragrance.

God is active throughout all of history. In His sovereignty, He can do what He wants, when He wants. Yet God's primary means of working and accomplishing His plan is often through people. It’s quite simple: God uses people to accomplish His plan.
While gender, ethnicity, race, or wealth vary, God chooses to unite people into an amazing group of passionate warriors to accomplish His purposes. And there is a place for you.