NMC Audio Podcast

We're often content with appearances, but Jesus calls us to something deeper: true spiritual life. In Revelation 3, the church in Sardis had the reputation of being alive but was spiritually dead. This message is a wake-up call to shake off apathy, remember the gospel, and return to a life marked by repentance, power, and purpose. It’s time to wake up, strengthen what remains, and walk in the puri...

Examples of faith and faithfulness, like we see in Ruth and her family, are awe-inspiring. They remind us how incredible people actually are and how ordinary people can make phenomenal impact. Looking on, we wonder how they do what they do and how they risk what they risk. But we're not intended to be spectators of faithfulness. Rather we're created to be risk-taking, faith-stepping participants i...

This powerful promise from Scripture finds a living example in the story of Ruth. When she humbly approached Boaz and asked him to be her kinsman redeemer, she stepped out in faith—boldly yet respectfully requesting what was both within God's provision and Boaz’s power to give. Ruth’s story reminds us that sometimes what we need most is already within reach—we just have to ask. God honors courage...

As those created in the image of God, we're not just shaped by His hands, we're shaped to reflect His heart. One of the most profound ways we mirror our Creator is by living out hesed—the rich, covenantal love God continually shows us. Hesed is more than kindness; it’s a deep, loyal, and sacrificial love that never gives up, even when it’s undeserved. When we show hesed in our relationships and ou...

The story of Ruth is built on the key themes of loyalty, boldness, and generosity. But laced in and out of those confidence-building themes are the realities of tragedy, famine, and disobedience. In the first chapter of Ruth, the people who would become her family and Ruth herself face many factors outside. They, just like us, are faced with the question of how to respond.

In Colossians 1:15-23, we’re given a breathtaking vision of Jesus Christ—one that lifts our eyes beyond the ordinary and into the Holy of Holies. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, the One by whom and for whom all things were made. In Him, all things hold together. This passage invites us to see Jesus not merely as a teacher or moral example, but as the preemine...

You may be carrying a heavy load this Easter season. The stresses of life, worries about finances, mental health battles, pressures at work, and on and on... But there's good news! Jesus Christ has risen from the grave, and He offers salvation, rest, joy, and peace to anyone who comes to Him. It's gonna be okay because Jesus is alive!

Sometimes we don’t understand what God is doing—and that’s okay. In John 12, even Jesus’ closest followers didn’t fully grasp what was happening. The crowds cheering at the Triumphal Entry had no idea their Messiah was riding in not to conquer by force, but to lay down His life. Confusion and unmet expectations swirled all around. But Jesus was still moving toward the cross with purpose. Just beca...

In 1971, a man from central Indiana penned the lyrics of a gospel song called, "Because He Lives." When Bill and Gloria Gaither first sang the lyrics, "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow," they were echoing the belief and hope of centuries of Jesus followers. Because of Jesus, we have hope that things are actually gonna be okay. But how does Jesus show us that truth, and how do we do offer the...

Praying with eyes open means being fully aware of the needs around us and responding with compassion and action. In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus teaches that serving others—especially the hungry, thirsty, stranger, sick, and imprisoned—is a direct reflection of our service to Him. The passage reminds us that faith is not just about words or rituals but about actively meeting the needs of those around u...

We love the expressions and exploration of a child learning to talk. We crave hearing from the person with whom we’re falling in love. But on the other hand, we get tired of too many words. We describe some people as "chewing our ears off" or "babbling on" or "flapping their gums." We were made to communicate, and followers of Jesus are called to tell others about Him. While you may be wary of wha...

We’re all called to be water-walkers. We’re not called to the comfort of the boat, but a life on mission—walking on the water with Jesus and doing the impossible.  --- Whether smuggling Bibles, feeding lepers, or working amongst a Muslim people group, Mick Veach’s commitment to share the love of God has taken him all over the world. As the Global Partners’ Area Director for Central Asia and the Mi...

Every person's heart is constantly trying to fill itself with something other than God. The trouble is it never works. Nothing in this world is ever enough. Jesus offers us a different path to a blessed life: the path of the pure in heart!  --- Brad Bullock grew up in a non-Christian home, but his life was radically transformed as a teenager when he began to attend NMC with a friend. As he grew in...

Just as for Gideon, God’s presence with us is the key to victory.  --- Geoff Eckart lives in Grand Rapids with his wife Arianna and their three daughters. He’s the lead pastor at Daybreak Church in Hudsonville, MI, and the founder and CEO of Never The Same, a national youth ministry organization with a vision to see new generations transformed in Christ. Geoff is also the chairman of the board for...

We were created to enjoy rich community with others, but how can we as Christ-followers dive deeper in relationship with each other? In the midst of a solitude and loneliness epidemic, followers of Jesus have a roadmap in the Bible of how to “one-another.”  --- Dr. Tim Elmore is the founder and CEO of Growing Leaders, a nonprofit organization created to develop emerging leaders. His work grew out...

Praying with ears open is about more than just speaking to God; it's about creating a space to truly listen. In our prayers, we often pour out our hearts, but it’s equally important to pause and listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit. When we open our ears to God's voice, we invite His guidance and direction into our lives. The Holy Spirit speaks in different ways through different means, leading...

We have the benefit and pleasure of reading the stories of the first followers of Jesus. Through the pages of Scripture, we see them as they rise and fall. We watch as Jesus interacts, teaches, and sends them to represent Him in the world. As we examine them, we wonder: "Will they see the world as Jesus hopes they will see it? Will they see how to represent Jesus and His kingdom in the world?" Gre...

In Matthew 16:21-26, Jesus shifts the focus of His ministry, revealing to His disciples that He must suffer, die, and be resurrected. Jesus then calls His followers to take up their cross and deny themselves to truly follow Him. This is an invitation for any follower of Jesus into a radical way of life—one that disrupts comfort and security. To follow Christ means to embrace the path of self-sacri...

God’s presence has a profound way of disrupting the fear that often holds us back from sharing our faith. He can transform our hesitation into boldness. When we trust in His power rather than our own limitations, we find courage to speak, knowing that He equips us for every moment. In His perfect love, fear is cast out, leaving space for us to confidently share the hope we have in Christ.

Righteousness can be described as a vehicle for God's love. It's the transport mechanism of God's mercy and justice. God acts in just and good ways as He moves toward us. It's who He is, what He does, and we are better because of it. Not only that, we are to be a reflection and continuation of His right actions in the world. But what happens when we forget? You guessed it, a divine disruption of o...

In a world that constantly pushes us to do more, sometimes the secret to greater success lies in doing less. By focusing on what truly matters and eliminating distractions, we create space for God to do His best work in and through us. Embrace simplicity, cut down attachments, and watch how much more Kingdom impact will come. Less truly is more when it’s done with intention.

Regular checkups are important, whether for your car, your health, or your relationships. They help ensure everything’s working well, fix what’s off, and keep things running at their best. Today, let’s do a church checkup. Do you understand what the church is meant to be, how it should function, and your role in it? Are you actively contributing to help your church thrive?

Do you have someone in your life who just seems to drain the joy out of you? Someone who tests your patience to the limits and makes you pray for their relocation. We all have “those people” in our lives, but what if God has a purpose for keeping them there? Maybe He’s using them to do something transformative in us.

Not only is it important to develop our relationship with God, we must also take note of the ways we've developed a relationship with not-gods, what the Bible calls idols. It doesn’t matter who we are, how we're raised, or where we're from, we all have the power to create competing gods in our lives. But God, by His grace, has given us the ability and opportunities to choose to trust Him.