NMC Audio Podcast

Moses is an OT Great with a story that dominates most of the Pentateuch, not to mention most credit him as the writer of these first five books. Against all odds and Moses’ initial will, God uses him to accomplish the primary event of redemption in the Old Testament, freeing those held in bondage.

Joseph is an OT Great with a story of absolute grit. He faces unbelievable adversity and not only keeps the faith, but propels God’s kingdom forward. And he did all of this in exile! He lived faithfully in a different culture, with a different language, different customs, and different gods. Let us run with Joseph and learn how to live in exile.

Jacob is an OT Great with a tumultuous life. Jacob was cunning, manipulative, and experiencing an identity crisis for much of his life. When Jacob meets Pharaoh in Egypt at the end of his life, he recounts his years as being, “few and difficult.” However, there is a beautiful moment of redemption in Jacob’s story, a moment of wrestling with God. Let us run with Jacob and learn how to wrestle with...

Stepping into the unknown usually invokes fear. What might go wrong? What’s the future going to be like? Could this end badly? Should I even take a step, or would it be wiser to just stay where I’m at? Abraham provides us great coaching on learning to walk with God, especially when He calls us to step into the unknown. As we walk with Abraham, we’ll learn the basics of simple faith and trusting Go...

What would it be like to spend an afternoon with Noah? What lessons could he teach us? What animals did he grow tired of? What moments would he describe as pivotal? What stories would he tell of the dark moments? What did he feel when God expressed His grief and pain over His creation? How would he describe seeing that first rainbow? What coaching would he give us for the times we are living in? N...

Predictions for the future are interesting to read. What’s more interesting is to see how any of them came true and how many were bogus. Whether we like it or not, the future is going to happen. God always asks His children to boldly and bravely step by faith into the future. No matter what happens, we place our confidence in Him.

Today we celebrate the completion of NT90, when more than 2500 from 19 different countries came together to read through the New Testament in 90 days. We believe in the beauty, wisdom, and authority of God’s Word. We did it together. We shared insights with each other. Instead of just going through the Word, we wanted God’s Word to go through us. In today’s service, Pastors Dave and Tim are joined...

The book of Revelation is a dramatic piece of literature that reveals the cosmic battle that the Church has faced, is facing, and will face. Revelation is a letter written to seven early churches in Asia. Revelation is prophecy, announcing the future movement and actions of God. Revelation is apocalyptic in that it allows the reader to see what is mostly unseen. Revelation is the great unveiling.

Distractions are one of the greatest causes of automobile accidents. Our minds wander. Our eyes are off the road. Our alertness diminishes. The results can be devastating. Learning to laser focus allows us to safety travel and reach our final destination. It’s the same for our spiritual journey. A sharp, laser focus on Jesus, amidst all the background noises and distractions, is the only way to tr...

Lots of us look good on the outside, but on the inside, well, that’s another story. Internal bruises of the spirit can be limiting at best and fatal at worst. Paul, a wise and seasoned mentor, challenges his young protégé to stay healthy in spirit. Paul’s final words to Timothy can be God’s fresh words to us: "May the Lord be with your spirit."

You may have heard it said, “You can do anything you put your mind to.” Does this saying apply to our own salvation, though? Can we, in effect, save ourselves? Paul, in his letter to the church in Philippi, tells them to “work out your salvation” and later uses terms like “striving for” and “pressing on.” What is Paul saying? Can we somehow earn salvation through hard work?

Most human beings have a continuous, nagging fear in their minds. “What if there isn’t enough for me?” What if there isn’t enough food at the dinner table? What if there isn’t enough saved up in the bank? "What if my parents don’t have enough love to go around for all of us kids?" A scarcity mindset drives us to compete, to hoard, and to focus on self. But what if there was another way—the way of...

Nobody wants to be bullied. Strong, dominant, opinionated, overbearing people can act like porcupines. You're afraid to get close to them. Nobody wants to get bruised. Life is rough. Words said or conflicts done poorly create deep bruises. Yes, life is tough, but Jesus not only changes our hearts but can heal our relationships. Through Christ, we can die to a prideful, arrogant spirit and experien...

In life, there are many things that are important. Our parents taught us values. Our teachers gave us an education. Our coaches taught us teamwork. All of these are valuable, yet the most important thing in life is the gospel. It’s the good news that this life isn’t all there is. We can be totally forgiven. We can live a guilt-free, shame-free life. Our eternity need not be stamped with hell as ou...

How can we read the book of Acts and not feel a holy restlessness? The stories of the Early Church are both faith-building and faith-challenging. There is a Holy Spirit boldness. There is a power and authority in the ministry of the followers of Jesus. There are miracles. There are new converts. There is movement! How does God want to move today?

It’s about living the good life! Everyone is interested in improving the quality of life. Advertisers tell us you can get there if you have the newest appliance, wear better clothing, get in better shape, drive a newer car, experience the ultimate vacation. While those things have value and merit, the only path to true life is through Jesus. He is the true life-giver. Knowing Him not only gives us...

In the Great Commission, Jesus calls His disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Jesus is asking the disciples to take others on the same journey that He took them on. A baptism moment lasts only a few minutes; it is immediate and does not take a whole lot of time or effort. On the other hand, being taught to ob...

Have you ever been driving and hit a roadblock? It can be incredibly time consuming, frustrating, and even defeating to try to find a way around the obstacle. The same thing can be true of our relationship with God. This is why Paul writes in Hebrews, “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing...

When racial tensions were reignited in America, I sensed a need to dig deep into the core of my own soul. Is there anything in my heart that’s not right? What would Jesus say to me regarding this issue? What needs to happen for me to be a healer? Today, you are going to hear a direct, honest conversation that I recently had with two African American brothers, Pastor Ricardo Taylor and Lynn Coleman...

It’s not just about the destination: it’s about the journey. Today, we start the journey of reading through the New Testament in 90 days. We don’t do this to say, “We did it!” We do this so that the Spirit of God applies the Word of God to our hearts. We are not exploring mere ideas or simple Bible stories. Together, we discover God speaking to us through His words—His divinely breathed words. Thi...

We’ve all heard the saying, “You reap what you sow.” This saying actually originates from the apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia. We’ve also heard variations of this sentiment like, “You get what you put in” or “You are what you eat.” But what happens when a righteous man like Hosea receives a painful calling from the Lord? Is he reaping what he has sown?

What you see is not always what you get! Appearances can be far different than reality. Just as the Israelites had the appearance of being God’s followers, yet utterly failed in their obedience, the same can happen to us. It’s possible to look the part, but not be the part. That’s why Hosea calls people to repentance. The call to return is as real today as it was then.

It often seems like we remember the things we should forget and forget the things we should remember. Over time, we have a propensity to forget commitments we’ve made. Vows made in youth are forsaken in adulthood. God’s faithfulness in the past is forgotten. Because of this, spiritual drift happens. Hot hearts become cold. The book of Hosea is about God’s relentless pursuit to restore our relation...

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.