NMC Audio Podcast

The uncomfortable reality is that sometimes the deepest wounds don’t come from strangers; they come from home. The life of Joseph explores how jealousy, comparison, and unresolved hurt can unravel relationships, and asks the honest question: Will there ever be healing and even reconciliation?

Is this just a fishing expedition into Peter's life, or is Jesus personally setting a course for his future? Around an early morning campfire, an unlikely table is set, and what unfolds is one of the most intimate, criticized, and defining conversations in all of Scripture. What Jesus does for Peter, He intends for us too.

Did Jesus lose control in the temple? Or did He reveal what truly mattered? When He overturned the tables, what was He doing? The temple was meant to be a place where people could meet God, but it had become a place that crowded out prayer, justice, and genuine worship. What tables might need to be flipped in our own lives? Jesus’ actions remind us that God cares deeply about the condition of our...

In the story of Zacchaeus, Jesus does something shocking. He chooses to sit at the table with the "wrong kind of people." Tax collectors, sinners, and outsiders were pushed to the margins, judged as unworthy, and forgotten. But when Jesus enters Zacchaeus' home, He isn't just sharing a meal—He's turning the world upside down. The Kingdom of God flips the social hierarchy. The people everyone else...

The story of Jesus is the story of invitation—a grace that meets you where you're at and welcomes you to sit at the table. On the night of His betrayal and on the road when hope seemed lost, Jesus drew near to His disciples and welcomed the doubting, the disappointed, and the questioning. The invitation is still the same for us today. There's a seat for you at the table. Will you accept His invita...

Paul’s legacy is that he gave everything for the calling he received. His life asks something of us: What will our legacy be? Will we live comfortably, or will we live purposefully? Will we shrink back when it’s difficult or press on with courage and conviction? Each of us has been given a calling—unique, intentional, and meaningful. The question isn't whether we have one, but whether we'll live i...

We live in a moment of profound cultural and moral shift—a moment churches have faced before. What does faithful, courageous, and loving community look like? How does the church respond in this moment? What does Paul’s heartfelt challenge in Acts 20 say to us about how to face whatever comes next?

In 1870 Lydia Baxter wrote a hymn entitled, “Take the Name of Jesus with you.” Its stanzas are about the various trials we may face as well as the joy and hope found in Jesus. As we continue our journey through the Book of Acts, sometimes called The Acts of the Apostles, we're witness to how their actions are informed by who Jesus is and the joy they have as they trust Him. Because of their faith...

When the early church faced a wave of new believers who didn’t grow up with the same traditions, a big question emerged. In Acts 15, the leaders gathered to decide whether new believers had to follow all the old religious requirements. After prayer and discussion, they reached a powerful conclusion: don’t make it difficult for those who are turning to God. The heart of the gospel is simple—salvati...

Left to itself, a fire tends to burn out. Throughout the Bible, believers are urged to keep their spiritual fervor red hot, like Paul encouraged Timothy to "fan into flame" his spiritual passion. Life and all its challenges take a toll on a warm heart. More than just giving us a challenge, the Word gives us a clear path to a heart that’s hot for Jesus. --- Dave Engbrecht served as NMC’s Senior Pas...

Following Jesus is more than a private belief—it’s a bold, active faith. In Mark 2, four friends refuse to let obstacles keep their paralyzed friend from encountering Jesus. When the crowd blocks the door, they climb the roof, tear it open, and lower him to Jesus. Their faith wasn’t passive. It was persistent, courageous, and sacrificial. This message explores what it means to be the kind of follo...

Prophetic words have the power to call forth our true identity, gifts, and calling. Through the apostle Paul’s encouragement of Timothy, we see how spoken, God-inspired words can strengthen faith, awaken purpose, and help us stand firm in challenging seasons. We as the Church are called to intentionally speak life-giving, identity-shaping words that help others stand strong in who God has called t...

In Acts 10, we encounter two men in different places but in the same posture of heart: Peter and Cornelius. One is a Jewish apostle, the other a Roman centurion. Both are united by a simple, powerful act: They make themselves available to God through prayer. It's in those moments of yielded prayer that heaven interrupts earth. Visions are given. Boundaries are broken. Hearts are changed. Through p...

Could one step of obedience set off a chain reaction? Everyday faithfulness is the first domino God wants to tip, and fulfill His call in Matthew 9 and the promise of Acts 1:8. This message challenges every follower of Jesus to see your life, not as random moments, but as intentional moves in God’s unstoppable mission. --- John Vermilya is the Lead Pastor of The Tabernacle, a multi-site church in...

Saul of Tarsus knew the Scriptures better than most of us ever will. He was disciplined, devoted, and certain he was right. Yet, he was still blind. Acts 9 shows us what happens when certainty collides with the living Christ. It's the story of how knowing about God becomes truly knowing Him.

What good can grace do? When God's grace showed up in Acts 4, it didn't just make people feel better—it actually changed things. Relationships shifted. Priorities flipped. A whole community got rewired from the inside out. We're exploring what happens when grace gets to work in real life, and why it might do more than you think.

The religious leaders were stunned by the boldness of Peter and John. They weren’t impressed by credentials or training. They only recognized one thing: these men had been with Jesus. What a beautiful invitation from the Lord—to simply be with Him. Our power, courage, and clarity don’t come from striving harder, but from abiding closer. When we spend time in His presence, His life transforms ours,...

What do you think about God right now? Your thoughts matter more than you may realize. For years, Christians have been accused of "checking their brains at the door," but what if Jesus actually invites us to engage our minds more fully, not less? What if truly getting our "head in the clouds" with Christ transforms how we live on earth? Discover why your thought life is essential to human flourish...

Jesus offers a clear warning and a loving invitation when it comes to money. He cautions us to guard our hearts against greed and reminds us that life isn't measured by what we accumulate. He also challenges us to consider who—or what—we truly serve because we can't serve both God and money. He invites us to get curious about our relationship with finances: What drives our decisions? Where do we p...

God didn't create us as souls trapped in bodies, but as embodied persons, fearfully and wonderfully made. God designed us not just to survive, but to flourish—body and soul together. From the beginning, He formed us with intention, calling our physical lives "very good" Though sin has fractured our experience of health, strength, and wholeness, God’s desire for our physical flourishing has never c...

John 10 offers us a striking and comforting image: Jesus is the way into abundant life—our safety, our belonging, our access to God. As the Good Shepherd, He's not distant or harsh, but attentive and self-giving, one who knows His sheep by name and lays down His life for them. This isn't a voice of control or fear, but of love and trust. Yet, Jesus also names the challenge we face: many other voic...

Jesus shared a simple, but not always easy, principle of how to flourish in our relationships. This one instruction has the power to revolutionize every interaction in your life. Let’s unpack its depth and the challenge it presents. Let’s consider how this truth has the power to reshape our interactions. Let’s imagine how it could change in our world if we lived it out. 

What does it truly mean to say, “God is love”? Let’s explore the depth of God’s agape love—a love that's unconditional, sacrificial, and self-giving. God’s love isn't merely an emotion but an action, most clearly revealed through the gift of His Son. As recipients of such overwhelming grace, we're called to imitate God’s love by laying aside selfishness, extending forgiveness, and demonstrating Ch...

When we pause to consider the birth of Jesus, it can leave us wondering. Why would God choose to enter the world in such an unexpected way? Why would He humble Himself to become one of us? This week, we celebrate a moment both wondrous and mysterious: the incarnation of God, an event that changed the world more than 2,000 years ago.

In the scandalous genealogy of Jesus, Rahab—a Canaanite prostitute from a city of chaos—hangs a scarlet cord and trusts God’s promise. Her story reveals a jealous God whose fierce, passionate love invades the darkest places, redeems unlikely people, and zealously pursues us on His terms, in His time.