NMC Audio Podcast

Introductions tell you a lot about a person. Introductions are an opportunity for you to give others insight into who you are. So, who are you? What makes you you? Whether using a social media bio, a meet and greet, or an autobiography, how do you identify yourself?

Jesus, the master teacher, instructs us that when we pray, we’re to ask forgiveness for our sins. Confession is one of the keys to having a vibrant prayer life. Unfortunately, in a battle with our flesh and the condemnation of the enemy, we often fail to confess. Can you imagine the life and power available to us if we operated from a place of being forgiven consistently? 

We can all fall into the trap of approaching God through prayer and treating Him like a magic genie or a vending machine. On one side, it's about those three lucky wishes and making them count. On the other, it's about giving God the correct payment (good works, good words, lots of words, etc.) and getting from Him what you want. But what if prayer is much more than that? What if prayer involves t...

It's common to ask others for help. It may have happened in your life this week when your car broke down, when you needed a pen at school, or as you were running behind on a project at work. It's also very normal to ask God for help. We seek His direction, His healing, and His gifts. It's not wrong to ask—in fact He tells us to do so. However, we've all experienced unanswered prayers. How do we re...

Throughout the biblical narrative from Genesis to Revelation, we see God’s heart to work with His people to carry out His purposes. What if our greatest contribution to the Kingdom of God is our prayers? What if God’s desire is for us to stand in the gap for others with intercessory prayers?

Prayer is essential to the Christian faith. Some may even say that prayer is life—that prayer is more than just something we do—it’s a lifestyle to embody. The Apostle Paul encourages followers of Jesus to pray without ceasing. Why, then, do most of us seriously struggle to have a vibrant prayer life? Are you satisfied with your prayer life? Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus, the Great Teacher, and lear...

Anxiety is a reality of life. These are uncertain times. Every season of life presents its own version of anxiety. Anxiety brings heaviness; everything seems out of control. There’s a feeling of uncertainty. Yet, Jesus presents a clear path amidst that heaviness. 

The psalms use beautiful word images to paint pictures of what a relationship with the Lord can be. In other places in the Bible, authors have taken the language of the psalmist and reiterated the idea of tasting the goodness of God. What an invitation! To experience, tangibly, through the senses, the goodness of God. Have you tasted and seen?

They show up in fairy tales, on magazine covers, and on the big screen. We talk about them from time to time not always knowing how they connect to us or bring meaning to our lives. “They” are Kings & Queens. They are royalty—romanticized figures who seem out of touch and out of place in everyday life. But thankfully, the Psalms don’t overly romanticize the image of God as our King. Rather, we see...

It may be surprising to know that psalms of lament are the most common subcategory of passages in the book of Psalms. Laments give voice to the intensity of pain, confusion, doubts, and sorrow that are part of the human experience. It’s not a question of if we’ll experience pain in this life, but rather where do we turn to in our pain? How do we process our pain?

Have you ever heard the phrase, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” The psalms give us an honest look at David’s inconsistency. He wants God to enact justice but wants himself to be exempt from the justice he is due. This is the justice paradox: we want God to be fair, but also personally receive unfair treatment. How do we make sense of this?

The psalmist David writes, “My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.” When we look at the work of God’s hands, and when we reflect on His great salvific work in our lives, how can we do anything but praise His holy name for ever and ever? The people of God are people of praise! 

Psalms, the ancient prayer book in the Bible, showcases the interactions of people with God. In these poems, the beauty of creation is highlighted, the dynamics of relationships are exposed, and the characteristics of God are on display. Psalm 19 highlights the Word of God and invites the reader to respond. Will we welcome wisdom or choose something else?

The psalmist in Psalm 73 finds himself fixated on the prosperity of the wicked in the world instead of on God. We can find ourselves in this same position, with questions and comparisons in our minds. As we challenge our grads to keep their eyes on God, let’s take a moment to reflect on where our eyes are focused in this season.

Jesus rebukes and reminds His disciples that the Kingdom of heaven belongs to those like children. Kids are small windows into a very big reality. The innocence, the blind faith, and the curious wonder of a child are signposts to experiencing God. Protect kids at all cost. How might God be calling our collective body to care for kids?

Today, we welcome David Brickner to NMC. David is the CEO and executive director of Jews for Jesus, the leading Jewish mission and evangelistic organization in the world. He has dedicated his career to sharing the hope of the gospel with Jewish people worldwide.

Jesus’ invitation is beautiful. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” What are you carrying?

To both the religious insiders and the moral outsiders, Jesus gives a goal—a better way to orient our lives. Some people pursue the correct church behaviors, while others are just living for what the weekend has to offer. But what if there’s a better way? What if we were created for more than the weekend? If we’re willing to learn it, Jesus has a life lesson for all of us.

Paul writes to young Timothy, encouraging and exhorting him to stay the course, keep sound doctrine, and steer the early church in Ephesus. This was a difficult task in a pagan city. The cultural pressures inside and outside the church were mounting. Paul gives Timothy three pictures (or three keys) to keep the faith.

Elijah experienced the epic mountain top victory on Mt. Carmel, defeating the prophets of Baal and revealing YAHWEH is the ultimate authority in heaven and on earth. However, immediately following this great victory, we see the great, faith-filled prophet plummet. Elijah hits an all-time low. Elijah’s story offers us perspective into how we should approach our own low valley moments.

It seems like nothing could be worse than nothingness. Seriously, what good could ever come out of being alone, being in the dark, being out of the loop, being the last one standing? How can something come out of nothing? In counterintuitive ways, God repeatedly teaches Elijah a valuable lesson—a lesson that gives him the perspective he needs to face what is in front of him.

Elijah is one of the most well-known Old Testament figures in the Bible. On the Mount of Transfiguration, Elijah shows up as the representative of all the prophets who came before. As prominent as he is, the Scriptures give us only a few snapshots of the events of his life. But one thing is for sure: Elijah knew how to pray untamed prayers. Do you?

If anyone has a reason to praise or to have a heart overwhelmed with gratitude, it is the follower of Jesus. Thank You, God, for loving us so much that You sent Your Son, Jesus. Thank You, Jesus, for dwelling among us, teaching us how to live, and ultimately for taking our sin and our shame to the cross. Thank You for the promise of Your Spirit and for future resurrection. We have a reason to prai...

It’s an (almost) impossible thing to imagine that the God of the universe is interested in people like us. And not only is He interested, but He extends an invitation to us to participate! What could we possibly offer that would please Him? The answer may surprise you, but it won’t disappoint you.

Common to each of us is the experience of comparison. And if you’ve ever disqualified yourself from something (either publicly or privately), your reasons likely stem from seeing yourself not as good as ______________. (You fill in the blank.) But we are invited to much more than the habit of personal/early disqualification. Today’s snapshot of Moses at Mount Sinai is filled with encouragement for...