The Word For The Valley Podcast (iOS)

What does greatness really look like in the kingdom of God? The disciples come to Jesus with a question that reveals how they were thinking—and in many ways, how we often think as well: “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” But what follows is a redefinition of greatness that challenges a worldly perspective and calls us into something entirely different. In this episode, Pastor Mike wa...

What does it really mean to have faith? When Jesus tells His disciples that nothing will be impossible for those who believe, it’s easy to misunderstand what He’s saying. Many people assume faith means believing strongly enough that something will happen — that if we just trust harder, pray harder, or believe more, the outcome will follow. But that’s not what Jesus is teaching.  As we continue in...

In the Christian life, there are mountaintops — and there are valleys. In Matthew 17, the disciples have just witnessed the glory of Jesus revealed on the mountain. But now the scene shifts. Where the mountain revealed the glory of Jesus, the valley now exposes the weakness of the disciples. And in many ways, that’s the rhythm of the Christian life. Joy and sorrow are both part of the journey. But...

As Jesus comes down from the mountain of Transfiguration, He begins preparing His disciples for what lies ahead. While there is glory in the kingdom of God, that glory must come in the right manner and at the right time. Walking with Jesus does not only mean suffering — but it also does not mean shortcuts to power either. The way of the Messiah is cross before crown… surrender before reward.

What if God has already prepared you for the hardest season of your life — and you just didn’t realize it? In this section Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a mountain… and for a moment, His glory is unveiled. Moses and Elijah appear. The Father speaks from heaven. This powerful moment would stay with the disciples for the rest of their lives, strengthening them through persecution, suffering,...

The Christ Redefined In this section, Jesus begins to reveal that His mission would include suffering, rejection, death, and resurrection. The disciples finally know who Jesus is and then He tells them not to tell anyone. Why? Because they didn’t yet understand what the Messiah came to do. In this episode, we explore why Jesus kept His identity quiet for a time, what it really meant for Him to be...

Who do you say that Jesus is? Jesus asks His disciples a question that is simple on the surface, but searching at its core: “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” It’s a question filled with vulnerability, the Creator asking His creation how they see Him. And as we’ll see, the answers reveal a common tendency: to give Jesus respect and honor, yet still underestimate who He truly is. In today...

Jesus says something startling in this section: “A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign.” Not because signs are always wrong—but because of what demanding them reveals about the heart. This passage presses us to ask whether we’re responding to what God has already revealed… or continually asking for more while refusing the greater truth right in front of us.

As Jesus continues His ministry, great crowds begin bringing their broken—those who are lame, blind, mute, and wounded in every way—and they lay them at His feet. And He heals them all. What makes this moment especially significant is where it’s happening. These crowds are primarily Gentiles—people long considered outside the reach of God’s promises. Yet Jesus shows no hesitation, no limitation, n...

In this moment of the account, the conversation between Jesus and this woman reaches its turning point. Instead of pushing back, taking offense, or trying to elevate herself, she does something remarkable—she agrees with Him. She accepts her place in the story, not with shame or resentment, but with humility and faith. “Yes, Lord,” she says. “I understand the order. I know who I am. And I also kno...

In today’s study we meet a Canaanite woman. A Gentile from the region of Tyre and Sidon who becomes one of the clearest pictures of what genuine faith looks like. In this episode, we’ll explore how Jesus engages this woman, why her persistence matters, and how her story reveals the way Jesus still invites anyone—regardless of background, tradition, or status—to come directly to Him in faith.

In this section, Jesus turns His attention to the Pharisees and scribes and calls them what they truly are: hypocrites—people more concerned with appearances than obedience. They talked about God. They honored God with their lips…but their hearts were miles away. Jesus cuts through all of it and brings the issue back to what matters most: Not how we look, not what others approve of, but the honest...

Who are you—really? Not your name, not your job, not the place you’re from, and not the list of things that have happened to you. Scripture keeps pulling us back to this deeper reality: you are not the sum of your circumstances. Jesus teaches that beneath all the external noise—your experiences, failures, achievements, wounds, and successes—there’s something far more essential. The Bible calls it...

In one of the most memorable moments in the Gospels, Peter steps out of a boat and onto the water—not because he was fearless, but because he was willing. As Pastor Mike will point out, our fellowship with Jesus is always as close as we want it to be. The limitations aren’t on His end; they’re on ours In this episode, we’ll look at the kind of desire and surrender that led Peter to say, “Lord, let...

After the feeding of the five thousand, something dangerous begins to happen—dangerous not because of persecution or lack, but because the crowd misreads Jesus. John’s Gospel tells us they were ready to take Him by force and make Him king. Not the King He truly is—but the king they wanted. And right in that moment, Jesus does something surprising. He immediately sends His disciples away in a boat—...

We ended Part 1 with the deeply painful and unjust death of John the Baptist. His disciples carried his body away, and the news of John’s death reached Jesus. And it’s at this moment—out of grief, loss, and the heaviness of injustice—that the next scene unfolds. Instead of turning inward or withdrawing completely, Jesus responds in a way that reveals His compassion, His heart, and His mission more...

In today’s passage, we step into one of the most unfair, unjust moments in the entire Bible. It’s the kind of  moment that exposes corruption, abuse of power, and the deep darkness of the human heart. And yet… in the middle of this tragedy, Matthew is setting the stage for something important: how Jesus responds to the world at its very worst.

As Jesus closes this section of parables, He reminds us that the truths of God never change—but they’re always fresh. The same gospel that transformed lives centuries ago still transforms hearts today. We don’t need new truths; we need the old truths made new in our lives—lived out, rediscovered, and applied in the moments we face right now.

Jesus tells two short but deeply revealing parables — the treasure hidden in a field and the pearl of great price. Both describe someone who discovers something so valuable, they joyfully give up everything to gain it. Are they about us seeking God — or God seeking us? Who is the one selling all to obtain the treasure?

Jesus reminds us that while God is not okay with hypocrisy, He allows it for a time. The field isn’t perfect, but it’s still His. God’s patience is His mercy—giving every person time to turn before the harvest comes. But the delay in judgment doesn’t mean it’s forgotten. And the longer hypocrisy grows, the greater its reckoning will be.

As we continue through the "Parable of the Sower", Jesus reveals a third factor at work. There’s an enemy—who actively sows deception, distraction, and division among the good seed. In this episode, we’ll also uncover how the wheat and the tares grow together, what that means for our spiritual lives, and why discernment matters more than ever.

What makes for good soil? In the Parable of the Sower, good soil is more than just fertile ground—it’s a heart prepared to receive God’s Word. In this episode, we’ll learn how to cultivate that kind of heart—one that welcomes truth, grows deep roots, and bears abundant fruit.

Jesus is shifting His approach. This time, He steps into a boat while the crowd gathers on the shore and begins teaching in parables. A simple story—a sower scattering seed—carries a profound message. In this episode, we explore why Jesus chose parables and what the parable of the sower reveals.

Jesus teaches about the condition of the heart and the danger of incomplete change. He says that when an unclean spirit leaves, it seeks a resting place—but if the heart isn’t fully transformed, the work isn’t finished. Meaning, feform alone isn’t enough; true change requires a new heart, a life renewed from the inside out.

“Jesus said, ‘A tree is known by its fruit.’ In this moment, He’s confronting religious leaders who accused Him of being in league with the devil. But His question back cuts straight to the heart: ‘What fruit of My life points to evil?’ Every work He’s done up to this point has been good—healing, restoring, and freeing.  In this episode, we’ll uncover how the condition of our hearts determines wha...