Time of Grace With Pastor Mike Novotny

"Self-care" simply means to care for one's self. And in today's world where so many people deal with burnout, self-care has become a trending topic. But how do we care for ourselves without falling into the danger zone of thinking of ourselves too much and not honoring God? What does God say about work and rest and how to find a balance? Pastor Mike teaches two big ideas that can help us be right...

"Do not judge" is one of the most quoted passages in modern times. Because, culture tells us, who are we to judge others when we're not perfect either? But, Pastor Mike says, as counterintuitive as it seems, the Bible actually tells us to judge. Pastor Mike walks us through the Bible's teaching on judgment, giving us four parts on how to judge the right way. To help you stay rooted in God's Word,...

Just because we feel something doesn't make it right. So when we say that "love is love," what we're really doing is instinctively applying the terms and conditions of what we think love should be. But, Pastor Mike challenges, are we really qualified to define and impose those limits? Pastor Mike opens up the Bible to see what God says about love—to straight people, to gay people—and about how har...

Our modern culture proudly tells us to "be you"—because we're all different from one another and should embrace our uniqueness. But what does God think about "be you"? Does he want us to be true to ourselves? To look inside and to live that out? Pastor Mike says according to the Bible, God says, "Be you!" — but with an asterisk. To help you understand how to love like God, we have a new book calle...

Everyone loves someone. The challenge is loving everyone—that means not limiting your love to just those in your inner circle or who treat you well. Jesus calls you to that standard—to imitate the God who loves different people—and to serve your friends, enemies, and everyone in between. To help you understand how to love like God, we have a new book called A Better Love: God's Love Transforms You...

Love is costly and sacrificial—that's why it's often difficult to experience and give love. So if you want more love in your relationships, Pastor Mike says, there are three important things you need. To help you understand how to love like God, we have a new book called A Better Love: God's Love Transforms You by Dr. Paul Kelm. This book cuts through the confusion on how the world views love, and...

What is love, really? The way we tend to define it may surprise you in its limitations. In this new series, Pastor Mike helps you explore how the Bible defines love and see that its simple definition has the power to change your relationships with your family, your neighbors, and even your enemies. And it starts with knowing that love starts with God. To help you understand how to love like God, w...

Get a sneak peek at Pastor Mike's upcoming new message series, "Love Well." He sits down with Amber Albee Swenson—Time of Grace writer, blogger, and podcaster—to talk about the big ideas behind the series. Listen in as they discuss the definition of love, how love can be costly, and the challenges of loving everyone—especially your enemies. We live in a world that constantly tries to define us by...

To discover your role in God’s goals for you in this new year, you must first be able to answer this question: Who are you? Do you know your part in the mission to share about God's love? This message will help you find and understand your place, while reminding you that the answer to the question, "Who are you?" is actually less about you and more about what Jesus did for you. We live in a world...

Good spiritual health for this new year means knowing your purpose. But if you're unsure what that purpose is, don't worry—the Bible tells you in no uncertain terms what your great purpose is. Pastor Mike unpacks what Jesus said to help you fulfill your purpose. We live in a world that constantly tries to define us by our greatest achievements, or our worst failures.  But who does God say we are? ...

A new year means new goals . . . but not just any goals. Pastor Mike helps you push the reset button to think beyond the usual physical health goals and instead focus on your spiritual health. This message looks at the first of three components to good spiritual health: priority. Are you doing things in your life that matter most to God? Are your priorities his priorities? How do you know? The goo...

Don't start the new year with just regular goals that focus on physical health. Instead, look at goals that help you with spiritual health. That's the focus of Pastor Mike's new sermon series, "Reset." Join Pastor Mike and Amber Albee Swenson as they preview the new series, while somehow also incorporating talk of their favorite '90s jams, how Amber successfully played matchmaker, and each of thei...

Pastor Mike is back with the annual special episode where he tackles tough questions from people like you. Hear what the Bible says about today's difficult topics. To receive special text offers and stay up to date with the Time of Grace, text the word "Grace" to 45321 to subscribe! About "Taboo Questions With Pastor Mike Novotny": Have you ever had questions you wanted to ask a pastor but felt si...

The reason Christians celebrate Christmas is to worship the baby Jesus, right? The One who was laid in a manger. The One who was born of a virgin. Well, Pastor Mike says, the baby in the manger would not mean anything if that same baby were not to die on a cross and then rise again. The end of our suffering, sadness, and sin is not lying in a manger but is hanging on a cross. Watch the finale of "...

It's shocking, surprising, illogical, and supernatural. And it's for all of us. Pastor Mike explains the amazing gift of God's grace so we understand how grace is the one thing we need the most.  To receive special text offers and stay up to date with the Time of Grace, text the word "Grace" to 45321 to subscribe! About "Taboo Questions With Pastor Mike Novotny": Have you ever had questions you wa...

Has a gift you received ever lost its shine or appeal? It was incredible at first but maybe months later was forgotten? Pastor Mike teaches that there is something that will never lose its shine. Through Jesus' miracles, love, and sacrifice, we see God's glory. To receive special text offers and stay up to date with the Time of Grace, text the word "Grace" to 45321 to subscribe! About "Taboo Quest...

Giving and receiving gifts, when done well, can be good. Gifts can even be great. Most of the time, however, we forget about them or let them collect dust. In this first episode of his new series, "Best Gifts Ever," Pastor Mike shares with you a gift that could never collect dust or get old: God's Word. To receive special text offers and stay up to date with the Time of Grace, text the word "Grace...

Presents are great. People are better. But the person who came down from heaven is THE best gift. That's the big idea behind Pastor Mike's new sermon series, "Best Gifts Ever." Dig deep with Pastor Mike and Amber Albee Swenson as they give a sneak peek into this series and cover a wide range of topics including why it's important for families to read the Bible together, why church is best when we'...

A new, perfect world where fear, pain, and suffering are gone. That's God's promise in this message that concludes this series. Pastor Mike teaches of how God's promise to make everything new offers both peace for today and a beautiful future beyond this life.  To receive special text offers and stay up to date with the Time of Grace, text the word "Grace" to 45321 to subscribe! About "Taboo Quest...

"Living my best life" is a phrase thrown around in modern culture. But maybe more often than not, we feel lacking and circumstances keep us from living our best lives. Thankfully, Pastor Mike reminds us, God is with us and will use even our struggles and tough times for our good. We are all seeking rest and relief in our fast paced society and hope for the uncertain days ahead.  There's only one p...

Being a Chrstian is both easy and hard. Jesus lived a perfect life, died for all sin, and rose for us; there's nothing we need to do to earn heaven. That's the easy part. But loving God above everything can seem difficult. In this message, Pastor Mike teaches from the book of Hebrews to remind us of a very important truth: God will help us through the hard parts of being a Christian. We are all se...

Next time something difficult or unexpected happens, will you go into a place of panic, uncertainty, and worry? Or is there a beautiful narrow path of peace and hope that you can take? That path is the promises of God—the topic of Pastor Mike's next sermon series, "God's Promises to You." Join Pastor Mike and Amber Albee Swenson as they talk about why it's best to memorize God's promises BEFORE so...

Sometimes we may feel as though we're not blessed financially. Even though we live in a prosperous age, many factors determine the kinds of financial struggles we have. In the first message of this new series, "God's Promises to You," Pastor Mike explains a true and comforting promise of God. Namely, despite any struggle we have, God will be there for us. We are all seeking rest and relief in our...

In the final message of “Confusing Things Christians Say,” we explore what “being called” means. Often, when we have a strong desire to do something good or something that betters society, we tend to say we felt called to do it. But what does that actually mean in the Bible? Pastor Mike explains what being called as a child of God means and why that can be a source of comfort. He also explains why...

“Hate the sin; love the sinner” is something most Christians have heard or even said. But can that actually work? Our emotions are tied to the people we love while the same emotions are also tied to the sin that we know God detests. It can certainly feel like we’re walking on a narrow road. But, Pastor Mike says, we can walk that narrow road with the help of Jesus, our perfect example. We all stru...