Time of Grace With Pastor Mike Novotny

If our hearts can deceive us and the world can mislead us, certainly the church is a good source of truth. Well . . . maybe. Since the hearts of church leaders can be deceived and many people can follow their teaching, how do we know we can trust the church? Pastor Mike explores what we can do so we know when to trust the church. For more resources that help you stay rooted in Jesus, check us out...

Think of the top two to three voices that get your attention the most: the cable news networks, talk radio shows, podcasts, friends, family members, pastors, teachers. Now, Pastor Mike challenges, are these voices sources of truth you can trust? How do you know? Pastor Mike looks to the Bible to help us answer if we can trust their truth. For more resources that help you stay rooted in Jesus, chec...

“Be true to yourself.” That message is found everywhere in today's culture. Since churches, religions, and families are so obviously flawed, we are taught to turn inward in order to find what is true, beautiful, and right. But how do we sift through the countless and oftentimes conflicting desires that we find within? In this message, Pastor Mike poses the question, "Should I live my truth?" The B...

How do we know what's true in today's world? With so many versions of "truth" coming at us, how do we know what to believe? Pastor Mike is joined by special guest C.L. Whiteside, host of one of our podcasts, "The Non-Microwaved Truth." Pastor Mike and C.L. give us some context and great discussion on our next TV message series, "Whose Truth Do I Trust?" While dissecting truth, the guys also manage...

Shame is the unshakable feeling that we don’t belong, tempting us to run away from God and his people. Shame can be tied to something done to us, something we have done, or something we have continued to do. As hard as it is to open up about shame, it's even harder to address in the church. Pastor Mike dares us to cross that line and show what can happen when a Christian community learns to deal w...

One in five adults deals with anxiety, caught in a snowballing avalanche of what-ifs and worst-case scenarios. As we enter another year of uncertainty and alarming headlines, it seems that, more than ever, people are being overcome by anxiety. There isn't a quick solution. But Pastor Mike says actively doing these four things, with the work of the Holy Spirit, will help you deal with anxiety. For...

The people in our lives can lead us in different directions, good and bad. There are fools, the wise, and everyone in between. So how do we deal with people? How do we find our people? How do we know whom to trust? And whom to avoid? With the guidance of the wisest man in the ancient world, Pastor Mike gives us biblical insight on how to deal with people. For more resources that help you stay root...

"Be who you are." "You do you." That's what the world tells us. But what does Jesus say? When you're dealing with all the ups and downs of life, all your strengths and weaknesses, and all the complicating details of your life story, Jesus says the exact opposite: Don't be you. Pastor Mike helps us understand what Jesus means as we learn how to deal with ourselves. For more resources that help you...

It's 2024! We kick off the new year with this series that looks at how we deal—with ourselves, with people, with anxiety, and with shame. Pastor Mike also mentions our brand-new resource this month, "How to Fight Anxiety With Joy" by Linda Buxa. This 28-day guide shares daily devotions filled with God’s wisdom, along with proven tips to help lessen your anxiety and stress as you learn to rejoice i...

Are there questions you'd love to ask your pastor but feel uncomforable doing it? Are there topics you'd like to hear more about but are afraid to approach at church? This special episode of "Time of Grace" is full of curious questions from church members directed at Pastor Mike. What does the Bible say about today's difficult topics? Hear what Pastor Mike has to say as he tackles tough topics fro...

What makes "Joy to the World" a must for every Christmas service even though—spoiler—its writer did not intend for it to be a Christmas song? It has the one thing we all deeply long for: lasting joy. That kind of eternal joy can only be found in one person. Pastor Mike finishes this series that digs into the meaning of our favorite classic Christmas carols. If you enjoy this podcast and make it a...

What does "hark" even mean? And what about "herald"? Those answers are somewhat easy. But it's the rest of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" that will get our brains working and our hearts swelling as we realize just how amazing it is that Jesus came down to earth for us. Pastor Mike continues this series that digs into the meaning of our favorite classic Christmas carols.   If you enjoy this podcast...

How historically and biblically accurate are some of our classic Christmas carols? Pastor Mike strips away the music as we examine the lyrics of some of our favorite songs. First up: how often do we think about the environment in which Jesus was born? "Away in a Manger" isn't a picture-perfect nativity scene or Hallmark moment. Instead, through its historical context, we see the profound impact of...

Where is Jesus in some of our favorite Christmas carols? Pastor Mike and Amber Albee Swenson give us a sneak peek at the next TV message series, "Is Christ in Your Christmas Carols?" In the course of their conversation, we learn that one classic carol isn't actually about Christmas but instead Judgment Day, the Novotny family's "Jumbo Jesus," and how old Amber is (not really, but Pastor Mike came...

For people living with constant pain, it's tempting to believe the lie that God is not good. Pastor Mike shares a verse from Jesus' brother James that gives us three things to remember in order to resist believing that deception. If you enjoy this podcast and make it a regular part of your week, would you consider helping us with your regular support? We can't do any of this without you! Consider...

To be grateful for the hard times in your life is difficult. Pastor Mike asks: Do you think it’s possible that you could only get to certain places spiritually if you had first passed through the difficulties of pain, suffering, and hardship? The apostle Paul, a guy who was incredibly grateful and went through an incredible amount of suffering, is going to help us thank God even when we hurt. Get...

If you struggle with gratitude, Pastor Mike says to read and chew on this 202-word sentence from the apostle Paul. Because it will remind you that you already have everything. Get your copy of "Closer to God Each Day," our new 365-day devotional, with your financial gift to Time of Grace! https://bit.ly/49lCmWP If you enjoy this podcast and make it a regular part of your week, would you consider h...

When God takes away your health or your security or the life you long for, it feels like you have more reason to grumble than to be thankful. How can you be grateful when so many things go wrong? Today’s message has the apostle Paul’s powerful answer. Get your copy of "Closer to God Each Day," our new 365-day devotional, with your financial gift to Time of Grace! https://bit.ly/49lCmWP If you enjo...

How do we avoid the constant temptation to grumble and gripe, especially as we get closer to Thanksgiving? Pastor Mike and Amber Albee Swenson give us a preview of November's TV message series, "Choose Gratitude Over Grumbling." Listen and learn how we can keep our perspective of God in the right place, how to prove that we're not just using God, and be reminded that God has marked us as his. Bonu...

If the good news about Jesus is so good, then why don't Christians share more about it? Maybe it's because we feel inadequate and don't know what to say. Or we are terrified of how our friends and family would react. Pastor Mike can relate. And that's why in today's message, he opens up the Bible to see how the greatest sharer of faith, the apostle Paul, teaches us to talk about Jesus. In just a f...

The Bible is challenging to read. There are weird words and weird names in it. There’s an Old Testament and a New Testament. There are prophecies and prophets. And if you’re new to the Bible, if you’ve never deeply studied it, it can leave you confused. That's why in this message, Pastor Mike helps us learn how to approach the Bible. Spoiler: It's okay if we don't understand it right away. The imp...

What can help determine if screens are a blessing or a bad thing? The answer, Pastor Mike says, is if we set boundaries. Pastor Mike gets super practical in this message by applying some biblical wisdom to our modern digital lives and gives us five suggestions to help us develop good boundaries. Get your copy of "Supernatural: God at Work and on Your Side" with your financial gift to Time of Grace...

Screens are a double-edged sword. On one side are the blessings. And, unfortunately, on the other side are the bad things. Pastor Mike explores the negative effects of screens by challenging us with three big questions concerning the most important areas of our lives: our families, our friends, and our faith. Get your copy of "Supernatural: God at Work and on Your Side" with your financial gift to...

Love them or hate them, screens are undeniably a part of our daily lives. Whether it's social media, instant messages, FaceTiming, or streaming videos, this modern age sees us more digitally connected than ever. Which leads us to the big question: Is all this screen time a blessing or a bad thing? Pastor Mike kicks off this series by first examining how we can maximize the blessings of modern tech...

What is the impact of technology on our lives? More important, what's the impact on our spiritual lives? That's the big idea behind Pastor Mike's new sermon series, "Screens & Souls." Pastor Mike and Amber give us a sneak peek, talking about technology's blessings, its bad things, and the boundaries we must create. In the course of the conversation, we also learn their screen time usage (and w...