In the Word with Pastor Mike: Recent Episodes
Mike Grover
Pastor Mike takes 1 chapter in the New Testament at a time and delivers a devotional thought from the chapter. ”In the Word” provides two episodes per week. The new episodes go out Tuesday and Fridays. Our format is read the text, give the background, provide a practical application.
Jesus has set us free from the old so that we can move forward in the new. He did not just leave an empty place of selfishness but an enabled place of opportunity!
A sense of worth is considered one of the deepest of human needs. Our only true worth must come from the Lord and it is given to us in Christ as the gift of righteousness!
Its easy to see the faults in those around us and overlook the issues in our own lives. progress begins by working on ourselves before others.
Sometimes our most sincere efforts can be misunderstood and our motives questioned. It is in those times that we have to draw deeper into our relationship with the Lord and just know that God knows!
Showing hospitality to others is one of the great characteristics of being a follower of Jesus Christ. Its not always convenient and it typically is going to put you out in some way, but it is a beautiful reflection of the grace that Jesus has given to us through the cross.
Almost may seem like you have attained, but almost is not there. When it comes to salvation in Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of sin, almost is lost!
Easy is a virtue that our culture screams, but reality is that easy is not always best. There must be other factors of consideration.
Its a huge mistake not to change our mind or position simply because we have stated something firmly and publicly. In fact, it can be a real sign of spiritual immaturity to be unwilling to change. We must stay open to new direction and opinions as long as they are guided by God's Word and wisdom.
Beliefs from the Bible that Christ followers hold can sometimes put us at odds with the culture around us. The Apostle Paul experienced this himself and his reply was simply, guilty as charged! This should be the response of faith, we may not be understood, but we are on a good foundation with the Lord.
When Jesus told us to go into all the world and preach the gospel, He intended that world to include our families! As we pursue our life for Christ we need to be sure that we are continuing to build our relationships with family members who may not know Jesus.
The way we treat other believers is a reflection of our treatment of Christ. Jesus' word to Saul ring out to each of us today, "Saul, Saul, why have you persecuted me?"
No matter how well we treat others it is inevitable that there will be times when our kindness is repaid with rejection. In spite of this. we go on in the name of Jesus with His example of grace before us.
Purpose serves as a guiding light and anchor to life in the face of trials and other uncertainties. Jesus gives to all who follow Him a purpose and it is the believers responsibility to pursue it!
Satan is an uncaring enemy of the soul whose only motivation toward people is to deprive the Lord of the glory they may bring Him. On the other hand, we have the Good Shepherd of our soul, Jesus, who knows us by name and is deeply concerned with our good! He's the One that deserves our undivided devotion and love!
No matter what our individual vocations or likes in marriage, as believers there should be a meeting place in marriage where we come together for the gospel. This is modeled for us so well in the lives of the NT husband and wife team, Aquilla and Priscilla.
As we look out at the many problems we face in the world and our culture, there is a temptation to apply fixes that are only temporary at best. The real lasting change we look for and desire will only come as a result of the good news of Jesus Christ. It is a person by person long range solution not a moral Band-Aid that will never really work.
The consistency by which we live our lives for Christ can actually be one of the greatest witnesses of our faith
There are times in the Christian life when good people disagree, even strongly. In those times we must follow our conscience guided by principle in order to disagree agreeably.
All of us have a tendency to resist difficulties and always attribute evil to difficult situation. The reality is difficulties are a tool that God uses to bring about greater successes in our lives. They pave the way and give greater substance to our successes.
God uses prayer to tune our hearts to hear from Hm. It is in these times of prayer that we gain the confidence to go forward with certainty of God's leading.
Leaders come and go, but the Word of God lasts forever! Rest your hope in the eternal, not the fleeting.
God leveraged persecution in the early church to propel the good news of Jesus Christ into all the world. There are pressures we face in life that may actually be opportunities for greater gospel proclamation.
God the Holy Spirit comes to work in the world to bring people to faith in Christ and to bring believers to growth in Christ. Unfortunately, His work is often cut short as people resist Him. It is important that we are not guilty of working against what the Lord id doing in our lives.
When difficulty comes into our lives often the temptation is to isolate, to separate from others and try to deal with it on our own, But the example we see so often in the Word of God is people running into the arms of fellow believers, brothers and sisters in Christ and this is the place of grace and healing.
Life can become so hectic that you feel like you don't even have time to catch your breath. This is true in the spiritual realm of our life as well and leads to life becoming mundane and so ordinary. Jesus desire to give us refreshings; spiritual renewals that are like fresh breaths of air.
Many things in life can give us joy as we anticipate its arrival: Christmas, a new baby, or even a big game, but there is an anticipation for believers that should create our greatest joy- the anticipation of our resurrection! The hope Jesus experienced can be our hope as well.
Even as His beloved children, Jesus does not ell us everything about what He is doing in the world and in our lives, but He does tell us everything we need to know to accomplish His will and purposes.
The tide of history has been changed by a single word from a great leader; how much more powerful is the impact of a word received from Jesus Himself!
If we would be completely honest with each other, we would have to confess that often we are more bystanders to Christ's sacrifice than we are proclaimers. What can make the difference?
Happiness is a poor measurement of right or wrong. Happiness can come from all kinds of sources, even the Devil. The only sure foundation of good decision making is the principles of God's Word.
When we give, God desires it to be a reflection of His heart in giving. When He gave, it was not a leftover type thing, but a giving of His best thing... His only Son!
In the example of the wisdom of Jesus' speech, we can take away this important lesson, winning an argument should never be our goal; pointing people to the wisdom of the Lord should be.
We must be careful not to serve the Lord with an attitude that says, "I have to". We should come with a spirit that says, "I get to!" He does not need us, but graciously calls us into relationship with Him!
In life we have great needs and a greater need for a God who can be pursued confidently in prayer. This is the God who desires us to pray to Him without ceasing!
In a world full of offenses that come at us from all sides, Jesus encourages us to make sure that we don't become so jaded by what is coming our way that we excuse the same behavior in ourselves. "Take heed to yourself", He says to us. Rather than judging the motives of others, judge the reality of your own heart!
The answer to our questions is sitting right in front of us in God's Word, but sometime things are so obvious that we look right past them.
Rather than looking out at those we perceive to be in worse shape than we are with an air of superiority, we should look up to the Lord for a fresh understanding of His grace in our own lives.
We get into trouble in life when our value system is at odds with the value system of God. This is especially true when we devalue the people around us that He has sent us to bless.
Its easy for us to mistake God's longsuffering with us as a lack of concern, but this can not be further from the truth. God's nature is to lean toward mercy, but we must not mistake this for a lack of concern
Allowing our heart to follow principle rather than the reverse will serve us well in living a productive and victorious life. Jesus tells us to lead with our treasure, not our heart!
What we do with Jesus shows our opinion of truth no matter where it is spoken. Jesus is the sum total of all truth and what we do with Him, shows our true regard for truth.
There are many things in life that bring us joy, but there is a greater joy that surpasses all joys. This joy when placed at the head of the line increases all of our other joys. It is this joy that Jesus calls us to!
Jesus was the greatest example of consistency yet he receives us in all of our inconsistencies!
In a world governed by uncertainty, we have the certainty of the unchanging Word of God.
Life is full of influences. The wise person will choose his influences carefully because in the end, you will find that your influences have chosen you.
So much of God's intended joys are never experienced in our lives because of the crippling effects of fear. The awareness of Jesus' presence is the antidote to a fear filled life!
Character is on display in the contrast between Jesus and Pontius Pilate. We should strive to have the quiet calm of conviction that Jesus possessed rather than the pragmatic vacillation of Pilate.
Jesus was truly a King, the King of Kings! Yet He set aside His crown for the sake of the truth. What about us? Are we willing to do the same as His followers?
Jesus gives us the truest definition of a worldy spirit; it is living life apart from the world. God does not remove the believer from the world, but sends us into it with the word!
As followers of Christ, bad circumstances that come into our lives can be turned into good news when those circumstances are used by God to bring us into a closer relationship with Him.
We look for satisfaction from many things in life, but any source other than a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will ultimately fail. We must seek satisfaction in the true vine, Jesus Christ Himself!
Jesus loved the Father and had nothing to prove and yet it was still important to Him that people knew it. This should be true of us as well. We should live in such a way that people can see our love for the Lord.
Any and all of us are capable of failing the Lord and even denying Him. Guard your heart from the spirit of pride that says not me, instead pray Jesus don't let it be me!
Follow Jesus with the Faith that you have, not with the feelings you wish you had! Jesus will redeem our reluctance and turn it into a great profession of faith.
Not everyone we talk to about Jesus will believe on Jesus, but there will always be those who do believe in Jesus! They are His sheep!
The circumstances of life that the Lord places us in often can be challenging, but they are never without purpose. He desires for us to be a light through those circumstance of His glory.
The old saying goes, Talk is Cheap. It is easy to say that we are authentic followers of God, but Jesus shows us that the real evidence is in the actions of our lives.
The greatest hindrance to understanding God's Word is an unwillingness to do God's Word. Jesus shows us the importance of a heart that is ready to receive.
If you have ever felt like you were not enough or just didn't have enough for what you sensed God was leading you to; take hope, His adequacy is more than enough for any lack you may have!
In John 4 Jesus models for us the "art" of redirection. Taking the misunderstandings of others and pointing it to the truth!
As we see the horror unfolding in Ukraine and the world asks, "What's the problem with Putin?" Jesus gives us the clear answer and offers a solution as well.
God's grace is profound, yet amazingly simple. Religion tends to complicate what God intended to be an offering of a free gift.
All who believe in Jesus are given the right to be called His son or daughter. What an incredible blessing. From being a nobody in our past, we are elevated to the high rank of sonship!
Even in the celebration of the resurrection appearances of Christ, we find grace extended to those who had failed Him while He was headed to the cross. He doesn't cast them off, but redirects them toward greater purpose in His Kingdom.
Jesus' response to the suffering of the cross serves as a model to every believer in Christ. Rather than responding with retaliation or even defense, He responded with silence. A silent rust in His Father who Jesus knew would judge His situation righteously.
At the very moment of Jesus' final preparations for the cross, we find him in an atmosphere that is just dripping with humanity and all of its inconsistencies. But it is here that the total consistency of Jesus stands out. He doesn't run from the inconsistency of man; he runs toward it and dies for it!
Jesus gave commandment to his followers to be faithful until He returns. But He gives an extra responsibility and assignment for a group within the group known as the "doorkeepers"!
The common people heard him gladly! What a tremendous statement on the simplicity of faith. Our Lord came to this earth to reach those whose hearts have been humbles to believe what he says without overthinking it.
Rather than attaching ourselves to so called "approved" religious practices, we must attach our practices to a true heart of worship.
Jesus teaches His followers to deal with their fear in following Him by remembering why they are following Him.
Jesus desires us to be great, but not by man's standard. He desires a greatness in us that reflects the gospel. The greatness that He modelled for us himself!
In the rush and busyness of life, it is so easy to shift our focus away from Jesus and move it toward the many other things that are takin place. This creates a lost perspective of the power and provision of Christ that is available to us. We must seek to keep Jesus first in our priorities if we will enjoy the fruit of his joy.
Religion will often pit tradition against the truth of God's Word. These two can live in harmony when they are given their rightful order in priority. Tradition must always take a back seat to truth and never be mistaken for being on in the same.
God is all-powerful and none can deny this, but there is a sense in which we can limit the Lord through unbelief. Yet even though others may put a cap on God's working in their lives, we can continue to listen, respond in faith and grow in our walk with Him. Jesus preached to the masses, but He sent out the few!
Who is this man? Jesus answers by His actions the question asked of Him by the disciples in chapter 4. He is the Lord with authority over unclean spirits, death and disease!
Like a tiny mustard seed that can grow large, the little things in life can have some of the greatest results. Today and every day we should seek to take small steps of faith that God will use for great impact in His kingdom.
The first priority that Jesus gave to the men that He called was to "be with Him." There is a tendency to prioritize action and to value it above stillness, but Jesus set did just the opposite. Are you prioritizing being with Jesus today?
Jesus desires to sit down at the table with those who still need to know Him. As followers of Christ, we are given the unique opportunity to bring them to Him.
Our life for Jesus should be as much a pursuit as a participation. Jesus calls us to follow Him, but that following should not be a passive, if I get around to it sort of thing, but an active pursuing of Him because He is worthy!
Jesus intended us to live on mission for Him in the context of our everyday lives. Our weekly gathering for Him is the launchpad of our life for Him, not the crowning achievement. Discipleship is measured in movement!
In a world where the loudest voice is often most valued and heard, it is important that we learn the strength of silence. In the example of Jesus before HIs accusers, we find a confident silence that is not passive or weak, but bold in its trust in the Father and belief in His ability to defend us and exalt us with the most meaningful outcome.
Through Christ's relationship to the little town of Bethany, we learn the great lesson that In God's economy, insignificance has great significance. We must see our value from God's point of view and no one else's!
No one knows the day or hour of Jesus' return, but as Christ followers we are often instructed to expect it and to be ready!
Jesus is willing to accomplish so much in our lives, but not without our cooperation and willingness to follow His plan.
If the presence and wisdom of Jesus had such a powerful effect on His detractors that it would leave them speechless, how much more should those who know and follow Him stand in awe and just be speechless in His presence!
So much of the Christian life is simple acts of obedience and steps of faith that in the moment don't seem to mean much. Time will ultimately reveal that it was those simple acts that resulted in great accomplishments in the will of God.
Grace gives us so much more than we deserve. The attitude that serves out of duty rather than by grace misses so much.
When bringing people to faith in Christ, we must follow the example of Jesus in giving their heart time catch up with their head and not rushing things. A decision to follow Christ is indeed a work of the Spirit!
The Disciples asked, "who is greatest in the kingdom of God?" There is a lot to that question, but one of the essential qualities of great people is that they prioritize the value of children and the protection of life and especially the lives of the vulnerable.
Its so important that we stay in the "gospel lane" when it comes to our life and ministry for Christ. Every day we are faced with and tempted to focus our attention on so many other things that will never have the place of importance in God's eyes as the message of the cross!
We can know God as much as we want to know God. It is a matter of whether or not we are willing to truly seek Him!
The difficulties we face today may very wee be God's incubator of developing great faith in our lives!
I am off enjoying some vacation time this week and look forward to catching you guys next week on the newest episode of In the Word with Pastor Mike.
The fear of what others think of us can lead us to some pretty poor decisions. The Scriptures shed great light on this problem and why we should guard against it.
Our heart to know God's Word has great impact on what we actually get out of God's Word. Jesus instructs us to "take Heed" how we listen!
Jesus is not looking for us to become "tidy" people; what He is looking for is "transformed" people who show His work in us from the inside out! Religion seeks to look good to men; Jesus desires for us to be authentic.
It is through the humility of the heart that we come to truly know the Father. All of our wisdom, knowledge, and strength must be filtered through the heart if it is going to bear fruit in our lives.
Jesus said, "whoever touches you touches the apple of my eye." As Christ followers, we are identified with Jesus and share an unalterable union with Him. So much so that no matter what comes our way, we can be certain of His present care and protection in our lives.
The miraculous power of Jesus to forgive sins and to heal sicknesses were absolutely astounding, but another power of Jesus on display was His power to know our thoughts. In this knowing of Jesus we find both accountability and comfort in knowing that we are always known by Him. Never alone, but always in His thoughts!
Sometimes we just give up on people too easily when they first reject our witness of Christ. Jesus did not do that. He showed patience and through intentional actions displayed His longsuffering to them.
Jesus teaches us that it is the few, not the many that we should take our ques from in life. It is not what is around us that should set the sail of our lives, but that which is within, our personal walk with the Father in His Word!
It is an amazing confidence we can have in approaching God with our needs and cares knowing that He is the God who sees and knows us intimately!
The benevolent love that God as Creator demonstrates to all His creation, the good and the bad, is instructive and inspiring to everyone who seeks to genuinely please God in our walk with Jesus Christ.
As followers of Christ, there is a danger of mistaking complacency for contentment. Jesus Calls us to new and higher levels of following Him. Don't miss the opportunity!
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The example of Jesus' baptism demonstrates to us the deep desire of His heart to always please His Father and serves as an example to each of us of the love and devotion for the Father that should be our highest ambition.
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The Word of God was so absolutely important to the life and ministry of Jesus that it would be unimaginable for us to discount its importance to our everyday lives as well.
In the midst of total perplexity and confusion that could have left him in the throws of bitterness and anger, Joseph chose to think. And in that season of though, God moved in and gave him clarity, direction, and peace. We just need to think!
In the Word Welcome to the "In the Word" podcast with Pastor Mike Grover. "In the Word" is a devotional journey through the New Testament one chapter at a time.
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