Burning Heart‘s Podcast

Enjoying Ministry Part 2

While we sometimes have to push ourselves to perform specific tasks out of a sense of duty, you can’t operate like that all the time. If you find that your ministry feels like an obligation and is stealing your joy, then your heart is in the wrong place. It’s not that the activity is wrong – it could be precisely what God wants you to do – but if your heart is in it for the wrong reasons, you’ll be miserable. Today, Pastor Michael will challenge us to ensure our hearts are in our calling and rely on Christ for strength.

Enjoying Ministry Part 1

In some church cultures, there seems to be an unspoken rule that the church should always be serious. The more somber you are, the more spiritual. Being able to spend time in reflection and solemn reverence is an integral part of a healthy Christian life, but it’s only a part. It’s not healthy if that’s all your Christian journey looks like. As Pastor Michael will remind us in today’s message, joy is a central character trait that the Holy Spirit wants to bring to the hearts of His followers.

Involvement of Every Member Part 2

The Kingdom of God is full of people from every race, nationality, and ethnicity. It’s a beautifully diverse group. As Pastor Michael stresses the importance of being plugged into the Church, he’ll remind us of the way this community of believers transcends cultural boundaries. If you find yourself hating or disliking people because of where they’re from, their skin color, or their language, God has some serious work to do on your heart. That isn’t acceptable in His Kingdom.

Involvement of Every Member Part 1

Following Jesus and participating in the work of His Church should never be a solo undertaking. It’s not that there aren’t jobs and tasks you’ll do on your own, but in our overarching purpose of glorifying God and sharing the truth of His grace and redemption – you have a big team, and all of us are needed to carry out this purpose. In today’s message, Pastor Michael will challenge us to lean into this community and watch for ways that we can play a part while encouraging others to use their gifts.

Looking With Jesus’ Eyes Part 2

What does it practically look like to partner with God to go and make disciples? Today, Pastor Michael will challenge you to look up to the cross and recognize Jesus died for anyone who’d believe and change your perception of others. Look at them with eyes of love and compassion like Jesus does. And then, in the power of the Holy Spirit, invade the darkness with the light of Christ. Be bold and tell anyone who’ll listen to the good news. He wants everyone to come to know Him and be saved.

Looking With Jesus’ Eyes Part 1

We live in a world today that is far from God. So many, more than ever before, need Christ! And as a believer, you’re called to go out and be a light in the darkness. “Go and make disciples,” Jesus told us. And today Pastor Michael will challenge you to be obedient to the call to go and tell others the good news. God’s got so many in this world who are His but are not saved yet. He loves them and wants them as His own. So go out and tell them how they can be saved for eternity.

A Different Way of Doing Church Part 2

“We’ve never done it that way” is a statement that churches can sometimes make when new ideas come up. It can be troublesome when churches become so comfortable with their ways that they close themselves off to new methods. Pastor Michael will challenge you today to be open to Holy Spirit ideas. Be willing to change your practices in order to reach the hard-to-reach. Your message can never change! But the way you speak can always flex and change in order to tell others of Jesus.

A Different Way of Doing Church Part 1

It’s a tragedy when teaching or preaching about God and the good news of the bible is drab and boring. And unfortunately, it’s pretty standard in churches today. But, the gospel message is radical and beautiful, and exciting. And when Jesus taught, He wasn’t drab but was engaging, welcoming, and full of joy. Today, Pastor Michael will explain how teachers should seek to allow the truth of the word, and the example of Jesus to fuel a beautiful expression of the gospel to a needy world.

Test of Integrity Part 2

When you live with integrity, you're obeying God and doing what's right when nobody else can see except the Lord. God knows and see's everything you do and don't do. There's no hiding from Him. Pastor Michael will be reminding you today that God desires you to have integrity and sincerity and to stop being hypocritical. Don't put on a mask and pretend to be something you are not. The people Jesus grew angry with while on this Earth, were the religious leaders because of all their hypocrisy.

Test of Integrity Part 1

God doesn't call the qualified, in fact, God is in the business of qualifying those He calls. Abraham as an example had many flaws and even went back to his old sinful ways at one point, yet God still used him. Today, Pastor Michael will be exhorting you to get back up if you've fallen, and to remember that God isn't done with you! Confess your sin and allow the Lord to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. While you are still on this Earth, you're still being sanctified and made into the image of Jesus.