Your Encouraging 5 Minute Podcast

What if a child's simple prayer could bring unexpected blessings? Gather around as we share Sarah's heartwarming tale of faith, where her children's earnest prayers for ice cream led to an unforeseen financial miracle. Discover how a timely check answered not just a small wish but also a mother's deeper faith journey. This episode will restore your belief in everyday miracles and remind you that no prayer is ever too small or insignificant.Ever feel like your best isn't enough? We discuss the importance of acknowledging your efforts, no matter how they stack up to others. Some days, your A-game might feel like a C-plus, and that's okay. Tune in for practical tips on finding daily wins in all aspects of life—whether it's a short walk or a gym session, every effort counts. You'll leave this episode feeling encouraged to keep pushing forward, even when setbacks occur, and equipped to celebrate small victories along the way.

This is the day that the Lord has made!! It's interesting how God doesn't say which day, it's just this day, and He made it for you. So even if you don't always feel like rejoicing or celebrating, remember that there is something good that God created for you in each day.

This particular scripture is filled with some great promises from God - that He is faithful, that He will strengthen you, the list goes on...but it's also a great example of how every single word in scripture matters. In this episode we'll look at the word "will," and how that single word can carry so much weight.

When you're riding shotgun on the struggle bus, who do you turn to? In Psalm we're told that God is our refuge and our strength, but how do we access that? What does it look like? Let's get into it!

As we enter the month of November, our thoughts tend to turn toward thankfulness - so let's dig into a verse that really highlights that from the book of James!

God's word calls us to give thanks in ALL things - and yes, that "ALL" is intentional. But sometimes it's hard to be thankful in the hard times, so how do we do that? How do we shift our perspective so that we can find gratitude in the daily grind?

Throughout our lives we are influenced by the world around us - by what we see, hear, and read. We can have some control over what we're allowing ourselves to take in, but there are also times when we may not be able to see the negative impact of something. Asking God to show us those areas in our lives where we need to do a little spot clean can go a long way to bring peace of mind.

Forgiveness is more easily received than offered, whether that's when you're dealing with forgiveness of others or yourself. Mike and Megan get into what forgiveness looks like, what are some of the obstacles we face with forgiveness, and how we can more easily forgive ourselves (which is sometimes the hardest thing to do).

In so many ways, God tells us through His word to not fear because He is with us. So many verses speak to this, in fact, it's almost like He's trying to make a point - we have NO reason to fear the world when we are walking with God.

Friends can have such an impact on our life - and choosing the right friends to spend our time with can determine whether that impact is positive or negative. 

When we are weary and burdened, God is calling us to come to Him with all our mess and let Him be there for us. So when you feel like you can't keep carrying the weight of the world...stop! Let's talk about it on this week's podcast.

When it comes to giving, many of us feel we don't have "enough." Whether it's time, resources, or financial we get caught in the trap of comparing our offering to those of others. But scriptures tells us that God expects to give of what we have, not what we don't have. So let's take a look at what this means in our lives, and how we can use it to bring that offering to God.

Author John Piper once said "God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them." In this week's episode we unpack that, and for those of us who tend to get frustrated by what feels like inaction on God's part, this is an incredible reminder that we have no idea all that God is up to in our lives.

REST - what a word, right? But it's one we have a complicated relationship...we have trouble finding time to rest, we may even feel guilty taking that time if we're usually "on the go." So perhaps it's time to redefine what rest looks like, and what we can do to make sure we're getting the rest we need?

Blazing our own trails in life can lead to...well, chaos. But when we let God go before us, to make those crooked paths straight, that's when the good stuff happens. What does it look like when we go off course, and how can we make sure we're letting God lead the way? Let's dive in!

This week we're digging into this statement: "You are as close to God as you want to be." On the surface it seems kind of like a dig...a little shade, maybe? But the encouragement in this, is that when we feel distant from God, WE have the power change that!

It's funny how we can talk about what advice we would have given to our younger selves - you know, if we could go back in time and drop some words of wisdom, what would we say? But what if we flipped it to focus on a situation we're in right now? What we imagine our future selves would tell us in this moment? Taking that approach can help frame what seems so big right now, into more of just another issue that will one day be resolved.

God didn't do that...people did. When we're hurt by people in the church, it can be difficult to separate that from our relationship with God. But the reality is we are ALL broken people, not one of us is perfect, and that means we have the capability to cause a lot of harm with our words and actions. 

Hard work is just that....hard work! BUT, the work is worth it. And in God's word, it tells us that the hard work is what brings the profit. Let's unpack that a bit for our own lives!

"Cast all your cares on Him" - we've likely all heard this phrase at one point or another in our lives, and maybe it's even become one of those things that we get but we don't get. The truth is God DOES want us to give those to Him - what does that look like, and how do we do it?

When Michaelangelo created the statue David, they say he saw the statue within the marble before it had been formed. It wasn't about adding paint to canvas, it was a process of discovering what was already there, waiting to be found. God is the same way with us - He will chisel and mold and shape until we are what He designed for us to be.

There is SO much to unpack in this verse - "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago." Let's dive into what God has for us just in these few words, because it's a lot, and it's ALL good.

The oldest thing in the universe is, believe it or not, a tree! And it's lasted this long not because it's in the perfect environment, but because it's actually in a very difficult environment that has forced it to build resistance. The same thing happens in our own lives, when we walk through tough things.

We'll meet both in life - success and struggle. And we can learn something different in each of them. Sometimes the lessons we learn from the struggles about who we are, though, can be more powerful than anything else. Let's dig in!

For God so loved the world He gave His only son...there is so much wrapped up in these two verses and yet we can often mix up the message and get it wrong. Let's unpack it, dive in, and talk about how we as one body of Christ followers can realign with this message!

Be STRONG and COURAGEOUS! That's what we're talking about this week - taking on new challenges, stepping out of our comfort zones, and doing it fearlessly because our God is with us wherever we go.

There will be times where we may feel we're just going through the motions, or not doing anything of significance, when in reality God could be using your very actions to influence someone else. Just because you can't see the fruit now, doesn't mean God isn't using you!

Between Covid, war, financial struggles, and SO much more - anxiety seems to be an ever-present emotion. But it doesn't have to be - and we don't have to look any further than God's word to find some ways to combat it, or at the very least lesson it. Join Mike & Megan as we dig into anxiety and what God's word says about it.

Mike & Megan are joined by special guest Theresa Mills this week with a fantastic word of God and incredible encouragement - no weapon formed against you shall prosper. Join us as we dig into this scripture and what that means for your life!

When something bad happens, it doesn't mean we are bad - so how do we handle those situations for ourselves, how do we teach our kids to deal with those situations? What are some words we can use or actions we can take to flip the narrative.

CS Lewis once said "There is no neutral ground in the universe" - everywhere we step, God has claimed that territory, and the enemy is also trying to counter-claim it. That means we cannot straddle any fences here, we gotta pick what side we're going to be on!

When our lives are rosy and glowing, it's EASY to rejoice - but this scripture calls us to rejoice in ALL things. What does that look like when "things" are rough?

Let's talk about plants this week! Ok not really but sort of - when you speak kind words to plants, they have better growth opportunities. What does that say about our own human spirits, and what effects can words have on us? Let's get into it!

We ALL battle fears of some kind, but that doesn't mean we have to be captive to them. Mike & Megan talk about that a bit this week, tackling some ways we can think about our fears differently, and things we can do to get past them. 

Christ lives in you...that means no matter what you're facing in your week, Christ within you can see you through. Mike & Megan dig into this a bit to talk about what that means, and how you can live that out in your life!

What we allow ourselves to take in each day can have such a profound impact on how we interact with others - our mood, our relationships, our productivity, ALL of it! So what are some ways we can be more cautious of that, and keep our eyes (and ears) focused on the right things?

When God had a mission for Joshua, he didn't encourage him to carefully move forward - no! He said be STRONG and BOLD! And beyond that, He promised that He would be with Joshua. And He makes that same promise to you - let's break it down and see how you can bring this scripture to life today.

Your GIFT is acceptable in the eyes of Christ, because He has given you the gift of life, love and forgiveness. But what does that even mean? How does that look in our lives? Tune into the latest podcast and let's dive into it!

 So scripture calls us to be "still" - but how? When? What does that look like? Where can we even find the time?! Tune into the latest podcast as Mike and Megan break this scripture down and talk about ways we can do this in our daily lives.

If we're not careful, we will LOSE our focus! And that can just spiral into so many chaotic situations. But how do we keep our focus on what's true and what matters? Mike & Megan dive into some tips!

When we trust in our perspective on things, life can get messy - that's why we have to rely on God's understanding, and not our own!

Sometimes in order to grow, we need to be broken. God WANTS to do a new thing in us, and even though that may be a painful process, what's on the other side of that growth is a beautiful, stronger, more capable version of you.

If you're the one who carries the weight for your family, your friends, even your job - this is a great word for you! In this episode, Mike & Megan dive into the start of Psalm 116 and talk about how much God loves and SEES us - all of us!

Have you ever found yourself in a place in your life where you're not sure how you ended up here? Whether you slowly strayed, or just flat out bolted, away from Jesus - you're not sure where to go from there? The key is to avoid the bolt in the first place, and we have some suggestions on how to help avoid getting off track. Let's dive in!

After the beauty of the holiday season, January can be bleak in comparison - and that can take a toll on our mental health, especially if we feel alone or isolated. But there is HOPE in Christ, let's talk about how we can lean into that this month.

Those words "fear not" have probably been repeated thousands of times, maybe even you've said them to yourself time and time again. But what does God's word say about it, and what does that actually look like in our lives? Let's talk about it.

As we enter into 2022, maybe this is the year you go easy on setting BIG goals for yourself, and just start the new year focusing on Christ and letting Him lead the way!

'Tis the season....to focus on Him! As the craziness of the holiday season surrounds us, may we not forget what Christmas is all about. Mike & Megan share some ways they keep the real reason for the season front & center.

If you find yourself often feeling alone, forgotten, neglected - THIS is the episode for you. Because in His word it tells us so clearly how God rejoices over us, and you need to know that includes YOU! So listen, and be encouraged.

What would our lives look like if we let every obstacle stop us in our tracks? Zaccheus was a man who didn't let his height hold him back - he climbed a tree to reach his goal of seeing Jesus! What if we also found ways to work around what the Enemy throws in our way?

Too often we spend our time looking in the rear-view mirror, focusing on our past mistakes instead of what God has in front of us. Mike has some helpful tips to keep our eyes ahead!