The MCC Podcast

In this episode, we look back at the steps of faith God led us through in 2025 and look ahead to where He’s calling us in 2026. It’s a conversation about growth, obedience, and stepping into the next chapter with hope and expectation.

The glory that came near—and the glory that revealed God’s heart—is also the glory that transforms us. Christmas isn’t a cozy memory; it’s an invitation. God comes close so He can change us from the inside out. Just as the manger was an unexpected place for glory to rest, our lives—our schedules, relationships, fears, and hidden corners—become places where His presence wants to dwell. Jesus doesn’t stay in Bethlehem; He wants to invade our real, everyday world with hope, healing, conviction, and purpose.

Christmas isn’t just about what we receive—it’s about who came near. In this message, Seth explores how God didn’t send hope from a distance but arrived personally in Jesus, remained with us through the Holy Spirit, and promises a future where His presence is fully experienced. From “God with us” at Christmas, to “God within us” today, to “God among us” for eternity, this episode invites us to slow down, notice His nearness, and allow God’s presence to shape how we live, think, and love—especially when life feels heavy.

Christmas is not just about a baby in a manger; it’s about heaven bringing the full weight of God’s glory—His presence, character, and saving love—into our ordinary lives through Jesus. God’s glory moves from dangerous and distant to near and transforming, inviting us to let Him invade every corner of our lives.

Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount by calling for a decision. After revealing the way of the kingdom, He places four pairs in front of us—two gates, two trees, two disciples, two foundations—and invites us to choose the path of surrendered, obedient, intentional discipleship that leads to life.

Kingdom life always shows up in relationships. Jesus calls His followers to reject hypocritical judgment, depend completely on the Father, and actively love others with the kind of creative, intentional goodness that mirrors God’s own heart.

We’ll explore how Jesus reframes our anxiety by pointing us toward the birds, the flowers, and the unshakeable truth that God already knows what we need. Together, we’ll talk about practical ways to trade our stress for trust, our panic for perspective, and our endless to-do list for a steady, kingdom-focused heart.

In Matthew 6:16–24, Jesus calls us to examine what truly rules our hearts. Whether it’s fasting for show, chasing wealth, or trying to serve two masters, He reminds us that the condition of our hearts determines the direction of our lives. This passage challenges us to live with sincere devotion—seeking God’s approval, not the world’s applause—and to place our treasure where it lasts forever. When our eyes are fixed on the light of Christ, our lives reflect His kingdom values, not the world’s distractions.

At the center of the Sermon on the Mount isn’t activity but intimacy: the Father invites us into the secret place, and Jesus’ model prayer re-centers our lives on belonging, honoring, surrendering, daily dependence, reconciliation, and formation.

In a world obsessed with applause and validation, Jesus invites us to live for an audience of One. Kingdom people don’t perform for approval—they give, serve, and love in secret, trusting that the Father who sees in the hidden places will reward them with His presence.

Kingdom people don’t mirror hate—they redeem it. In the upside-down way of Jesus, followers turn the other cheek, walk the second mile, and love their enemies—not as doormats, but as free people who refuse to let bitterness, revenge, or insult dictate their story. The second mile is where transformation happens—and where others begin to see Jesus in us.

Jesus exposes the deceit beneath lust, divorce, and dishonesty—not to condemn, but to invite us into covenant wholeness. Radical fidelity isn’t about sin-avoidance; it’s about becoming whole in heart, commitment, and word because God has been fiercely faithful to us.

Jesus redefines righteousness by going deeper than the command “do not murder.” He exposes the root—anger, contempt, and character assassination—that destroys the image of God in others, and calls us to urgent reconciliation as the true expression of kingdom living.

The Law was never the standard—it was the scoreboard pointing us to God’s perfect holiness. Jesus is the true standard who fulfills the Law on our behalf, offering His perfect record in place of our failure. Our response is not to rig or ignore the scoreboard, but to trust Him and live under grace.

Jesus calls us the salt of the earth and the light of the world. In this message from Matthew 5:13–16, we’ll explore what it means to live lives that preserve what’s good, shine God’s truth, and point others to Him. Discover how your everyday influence can make an eternal impact.

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount opens with the Beatitudes—words that comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable—revealing God’s upside-down kingdom where true blessing belongs to the spiritually bankrupt, the broken, the meek, and the merciful. These aren’t abstract ideals but a portrait of Jesus himself and an invitation for us to live in God’s alternative reality now.