Mikado College

James address the topic of favoritism which was an issue in the early church and something that is still common today!

We finish James 1 with a message that centers around being a doer of the Word and not a hearer only.

This is the first message of our new series through the book James! We cover James 1:1-12 which deals with the the biblical outcome of trials, seeking wisdom from God, and the blessing of humility!

We continue our summer in the Psalms with a couple of iconic Psalms that provide comfort and encouragement for our every day.

In the wilderness and on the run, David writes Psalm 63. In this Psalm, he reflects on his desire for God's presence, his gratitude for God's faithfulness, the help he receives in times of need, and his recognition of God's authority over his life.

In this message from our series in the Psalms, we turn to Psalm 90. This passage highlights the eternal nature of God in contrast to the fragile existence of humanity. It reminds us of the importance of “numbering our days,” recognizing the brevity of life and the urgency of living with purpose.

On the next episode of Student Stories, we’re joined by Brett Mercer! Brett grew up at Mikado and has fully embraced the opportunity to leverage his college years to advance the gospel. In this conversation, he opens up about how the Lord has helped him navigate anxiety, why relationships hold such deep meaning for him, and how his prayer life has become more intentional in recent days.

In this message, we explore Psalm 139, a powerful reminder that God knows you, is with you, designed you, and thinks good thoughts towards you. Knowing all of this should motivate us to have the attitude of David at the end of this Psalm - letting God inspect us to expose our true motivations and desires.

We are excited for our summer Midweek series, The Psalms! Each week, we’ll dive into a specific Psalm by exploring its message and how it applies to our daily lives. We’re kicking things off with a Psalm of encouragement - Psalm 27.

Kate Hardie sits down for a conversation in our latest edition of "Student Stories." As a member of Mercer's Beach Volleyball team, Kate shares her perspective on navigating college as a student athlete. Also during the conversation, Kate explains why pouring into others produces joy, the importance of being present with the people around you, being intentional to make others feel seen, and what the Lord has taught her these last three years at Mercer.

The final message of our By Faith Series centers around the idea that we should live by faith no matter the outcome. The act of our faith is our responsibility, but the outcome of our faith and results that take place is God's responsibility.

Our "By Faith" Midweek series continues as we dive into Hebrews 11:17-28. Faith will be tested, faith sees beyond the now, and faith chooses what may be difficult.

Faith in our life will produce action, obedience, and strength. We can know this because of the examples mentioned in Hebrews 11. Examples like Noah, Abraham, and Sarah. Our faith should be clearly evident by our actions.

By Faith is a Midweek series that is based out of Hebrews 11, sometimes known as the "The Hall of Faith." In our first message, faith is defined and described. Hebrews 11:6 tells us, "without faith it is impossible to please God." Although sometimes difficult to practice, faith is an essential element of following Jesus.

In the last message of our series, Resist Temptation & Embrace Transformation, we dive into the topic of peer pressure. This message primarily focuses on the importance of the right kinds of friends as well as lessons of friendship we can learn from Jesus. We ought to be the type of friend that we desire to have!

Our next episode of "Student Stories" features Savannah Browning! Savannah is a student at Mercer University from Valdosta, GA. She has attended Mikado since she came to Macon in the Fall of 2023. She shares her story including growing up in a Christian home, her outlook on life, and how her faith has grown during her time at Mercer.

This is the first episode of a new segment of the Mikado College Podcast called "Student Stories." These episodes are designed to give students in our college ministry the opportunity to share their story so others can know a little more about them. In this episode, Tommy Alexander, a Junior Mechanical Engineering Major at Mercer University shares his story including how he was initially invited to Mikado, and the awesome night he surrendered his life to Jesus!

In Week 2 of our latest series, Resist Temptation & Embrace Transformation, we dive into principles of Scripture that help us discover the dangers of substance use and why we should avoid substances that harm our body and alter our thinking.

The first lesson of this brand new Midweek series centers around the dangers of alcohol according to Scripture. Along with Biblical passages that discuss this issue, we dive into practical information and data that should help drive our decision making. This message is the first in a four week series entitled, Resist Temptation & Embrace Transformation.

In the final week of our latest Midweek Series, we explore how Jesus is the Life that so many are desperately searching for.

In week two of our Midweek Series - The Way, The Truth, and The Life - we take a closer look at how Jesus embodies truth. His word is true, his teaching is true, and he is the source of an unlimited supply of truth.

In week one of a new Midweek Series, we learn more about Jesus' response to Thomas in John 14:6 telling him that He is the Way. Jesus is the only way to Heaven but He is also the way to stability in life, true joy, and genuine growth in our walk with the Lord.

In this episode, our College Pastor, Brian Bowker, gives an update of the podcast along with a recap of the previous three lessons of our latest Wednesday night series, Conversations with Jesus.

In lesson one of our new Midweek series, we dive into the conversation Jesus had with the Rich Young Ruler.

We conclude The Greatest Sermon Series in this episode of the podcast. Jesus finishes his sermon with a challenge to build our life on His Words. When the storms of life come, a life built on Jesus will stand strong.

Anxiety can be something we all feel, and it's good to know the Bible gives guidance on what do when when feeling this emotion. Jesus clearly discusses this topic in his sermon and we cover that and more in the latest lesson of our Greatest Sermon Series.

In section three of our Greatest Sermon series, Jesus encourages all those who heard his sermon then and now to have right motives in their spiritual disciplines. Specifically in the areas of giving, prayer, fasting, and investing in treasures.

In section two of our Greatest Sermon Series, we see Jesus challenge the status quo of righteous living in his day. Jesus takes this opportunity to address the heart issue of many areas of every day life.

Jesus delivered his famous "Sermon on the Mount" at the height of his popularity. He used this opportunity to tell his listeners what the life of being His disciple would look like. In this first lesson of "The Greatest Sermon" series, we dive into Jesus' formula for a truly happy life and the effect of that happiness on others.

Holding a friend accountable can be intimidating and out of your comfort zone, but Scripture tells us, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend." In this lesson, we discuss the right approach, attitude, and timing when holding our friends accountable by delivering a biblical "wound." *Because of technical issues, the intro and outro were not included in this episode.*

We continue our "Verses You Forgot About" series with a brief lesson from I Corinthians 3. We should have the right perspectives of ourself and those around us realizing that God is the one in charge of fruit and results in our lives.

Pride is something we all struggle with. It is as the very root of all sin. In the second lesson of our summer series, Verses You Forgot About, we discuss how pride shows itself, the consequences of pride, and how to battle against pride in our lives.

In this first episode of our summer series, Verses You Forgot About, we cover the encouraging truth that Isaiah 55:8-9 gives us. We all have things in our life that we forgot about, but all the memories come back when someone brings it up. We have the same feelings with certain passages of Scripture. This series will cover well known verses and why they are essential to the Christian life.

In the final lesson of our Nature of God series, we explore the goodness of God and His sovereignty over our lives. Lesson Time Stamps: 0:45 - Introduction 5:00 - God's Goodness 17:20 - God's Sovereignty 30:40 - Conclusion - How to Know God Better

There is nothing too difficult for our God, and His grace is amazing. We explore the omnipotence of God and his grace in this lesson of the Nature of God series.

In this lesson of The Nature of God series, we explore the love of God and His holiness. These attributes of God do not conflict, but are consistent with the biblical description of who God is!

God's wisdom is infinite and His faithfulness is constant. In the second lesson of our Nature of God series, we explore these two attributes of God and the implications they have on our daily lives.

How often do we stop and think about the true nature of God? If we were honest, we often have a view of God that has been promoted by culture or our own line of thinking. God, without needing to do so, has revealed so much of Himself in Scripture. This series dives deeper into the attributes of the God we serve, and this specific lesson centers around God's self-existence and self-sufficiency.

"The fastest way to kill something special is to compare it to something else." - Craig Groeschel We conclude our mental health series discussing the invisible enemy of comparison.

Statistics show that many college students because of pressure, responsibilities, trauma, and stress cope through methods of self-harm, and even have thoughts of taking their own life. So many around us, many times those we wouldn't think, are struggling quietly. In this lesson of our mental health series we explore some of the reasons for self-harm, coping, and suicidal tendencies, and what we can learn from Scripture on this topic. *We had some audio issues so the introduction and first few minutes of the lesson are missing from this episode.*

All of us battle anxious thoughts and experience loneliness. This can be something we deal with sporadically or for some, daily. Thankfully, the Bible has a lot to say about these two areas that can help us experience the power and presence of God that gives us peace of mind through any situation.

Although we may feel alone when feeling insecure, struggling with insecurity is not uncommon. Some of the most confident people on the outside struggle the most with insecurity on the inside. In this stand alone lesson, we discuss how to battle different areas of insecurity with the truth of Scripture.

We should all desire to pursue God's will when it comes to our calling in life. Discerning this call takes prayer, time, surrender, and action. We explore this and more in the third lesson of our "Discerning God's Will" series.

How do you know if it's God's will for you to date someone or, more importantly, marry that person? Are you truly ready to date? If someone is a Christian, is it always ok to date them? We explore this and more in lesson two of our "Discerning God's Will" Series.

We are kicking off this Semester with a brand new series discussing the will of God. In lesson one, we focus on the formula for knowing God's will found in Romans 12:1-2 as well as other passages of Scripture that clearly tell us what God's will is. God's will is not distant, it's daily. This series will cover topics like dating, career paths, post-graduate plans, and choosing a church if you move to a new area.

James encouraged the early church to not let prejudice and favoritism be present in the assembly. We are all tempted to show favoritism based on external and material factors, but we are called to treat others with respect no matter what our perception is. There is a difference between preference and prejudice, and in this stand alone lesson, we explore that difference and more!

It's always good to be reminded of our calling as a follower of Jesus and the "why" behind what we do. This stand alone lesson describes the invitation and mission of our college ministry at Mikado, but more importantly, the mission of our life as a Christian.

In the final lesson of our Healthy Boundaries Series, we discuss the importance of boundaries in our standards. This includes modesty, social media, music, and entertainment.

All of us need to be aware of how we spend our money. Money can be a tremendous burden or blessing depending on what boundaries we have established in our life. Thankfully, Scripture deals directly with this issue in multiple places. In part 3 of our Healthy Boundaries Series, we discuss this and more!

We all make intentional decisions with how we spend each moment of our day. Learning to say "no" so we can say "yes" to what is best will help us maximize time for our priorities and personal rhythms.