Michael D Johnson

What do you live for?

I have always been something of a people watcher. When I am in crowded places like an airport or a busy mall I find it fun to play “detective” or “Sherlock Holmes” and try to deduce what I can about a person based on certain clues that I see in their appearance, hear in theirContinue reading “What do you live for?”

Be open

Dearly beloved, I want to challenge you to be open. What do I mean by that? What does it mean when something is closed? I want you to be open to God. Wide open to Him. May you be open to: Will you live your life wide open? Will you allow yourself to be fullyContinue reading “Be open”

What can I say to convince you to go to church this week?

How can I convince you that you need to be in the house of the Lord this week? How can I convince you that what you are facing, struggling with, feeling weighed down by can all be addressed when you gather together with other people to draw near to God? Furthermore, what can I sayContinue reading “What can I say to convince you to go to church this week?”

Waiting on a miracle

Have you found yourself in desperate need of something to take place in your life that you had no control over? Maybe a relationship that is strained or broken, maybe a physical need that is excruciating or life-threatening, perhaps a financial need that is unreachable, or even an emotional weight that hangs like a millstoneContinue reading “Waiting on a miracle”

Desperate

Have you ever been desperate for something? I don’t just mean a strong desire but rather something that you would despair if you did not have it? Sometimes, sadly, we think we are desperate for that new piece of technology or for that particular food/snack/drink, or that we are desperate to “get away.” But theContinue reading “Desperate”

You matter

Dear friend, I want you to know you matter. You matter to me. You matter to God. You matter to many more people than you know. There are many who think about you regularly. There is God above who thinks about you constantly. You are valuable because God says you are. You are significant becauseContinue reading “You matter”

Bringing people to Jesus

Dear Pastor, What kind of disciples are you making? Do they look more and more like Jesus everyday? Or more and more like you? Or are they staying the same? Of course, every single person gets to choose and so you are not responsible for their choices, but for those who do choose to followContinue reading “Bringing people to Jesus”

Relying on God to make something of my life

Have you ever thought about the fact that without God’s touch on your life, all that you do will amount to nothing? If you are anything like so many in this world, you may at first glance, disagree with this statement, thinking “I have accomplished many things” and “when I put my mind to something,Continue reading “Relying on God to make something of my life”

You can’t do it all, you can’t have it all (and that’s a really good thing)

Here is what God is teaching me these days. You can’t have it all, you can’t do it all and that is in fact, a very good thing. I have often lived by the expression “having my cake and eating it too.” Sometimes I said that life is not about either/or but about both/and. AndContinue reading “You can’t do it all, you can’t have it all (and that’s a really good thing)”

The simplicity of living the Christian life

There is a simplicity of living the Christian life that we often miss. We think to ourselves: “I’m not doing enough/praying enough/reading my Bible enough/serving enough” Then along the way we also put extra pressure on ourselves by focusing on anxious thoughts, saying yes to too many things, playing the comparison game or trying toContinue reading “The simplicity of living the Christian life”