With Special Guest Pastor Michael Nicholson

Well, praise the Lord.

This is Jody Kagel with Jodie Kagel Ministries.

And I'm so thrilled today that I have uh Pastor Michael Nicholson here in Bedford, Indiana.

We're ministering for him uh uh revival this weekend, and so uh we're so happy to have him on our podcast.

Thank you for coming on, Pastor.

Yes, sir.

And I just want to ask you this question and just get right into it.

Uh, what do you feel in your spirit, or what do you see in your spirit about uh where the church is or where God is taking the church or what you know uh should be, should not be, whatever the case may be.

Just about the you know, church of 2026.

Right.

Well, I tell you, for the last year, God's been really dealing with me on the word.

The main focus is we've got to get in the word and we've got to feed on it more because we're getting into a season of a greater glory.

Yes, sir.

His glory is moving throughout the earth, and we need to be a part of that.

In order to get that, we've got to have the word in us.

I always tell my congregation that you know, the word is what gives God the vocabulary, the Holy Spirit, the vocabulary to speak to us.

And also, the more word, the more volume you get, so you can hear him instead of having all the volume of the world talking to you.

Your Holy Spirit will rise up in you and you'll hear his voice and be able to react appropriately or the in the will of God.

Yes, sir.

So it's we we've got to really buckle down and get serious if we're gonna see the signs, the wonders, and the miracles that that God talked about uh that the believers should be walking in.

Yes, sir.

Uh, you know, it was that way in the 80s.

We've seen a lot of things in the 80s and 90s, uh, and then it just kind of disappeared, and I think the hunger fell away.

I think we got it so good for so long, we just kind of let it go.

Yes, sir.

Uh, but it's time to get back.

Amen.

There's a song that we sing, uh there's a new name written down in glory, and I did a sermon on that because not only is our name written down, but what does that mean?

Yes, the glory.

We need to be functioning and walking in the glory of God, seeing the signs and the wonders, walking through Walmart, laying hands on somebody, and they get recovered right there in Walmart.

Amen.

Uh salvation comes when we walk by somebody.

You know, they said Paul's shadow, it healed them.

The anointing was on him so strong that it caused healing to come or conviction, so they would come to know Jesus Christ.

That's the key.

We've got to get in the word.

The word is the power.

I believe.

The word is the power, it's it's what energizes us.

Amen.

Yes, sir.

Yes, sir.

I agree with that uh as well because uh, you know, the thing that I found, and uh the Lord gave me a sermon not too long ago about distractions.

And uh a lot of people are well, I mean, the devil, that's what he does.

He comes to distract, deceive, distract, whatever.

I mean, is it along the same lines that still kill and destroy, but in order to do that, he distracts us from what is important.

And it's amazing how people will purposeful, purposefully say on Saturday or Friday, I'm gonna go to church on Sunday, and something will come up a lot of times, not every time, but a lot of times some distraction will come up to keep them coming from uh to the house of God and receiving from God, which ultimately probably could have been, might have been their miracle, their answer to their prayer, the sermon that they needed to hear for that very week or that very month.

And so I think uh a lot of times distractions is a big thing that uh the enemy is using, and like you said, that you know what what what what's what's what is causing our people to not have the hunger like they used to or the desire to come back to church and on a Wednesday night or Sunday night or even revival, you know?

What is stopping the hunger?

Yes.

What what would you what would you think there?

Well, yeah, I think you're on the track of distraction.

I think in this day and age that there's so much to get involved in, there's so much to pull us away, yes, and we've got to get that back uh in check.

You know, it you know, with so many times that they have kids' practices on Wednesday night, they pick it Wednesday night, and then they have the the attorneys, they have them on Friday and Saturday and Sunday now instead of just Friday and Saturday.

They they could do other things, but they don't, and that's that's the influence of of the enemy, yes, causing people to make decisions like that to keep people from church.

Yes and you know, and they try to, well, that's my kid, you know, they're all gonna be little for a little while, and you know, it's true, but we need to be praying.

That's the key.

Yes, praying for wisdom in these leaders who set these tournaments up, who schedule these practices.

Yes, sir.

That's the key because you can go to them and talk to them.

A lot of times they're gonna get mad and they're they're just not gonna listen to you.

So but the Holy Spirit knows how to talk to them.

Yes, sir, and I I agree with that.

You know, one thing that I loved about my son playing college football, you know, the coaches in college, and I'm not saying high school didn't, but the college coaches told them, Listen, you're a football player right now, but I need to talk to you what you're gonna be after football.

Because eventually, no matter if it's college or pro, if you're one in the million that make it or whatever it is, the uh pro, 100,000, um, you know, eventually football's gonna end.

That's not your identity.

Right.

And so sports, I believe, has taken over maybe as an identity that you're a ball player first, but important, most important is you're a Christian first.

You're a born-again child of God first.

And I think that's where kids are because they're losing their identity within the sports because that's what all their effort, that's what all their focus is, you know, and and you know, I say it all the time, whatever you put your mind towards, whatever you think about the most, is going to affect you the most.

And um, you know, and too many times kids don't know the word.

So when they do um kind of, you know, maybe fail or maybe get hurt in sports, they tend to it messes with their mind.

Right.

And they don't know where to turn because they didn't have the proper identity before the sports came along.

Exactly.

And I I think that's a big thing too, is making sure our kids, our uh, you know, teenagers, whatever, even adults.

Yeah, I think adults don't even know who they are in Christ.

Right.

You know, proper identity, that they are a child of the most high God first.

Exactly, exactly.

Yeah, I I told the church several Sundays ago, what you put before you the most will become your host.

Wow, that's good.

Say that again.

Well, what you put before you the most will become your host.

Just like someone who hosts the party.

They're in charge, they they put things before you.

Yeah, so that's what you're gonna be served to you, that's what's gonna come your way.

That's good.

If you put it before you the most.

So if the word's the most thing you put before you, you're gonna get what the word has to offer.

But if the word the world is what you're putting before you, or racing, or whatever it is, sports, then you're gonna get what that sports uh has to offer, and that's it.

That's it.

That's nothing else.

And there'll be an end to it.

There'll be an end to it.

So that's uh I didn't understand that, I guess, till my son finished college football.

You know, the trophies will just sit on the shelf and collect dust.

I mean, and everybody's like, yeah, yeah, but I want to win it.

Well, that's great.

Yeah, but winning a trophy don't get you to heaven.

Winning a trophy don't get you closer to Jesus.

I mean, it it doesn't build your relationship.

It it you know, it has nothing to do that uh with that.

I mean, it does.

I understand you can use it as a platform, don't get me wrong, because my son is.

Exactly.

It's it's a perfect platform if it's if it's secondary to who your nature is, who you're relating to or identifying with.

Exactly.

So it can be a witnessing tool.

Yes, sir.

And I see that in sports.

I see there's a lot of believers out there that that play football or basketball and they give God the glory.

Uh, you know, and you know, religion may look at them and say, well, they're not perfect.

Well, neither are you.

So uh, you know, yeah.

If they're giving God, if they got God said if they're for me, you know, they're not against me.

So let's let's let's lift them up in prayer that God helps them instead of criticizing them.

So yeah, and I I know we're about out of time, but I think that's another important thing, too, is instead of criticizing or condemning everybody, yes, encourage people because listen, we all have flaws.

We all mess up.

But I think that's a big thing too in the Christian world, because this is what I say.

I say, no wonder sinners don't want to come.

Exactly.

Christians are fighting it and they're coming against each other.

Like we've got to be uh carriers of the love of God.

That's what the Bible says.

The love of God is shed abroad in our heart by the Holy Ghost.

By the Holy Ghost.

And so if we come in unity together and walk in love and get along, then I believe that the sinners would want to be a part of us.

We don't even have to tell them.

Right.

They would say there's something different about this and be drawn.

And be drawn to it.

And that's what the Bible says.

It's the love of God that brings people to repentance.

It is.

Exactly.

And uh so falling in love with Jesus.

Well, we got uh about a minute left, Pastor.

If you don't mind, could you pray?

Um, I, you know, there's no telling who's listening to this and who needs this, but I pray this has been a blessing so far.

But I just want you to pray for whoever's listening to this and you know, from days or months or years to come.

Just give it if you don't mind, pray for us.

Absolutely.

Heavenly Father, we just thank you.

Lord, we come to you with thanks.

We thank you for your mercy and your saving grace.

Lord, whoever might be listening to this, Father God, that needs this encouragement to understand that if you be lifted up, meaning Jesus be lifted up.

I know there was a twofold meaning there that on the cross being lifted up, but he is also the word.

Jesus was the word who became flesh and dwelt among us.

So we know that if the word is lifted up, you'll draw all men unto us, unto him.

So, Father, we just ask, Lord, that you just inspire us through our dreams and through our sleeping hours, Father God, through our thoughts, through the with the word of God, that it strengthens us, that we can we can share the gospel and walk in the love of God and be an encourager and not a destroyer.

Let us encourage people and let people know what's right with them instead of what's wrong with them, Father God.

That you would invade their thoughts and their minds and their hearts to draw them unto you.

So, Father God, we just we just let this anointing go right now in this in this podcast, that whoever listens to it, it'll fall upon their ears and get into their heart, and the word of God will come alive in their in them, Father God, and make a change and a difference in this world in Jesus' name.

Jesus.

Praise God.

Amen.

Thank you so much, Pastor.

We appreciate it very much.

And thank you guys for tuning in today, too, and listening.

We pray it's been a blessing to you, and we'll come uh with uh with or to you with another one.

Uh we'll have some more special guests on here.

But God bless you.

Have a wonderful day.

We'll talk to you next time.