
Pastor Mike Novotny
Pastor Mike Novotny has served God’s people in full-time ministry since 2007 in Madison and, most recently, at The CORE in Appleton, Wisconsin. He also serves as the lead speaker for Time of Grace, where he shares the good news about Jesus through television, print, and online platforms.

The amazing Merlin
Recently, I met an amazing man named Merlin. Merlin is an 81-year-old woodworker who can outhustle a team of 20-something construction workers. During our…

You are gifted
Do you know the gift(s) you’ve received from God? In four key chapters of the Bible (1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, Ephesians 4, and…

Ordinary Christianity
I wonder if the devil loves extraordinary Christianity. By “extraordinary,” I mean those stories you read in Christian books about people who prayed for…

The gift of a good group
When I was growing up in the church, I had no idea that I needed a group. Thanks to my mother, I would show…

Christmas is about Christ
My family of four has the tradition of eating lunch every Sunday with my parents and my mother-in-law, a meal that we call FamFest….

God is like my wife
God is like my wife. (Honey, if you’re reading this, there has to be a billion brownie points for that line, right?) My wife,…

Ready for Christmas?
Are you ready for Christmas? I’m not thinking of the last-minute shopping or the taco dip you have to make before the office party….

Only Jesus saves
One day a retired pastor told me a sad story. Years earlier, when he had just arrived at a new congregation, he decided to…

Developmentally able
Many years ago a woman named Tina would show up at church with her mother. Tina was in her mid-40s, but due to some…

Follow first—the best part of Christianity
Yesterday I told you the hardest part of Christianity—Jesus commands us to prioritize God, to follow first. Today I want to tell you the…

Follow first—the hardest part of Christianity
If someone asked you the hardest part about being a Christian, what would you say? Here’s what Jesus said: “Another disciple said to him,…

The true cost of following Christ
Jesus wasn’t a fan of fine print. When someone from the crowds wanted to follow him, Jesus didn’t get out a glossy brochure with…