Michael In The Middle

Michael Johnson

Michael in the Middle is an intergenerational, relational podcast for people who are interested in better human interaction.

  1. 11/11/2025

    Episode 57- I Believe I Can Fly

    Michael in the Middle is back! In his return to regular podcasting, Michael shares his thoughts on why we sometimes need a kickstart to restart projects or initiatives toward the kind of personal growth that helps others in the process. Come along as Michael looks back at his journey toward becoming a Maxwell Certified Leadership Team member. The ultimate destination is always determined by the roads we take along the journey!

    36 min

  2. 07/20/2025

    It Won't Rain Always- Episode 56

    When it started raining in the mountains of Western North Carolina, Bobby and Alyssa Forest had an inkling that maybe this storm would be different than anything they had ever seen. They were right.  Within days of the arrival of Hurricane Helene, their home and their church, Asheville First Nazarene, became a soul-saving and life-giving haven for thousands over the next three months. And that story continues.  Episode 56 of Michael in the Middle explores how one couple found their way toward helping others even in the middle of their own need. It's a fascinating hour of love and care. As the Janet Pascal song from several years ago reminds us, "It Won't Rain Always."

    1h 4m

  3. 06/15/2025

    Episode 55- The Leader of the Band

    Dan Fogelberg sang a memorable line in the late 1970s, “my life’s a living legacy to the leader of the band.” It hit me again as I listened to my friend, Gary Barker, tell his story of building businesses and adding value to people over the past as several years.  Gary’s a successful member of the Maxwell Certified Leadership Team but his journey was marked by his relationship with father and other influential people. The conversation found here in Episode 55 flowed with practical leadership tips but also several affirmations of simply being present in positive ways in the lives of others.

    54 min

  4. 04/21/2025

    More Than a Feeling (Episode 54)

    Episode 54 features a frank discussion of the necessity of honesty as well as the price that is paid for true forgiveness to occur in our most significant relationships. Before the conversation gets heavy there's also a healthy dose of Boston Red Sox family lore. Jeff Scott's grandfather, Stephen Nease, was president of Eastern Nazarene College for a number of years. He also served as president at Mt. Vernon Nazarene University, Southern Nazarene University, and Nazarene Theological Seminary. Jeff is deeply ingrained in the church and in higher education. He is thoughtful, highly learned, and also funny. The story he shares in the podcast centers largely around a crisis of faith and, later, the journey he and his wife, Joy, have taken toward wholeness. It's worth every minute of your time!

    44 min

  5. 03/24/2025

    Don't Stop

    In his return to the podcast after a long layoff, Michael talks about the temptation to give up when the going gets tough. In the pursuit of doing something worthwhile there are often moments when the simple determination to keep going is the key to breakthrough.

    20 min

  6. 10/29/2024

    Epidosde 52- I Saw The Light

    My wife and I recently moved to a new home. One of the things we love most about it is the "sunroom" that looks out over a sprawling back yard. Watching the sunrise from time to time as it breaks the darkness across our yard and the 160 acre farm with which we share a fence line is never not amazing. Even the tiniest bit of light can start the process of shattering darkness. Episode 52 includes two stories of well-lit graciousness and gratitude. In a time when the darkness of anger, even evil, abounds, the light of goodness can help us overcome it!

    28 min

  7. 03/05/2024

    Episode 51- Centerfield

    With the arrival of Episode 51, I was drawn to #51 of the St. Louis Cardinals, worn so well and for so long by Willie McGee. As a rookie center fielder for the Cards, McGee patrolled the field like a boss. He's still teaching young Cardinals outfielders how to play the game. I played a lot of baseball growing up, well enough to have had college baseball opportunities. I chose a different path, influenced greatly by my parents and other mentors. The in between of life both in age and in circumstance is an interesting place to live. It's my turn now as a sort of patriarchal figure in our family lead the way in getting the middle of good things for the sake of others.

    20 min

  8. 02/19/2024

    Episode 50- Born To Be Wild

    Episode 50 of Michael in the Middle was a few weeks in the making, but it was worth the wait. Joe Drake is one of the most interesting men any of us will ever know. His life story took almost as many twists and turns as any motorcycle enthusiast ever took on a mountain road. On the verge of divorce years ago, Joe and his wife, Val, were invited to church and lovingly brought into a relationship with the God from whom they had been running for years. "Smokin' Joe" Drake is now "Reverend" Joe Drake. Still "ready for adventure and whatever comes our way," Joe is an international leader in Bikers for Christ as well as lead pastor at Bethel Church of the Nazarene in Nashville, TN.Join Michael and Joe for an often entertaining yet deeply moving chat about loving God and loving people!

    40 min
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5
out of 5
33 Ratings

About

Michael in the Middle is an intergenerational, relational podcast for people who are interested in better human interaction.

Information

  • Creator
    Michael Johnson
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    57
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Michael Johnson
  • Show Website
    Michael In The Middle