The Devout Route

Mick Veach
  • 5.0 (3)
  • CHRISTIANITY

Living by Biblical principles can be difficult, especially when messages and influences we experience from the world are so strong. The Devout Route applies Biblical truths to our human condition and struggles, so we can be led on the path of righteousness. These topics, advice, and Biblical perspectives are provided by Mick Veach, the Lead Pastor of Kentwood Community Church, as he is interviewed by Michael Braden the podcast host of The Devout Route.

  1. Overcoming Spiritual Complacency: Rekindling Your Hunger for God

    3D AGO ·  VIDEO

    Overcoming Spiritual Complacency: Rekindling Your Hunger for God

    What happens when the fire of our faith begins to flicker? This conversation explores the dangerous territory of spiritual complacency—that subtle place where we've checked the boxes of Christianity but lost the heartbeat of relationship with God. We're reminded that salvation isn't a destination but the beginning of a journey, one that requires constant tending like a campfire that needs fuel to keep burning. The discussion draws powerful parallels to marriage, showing how relationships require ongoing pursuit rather than resting on initial emotions. Scripture echoes throughout: 'Come near to God and he will come near to you,' 'Seek me with all your heart and you will find me.' We're challenged to examine whether our faith is truly personal or merely secondhand—experienced through podcasts, books, and sermons rather than in the secret place with God. The call is clear: hang with people passionate for Jesus, cultivate your prayer closet, and become the hands and feet of Christ. When we stop growing, we stop truly living. This isn't about maintaining an emotional high but about faithful pursuit even when feelings fade, trusting that God meets us in both mountaintop moments and the valleys of ordinary life.

    27 min
  2. Healing the Father Wound: Understanding Our Heavenly Father Through the Lens of Our Earthly Fathers

    APR 3 ·  VIDEO

    Healing the Father Wound: Understanding Our Heavenly Father Through the Lens of Our Earthly Fathers

    The relationship we have with our earthly fathers profoundly shapes how we perceive our Heavenly Father. Whether we experienced absence, abuse, or affirmation from our dads, these experiences create filters through which we view God's love and acceptance. The dangerous trap many of us fall into is linking our performance with God's love, treating our relationship with Him like we had to earn our earthly father's approval. True healing begins not with surrender alone, but with embracing Jesus first. When we embrace His unconditional love, surrender becomes a natural overflow rather than a religious obligation. The journey toward forgiveness requires us to stop imposing expectations on those who hurt us and accept them for who they are, not who we wish they'd be. This isn't about excusing their behavior, but about freeing ourselves from the prison of unmet expectations. God can flip the script on our scars, transforming what the enemy meant for destruction into testimonies of redemption. The scars remain part of our story, but they no longer define us or limit what God can do through us.

    26 min
  3. Understanding Islam: Building Bridges Through Biblical Truth and Relational Love

    MAR 27 ·  VIDEO

    Understanding Islam: Building Bridges Through Biblical Truth and Relational Love

    In our journey to share the gospel effectively, understanding the religious landscape around us becomes essential. This conversation opens our eyes to the beautiful complexity of engaging with our Muslim neighbors and friends. We discover that while Islam and Christianity may share some surface-level similarities—both claim to believe in God and acknowledge Jesus—the critical difference lies in who we believe Jesus truly is. For us as Christians, Jesus is not merely a prophet but the Son of God, our Savior, and the second person of the Trinity. This fundamental distinction shapes everything. The discussion challenges us to move beyond political correctness and fear, embracing instead a posture of genuine love and relationship. We learn that effective evangelism isn't about winning debates or proving Islam wrong, but about demonstrating the transformative power of grace, forgiveness, and assurance that we have in Christ. The most powerful witness we can offer is simply living out our faith authentically—inviting Muslim friends into our homes, sharing meals, letting our children play together, and allowing them to see what a life touched by Jesus truly looks like. As we navigate these relationships, we're reminded that building God's church is ultimately His work, not ours. Our calling is to love well, pray faithfully, and trust the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do in human hearts.

    25 min
  4. How Do We Become Good Stewards with Our Money?

    MAR 20 ·  VIDEO

    How Do We Become Good Stewards with Our Money?

    This powerful conversation challenges us to reconsider our entire relationship with money and possessions. We're confronted with a fundamental truth that most of us struggle to accept: nothing we have is actually ours. Everything from our breath to our bank accounts is entrusted to us as stewards, not owners. The discussion draws on Jesus' parable of the rich farmer who built bigger barns only to lose his life that very night, reminding us that true wealth isn't found in accumulation but in being rich toward God. What makes this message particularly convicting is the stark reality that if every Christian simply practiced the biblical principle of giving the first ten percent, every Christian ministry worldwide would be fully funded. We're challenged to move beyond being mere tippers who give leftovers to feel good, past being tithers who stop at ten percent, and toward becoming true trustees who recognize that everything belongs to God. The antidote to greed isn't willpower but generosity, and when we practice this discipline, we discover something remarkable: we become more intimate with Christ, experience genuine joy and purpose, and participate in kingdom work that extends far beyond our individual lives.

    27 min
  5. The Transformative Power of Confession as Believers

    MAR 13 ·  VIDEO

    The Transformative Power of Confession as Believers

    We often underestimate the transformative power of confession in our spiritual lives. This conversation explores how confession is not just about admitting our wrongs to God, but about breaking the chains of isolation and secrecy that the enemy uses to keep us trapped. Drawing from James's instruction to confess our sins to one another and pray for each other, we discover that true healing requires both vertical confession to God and horizontal confession within trusted community. The Protestant tradition has sometimes thrown out the baby with the bathwater—reacting against Catholic confession practices, we've stopped confessing altogether. Yet Scripture consistently calls us to this vulnerable practice. When we confess, we strip away the image we've carefully constructed and come raw before Christ, allowing the Holy Spirit to move freely in our lives. The beauty of confession lies in its connection to repentance—it's not just feeling sorry, but experiencing a genuine change of mind that turns us 180 degrees toward Christ. We learn that confession removes the power of blackmail from the enemy's hands; when we bring our struggles into the light, there's nothing left to hold over us. This practice of desperate honesty before God and trusted believers becomes the pathway to the intimacy and freedom we've been longing for in our faith journey.

    26 min
  6. A Conversation with Danielle Strickland

    FEB 27 ·  VIDEO

    A Conversation with Danielle Strickland

    Join Pastor Mick, and Pastor Michael for a special episode, as they chat with Internationally known speaker, Danielle Strickland! She was the key speaker at Kentwood Community Church's Spiritual Growth Conference, and talked all about the power to be a Disciple. In this podcast, she goes in depth with her faith journey, what it's like to be a female pastor, the trajectory of the church, and the hope of the church! Tune in!

    37 min
  7. Cancel Culture

    FEB 27 ·  VIDEO

    Cancel Culture

    In this profound exploration of cancel culture, we're invited to examine how Christians can navigate a world that increasingly demands we choose between our faith and acceptance. The heart of this discussion centers on a timeless biblical truth: loving others without compromising our beliefs, even when relationships become strained or severed. We're reminded of the prodigal son's father, who neither condoned his son's choices nor closed the door on reconciliation. This powerful parallel shows us that keeping our hearts open requires more courage than shutting people out. The conversation challenges us to consider whether our fear of rejection has become greater than our commitment to Christ. Are we rooted deeply enough in our identity as God's children to withstand the cultural pressures around us? The three Hebrew children who refused to bow to Nebuchadnezzar's idol serve as our model—they knew who they belonged to, and that knowledge gave them strength to stand. This isn't about winning arguments or defending ourselves; it's about reflecting Christ's love even when we're misunderstood, rejected, or canceled. The question we must wrestle with daily is simple yet profound: Do we love Jesus with all our hearts? When we're founded on that rock, we can extend grace without compromise, love without condoning, and remain faithful without becoming combative or passive.

    26 min
  8. Understanding the Sabbath and Preventing Burnout

    FEB 20 ·  VIDEO

    Understanding the Sabbath and Preventing Burnout

    In our fast-paced world, we often forget that rest isn't optional—it's commanded. The Sabbath appears in the Ten Commandments not as a burden, but as God's protective gift to us. He created us, knows our limitations, and designed the Sabbath to safeguard our physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. This discussion challenges us to see that the Sabbath is twofold: it's both physical rest and spiritual worship. When we gather together with believers, we're not just taking a break from work—we're filling our cups through community, encouragement, and focused time with Christ. The danger we face today is that we've allowed culture to seep into our faith, equating busyness with spiritual maturity. We've adopted a 'Mary and Martha syndrome,' believing we're more valuable by what we do than who we are. But biblical wisdom teaches us the opposite: who we are in Christ overflows into what we do. Without practicing Sabbath, we can't sustain the marathon of faith—we'll burn out trying to sprint. The warning signs are clear: feeling overwhelmed, losing passion for our responsibilities, and lacking motivation. Perhaps most concerning is how we're teaching our children that church and rest are secondary to sports, careers, and activities. If we want to stay on the devout route, we must reclaim the Sabbath as the gift it was always meant to be.

    26 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Living by Biblical principles can be difficult, especially when messages and influences we experience from the world are so strong. The Devout Route applies Biblical truths to our human condition and struggles, so we can be led on the path of righteousness. These topics, advice, and Biblical perspectives are provided by Mick Veach, the Lead Pastor of Kentwood Community Church, as he is interviewed by Michael Braden the podcast host of The Devout Route.

Information

  • Creator
    Mick Veach
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Kentwood Community Church - Michigan
  • Show Website
    The Devout Route