Vince Miller Podcast Vince Miller

Are you reaping the benefits of spiritual nourishment?
Remember to visit our website and secure your copy of the 1 Samuel Scripture Journal. This valuable resource will help you prepare for our upcoming sessions and ensure you're fully prepared to dive into this study.
Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. — Galatians 6:6-7
Let's start by recognizing that this verse speaks about what I do. My profession is, to some degree, like any profession. There should be this reciprocating effect, including sowing and reaping.
The problem is that sometimes people justify not rewarding a pastor financially because they feel their only reward should be an eternal reward. But this is not the case. Pastors need sustenance, too, which comes not only in the form of a pat on the back.
Paul addresses this not only here but also in 1 Timothy 5:18. His statement here to Timothy and the Ephesians church reads:
For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” — 1 Timothy 5:18
The picture is of a muzzled ox. Why is this important? Because in Deuteronomy 25:4, God established a law for how farmers leveraged animals for their advantage. He understood that people would abuse even the rights of animals by working them to death for their benefit. And that they would become so selfish that they would muzzle them so that they could not "slow down" even for a quick bite.
What Paul is pointing out here is that Pastors deserve their wages and that we are sometimes so selfish that we don't realize that our selfishness is a burden to pastors as well. Remember that this whole text is about burdens, and your pastor bears more than average. He is shepherding and bearing the burdens of the body continually. So don't add a more significant burden to his life by withholding the one thing you can give that he should reap.
So give generously today to the pastors who have sown great things in your life.
#SupportSpiritualLeaders
#SowGenerosity
#PastoralCare
ASK THIS:
How can you practically support your pastor or spiritual leader beyond financial means, demonstrating appreciation for their dedication and service? Reflect on a time when someone's teaching or pastoral care significantly impacted your life. How can you show gratitude and reciprocate their investment in your spiritual growth? DO THIS: Don't hold back.
PRAY THIS: Father, grant me a heart of generosity to honor and support those who faithfully teach and shepherd me. Help me to recognize the value of their labor and to sow seeds of gratitude and provision into their lives. Amen.
PLAY THIS: Surely.

Do you have a heavy burden or is it only a little load?
Remember to visit our website and secure your copy of the 1 Samuel Scripture Journal. This valuable resource will help you prepare for our upcoming sessions and ensure you're fully prepared to dive into this study.
But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load. — Galatians 6:4-5
If you read the previous text and then read this one, you will feel like there is this apparent discrepancy. However, this is quickly resolved when we realize that Paul used two different words to refer to two situations. The word translated “burdens” from verse two refers to a "heavy load with an oppressive weight" that someone must carry for a long way. But the word “load” in verse five is a different word, which refers to a traveler's backpack.
So, hopefully, you sense Paul's point. There are burdens and loads. There are burdens that require help from others, and then there are loads that you need to carry. In other words, you must empower yourself with discernment, understanding the weight and how much help you really need.
Every believer in life has macro-burdens and micro-burdens. Some things concern believers together politically, economically, ideologically, sociologically, and theologically. And then there are things that only we can bear alone: marital problems, career challenges, sin issues, and health concerns. The key here is striking a balance. Not being so independent that we don't seek help from the church when it's needed and not being so dependent, we expect the church to solve all of our consequential needs. This balance is what makes us a supportive and thriving community.
So, what's your burden today? Is it macro or micro? Is it heavy or light? Is it a big burden or just your backpack to bear? Discern the difference because some in the community have enormous burdens they need help with, and your load shouldn't take time and attention away from that. Besides, sometimes your burden is God's way of keeping you humble and trusting in him, and you might have to carry this backpack to the threshold of the pearly gates.
#BurdensAndBackpacks
#CommunitySupport
#BalanceInFaith
ASK THIS:
Reflecting on your current challenges, do you tend to lean more towards seeking help from others or carrying your burdens independently? How can you strike a healthy balance between independence and community support in facing these challenges?
Consider a recent burden or load you've been carrying. How might viewing it through the lens of discernment and trust in God's guidance change your perspective on its weight and significance in your life?
DO THIS: Discern your burden from your load.
PRAY THIS: Father, grant me the wisdom to discern between burdens that require community support and loads I must carry alone, and help me find balance in seeking both independence and assistance. May I trust in Your guidance and lean on Your strength as I navigate life's challenges, knowing that You are always with me. Amen.
PLAY THIS: Burdens.

Are you deceived by the myth of self-sufficiency?
Don't forget to visit our website and secure your copy of the 1 Samuel Scripture Journal. This invaluable resource will equip you for our upcoming sessions, ensuring you're fully prepared to delve into the Word of God!
For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. — Galatians 6:3
Self-sufficiency is an arrogant myth. There is no such thing as self-sufficiency in the church. We all have burdens! Every one of us, from the oldest member to the youngest member, from the newest believer to the oldest believer, from staff members to occasional attenders, has burdens that cannot be borne by ourselves. This is precisely why Jesus came. Jesus came and bore the weight of all our burdens and left us with the Spirit so that we could bear each other's burdens.
But as soon as we think "we are something" or can handle it alone, we are deceived. Thus, we will reject the Spirit and the relief found in the church.
So, to those of you who have been told:
You've got this. You're strong enough. You can manage. You have the strength. You can tackle it alone. You're capable. You're self-sufficient. You can take care of it. You're able to handle it on your own. You can get over it. Not one of these statements is true. If you are a believer, they are the farthest thing from the truth. To believe them is to live in self-deception. You need Jesus, his Spirit, and a Christ-fearing body of believers who can help you bear the burdens in your life.
#BearingEachOthersBurdens
#CommunityStrength
#RejectingSelfDeception
ASK THIS:
Reflect on a time when you believed you could handle a burden alone. How did that experience impact your relationship with God and your community of believers? In what ways can you actively seek support and share burdens with others in your church community this week? DO THIS: Offload your burdens or lighten the load for a needy brother today.
PRAY THIS: Lord, help me to recognize the deception of self-sufficiency and embrace the truth of my need for You and the community of believers. Grant me the humility to seek support and share burdens with others, as I trust in Your strength to sustain me. Amen.
PLAY THIS: This Is Your Church.

Do you have a burden that needs bearing?
Remember to go to the website and grab the 1 Samuel Scripture Journal today so you are ready to go when we begin!
Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. — Galatians 6:2
One of the beautiful aspects of the church is the presence of those who've walked the same paths as you. They've been entangled in the same traps you're caught in now. The church is filled with men who've faced marriage struggles, financial setbacks, career challenges, health problems, and the snares of repetitive sin. Just like you, they've been trapped and found their way out. They've gained spiritual insight through their mistakes and can assist you in finding deliverance and freedom from your current trap. You need these men, and they need you. They can direct you to freedom, and you're their opportunity for ministry, reminding them to remain in freedom.
But to break free from your trap, you must humble yourself and make your way to church. Then, you'll need to connect with a brother who's walked the same road as you and share your burden with him. Next, you must listen and take to heart any good and godly advice you receive. And as you make progress, you'll be called to help others shoulder the burden you've carried and lead them to the victory and freedom you've discovered.
In doing so, you're fulfilling the law of Christ. Just as Christ bore our burdens, you're bearing the burdens of others to direct them to the ultimate burden-bearer—Jesus, who carries all burdens and grants us freedom from every sin's entrapment.
#CommunityOfFreedom
#BearingEachOthersBurdens
#WalkingTogetherInFaith
ASK THIS:
How can you actively seek out a fellow brother in Christ who has faced similar challenges to yours, and how can you initiate a conversation to share burdens and offer support? Reflecting on your journey of overcoming past traps and snares, how can you now step into a role of mentorship and support for others struggling in similar ways? DO THIS: Offload your burdens or lighten the load for a needy brother today.
PRAY THIS: Lord, help me humbly seek out fellow believers who can walk alongside me, share my burdens, and offer godly wisdom and support. Guide me as I, in turn, extend my hand to others, bearing their burdens with love and pointing them toward the freedom found in You. Amen.
PLAY THIS: Cast Your Burden.

Do you feel stuck? Do you need to get unstuck?
Remember to go to the website and grab the 1 Samuel Scripture Journal today so you are ready to go when we begin!
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. — Galatians 6:1
One of the great things about the church is that it is filled with people who have walked the same path.
There have been many times when I have been stuck in life, only to have a fellow believer who's been there offer invaluable help—coaching, guiding, and praying for me. Many Christians think they can go it alone, but the truth is, you can't. Eventually, you'll need others, just like I have, and the best part is, they'll need you, too.
But as this text points out, it needs to be the right believer. It needs to be a believer who has been down the path, who knows the right steps to take, and who knows the right way to say it because they are attentive to the same issues in their lives. The wrong direction, given the wrong way, only tightens the trap and worsens the transgression.
So, if you feel "caught" today, stop trying to resolve that issue alone. Turn to a believer who knows the way out, and you both will find freedom.
#BreakFreeTogether
#CommunityOverIsolation
#StuckNoMore
ASK THIS:
Have you ever hesitated to reach out for help when feeling stuck or trapped? What barriers do you face in seeking support from fellow believers? Reflect on a time when you received valuable guidance or support from a fellow believer during a challenging period. How did their involvement impact your journey, and how can you extend similar support to others in need? DO THIS: Walk the tightrope and give attention to your pride.
PRAY THIS: Lord, help me recognize when I need support from fellow believers and give me the humility to seek their guidance and encouragement in times of struggle. Grant me the wisdom to offer the same compassion and assistance to others on their journey towards freedom and growth. Amen.
PLAY THIS: Stuck.

Do you feel like you are walking a spiritual tightrope?
Remember to go to the website and grab the 1 Samuel Scripture Journal today so you are ready to go when we begin!
If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. — Galatians 5:25-26
This verse might seem like an add-on, but it is not. Paul is explaining the spiritual tightrope we walk each day—the tightrope between an old form of arrogance and a new form of arrogance. The cliff on one side is a life directed by proud fleshly desires. The cliff, on the other side, is a life lived by the Spirit but tempted by a righteous form of pride that takes credit for what the Spirit does.
You see, once you have been a believer long enough, you will learn to walk in the Spirit. But sometimes, as we are walking in the Spirit, we will feel a sense of pride for the fruit that is produced through us. We have to be careful at this point because righteous arrogance is just as insidious as unrighteous arrogance. Thus, we have to keep our step as we walk this tightrope to ensure we are not tipping either way. On the one side, we tip into selfish arrogance, and on the other, we tip into self-righteous arrogance.
So, are you watching your step as you live by the Spirit?
#SpiritLedLiving
#HumilityOverPride
#WalkingInFaith
ASK THIS:
Reflecting on your own spiritual journey, have you ever found yourself tipping towards either side of the tightrope described—either into selfish arrogance or self-righteous pride? How can you actively guard against these pitfalls and maintain a balanced, Spirit-led walk in your daily life? Think about a recent experience where you sensed the Holy Spirit working through you to produce fruit or bring about positive change. How can you ensure that, instead of taking credit for these actions, you humbly acknowledge the Spirit's role and give glory to God? What practical steps can you take to cultivate a heart of humility and gratitude in your spiritual walk? DO THIS: Walk the tightrope and give attention to your pride.
PRAY THIS: Father, help me to walk humbly in the Spirit, avoiding the pitfalls of both selfish arrogance and self-righteous pride. May I always acknowledge Your work in my life and give glory to Your name. Amen.
PLAY THIS: Obedience.