Hey everybody, welcome to the podcast, I’m Nick and it’s an honor to be here with you today.
Today is May 1.
Each day, we follow a simple rhythm: Slow Down, Read, Notice, Reread, Meditate, Respond, and Exercise.
Let’s begin.

Slow Down

Jesus is here.
He’s sitting in your favorite spot, waiting for you to join Him.
You have a million things on your mind that need your attention, but right now it’s time to be with Jesus.
Set those things aside, relax, and calm your body.
Close your eyes. Take a deep breath in, then slowly release it.
As you inhale, whisper: “Jesus, open my heart.”
As you exhale, pray: “I don’t want to miss what You are doing.”
Do this three times, then rest in His presence.

Read

To what can I compare this generation? It is like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends,
‘We played wedding songs,
and you didn’t dance,
so we played funeral songs,
and you didn’t mourn.’
For John didn’t spend his time eating and drinking, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man,* on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.”  (Matthew 11:16–19, NLT)

Notice

What stands out to you in this passage?
Is there a word or phrase that catches your attention?
Hold it in your heart for a moment.

Reread

Hear these words again — and notice the restlessness Jesus is describing in people who have already decided not to be satisfied, no matter what God does.
 

Meditate

Jesus paints a vivid picture: children in the marketplace complaining that their friends won’t play along — no matter what song is played. Dance music? They won’t dance. Funeral music? They won’t mourn. Nothing is ever right.
He applies this to the religious critics of His day. John came with austerity — fasting, wilderness living, stark repentance — and they said he was demon-possessed. Jesus came with joy — feasting, celebrating, welcoming sinners to the table — and they called Him a glutton and a drunk. Two completely different approaches, and both were rejected. Why? Because the rejection was never really about the approach. It was about the heart.
When we have already decided we don’t want to be moved, no messenger will satisfy us. We will always find a reason to critique, to dismiss, to stand at a safe distance from what God is doing and find fault with its style.
The antidote is a willing heart — one that asks not “Does this fit my expectations?” but “Is God at work here, and am I willing to respond?”
Wisdom, Jesus says, is shown to be right by its results. The proof of God’s work isn’t in its packaging — it’s in the fruit it bears in willing hearts.
Take a few moments to reflect on this question:
Is there a way God has been at work — in my church, in a person near me, or in my own life — that I’ve been dismissing because it doesn’t look the way I expected?

Respond

Jesus, I don’t want to be a critic standing at a distance, finding reasons not to respond. Soften any hardness in me that has decided in advance what You should look like or how You should work. Give me a willing, open, responsive heart — one that recognizes You even when You arrive in unexpected ways.

Exercise

The rush of life will meet you again when you leave this sacred place—but you can carry this moment into your day by forming new habits.
Habit: Open Hands
— Identify One Expectation of God You’re Holding Too Tightly and Release It
Today’s habit is an act of surrender: identify one expectation you’ve placed on God — about how He should work, what He should do, or how quickly He should move — and consciously release it today.
This doesn’t mean giving up hope. It means loosening your grip on the specific form your hope has taken. It means saying: “Lord, I want You — not just my version of You.”
Write the expectation down. Then pray over it: “Father, I’ve been holding this tightly. I release it to You now. I trust that Your ways are better than my expectations — even when I can’t see how yet.”

I have one ask of you before you go, could you please share this podcast with one person today? One person at a time will grow this podcast to help more people walk with Jesus.
That’s your two minutes with Jesus for today.
Now, take what you’ve heard…share it and live it.
Until next time, keep slowing down, keep listening, and keep walking with Jesus.