Friday, December 26th: In this episode of The Daily Grind, John asks a profound question: How do you find happiness? Drawing inspiration from Proverbs 30:7-9, Psalm 27, and Ephesians 3, John explores the tension between our desire for happiness and the fleeting promises of circumstances. Drawing parallels to stories like The Fault in Our Stars and wisdom from Augustine, this episode challenges listeners to consider contentment as the key to true joy. John unpacks the honest prayer of Proverbs 30, where the author asks for "just enough"—neither poverty nor riches—to remain close to God. He also highlights Paul's prayer for believers in Ephesians, reminding us that Christ’s love and presence are our ultimate source of fulfillment. Whether you're waiting for a breakthrough or navigating life’s uncertainties, this episode offers practical insights and a powerful prayer for a joy-filled life rooted in God. Tune in for an entertaining, inspirational, and deeply encouraging conversation about finding happiness in a restless world.

⁠⁠Email me your questions, comments, and suggestions. I'd love to hear from you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If y'all wanna talk more 'bout this, I'm all ears. Just give me a holler. You can also help by sending me your favorite trivia or dad joke(s) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠spencerjd@thedailygrind.website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Or respond below with comments, trivia or jokes.

Christmas, Thursday, December 25th: In this Christmas Day episode of The Daily Grind, John turns to the Gospel of John to reflect on the deeper meaning of Christmas. Rather than focusing on the manger, John reminds us that Christmas is the moment the eternal Word entered human life and chose to remain with us. The incarnation declares that God is not distant or temporary, but present in the ordinary realities of our lives. Christmas does not end when the celebrations fade; it continues as we live each day in the light of Emmanuel, God with us.

⁠⁠Email me your questions, comments, and suggestions. I'd love to hear from you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If y'all wanna talk more 'bout this, I'm all ears. Just give me a holler. You can also help by sending me your favorite trivia or dad joke(s) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠spencerjd@thedailygrind.website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Or respond below with comments, trivia or jokes.

Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24th: In this Christmas Eve episode of The Daily Grind, John reflects on the quiet, grounded reality of Jesus’ birth as told in Luke 2. Stripped of sentimentality and myth, the story reveals a God who enters the world humbly, in ordinary space, and without spectacle. Christmas Eve reminds us that God’s greatest work often begins in silence, inviting trust rather than demanding attention. This episode encourages listeners to pause, receive, and rest in the quiet faithfulness of God who draws near.

⁠⁠Email me your questions, comments, and suggestions. I'd love to hear from you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If y'all wanna talk more 'bout this, I'm all ears. Just give me a holler. You can also help by sending me your favorite trivia or dad joke(s) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠spencerjd@thedailygrind.website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Or respond below with comments, trivia or jokes.

Tuesday, December 23rd: n this episode of The Daily Grind, John reflects on the long silence that comes before the joy of Christmas, focusing on the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth in Luke 1. Their faithful waiting reminds us that God’s silence is not absence, and delay is not denial. Advent teaches us that God often does His deepest work quietly, shaping hearts through patience, trust, and obedience before the celebration begins. This episode invites listeners to see waiting not as wasted time, but as a season where God prepares us for joy.

⁠⁠Email me your questions, comments, and suggestions. I'd love to hear from you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If y'all wanna talk more 'bout this, I'm all ears. Just give me a holler. You can also help by sending me your favorite trivia or dad joke(s) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠spencerjd@thedailygrind.website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Or respond below with comments, trivia or jokes.

Monday, December 22nd: In this episode of The Daily Grind, John introduces Origen of Alexandria, one of the earliest and most influential Christian thinkers, whose vision of Christ shaped how the church learned to read Scripture and prepare the heart for God’s coming. Origen believed that Christ comes not only to save, but to teach, forming the mind and soul to recognize truth, goodness, and love. Advent, through Origen’s lens, becomes a season of preparation, learning to listen, to be shaped by the Word, and to receive Christ with humility. This episode invites listeners to slow down, open their hearts, and allow Christ the Teacher to prepare them for the joy of Christmas.

⁠⁠Email me your questions, comments, and suggestions. I'd love to hear from you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If y'all wanna talk more 'bout this, I'm all ears. Just give me a holler. You can also help by sending me your favorite trivia or dad joke(s) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠spencerjd@thedailygrind.website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Or respond below with comments, trivia or jokes.

Friday, December 19th: What is the Kingdom of God really like?

Jesus often answered that question with stories—parables about seeds, yeast, treasure, pearls, and unexpected guests at a wedding feast. In this episode of The Daily Grind, we lean into one of the most unforgettable modern parables of the Kingdom through a story told by Tony Campolo.

At 3:30 in the morning, in a greasy diner filled with prostitutes, a simple birthday celebration becomes a living picture of grace. A woman who has never had a party in her life is honored, seen, and loved—and in that moment, the Kingdom of God quietly breaks in.

This episode invites us to reconsider how we imagine God’s Kingdom, what kind of church Jesus came to create, and whether we’re willing to celebrate grace where we least expect it. The Kingdom of God isn’t a gated community—it’s a feast. And everyone is invited.

Grace and peace to you in the name of our risen King, Jesus.

⁠⁠Email me your questions, comments, and suggestions. I'd love to hear from you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If y'all wanna talk more 'bout this, I'm all ears. Just give me a holler. You can also help by sending me your favorite trivia or dad joke(s) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠spencerjd@thedailygrind.website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Or respond below with comments, trivia or jokes.

Thursday, December 18th: In this episode of The Daily Grind, John turns to Isaiah 40 to explore how Advent hope was formed long before the birth of Jesus. Speaking to a weary people in exile, Isaiah proclaims comfort, restoration, and the promise that God has not forgotten His people. This passage reminds us that waiting is not passive or wasted, but a place where God renews strength and deepens trust. Advent invites listeners to bring their weariness honestly before God and to trust that His faithfulness sustains us even when nothing seems to be changing.

⁠⁠Email me your questions, comments, and suggestions. I'd love to hear from you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If y'all wanna talk more 'bout this, I'm all ears. Just give me a holler. You can also help by sending me your favorite trivia or dad joke(s) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠spencerjd@thedailygrind.website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Or respond below with comments, trivia or jokes.

Wednesday, December 17th: In this episode of The Daily Grind, John explores what many scholars believe is one of the earliest Christian hymns, preserved for us in Philippians 2:5–11. Written into a letter to a Roman colony shaped by power, status, and honor, this hymn tells a radically different story of greatness. It traces Christ’s journey from divine glory to humble obedience, even to death on a cross, and then to exaltation by God. The episode reflects on how Advent is not merely sentimental but revolutionary, redefining power through humility and service. Listeners are invited to consider how the mindset of Christ shapes the way they live, wait, and follow Him today.

⁠⁠Email me your questions, comments, and suggestions. I'd love to hear from you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If y'all wanna talk more 'bout this, I'm all ears. Just give me a holler. You can also help by sending me your favorite trivia or dad joke(s) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠spencerjd@thedailygrind.website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Or respond below with comments, trivia or jokes.