Podcast
Real Truth Matters Podcast
Hosted by Michael Durham · EN
Walking and communion with God are not automatic. How then do you experience the reality of a personal relationship with God, or read your Bible and experience God’s presence? Put simply, how do you know God? These are huge questions that need serious discussion. Every Tuesday, Michael Durham of Real Truth Matters Ministries will lead in such a conversation. This podcast tackles the experiential side of Christianity with teaching, interviews, and question and answer episodes. If you want to grow in fellowship with God in the biblical manner known by the orthodox and sound men of God of the old paths, then tune in each week to the Real Truth Matters Podcast.
27episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
GRIEVING THE HOLY SPIRIT Part 2
2w ago00:23:00Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailWhat happens when the God who loves you most is the One you wound the deepest? In Grieving the Holy Spirit, Part 2, Michael Durham, founder and director of Real Truth Matters, presses this sobering truth even further—revealing that when we grieve the Spirit, the greatest loss is not His presence, but our experience of it. The silence, the distance, the fading joy—these are not accidents, but the painful effects of a heart that has grown dull to the One who dwells within.This message calls you to face what many avoid: the real consequences of a careless walk with God. From broken fellowship to spiritual dryness and lost sensitivity, you’ll be urged to examine your heart and respond rightly—with godly sorrow, repentance, and renewed devotion. Yet even in the warning, there is hope. If your heart feels distant, this is not the end—it is an invitation. Grieve over grieving God, and rediscover the joy, peace, and nearness that come from walking closely with Him once again.
Transcribe →GRIEVING THE HOLY SPIRIT Part 1
3w ago00:24:59Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailWhat if your sin is not merely a failure of discipline, but a wound inflicted on Someone who loves you deeply? In Grieving the Holy Spirit, Part 1, Michael Durham, founder and director of Real Truth Matters, confronts the often-overlooked truth that the Holy Spirit is not distant or impersonal—He is relational, present, and capable of deep sorrow. When we minimize sin, we miss its true impact: it grieves the very One who dwells within us. This episode will awaken you to the seriousness of that reality and challenge the casualness with which we often treat our walk with God.
Transcribe →THE WISDOM AND POWER OF THE CROSS Part 2
4w ago00:23:16Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailThe cross doesn’t flatter you—it confronts you. It dismantles every instinct you have about fixing yourself, proving yourself, or saving yourself. What if the greatest obstacle to your salvation isn’t your failure, but your confidence that you can overcome it? In this episode, Michael Durham presses past surface-level religion and exposes the deeper issue: not what you do, but who you are. If Christianity is merely self-improvement, the cross makes no sense—but if it demands death to self and a supernatural resurrection, then everything begins to change.
Transcribe →THE WISDOM AND POWER OF THE CROSS Part 1
Apr 2800:22:17Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailWhy is the cross so offensive—and why does that matter for your daily life? In The Wisdom and Power of the Cross, Part 1, RTM founder and director Michael Durham uncovers a neglected truth: the cross is not only where your sins were forgiven, it is the very pattern by which your life must now be lived. This message confronts the deeply rooted instinct to measure spiritual growth by performance, effort, and visible success, and instead redirects you to the shocking standard God has given—the humiliation and triumph of Christ Himself.Far from a comfortable message, this episode exposes how the cross dismantles self-righteousness, silences human wisdom, and leaves no room for boasting. It reveals a gospel that runs counter to everything natural in us—a salvation accomplished entirely by Another, and a life sustained the same way. If you’ve ever wondered why growth feels elusive or why your efforts fall short, this message will challenge your assumptions and call you back to the only place where true transformation begins: the wisdom and power of the cross.
Transcribe →HOW TO WALK IN THE SPIRIT Part 2
Apr 2100:27:25Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailWhat do you do when you fail—again? When the resolve to do better collapses and the weight of your weakness feels overwhelming, How to Walk in the Spirit Part 2 confronts the lie that spiritual growth comes through trying harder. RTM founder and director Michael Durham delivers a piercing and hope-filled message that exposes the futility of self-determination and calls you into something far deeper: a life of moment-by-moment dependence on the Holy Spirit. With vivid clarity, you’ll see why the Christian life is not about conquering sin through willpower, but trusting the One who has already conquered it for you.More than instruction, this episode is an invitation to return—to communion over comfort, to Scripture as fellowship, and to a God who does not cast you off when you fall but draws you back again and again. Anchored in the power of the gospel, it redefines real progress: not perfection, but persistence in coming back to Christ. If you’re tired of the cycle of failure and ready to walk in true freedom, this message will show you where it begins—and how to keep walking.
Transcribe →HOW TO WALK IN THE SPIRIT Part 1
Apr 1400:25:06Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailGod has every right to judge, yet He chooses to love, remain, and pursue—even when we neglect Him. That kind of love calls for a response. In this message, Michael Durham asks a vital question: how do we actually walk with God in daily life?From Galatians 5 and John 6, it shows that walking in the Spirit is not about effort, but dependence. The Christian life is relational—learning Christ, fellowshipping with Him, and drawing from His sufficiency. The struggle within is real, but it is not defeat. It is a call to stop relying on yourself and to live moment by moment in fellowship with Him.
Transcribe →THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE SPIRIT AND THE FLESH Part 2
Apr 700:21:59Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailMany Christians believe growth comes from trying harder and doing better. But beneath that effort is a deeper issue—an independent spirit that wants to live for God without depending on Him. In this message, Michael Durham exposes that struggle and shows why self-effort leaves believers weary and defeated.From Galatians 5 and John 6, we see the true answer: not striving, but abiding in Christ. Victory comes through daily dependence on Him, not personal strength. The battle within is real, but it is also evidence that the Spirit is at work, leading you to a life rooted in His sufficiency.
Transcribe →THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE SPIRIT AND THE FLESH Part 1
Mar 3100:21:21Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailWhat if everything you’ve believed about spiritual growth has been pointing you in the wrong direction? Many Christians exhaust themselves trying harder, following formulas, and measuring progress by performance—only to find themselves frustrated and defeated. This message confronts that mindset head-on, exposing the futility of legalistic thinking and calling you back to the true heart of sanctification: not a system to master, but a relationship to live.In this powerful teaching from Galatians 5, you’ll discover what it really means to walk in the Spirit—not as a one-time experience, but as a continual, conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit within you. This episode will challenge how you think, reshape how you relate to God, and show you why lasting transformation comes not through striving, but through fellowship. If you’re tired of the cycle of trying and failing, this message will point you to a better way—the way of life in the Spirit.
Transcribe →THE HINDRANCES OF THE FLESH Part 2
Mar 2400:22:50Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailIn The Hindrances of the Flesh – Part 2, Michael Durham exposes one of the most dangerous realities in the Christian life: the flesh often looks respectable, responsible, and even religious. From anxiety disguised as maturity to obedience fueled by self-exaltation, this message reveals how easily believers drift from simple dependence on Christ into subtle self-reliance. With piercing clarity, it confronts the hidden ways the flesh convinces us we are strong when we have quietly moved away from the life of faith.But this message does more than expose the problem—it calls us back to the cross, where the flesh loses its power and true freedom begins. If you’ve ever felt the pressure to prove your spirituality or control your circumstances, this episode will both challenge and liberate you. It’s a sobering reminder that the Christian life is not sustained by religious effort, but by living union with Christ.
Transcribe →THE HINDRANCES OF THE FLESH Part 1
Mar 1700:22:07Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailIn this searching and deeply personal message from Galatians 5, Michael Durham exposes one of the greatest threats to the Christian life—not open rebellion, but subtle self-reliance. What if the very things you believe make you spiritually strong—your prayer life, your ministry, your discipline, your responsibility—are actually disguises the flesh uses to keep you in control? With clarity and pastoral honesty, this episode confronts the quiet drift from Spirit-dependence to performance-driven religion and asks Paul’s piercing question: “You ran well. Who hindered you?”If you’ve ever felt stuck, anxious, divided between faith and fear, or unsure why your obedience lacks freedom, this message will speak directly to you. Michael reveals how the flesh camouflages unbelief as maturity, anxiety as responsibility, and relief as peace—while calling us back to simple, childlike trust in Christ alone. This is more than theology; it’s a wake-up call to return to grace, to true liberty, and to the Spirit-controlled life where Christ—not self—is on the throne.
Transcribe →