Podcast
The Daily Grind
Hosted by John Spencer · EN
Howdy, y'all! Welcome to The Daily Grind with your host, John Spencer. Grab a mug of your favorite brew and get ready to become the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to water cooler chatter, conference room banter, and job site small talk. I'll give you the rundown on today's date, share some interesting historical facts, and toss out a few random musings to get your brain gears turning. Plus, I'll offer up some thoughts to ponder on your walk with Jesus, could be about the Bible, prayer, serving others, or something else.
102episodes
Episodes
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799 For the Sake of My Name Ezekiel 36:16–38 (The Gospel According to Ezekiel Part 34)
Jul 300:18:43Tap to summarizeFriday, July 3rd: In Episode 799 of The Daily Grind, we continue The Gospel According to Ezekiel with Part 34, "For the Sake of My Name," from Ezekiel 36:16–38. God explains that Israel's coming restoration is not based on their righteousness but on His own holy name and covenant faithfulness. He promises to cleanse His people, give them a new heart, place His Spirit within them, and transform them from the inside out. These powerful promises anticipate the work of Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The chapter reveals that humanity's deepest problem is not merely sinful actions but a heart in need of renewal. Christians see these promises fulfilled through Jesus, who makes people new creations and begins God's work of restoring all creation. Ezekiel 36 reminds us that our hope rests not in our faithfulness, but in the unchanging character of God.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.
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798 The Mountains Will Sing Again Ezekiel 36:1–15 (The Gospel According to Ezekiel Part 33)
Jul 200:19:24Tap to summarizeThursday, July 2nd: In Episode 798 of The Daily Grind, we continue The Gospel According to Ezekiel with Part 33, "The Mountains Will Sing Again," from Ezekiel 36:1–15. After pronouncing judgment on Mount Seir, God now speaks hope over the mountains of Israel, promising that the devastated land will once again produce fruit, support thriving cities, and welcome His people home. The chapter reveals that God's redemption extends beyond individuals to creation itself as He begins reversing the effects of sin and exile. Ezekiel reminds us that restoration is grounded not in Israel's worthiness but in God's unwavering faithfulness to His covenant. Christians ultimately see these promises fulfilled in Jesus Christ, whose ministry inaugurated the renewal of all things and points forward to the new creation described in Revelation. Ezekiel 36 encourages us to trust the God who specializes in bringing life to places that seem beyond repair.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.
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797 Two Mountains, Two Kingdoms Ezekiel 35 (The Gospel According to Ezekiel Part 32)
Jul 100:17:19Tap to summarizeWednesday, July 1st: In Episode 797 of The Daily Grind, we continue The Gospel According to Ezekiel with Part 32, "Two Mountains, Two Kingdoms," from Ezekiel 35. God pronounces judgment on Mount Seir, the homeland of Edom, because of its long-standing hostility toward Israel. Rather than grieving Jerusalem's destruction, Edom celebrated it and sought to profit from its brother nation's suffering. Ezekiel reveals how bitterness, when passed from generation to generation, hardens into opposition against God's purposes. Mount Seir becomes a symbol of pride, resentment, and self-exaltation, while the coming promises to the mountains of Israel represent God's covenant faithfulness and restoration. Christians ultimately see the answer to humanity's ancient hostilities in Jesus Christ, who tears down walls of division and reconciles enemies through the cross. Ezekiel 35 challenges us to choose forgiveness over bitterness and to trust God's faithfulness rather than nurturing old wounds.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.
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796 The Good Shepherd Ezekiel 34:17–31 (The Gospel According to Ezekiel Part 31)
Jun 3000:20:35Tap to summarizeTuesday, June 30th: In Episode 796 of The Daily Grind, we conclude Ezekiel 34 with Part 31, “The Good Shepherd.” God promises to judge between the strong and the weak within His flock and declares that He will appoint one Shepherd, His servant David, to care for His people forever. This promise points beyond King David to Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of David, who later proclaimed, “I am the Good Shepherd.” Unlike Israel's failed leaders who exploited the flock, Jesus laid down His life for His sheep. God also promises a covenant of peace, restoration, security, and blessing that begins in Christ and will be fully realized in His eternal kingdom. Ezekiel 34 reveals God's heart for His people and reminds us that our ultimate hope rests not in earthly leaders but in the Shepherd who never abandons His flock.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.
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795 Shepherds Who Feed Themselves Ezekiel 34:1–16 (The Gospel According to Ezekiel Part 30)
Jun 2900:22:15Tap to summarizeMonday, June 30th: In Episode 795 of The Daily Grind, we continue The Gospel According to Ezekiel with Part 30, “Shepherds Who Feed Themselves,” from Ezekiel 34:1–16. God confronts Israel's leaders for abusing their positions of authority and caring more about themselves than the people they were called to shepherd. Instead of strengthening the weak, healing the sick, seeking the lost, and protecting the flock, they exploited God's people for their own benefit. In response, God makes one of the most beautiful promises in Ezekiel: "I myself will search for my sheep and look after them." Rather than simply appointing better leaders, God promises to become the Shepherd His people desperately need. Christians see this promise fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, who came to seek and save the lost and laid down His life for His sheep. Ezekiel 34 reminds us that true leadership is measured by sacrificial service, and that God never stops pursuing those who have wandered.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.
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794 Watchman Again Ezekiel 33 (The Gospel According to Ezekiel Part 29)
Jun 1800:21:22Tap to summarizeThursday, June 18th: In Episode 794 of The Daily Grind, we continue The Gospel According to Ezekiel with Part 29, “Watchman Again,” from Ezekiel 33. This chapter marks a major turning point in the book as Jerusalem's fall becomes reality and Ezekiel is recommissioned as God's watchman. God reminds Ezekiel that his responsibility is to faithfully sound the warning, while individuals remain responsible for their own response. The chapter contains one of the clearest revelations of God's heart in all of Ezekiel: “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.” God emphasizes repentance, restoration, and personal responsibility, rejecting both false confidence in past righteousness and despair over past failures. When news arrives that Jerusalem has fallen, Ezekiel's ministry shifts from warning to hope. Christians ultimately see Jesus as the ultimate Watchman who warns of judgment, offers mercy, and invites people into restoration. Ezekiel 33 reminds us that God's desire is not destruction, but that people turn to Him and live.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.
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793 The Graveyard of Nations Ezekiel 32:17–32 (The Gospel According to Ezekiel Part 28)
Jun 1700:20:23Tap to summarizeWednesday, June 17th: In Episode 793 of The Daily Grind, we continue The Gospel According to Ezekiel with Part 28, “The Graveyard of Nations,” from Ezekiel 32:17–32. Ezekiel receives a vision of the realm of the dead where Egypt joins a long line of fallen empires including Assyria, Elam, Edom, Meshech, Tubal, Sidon, and others. These nations once inspired fear, commanded armies, and dominated the world, but now they lie together in silence. The chapter serves as a sobering reminder that human power, wealth, influence, and achievement are all temporary. Pharaoh believed Egypt was exceptional, yet he discovers that every kingdom eventually faces the same fate. Ezekiel uses this imagery to expose the limits of earthly greatness and the illusion of permanence. Christians ultimately see the answer to this universal problem in Jesus Christ, the King who entered death and conquered it through His resurrection. Ezekiel 32 reminds us that while every earthly empire eventually fades, God's kingdom endures forever.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.
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792 A Lion in the Pit Ezekiel 32:1–16 (The Gospel According to Ezekiel Part 27)
Jun 1600:19:35Tap to summarizeTuesday, June 16th: In Episode 792 of *The Daily Grind*, we continue **The Gospel According to Ezekiel** with Part 27, “A Lion in the Pit,” from Ezekiel 32:1–16. Ezekiel takes up a lament over Pharaoh, comparing him first to a lion among the nations and then to a great sea monster thrashing through the waters. While Pharaoh saw himself as powerful and majestic, God exposes the pride, chaos, and destruction hidden beneath his image of greatness. Through dramatic imagery of nets, darkened heavens, and trembling nations, Ezekiel describes the coming fall of Egypt and the shockwaves it will send throughout the world. The chapter reminds us that human power, influence, and success are far more fragile than they appear. Again, God strips away false securities so people might recognize that He alone is Lord. Christians ultimately see the contrast fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who redefined greatness through humility, service, and sacrifice rather than domination and self-exaltation. Ezekiel 32 challenges us to examine what we trust most and whether it can truly endure.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.
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791 The Fallen Cedar Ezekiel 31 (The Gospel According to Ezekiel Part 26)
Jun 1500:22:42Tap to summarizeMonday, June 15th: In Episode 791 of The Daily Grind, we continue The Gospel According to Ezekiel with Part 26, “The Fallen Cedar,” from Ezekiel 31. God tells Pharaoh to look at the example of Assyria, once the greatest empire in the ancient world. Ezekiel compares Assyria to a magnificent cedar tree towering above all others, providing shelter, influence, and strength to countless nations. Yet the very greatness that made the empire impressive also became the source of its downfall. The cedar forgot its roots, became proud, and eventually was cut down. Through this image, God warns Pharaoh that Egypt is walking the same path. Ezekiel reveals that pride often grows from blessings when people begin to mistake gifts for personal achievements. The chapter reminds us that every empire, nation, institution, and individual who builds on self-exaltation eventually faces the limits of human power. Christians ultimately see the contrast fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who chose humility instead of self-promotion and was exalted by God. Ezekiel 31 calls believers to remember their dependence on God and to recognize that true greatness is found not in pride but in humility.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.
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790 rebroadcast of 529 Don’t Copy the World — A Living Sacrifice (Romans 12:1–2)
Jun 1200:17:23Tap to summarizeJune 12th: In Episode 529 of The Daily Grind, we explore Romans 12:1–2, where Paul urges believers to offer themselves as living sacrifices. This isn’t about religious ritual—it’s about whole-life worship. In response to God’s mercy, Paul calls for total surrender: bodies, minds, habits, and hearts. He warns us not to conform to the world’s mold, which pressures us to value popularity, comfort, and self-promotion. Instead, we’re to be transformed—inside out—through the renewing of our minds. Transformation isn’t a behavior shift; it’s a spiritual metamorphosis. And that renewal starts with soaking our thoughts in truth, prayer, and Scripture. Only then, Paul says, can we truly discern God’s will. This episode challenges listeners to stop copying the world and start becoming more like Christ. Because living sacrifices don’t crawl off the altar—they stay there in worship.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.
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