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.
106episodes
Episodes
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763 The Siege Begins: Ezek 4 (The Gospel According to Ezekiel Part 3)
May 600:19:17Tap to summarizeWednesday, May 6th: In Episode 763 of The Daily Grind, we continue The Gospel According to Ezekiel with Part 3, “The Siege Begins,” from Ezekiel 4. God tells Ezekiel to stop just speaking the message and start showing it through dramatic, physical signs. Ezekiel builds a model of Jerusalem under siege, making it clear that judgment is not avoidable. The iron plate symbolizes the growing separation between God and His people caused by persistent rebellion. As Ezekiel lies on his side for 390 days and then 40 more, he carries the weight of generations of sin. God then gives instructions about rationed food and water, pointing to the fear and scarcity that will come during the siege. The shocking command about cooking food over human waste reveals that exile will bring uncleanness and spiritual loss. Ezekiel pushes back, and God shows mercy, reminding us that even in judgment, relationship remains. The message shifts from uncleanness to scarcity as God declares He will remove bread and water from Jerusalem. This chapter shows that sin leads somewhere, and God warns His people before consequences arrive. The question left for us is simple: are we listening?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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762 The Watchman’s Call: Ezek 2-3 (The Gospel According to Ezekiel Part 2)
May 500:19:23Tap to summarizeTuesday, May 5th: In Episode 762 of The Daily Grind, we continue our series The Gospel According to Ezekiel by stepping into Ezekiel chapters 2 and 3, where the prophet moves from seeing God’s glory to receiving God’s calling. After falling face down before the vision of God, Ezekiel is lifted to his feet and reminded of his humanity as he is called “son of man.” God sends him to a stubborn and rebellious people, making it clear that success will not be measured by how they respond, but by whether Ezekiel faithfully speaks. The assignment is not easy—he is called to deliver a message filled with warning, lament, and judgment. In a powerful symbolic act, Ezekiel is told to eat the scroll, showing that God’s word must be internalized before it is proclaimed. Though the message is heavy, it is sweet because it is truth. God strengthens Ezekiel for resistance, giving him the resilience needed to stand firm in the face of rejection. Then comes the defining image: Ezekiel is appointed as a watchman, responsible for warning others of danger. This role carries real weight—failing to speak truth has consequences. The passage challenges us to consider our own willingness to speak truth with courage and faithfulness. Ultimately, this episode reminds us that obedience is not about outcomes, but about faithfully carrying the message God has given 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.
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761 God Speaks in Exile: Ezek 1–3 (The Gospel According to Ezekiel Part 1)
May 400:20:42Tap to summarizeMonday, May 4th: In this opening episode of The Gospel According to Ezekiel, we step into one of the most surprising beginnings in Scripture: God speaking to His people not in Jerusalem, but in exile. Ezekiel was a priest who expected to serve in the temple, yet instead found himself living in Babylon among displaced people wondering if God had abandoned them. It was there, beside the Kebar River, that the heavens opened and Ezekiel saw a vision of God’s glory. Through powerful imagery—storm clouds, living creatures, wheels, and a throne—God revealed that He is not confined to one place and has not lost control of history. The wheels beneath God’s throne remind us that His presence moves wherever His people are, even into the darkest seasons of loss. The rainbow surrounding the throne echoes God’s covenant mercy, showing that judgment is never His final word. Ezekiel’s response—falling face down—reminds us that encountering God produces awe and humility. This passage teaches us that exile is not the end of God’s work, but often the setting where He reveals Himself most clearly. Many people today feel spiritually or emotionally displaced, wondering where God is in uncertain seasons. Ezekiel 1 reminds us that God still speaks, still reigns, and still comes to His people wherever they are.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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760 Let Jesus Ask You the Question (Questions Jesus Asked, Part 11)
May 100:28:03Tap to summarizeFriday, May 1st: Episode 760 closes the Questions Jesus Asked series by inviting listeners not merely to study Jesus’ questions, but to sit under them personally. Throughout the series, Jesus’ questions exposed motives, awakened faith, restored dignity, challenged fear, confronted hypocrisy, and called people into love and loyalty. This final episode revisits many of the key questions, including “Who do you say that I am?”, “Why are you afraid?”, “Do you want to get well?”, “Do you see this woman?”, “What good is it to gain the whole world and lose your soul?”, “Do you still not understand?”, and “Do you love me?” Rather than treating these as questions for people long ago, the episode shows how they still speak into our lives now. Listeners are encouraged to identify one question of Jesus that seems to be searching them and carry it into prayer. The episode emphasizes that Jesus’ questions are not traps, but doors into truth, healing, repentance, trust, and deeper discipleship. At the heart of the conclusion is the invitation to let Jesus ask the question and answer Him honestly.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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759 Questions of Love and Loyalty (Questions Jesus Asked, Part 10)
Apr 3000:24:11Tap to summarizeThursday, April 30th: Episode 759 continues the Questions Jesus Asked series by focusing on questions of love and loyalty. In John 6, after many disciples walk away because Jesus’ teaching is difficult, He asks the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” This question reveals that true discipleship must move beyond enthusiasm and remain loyal when following Jesus becomes hard. Peter’s answer, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,” becomes a powerful confession of staying even when understanding is incomplete. The episode then moves to John 21, where Jesus restores Peter after his three denials by asking three times, “Do you love me?” Jesus does not ignore Peter’s failure, but He does not discard him either. He restores him through love and renews his calling to feed His sheep. Together, these two scenes show that Jesus asks whether we will stay when the road is hard and whether we will return when we have failed. At the heart of the episode is the reminder that love for Jesus becomes loyalty, obedience, service, and continued following.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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758 Questions of Hypocrisy and Self-Deception (Questions Jesus Asked, Part 9)
Apr 2900:20:17Tap to summarizeWednesday, April 29th: Episode 758 continues the Questions Jesus Asked series by focusing on questions of hypocrisy and self-deception. Jesus’ question, “Why do you see the speck in your brother’s eye but do not notice the log in your own?” exposes how easily people notice the flaws of others while remaining blind to their own hearts. This episode explores how hypocrisy is not always deliberate fakery, but can show up when we become experts in other people’s sins and amateurs in our own repentance. It also looks at Jesus’ question, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” as a challenge to the gap between confession and obedience. The episode emphasizes that Jesus does not ask these questions to shame us, but to rescue us from self-deception. His questions call us to humility, honest self-examination, repentance, and real discipleship. At the heart of the episode is the invitation to let Jesus turn the mirror before we try to correct someone else.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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757 Questions of Understanding (Questions Jesus Asked, Part 8)
Apr 2800:25:25Tap to summarizeTuesday, April 28th: Episode 757 continues the Questions Jesus Asked series by focusing on questions of understanding, especially Jesus’ question in Mark 8: “Do you still not understand?” After feeding thousands, the disciples worry because they have forgotten to bring enough bread. Jesus uses that moment to expose their deeper problem: they have seen His provision but have not understood what it reveals about Him. This episode explores the difference between hearing and truly understanding, and how disciples can experience God’s faithfulness while still living as though scarcity has the final word. Jesus’ questions press the disciples to remember, perceive, and connect the dots. The episode also highlights the two-stage healing of the blind man in Mark 8 as a picture of the disciples’ blurry spiritual vision. Like them, we may see something of Jesus while still needing clearer sight. At the heart of the episode is the reminder that Jesus does not shame slow disciples. He questions them in order to awaken understanding, heal blurry vision, and train them to see reality in light of who He is.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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756 Questions of Life and Worry (Questions Jesus Asked, Part 7)
Apr 2700:24:10Tap to summarizeMonday, April 27: Episode 756 continues the Questions Jesus Asked series by focusing on Jesus’ questions about life, worry, and ultimate value. Questions like “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” and “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” expose how easily people chase smaller things while neglecting what matters most. This episode explores how Jesus questions our definition of success, the usefulness of worry, and our view of the Father’s care. Rather than dismissing real needs, Jesus reorders them under the kingdom of God. He reminds us that life is more than food, the body is more than clothing, and we are more valuable to the Father than we often believe. Worry is shown not as responsibility, but as a false master that cannot save, control, or add life. At the heart of the episode is Jesus’ invitation to seek first the kingdom and live as children of the Father rather than orphans of anxiety. These questions call listeners to examine what they are gaining, what they may be losing, and what they are truly seeking first.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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755 Questions of Compassion (Questions Jesus Asked, Part 6)
Apr 2400:25:35Tap to summarizeFriday, April 24th: Episode 755 continues the Questions Jesus Asked series by focusing on questions of compassion, especially Jesus’ question in Luke 7: “Do you see this woman?” At Simon the Pharisee’s table, Jesus exposes the difference between looking at someone and truly seeing them. Simon sees a sinner and a reputation, but Jesus sees repentance, love, courage, and a person made for mercy. The episode also looks at Jesus’ Sabbath-healing questions, where He challenges religious leaders who see hurting people as problems, traps, or legal issues rather than persons. These questions reveal whether our theology has produced love or merely rules. The episode emphasizes that Jesus’ compassion is not sentimental or shallow. It is truthful, holy, and active, but it never reduces people to labels or failures. Listeners are invited to ask where they have stopped seeing people as persons and begun seeing only categories, problems, or interruptions. At the center of the episode is the call to let Jesus heal our vision so that we see people with mercy and move toward them with love.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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754 Questions of Healing (Questions Jesus Asked, Part 5)
Apr 2300:25:28Tap to summarizeThursday, April 23rd: Episode 754 continues the Questions Jesus Asked series by focusing on Jesus’ healing question in John 5: “Do you want to get well?” What first sounds obvious turns out to be deeply searching. The episode explores how Jesus’ questions of healing are not merely about symptoms, but about desire, dignity, change, and restoration. Looking at the man at Bethesda and also Bartimaeus, it shows how Jesus addresses people as persons rather than problems, drawing them into honest encounter. The episode also reflects on how pain can become familiar and how healing may feel risky because it changes more than circumstances. Jesus’ question reaches beyond physical need into bitterness, fear, shame, and long-term brokenness that can shape identity. At the same time, the episode emphasizes that Jesus’ questions come from compassion, not coldness. Rather than reducing people to their wounds, He calls them toward life. At the heart of the episode is the invitation to answer Jesus honestly and let His healing reach deeper than surface relief.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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