HelloPastorMike

"Hello Pastor Mike" refers to the online ministry platform, podcast, and YouTube channel of Dr. Mike Decker (often called Pastor Mike), a seasoned pastor, chaplain, and communicator based in Southern California. It's his signature invitation to engage in spiritual growth, life conversations, and faith journeys—think of it as a digital "hello" to deeper discipleship.




Who Is He?
Background: Founding pastor of Palm Harvest Church in Costa Mesa, CA (since 1986). He's served as a volunteer police chaplain with the Costa Mesa Police Department since 1995 and as a fire chaplain. Grew up in the Midwest, loves motorcycles, and has 35+ years in ministry.


Focus: Practical Bible teaching on relationships with God, community, and culture. Topics include friendship ingredients (e.g., transparency, teamwork), Christmas forgiveness, and spiritual resets from books like Exodus, Jeremiah, and Luke.

Style: Authentic, relatable—mixes sermons with real-life stories, prayer apps, and backroad adventures. He's all about inviting people to "join the journey."


Key Platforms
Podcast: Hello Pastor Mike! – Weekly episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeart. Covers faith, friendships, and Scripture (e.g., "Today's Friendship Ingredient: Transparency" from Genesis 2).

Free app for notes and prayers at hellopastormike.com.

YouTube: @HelloPastorMike
– Video conversations, sermons, and motorcycle vlogs exploring America while pondering life and God.

App & Resources: Download via hellopastormike.com for sermons, worship videos, and a prayer tool. He's also on the Christian Podcast Network.

Quick Connect
Church: Sundays at Palm Harvest (palmharvest.com) – Welcoming spot for spiritual growth.
Social: YouTube, Instagram (@hellopastormike).


Why Tune In? If you're wrestling with trust, purpose, or just need a faith boost, his "Hello" feels like a personal invite to the table.



Not to be confused with other "Pastor Mikes"—this one's the chaplain on a Harley sharing unfiltered wisdom.

1 month ago | [YT] | 0

HelloPastorMike

Defeating Hardship: Finding Faith at the Threshing Floor
Life can throw us into seasons of hardship that test our resilience, faith, and perspective. When the storms hit, how do we push through? How do we not only survive but thrive in the midst of challenges? The story of Gideon, found in Judges 6, offers profound insights into defeating hardship by shifting our perspective, making intentional choices, and trusting in God’s ability over our own.

The Israelites’ Hard Season
The story begins with the Israelites in a dire situation. For seven years, they endured oppression from the Midianites, who destroyed their crops, stole their livestock, and left them starving (Judges 6:1-6). The Israelites were forced to hide in caves and strongholds, their lives stripped bare by relentless attacks. This hardship wasn’t random—it stemmed from their sin, as they “did evil in the Lord’s sight” (Judges 6:1). Their disobedience led to God removing His hand of protection, allowing their enemies to gain the upper hand.

This scenario mirrors a recurring theme in the Bible: the Israelites’ cycle of sin, suffering, repentance, and restoration. After 430 years of slavery in Egypt, God delivered them, but over time, they grew complacent, slipping back into old sinful habits. It’s a pattern we can all relate to. Like someone recovering from a health scare who starts strong with healthy habits but gradually reverts to old ways, we often choose the path of least resistance, only to face the consequences.

Two Perspectives on Hardship
When hardship strikes, we tend to adopt one of two perspectives:

1. My Perspective: “I’ve done nothing wrong. Why has God abandoned me? Why is He so distant?” This is the human default—blaming God or circumstances while denying our role in the situation.

2. God’s Perspective: “You’ve walked away from Me. Sin has consequences.” God’s viewpoint challenges us to recognize that our choices can lead to the removal of His favor and protection.

The Bible highlights seven deadly sins—pride, envy, anger, gluttony, lust, laziness, and greed—that represent the darker side of human nature. These sins have destroyed empires and relationships, yet we often get angry at God when we face their consequences. God’s response is clear: if we choose unfaithfulness, we shouldn’t expect His blessings to continue unchecked.

Two Choices in Hardship
Faced with hardship, we have two choices:
1. Complain and Sit Out: Like the Israelites who hid for seven years, we can grumble and persist in our ways, prolonging our suffering.
2. Confess and Step In: The Israelites finally cried out to God after seven years (Judges 6:7). By confessing their sins and seeking reconciliation, they opened the door to God’s intervention.

Psalm 32:3-7 beautifully captures the power of confession. King David writes, “When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away… Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt… and you forgave me. All my guilt is gone.” Confession brings freedom, forgiveness, and a renewed sense of God’s protection and victory.

Gideon’s Encounter at the Threshing Floor
Enter Gideon, a young man threshing wheat in secret to avoid the Midianites (Judges 6:11). He’s introduced at the threshing floor, a place rich with biblical significance. In ancient times, the threshing floor was more than a place to process grain—it was a communal gathering spot, a site for legal transactions, and a sacred space for divine encounters. It symbolized judgment and purification, where God separates the wheat from the chaff, the righteous from the wicked.

When the angel of the Lord appears to Gideon, calling him a “mighty hero” (Judges 6:12), Gideon’s response reveals his perspective: “If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” (Judges 6:13). He’s focused on his own limitations, feeling abandoned and inadequate. When God calls him to rescue Israel, Gideon protests, “My clan is the weakest… and I am the least in my entire family” (Judges 6:15). His worldview is rooted in his own ability—or lack thereof.

God’s response is transformative: “I will be with you” (Judges 6:16). This promise shifts the focus from Gideon’s weakness to God’s strength and ability. God assures Gideon that with His presence, the Midianites will be defeated as easily as one man (Judges 6:16). This promise invites Gideon—and us—to adopt a new worldview.

Two Worldviews in Facing Hardship
When confronted with challenges, we face a choice between two worldviews:
1. Focusing on My Ability: Like Gideon, we often dwell on our inadequacies, saying, “I’m not equipped for this. I’m too weak, too small, too unprepared.” This perspective keeps us stuck in fear and doubt.
2. Focusing on God’s Ability: God’s promise, “I will be with you,” invites us to trust in His strength and resources. Faith is both a head and heart decision to rely on what God can do, not what we can’t.

Gideon, still wrestling with doubt, tests God’s promise by placing a wool fleece on the threshing floor, asking for specific signs (Judges 6:36-40). Remarkably, God responds with patience, fulfilling both requests—first making the fleece wet while the ground stays dry, then reversing it. This divine encounter at the threshing floor confirms God’s call and strengthens Gideon’s faith. Empowered by God, Gideon leads a small band of Israelites to defeat the Midianites, proving that God’s ability far surpasses human limitations.

Applying the Lesson Today
Hardships are inevitable. They shape our character and draw us closer to God—if we let them. When you find yourself in a tough season, ask yourself: Am I in this place because of my choices? Have I wandered from God? Reflect on whether sins like pride, envy, or greed have taken root. If so, don’t wait seven years like the Israelites. Repent and call out to God today.

The threshing floor is a powerful metaphor for where we stand today—whether in a worship service, prayer, or personal reflection. It’s a place to meet God, confess our shortcomings, and open ourselves to His transformative power. Psalm 32:7 reminds us, “You, God, are my hiding place. You protect me from troubles. You surround me with songs of victory.

A Prayer for Hard Seasons
As you navigate your own hardships, consider this prayer:
God, if I’m in this hard season because of my sin, forgive me. Help me identify and turn from pride, envy, anger, gluttony, lust, laziness, or greed. Shift my perspective to focus on Your ability, not mine. Empower me to do better and use me to step into the lives of others, bringing them into Your forgiving touch. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

This week, may you feel God’s nudge to step into someone’s situation with His strength. May you say “yes” to His call, trusting that He’s got you. As you stand at your own threshing floor, open your heart to God’s presence and let Him lead you to victory over hardship.

Blessing
May you walk in God’s strength, knowing He is with you. May you have the courage to confess, the faith to step in, and the wisdom to see His hand at work. Amen.

5 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 0

HelloPastorMike

24 Year Basketball Wrap-Up

Today I officially ended my basketball playing career. Since my earliest days, the game of basketball has been a tool I have used to make new friends and flourish in new environments. My first competitive league started in the town of Ellsworth, Kansas as a 7th grader. My family and I lived in a town of 100 people that only offered school through Grade 6. So, my parents opted to send me to a town 13 miles away, a 20-minute commute, to provide me with a new educational opportunity. It was there that I laced up my first pair of Jack Purcell's (RED low-topped canvas) and fell in love with the game that would open doors for me to travel all across North America. I wasn't a great basketball player or a pure shooter, but I had grit. Don't ever underestimate the value of heart. It will take you places.

For the past 24 years, I have laced up my shoes, nearly every Friday morning, to play hoops at a local school here in Costa Mesa. For most of my career my shoe of choice was Converse. My favorite: the Weapon made famous by Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. More recently, I changed brands and started wearing Nike. Both shoe companies have treated my feet well. Entrusted with a gym key, by our local school administrators, I have done my best to steward well both the opportunity and responsibility. I even mixed in a short stint of coaching. It has been a fun run.

This past month, I sensed that my playing days were drawing to a close. So, with camera in hand, I chronicled a typical morning. Below is the email I sent to the men who have shared their time with me these past two decades. With it, I attached this video. https://youtu.be/EHq04NX7i3s?si=XUTzG...

In case you are wondering, my last time on the Court was a good one. My shots were going down; my legs felt good with some pop in my jumper, and the competition was solid. To top things off, my team won our last game. I feel like I'm leaving the game on good terms. My body tells me it is time. I won't pretend that this transition will be easy. A few tears have already been shed; but they are happy ones.

My email to the guys is below:

Basketball Brothers,

After 24 years of Friday hoops the time has finally arrived for me to “hang up the jersey” and “turn in my gym key.” I want to thank ALL of you who have shared your “6 AM Friday’s” with me over the years. I will forever cherish our time together at Mesa High, Estancia High, and TeWinkle Middle School. We have Dr. Kirk Bauermeister to thank for many of our games (thank you KB) as well as the Newport Mesa School District Principals who have generously authorized our gym usage.

Looking ahead, for those of you who have added newborns to your quiver, I look forward to the day when I can join you on the sidelines and cheer them on as they race up and down the BB court. Please keep me updated. Time goes fast. Every day is a gift. Treasure every moment.

May God’s peace rest upon you ALL; today and in your days upcoming.

With much love, gratitude, and highest regard,

Mike

Rev. Dr. Mike Decker
#hellopastormike

2 years ago | [YT] | 2

HelloPastorMike

When you look at people, what captures your attention? Their tattoos? Hair color? The car they drive?

For me, I confess that I am a “shoe guy.” When I “people watch,” the first thing I usually notice is a person’s footwear.

Years ago, while observing the action of the Daily Pilot Cup, a local soccer tournament for grade schoolers, I noticed a parent standing on the sidelines watching his daughter compete. I was so enthralled with the shoes that he was wearing, that it wasn’t until I was next to him, that I realized the man wearing the “cool looking shoes” was Kobe Bryant (NBA basketball star). We exchanged smiles.

Did you know that Jesus is a people-watcher too? But unlike me, who focuses on a person’s outside, Jesus looks within. Jesus, the Bible tells us, looks at a person’s heart.

Question: What do you think Jesus sees, when He looks at you? Before you answer that, can I offer you some Good News?

Whatever the condition of your heart, Jesus sees your potential. Yes, you and I undoubtedly have sin that lingers inside us; but Jesus has the capacity to look past all of our shortfalls. He sees us at the core of who God designed us to be: His child.

Today, I invite you to soak in the truth that Jesus loves you and invites you to join Him on mission.

Luke 6:27 As Jesus left the town, He saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collection booth. “Come, be My disciple!” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up, left everything, and followed Him.

2 years ago | [YT] | 1

HelloPastorMike

Have you ever watched children inspect a Christmas tree that is colorfully decorated with gifts, ornaments, and lights? One can almost feel their excitement and inquisitiveness.

Curiosity is a powerful emotion.

“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?” the Magi asked. “We saw His star as it rose, and we have come to worship Him.” (Matthew 2:2)

In the Christmas story, I find it so interesting that among the first to pursue baby Jesus, was an entourage of foreign sojourners from a distant land. Wise men from the East. Their spiritual curiosity fueled their every step. And because of their willingness to seek and explore, the Magi experienced the best gift of all…JOY!

“The star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with JOY! They entered the house and saw the child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worship Him.” (Matthew 2:9-11)

Are YOU in a place today where you could use an infusion of joy? If so, will you dare to follow the example of the Magi, and seek out the Christ child this Christmas season?

I propose that God’s gift of joy is one we can all receive and experience. All it requires is just a little bit of curiosity.

2 years ago | [YT] | 1