In this message from The Life of David, Pastor J.D. shows us how all of us—religious or irreligious, Christian or not—seem hard-wired to chase after someone (or something) to make us feel okay. Like the people of Israel, we desire a king. We desire identity, security, happiness, freedom. And what 1 Samuel 8 teaches us is as simple as it is profound: Every king promises freedom; but every king but God only delivers slavery.
Abusive Leaders and Faithful Shepherds
In this message from the Sermon on the Mount, Pastor John encourages us to look at the structure of our lives. Whether you’re religious, irreligious, or something in between, you are building your life upon something solid. At least, you hope it’s solid. And as we see in one of Jesus’ shortest parables, all of us will one day have those seemingly solid foundations tested. The question is not whether the test will come. The question is, What will that test reveal?
In this message from the book of 1 Samuel, Pastor J.D. kicks off our series following the biography of David, Israel’s greatest king. A king who began his life as an obscure shepherd boy, but became a warrior who brought rival nations to their knees. A king described as “a man after God’s own heart.” But also a king whose personal sins devastated not only his own family, but the nation. In triumph and in tragedy, this king points forward to a greater king to come. And this week, we see hints of that king long before David arrives—in the story of an overlooked woman named Hannah -- New to the Summit? Want to get more involved? Looking for a Virtual Group or a Ministry Team? Visit: http://summitchurch.com/guest -- Stay Connected: Website: www.summitchurch.com New here?: https://summitchurch.com/connect Give: https://summitchurch.com/give Summit Online: Home Gathering Host Guide: https://summitchurch.com/online
In this final message from the book of Philemon, Pastor Bryan shows us the third essential ingredient in reconciliation—truth. We might be more familiar with the first two ingredients (repentance and grace), but if we don’t stare the tough truth in the face, we’ll never overcome the hurts that divide us. Thankfully, in Christ, we can walk freely in that truth, not winning arguments or proving points, but redeeming relationships.
In this message on the book of Philemon, Pastor Curtis asks, “If I’ve been wronged by someone, what is my role in making it right?” Forgiveness sounds great in principle, but in practice it can be a tough pill to swallow. Fortunately for us, God hasn’t simply told us THAT we should forgive; he’s also shown us HOW to forgive. In the tiny book of Philemon, we see the ultimate test of Christian forgiveness—and a path toward radical reconciliation.
In this final message from our “Goodness in the Middle” series, Pastor J.D. looks at the sufferings of the Apostle Paul, what he called his “thorn in the flesh.” Paul never asked for his thorn—in fact, he repeatedly asked God to take it away. And yet, through this painful situation, Paul learned to lean upon God’s goodness. Because if dependence is our objective, weakness turns out to be an advantage.