The Summit Church

<p>The Summit Church welcomes Pastor Joby Martin, lead pastor of The Church of Eleven22 in Jacksonville, Florida. Since launching the church in 2012, he has led a movement for all people to discover and deepen a relationship with Jesus Christ. Pastor Joby shares a message from Psalm 23.</p>

<p>In this message from 1 Samuel, Pastor J.D. walks through the tragic last chapter of Israel’s first king. King Saul held such promise in the beginning. But the longer he reigned, the more it became clear that he wanted God’s blessing much more than he wanted God. And Saul isn’t alone: In the church today, many people seem destined to miss heaven by 18 inches—the distance between your head and your heart.</p>

<p>In this message from 1 John, Pastor Bryan contrasts authentic Christianity with an incredibly common (and incredibly dangerous) alternative—Bible belt Christianity. Bible belt Christianity has just enough Jesus to make you feel acceptable, but not enough to make you uncomfortable. Like auditing a class, Bible belt Christianity says, “Give me the information without the responsibilities.” <br><br>The trouble is, it just doesn’t work. If our relationship with God never confronts our idols, never rubs up against old patterns of behavior, never changes us, then it’s not a real relationship at all.</p>

<p>Pastor Curtis Andrusko shares a message from 1 John 1. Recorded at our Brier Creek Campus.</p>

<p>Capital Hills Campus Pastor John Muller shares a message from 1 John.</p>

<p>One day, the story of your life will be told to the next generation. How do you want today’s chapter to be told? As a season of faithfulness, trust, and integrity? Or as the moment when you decided to walk away from everything—and everyone—you once served?<br><br>In this message from 1 Samuel 25, Pastor J.D. shows us King David at a critical juncture, fresh off his faithful response to the murderous King Saul. But when a smaller obstacle meets David, he stumbles and nearly falls. The only thing that prevents David from veering into a pattern of sin and foolishness is an obscure figure—one of the wisest (and least known) people in the entire Bible.</p>

<p>Pastor Bryan Loritts shares a message from 1 Samuel 25.</p>

<p>What do you do when the path you’re on takes an expected turn for the worst? In this message from 1 Samuel 24, Pastor J.D. follows King David into an unexpected place—the wilderness. At this point in his life, David had been chosen to be king. And yet circumstances sent him running for his life. David’s temptation in this season echoes our own: When our plans seem to be going south, we can take matters into our own hands. Or we can follow David, doing the hardest thing in the Bible—trust God and actively wait on his timing.</p>

<p>Pastor Bryan continues our Life of David series by preaching on how to trust God and embrace the process. This was recorded at our Blue Ridge Campus.</p>

<p>In this message on Psalm 1, Pastor Curtis asks a question as old as time itself: “How can I be happy?” Most of us, if we were honest, would admit that we’re not living our “happiest” lives—but maybe, someday, hopefully … we might? In this ancient psalm, we’ll learn practical wisdom about the source of lasting happiness. It’s not a matter of circumstance, or relational status, or wealth. It’s simultaneously simpler and more complicated than that: happiness is only the fruit; what matters is where we plant our roots.</p>

<p>Pastor Dustin Wells shares a message on John 15 from our Blue Ridge Campus.</p>

<p>North Durham Campus Pastor Gus Pacheco shares a message from John 15:4-5.</p>

<p>In this message from 1 Samuel, Pastor J.D. looks at one of the greatest friendship stories of all time—between the presumptive heir, Prince Jonathan, and the anointed king, David. This unlikely friendship challenges us to choose our own response to the one true King, Jesus. Will we, like Saul, resist him? Or will we, like Jonathan, yield the throne of our life to him?</p>

<p>In this message from 1 Samuel, Pastor J.D. walks through the most famous story in the Old Testament—David and Goliath. Everyone knows this story, but few truly understand what it’s about. Goliath’s downfall isn’t an encouragement to underdogs or a guarantee that you’ll overcome every “giant” in your life. Goliath’s story shows us what true courage is, where courage comes from, and what God is up to when the Accuser’s voice is all we hear.</p>

<p>There’s a fine line between “thy kingdom come” and “my kingdom come.” Saul was a king who at first displayed humility, yet, as time passed his main concern became making a name for himself. In this message, Pastor J.D. continues our Life of David series, showing us how we, just like Saul and the people of Israel, often search for the wrong things.</p>

<p>In this message Psalm 145, Pastor Curtis dives into the part of our worship service we most often take for granted—the singing. Have you ever wondered why we spend a third of our church time singing songs? Is it just a fun tradition … or is something more profound happening? Through this psalm of David—possibly the last words he ever wrote—we will learn not simply why we sing, but what God does in us and through us because of the gift of song.</p>

<p>In this message Psalm 13, Pastor Bryan walks us through one of the most candid laments in the entire Bible. In Psalm 13, King David is squarely in the midst of crisis. He has far more questions than he does answers. He needs God to show up in a big way. <br><br>Like many of us.<br><br>The question is not, “Will we encounter a crisis?” The question is, “How do we get through it?” David charts us the way forward, encouraging us to bring our raw feelings to God, to remember the truth about God, and to defiantly sing of God’s unchanging love.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>Abusive Leaders and Faithful Shepherds</p>

<p>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?</p>

<p>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<br><br>--<br>New to the Summit?<br>Want to get more involved?<br>Looking for a Virtual Group or a Ministry Team?<br>Visit: <a href="http://summitchurch.com/guest" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://summitchurch.com/guest</a><br>--<br>Stay Connected: <br>Website: <a href="http://www.summitchurch.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">www.summitchurch.com</a><br>New here?: <a href="https://summitchurch.com/connect" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://summitchurch.com/connect</a><br>Give: <a href="https://summitchurch.com/give" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://summitchurch.com/give</a><br>Summit Online: Home Gathering Host Guide: <a href="https://summitchurch.com/online" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://summitchurch.com/online</a></p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>In this Mother’s Day message, Pastor Bryan walks us through the story of one of the Bible’s lesser known characters—Hagar. “Hagar” may not be a household name, but her experience is common enough: Isolated, mistreated, abandoned, Hagar may have wondered what in the world God was up to. But in the end, she would not only learn about God’s goodness. She would experience God’s goodness by seeing him—and more importantly, him seeing her—face-to-face.</p>

<p>This Easter, Pastor J.D. uses the Gospel of Luke to walk us down the path to Jesus’ tomb. Throughout our lives, we’ve all walked that lonely path in one form or another, wondering where life is headed. The bad news? It’s headed to the grave. The good news? It doesn’t have to stay there. Because of the resurrection, the path to true life doesn’t end at the grave. It begins there.</p>

<p>There are moments in life when we feel like kids on a long road trip. Whether the destination is great or not, one question dominates our minds: “Are we there yet?” What should we do when our faith feels stuck in the marathon of the middle? When we’re not where we used to be … but we’re not where we’re supposed to be, either? In this miraculous story from the Gospel of Mark, Pastor Curtis gives us four reminders to sustain us during the meandering “meantimes” of life.</p>

<p>Brier Creek Campus Pastor Warren Neverson preaches on Exodus 14.</p>

<p>Capital Hills Campus Pastor John Muller preaches on Hebrews 12:1-2.</p>

<p>The local church gets a lot of bad press these days—and much of it for good reason. It’s enough to make people want to give up the church (and Christianity) altogether. But in this message from 1 Corinthians 1, Pastor Bryan encourages us to double down on God’s broken but beautiful body. God moves through circumstances. God uses various individuals. But when it comes to God’s work in the world, the local church is always “Plan A.”</p>

<p>Pastor Dave Turner walks us through 1 Corinthians 1:1-9.</p>

<p>In this message from 1 Corinthians 15, Pastor J.D. takes a look at how Paul responds to some of the Corinthians who are saying there’s no resurrection of the dead. In his answer, Paul shows them that belief in our bodily resurrection is as core a Christian concept as you can get. It’s not a secondary or peripheral belief; it’s at the core of Christian hope.</p>

<p>In this message from 1 Corinthians, Pastor J.D. walks through what some might call “the rowdy chapter” of Paul’s letter, the one about spiritual gifts of tongues and prophecy. As a church, we should be open to and desirous of these spectacular gifts, being careful to avoid fleshly limitation and pursuing them in the way the Bible instructs us to.</p>

<p>In this message from 1 Corinthians, Pastor J.D. talks about a topic as popular as it is misunderstood—love. Our society seems smitten with notions of love, but at the same time, we don’t seem to live in a fairy-tale land of love and grace. What does real love look like? And once we understand it, how can we, tangibly, become more loving? A dive into 1 Corinthians 13 shows us the most profound, powerful, and counter-cultural description of love ever written.</p>

<p>In this message from 1 Corinthians, Pastor J.D. takes a look at the (surprisingly controversial) topic of spiritual gifts. According to the Apostle Paul, God didn’t establish his church as a collection of individuals, but as an interconnected body. I need you; you need me. Where do we see that interconnectedness most? In our spiritual gifts. None of us—and none of our brothers or sisters—can truly flourish until we know and exercise our gifts. In God’s community, everybody has a special role to play. Every. Body. Including you.</p>

<p>In this message from Galatians, Pastor Bryan shows a connection between one of the most mysterious doctrines of the church and one of the most mundane. The mysterious one? The Holy Spirit. The mundane one? How we love one another. What we’ll see is that if we follow the lead of the Spirit, the same power that resurrected Jesus could begin to flow into every dimension of our lives. It all begins with a walk.</p>

<p>Pastor Curtis teaches us that as part of the body of Christ we all share the responsibility of bearing one another’s burdens.</p>

<p>In this message from 1 Corinthians 11, Pastor J.D. picks up the most fundamental element of Christian worship—the bread and the cup of communion. When we share this meal together, we aren’t merely remembering Jesus’ last meal. We are entering into his presence. Come to this table. There is no place for religious pride here. No place for classism. No place for racial division. But there is a place for you.</p>

<p>In this message from Romans 15, Pastor J.D. challenges us to lift our eyes to the ends of the earth. When Jesus left his disciples, he promised that his gospel would go to every nation, tribe, language, and tongue. That task isn’t finished. And God is calling many of us to follow him to the most unreached parts of the planet. Is it difficult? Yes. Is it dangerous? Yes. Is he worthy of it? Absolutely.</p>

<p>As we celebrate the 20-year mark of The Summit Church, Pastor J.D. takes us on a march throughout history. Our journey doesn’t begin when we re-launched in 2002. It didn’t even begin when we were planted in 1962. It began 2,000 years ago, with 11 frightened disciples on a hillside outside of Jerusalem. In the last 20 years, countless saints from our church have gone to be with Jesus. What would they tell us if heaven were opened up, just for five minutes? What would they want us to do with what we have?</p>

<p>In this message from Mark 9, Pastor Curtis walks us through a story of faith and doubt, desperate prayer and miraculous deliverance. If you’ve ever struggled in your walk with God, you’ll be encouraged to see that spiritual struggle is actually the portal to the power of God. So don’t shy away from your struggle. Lean into it. And watch as Jesus takes your puny, confused, flawed, mustard seed of faith—and does something you’d never expect.</p>

<p>Pastor Chris walks us through Mark 9:14-18.</p>

<p>In this message from our “Cutting Through the Noise” series, Pastor J.D. walks through one of the most confusing and misinterpreted passages in the entire New Testament. Along the way, we’ll learn just how relevant first-century head coverings are for the hot button questions about gender (and gender identity) in the twenty-first. And we’ll see that in Christ’s service, every brother and sister finds unimaginable grace, inestimable value, and eternal purpose.</p>

<p>In this message from our “Cutting Through the Noise” series, Pastor J.D. echoes the warnings of Paul in 1 Corinthians 10, showing us the dangers of (and the deliverance from) idolatry. Much of what we seek in life—success, romance, family—is good. But when we make these good things into essential things, we find ourselves eaten up with anxiety, strife, suffering, and sin. Only one identity is strong enough to be our foundation—servant of God.</p>