The Summit Church

If there's one myth surrounding marriage that has been perpetuated by our society, it's that marriage is what completes you. Of course, Jesus refuted this idea over and over in his teachings. In this week's message from Mark and Luke, Pastor J.D. shows us the importance and implications of considering the church as family. When we take this seriously, we will realize that faithfully investing in this family will yield a harvest far beyond what we could ever imagine.

In this message from Exodus 35, Pastor J.D. invites us to rediscover God’s purposes for our church. Like the Old Testament people of God, we are living in a moment of new beginnings; and we believe God wants to write a new chapter through the Summit. God has done great things for us, liberating us from the slavery of sin. Now he invites us to become a part of his rescue plan for our neighbors and the nations.

The Bible is full of stories of God using ordinary people to do amazing things by putting his vision into them, and the book of Nehemiah is no exception. In this week's message from Nehemiah 1, Pastor J.D. gives us helpful principles for discerning God's call on our own lives. The truth is, Nehemiah wasn't someone of particular privilege or position; he had simply heard from God and was burdened to act. And when he did, God used him to change history. How might he choose to use you?

Ambition tends to get a bad rap, particularly in Christian circles. Sometimes, that's for good reason. But sometimes, it's simply because we're missing the point: Scripture doesn't call us to kill ambition but to aim it properly. In this week's message from Romans 15, Pastor Curtis shows us how the gospel shapes ambition and ultimately redeems it. When we are secure in our identity in Christ, we won't be striving for self-worth; we'll be striving from the worth given to us in him.

You might expect Paul's final instructions to the Corinthian church to be full of eloquent, stirring rhetoric, designed to hype them up as they faced survival in a world hostile to Christ. But what we find in reading his final charge to this congregation is strikingly different. In this week's message from 2 Corinthians 12 and 13, Pastor J.D. shows us how Paul's focus was on calling the church back to the fundamentals, lived out in the context of community. His words remain essential to us today, as we navigate a world no less hostile to Christ and his message.

In Disney’s “Wreck-It Ralph,” a video game character named Vanellope has a frustrating glitch, making her flicker and disappear. It’s a source of shame for the entire movie … until she learns that this “glitch” actually provides her with a power she could never have imagined. Her glitch was actually a feature. In this week’s message from 2 Corinthians 11–12, Pastor J.D. shows us a similar “glitch” in the life of Paul—and, in fact, in the lives of all believers. It’s that point of pain and struggle we all wish we could remove. But as we’ll learn, this “glitch” of weakness is actually the gateway to experience God’s grace: God’s power made perfect.

There are many spiritual battles that we will face in our lives, whether related to our own growth, parenting our children, or seeing someone come to Christ. The problem is that we often try to fight these battles out of our own strength, rather than relying on the power that God supplies. In this week's message from 2 Corinthians 10, Pastor J.D. shows us the importance of being properly equipped for any spiritual battle—and it begins with things like prayer, saturating ourselves in the Word, and depending on the Holy Spirit.

It can be tricky to distinguish a real diamond from a fake one, and it requires intentional examination to do so. In much the same way, we don't always know if someone's faith is real just by looking at them from the outside. In this week's message from 2 Corinthians 6–7, Pastor J.D. provides us with some diagnostic questions to ask ourselves in order to determine if our own faith is authentic. If we want to be true disciples of Jesus, we must do the hard work of honestly reflecting on things such as our repentance and our relationships, uncomfortable though it may be.

In this week's message from 2 Corinthians 3, Pastor Curtis helps us take a closer look at what it means that we are being transformed “from one degree of glory to another.” As we begin a new year, we should be encouraged to press in and seek God, knowing that as we do, he is slowly but surely transforming us.

One of the most intriguing elements of the Christmas story is that of the wise men, who see a mysterious star and set out on a journey that ultimately leads them to worship Jesus. In this week’s message from Matthew 2, Pastor J.D. gives us a snapshot of various responses to the birth of Jesus, all of which are still seen in different degrees today. Just as God used a sign to lead the wise men to the Savior, he continues to meet us where we are and draw us to himself. The only question is if we will respond to Jesus’ birth as the wise men did, with joy upon joy upon joy.

What drives your life? Whether money, or our children, or the approval of others, we all have something that drives us, even controls us. In this week's message from 2 Corinthians 5, Pastor Bryan helps us see how allowing the love of Christ to control us changes everything. Living out the identity that Jesus gives us as believers means a new outlook on everything—ourselves, others, and even life and death itself. 

The gospel is so beautiful and valuable, yet God chooses to place this great treasure in “jars of clay.” It's almost incomprehensible, really, but it's how God works. All throughout the Bible, we see examples of how he uses weak, broken vessels for his glory. In this week's message from 2 Corinthians 4, Pastor J.D. shows us how even when we experience suffering, God often uses it for his good purposes, working in us and through us in powerful ways.

When we think about reading Luke 2, our thoughts naturally turn to the story of Jesus’ birth. But what follows is the account of a man named Simeon, a man who marveled at the sight of Jesus because he knew that at last, salvation had come. In this week’s message, Pastor John takes us through Simeon’s story, showing us what we all should marvel at: the wonder of Jesus.

We've all heard the voice of that inner critic, telling us that we're not enough, that we need to constantly prove ourselves. It's exhausting to try to live up to the pressure we place on ourselves, to try to carry a weight that the gospel has already lifted. In this week's message from 2 Corinthians 2 and 3, Pastor Curtis explains how to let go of these weights and submit to the transformation that only the Holy Spirit can bring. Ultimately, transformation doesn't come from trying harder, but from spending time beholding the glory of the Lord.

When we evaluate why many people aren't generous, it's probably not because they're selfish. More likely, they're battling either fear or pride (or maybe both). In this week's message from 2 Corinthians 9, Pastor J.D. shows us how these things can prevent us from being generous, as well as the remedy. By trusting and obeying God as it relates to our finances, we will experience the joy that results from seeing him use these resources to build his kingdom. And we will proclaim, as Paul did, “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!”

Let’s face it: It’s hard to talk about money. But what if we reoriented our perspective on it? In fact, what if we reoriented our entire lives in response to the grace that God has shown us? In this week’s message from 2 Corinthians 8, Pastor J.D. explains the Apostle Paul’s reasons for wanting the Corinthian church to be generous, as well as some obstacles that often sabotage good intentions. We have such a kind, generous God, and in the end, the only right response is for our own generosity to overflow to those around us.

What comes to mind when you think of caring for people? Maybe it’s bringing a meal, writing a note of encouragement, or providing a place to stay for someone in need. But in this week’s message from 2 Corinthians 1 and 2, Pastor Bryan explains how for the Christian, true care doesn’t stop with these things. Rather, it looks like recognizing the greatest need that people have and pointing them to Jesus. This, of course, takes work. It’s often inconvenient. But it’s always worth it.

It’s a universal experience: going through suffering but struggling to understand the “why” behind it. In the Apostle Paul’s case, much of the reason behind his suffering was found in his subsequent ability to comfort others in similar situations. In this week’s message from 2 Corinthians 1, Pastor J.D. helps us see what Paul learned about God’s faithfulness through his pain. As we learn more about the character of God through our own suffering, we too will gain a testimony that speaks volumes to the unbelieving world.

A popular criticism often leveled against Christians is that they are hypocrites, meaning that they say one thing but do another. But Jesus addresses a different kind of hypocrisy in the Sermon on the Mount, that of doing spiritual things to be seen as more godly than you actually are. In this week’s message from Matthew 6, Pastor Curtis shows us not only the cost of hypocrisy but the cure for it. The key isn’t found in doing more and more religious things, but in having a genuine relationship with the Father who sees and loves us.