The Summit Church

To one degree or another, we all long for transformation, whether on a physical level or a spiritual one. In this week's message from Exodus 34, Pastor Bryan walks us through a transformation that happened to Moses, one that was brought about by time spent in the presence of God. The reality is that true gospel transformation isn't something we can manufacture. Though we can ready the environment...

In many cultures around the world, names are a big deal. More than just what someone is called, names often imply identity and even purpose. In this week's message from Exodus 34, Pastor Bryan explores a passage that is quoted numerous times by the Bible itself, a passage that reveals not just the name, but the very character of God. When we think rightly about who God is, we can approach his thro...

We tend to read the story of the Israelites making the golden calf and ask, “How could they?” But we fail to realize that what the Israelites were guilty of, idolatry, is the very thing that is behind all of our other sins. In this week’s message from Exodus 32, Pastor J.D. shows us not only the danger of idolatry in our lives, but how we can escape it. Ultimately, what is bad news for those who r...

At Easter, we consider the cross and the resurrection, of course—but this consideration ultimately demands a response from us. It demands that a choice be made. In this Easter message, Pastor J.D. explains how Luke 23 is the dividing line of history, and the most important decision we will ever make is whether we are on the side of Jesus or not. For those who choose to put their faith in Jesus, we...

Rather than a necessity, the idea of rest can often seem like an unattainable luxury. After all, who has time for rest in a society that prizes constantly being on your hustle? But even as he was giving the instructions for building the tabernacle, rest was the very thing that God commanded for his people. In this week's message from Exodus 31, Pastor Curtis explains how God intended the Sabbath t...

We love the idea of freedom, but what does it really mean? Clearly, the freedom offered by the world is drastically different from that offered by Christ. In this week's message from Galatians 5, Pastor Wes Smith shows us how in Christ, we are set free both from and to certain things. And through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to do what we were designed to do—live in obedience by lovin...

In a secular, post-Christian society like the one we find ourselves living in, the Ten Commandments aren't exactly popular. Cries to "live your own truth" threaten to drown out the absolute truth of God's law. But how can we expect to love each other well without parameters for what that actually looks like in practice? In this week's message from Exodus 19–20, Pastor J.D. shows us how the Ten Com...

We all have an important role to play in the body of believers. This truth, though seemingly ingrained in us now, was something that God had to intentionally teach the Israelites. In this week's message from Exodus 17–18, Pastor J.D. takes us through three foundational lessons that God taught the Israelites about life in the redeemed community. In showing them that everything wasn't meant to be ce...

You aren't likely to find many people who genuinely enjoy tests, but they certainly have a way of revealing where we are lacking in knowledge. In this week’s message from Exodus 15–17, Pastor J.D. explains three tests that God walked the Israelites through after delivering them through the Red Sea. These tests, along with the lessons learned from them, were so fundamental that New Testament writer...

The parting of the Red Sea was not only an epic moment in Israel's history, but an event that would become the most frequent image of salvation in the Old Testament. In this week's message from Exodus 13–15, Pastor J.D. shows us how this defining moment became a marker for the Israelites to look back on when their faith faltered. In the same way, when we are tempted to doubt God's goodness in our...

We know that there are people in need all around us. We know that, as followers of Jesus, we are called to do something about it. But often, the difficulty lies in knowing how best to help. In this week’s message from Luke 10, Pastor J.D. unpacks the parable of the Good Samaritan, a story which beautifully illustrates how showing compassion toward those who are most vulnerable reflects the very he...

The power of the gospel to change people cannot be underestimated, and we see examples of this riddled throughout the book of Acts. In this week's message from Acts 8, Pastor John highlights the example of Philip, whose changed life had a profound impact on those around him. Likewise, when we have been truly changed by the gospel, we cannot help but share the good news and meet the needs of those...

For many people in the world, believing in God may not necessarily be a far reach. But believing in Jesus? Furthermore, believing that it was necessary for Jesus to die in order for us to receive forgiveness of sins? That, they would say, is a step too far. In this week's message from Exodus 11–13, Pastor J.D. takes us through the story of the Passover, showing us the mercy of God for the Israelit...

Throughout Scripture, God uses various means to show that he is far more transcendent and powerful than any false gods that people choose to worship. In this week's message from Exodus 7–10, Pastor Bryan explains how in sending plagues on the Egyptians, God demonstrates not only his power and might, but also immense grace and kindness in confronting idols. It is through these plagues that God come...

Our obedience to God doesn't necessarily guarantee that things in our life won't go wrong, or that we won't fail. And yet, that's a hard pill to swallow—if we're obeying God, surely everything will fall into place, right? In this week's message from Exodus 4–6, Pastor J.D. shows us how Moses faced this very struggle in his first confrontation with Pharaoh. Ultimately, God allowed Moses to fail not...

When we are overwhelmed by a particular challenge or even just by life itself, feelings of insecurity can threaten to take over. In this week's message from Exodus 3 and 4, Pastor J.D. walks us through Moses' encounter with God at the burning bush. Though Moses felt completely unprepared for the assignment in front of him, God provided reassurance that was rooted in his unchanging nature. This rea...

Waiting can be an incredibly frustrating experience, perhaps because it exposes something that we all feel at various times: a longing for control. In this week's message from Exodus 2, Pastor Curtis helps us to see how Moses' time in Midian, a period of waiting, was ultimately used by God as a crucial time of preparation. When we try to take matters into our own hands, we often learn how elusive...

Rescue. Salvation. Deliverance. These words characterize the story of the book of Exodus, as God frees his people from slavery in Egypt in an amazing display of power and might. As we begin a new series through the first half of Exodus, Pastor J.D. shows us from the first two chapters what we can learn about God's work of salvation on a broad scale, as well as in our individual lives. And often, t...

The older we get, the greater the realization of just how fleeting our lives truly are, a realization that is often heightened with the dawn of a new year. As we begin 2025, this week's message from Pastor Curtis focuses on Psalm 90, the only psalm we know that was written by Moses. What Moses petitioned the Lord for is something that we would be wise to pursue as well: a godly perspective on how...

In this short message from Deuteronomy 8, Pastor Rich highlights how the Israelites were cautioned not to forget God as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. In the same way, we should take care to remember and give thanks to God for each of his gifts, the greatest of which is Jesus. As we remember that “every good and perfect gift is from above,” it inevitably produces in us a greater sense o...

Ask just about anyone how they define “blessed,” and it will likely be far different than how Elizabeth, the angel Gabriel, and even Mary herself defined it. In this week's message from Luke 1, Pastor J.D. takes us through the Magnificat, Mary's song of praise and thanksgiving to God. The truths that we learn from this song—largely based in the Psalms—point to a God whose presence and promises anc...

While everyone experiences grief differently, the fact is that grief itself is universal. Living in a world broken by sin, none of us will escape it—and yet, we can still grieve as those who have hope because of what Jesus has done for us. In this week's message from Psalm 137, Pastor Bryan helps us view grief through a gospel lens. By remembering God's goodness and sharing our grief with him, we...

It’s one thing to say you have faith, but what about when that faith is put to the test? Trials and unanswered questions naturally have a way of revealing whether our faith is in God or in something else entirely. In this week’s message from Psalm 121, Pastor J.D. challenges us to examine our own lives in light of three questions of faith posed by this psalm. Ultimately, our help and our hope come...

Many people have a tendency to confuse needs with wants, and this becomes even more pronounced with the arrival of the Christmas shopping season. For the Israelites living in exile, meeting their deepest need wasn’t a matter of satisfying their hunger or providing a luxurious place for them to live. What they really needed is the same thing we still need today: a Savior. In this week’s message fro...

Associate North Durham Campus Pastor of Small Groups and Sending, Stephen Snyder, shares a message of hope from Isaiah 9.