Summit Church Sermons

Loving the world and having the Father’s love are incompatible. In 1 John 2:15-16, we see the prohibition, but also helpful information why God would give us this command. In this sermon, Pastor Catlan unpacks the big picture of verses 15-17 then focuses on the prohibition with a personal example of how Christian maturity connects with not loving the world.

Real Christians have the light of God shining through them. But the light doesn’t shine the same through every person. In 1 John 2:12-14 there is a poem of encouragement given to Christians of 3 different maturities. In this sermon, Pastor Catlan explains how this poem ought to build up the family of God as each believer progresses through the stages of maturity.

When Jesus said, “It is finished” on the cross, was He finished doing all His work of salvation? If so, what was accomplished in the resurrection? In this sermon, Pastor Catlan looks first to 1 Corinthians 15:14 to see that the resurrection is essential for our faith. Then he unpacks from the rest of the New Testament five specific victories that Christ gained through His resurrection.

1 John 2:10-11 speaks of real Christians and real people of darkness. What is the main difference? Christians love Jesus by loving Jesus' people, people of darkness hate Jesus by hating Jesus' people. In this sermon, Pastor Catlan unpacks Jesus' words in John 15 and the truth of 1 John 2:10-11.

There are some good tests to find out if you are a real Christian. In 1 John 2:9, John makes it very clear that real Christians do not hate their brothers. What does hate mean? Who is my brother? In this sermon, Pastor Catlan unpacks the text to help those who say they are believers be confident of their salvation.

How can a commandment be both old and new? Jesus gave a new commandment that sounds a lot like the old commandment, but Jesus added a crucial phrase, “just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” In this sermon, Pastor Catlan describes the difference between legalistic love and demonstrated love.

In 1 John 2:7, John defends his preaching about a new commandment that agrees with an old commandment. The old and new commandment have to do with loving other people. God is love and God desires for His people to love others. In this sermon, Pastor Catlan explains the joys of the old commandment and what it means for us today.

What does the Bible say about Christians fasting? Acts 13:1-3 speaks of the early Christian church in Antioch and how they fasted together twice as part of their worship. In this sermon, Pastor Catlan outlines what Scripture communicates about fasting, and why Rejoice Christian Church and Anchorage Bible Fellowship are calling for a community fast.

In Joshua 9 we see God's nation of Israel enter into a foolish agreement because they did not seek the Lord's counsel. As Rejoice Christian Church and Anchorage Bible Fellowship consider how to move ahead in their relationship, this passage identifies what not to do. In this sermon, Pastor Spencer from ABF unpacks Joshua 9 to give us wisdom for why and how to seek the Lord's counsel.

Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Is that statement primarily about Jesus or the lost? Does it matter if salvation is centered on God or man? In this sermon, Pastor Catlan looks to Ephesians 1:3-14 to seek the God-centeredness of salvation and why it matters.

1 John 2:3-6 gives two statements that help Christians know their relationship with God. The first was to know that we know God. The second, found in verses 5-6 speaks to knowing that we are "in Him". What does it mean to be in God? How does someone know they are in God? In this sermon, Pastor Catlan unpacks 1 John 2:5-6 to explain how we are in God.

In 2 Chronicles 34-35, the Bible speaks of a 16 year-old King Josiah that seeks to honor God. In this sermon, Pastor Spencer from Anchorage Bible Fellowship unpacks the significance of King Josiah's heart and the importance of the Word of God in the lives of God's people.

If God is infinite how can anyone know Him? 1 John 2:3-5 doesn’t just speak about knowing God, it encourages us to know that we know Him. In this sermon, Pastor Catlan delves into the impossibility of knowing God, but the way that Christ has made it possible for His people.

What is propitiation and what does John mean by “the whole world”? In this sermon, Pastor Catlan unpacks these two questions to help us worship God with precision.  

What do Christians even mean when they say missions? Depending on a person’s background, Christians can be very different from one another when talking about missions. In this sermon, Pastor Catlan looks to the parable of the hidden treasure to unpack the heart behind missions. The final 10 minutes of this message outline the 3 distinctive components of Proclaim Missions at Rejoice Christian Churc...

Do Christians sin? What if someone claims they don't sin? 1 John 1:10 through 2:1 is the 3rd and final statement in the list of false claims, rebukes, and corrections that started in 1 John 1:6. In this sermon, Pastor Catlan explains the false claim of verse 10, and the surprising truth for Christians in chapter 2 verse 1.

Is sin a real thing? In 1 John 1:8 there are some who say they have no sin, as if sin isn't real. This passage rebukes and corrects that falsehood. The correction of 1 John 1:9 is one of the most important written statements ever given. In this sermon, Pastor Catlan explains some of the deep meaning behind 1 John 1:8-9. Note, this worship service happened during a power outage, but God's power isn...

What does the Bible say about people who claim to be Christians and lead double-lives of sin? In this sermon, Pastor Catlan opens up 1 John 1:6-7 to answer that question.

1 John 1:5 is the beginning of a section of Scripture dealing with sin and righteousness. The opening passage declares, "God is light and in Him is no darkness at all". In this sermon, Pastor Catlan walks through what Jesus said about Himself being the light then applies it to the setting of 1 John 1:5-2:1.

Why was it necessary for God to become a man? At the core of the Christmas event was the birth of a human baby that was also fully God. In this Christmas Eve message, Pastor Tom Burkett from Anchorage Bible Fellowship begins the worship with a manger-to-cross drama, then Pastor Catlan unpacks 3 reasons that God had to join His divine nature with human flesh.

Why was Jesus born in stable? Why were the invited guests poor shepherds? God intended for Jesus to arrive in poor and lowly circumstances. In this message, Pastor Catlan investigates the Christmas story to see why God arrived with humble origins and what it means for us. This message was originally preached at Anchorage Bible Fellowship on December 22nd, 2024.

Was Jesus actually born of a virgin, and if so, why does that matter? Would Jesus have been able to seek and save the lost if He was born under typical circumstances? In this message, Pastor Catlan looks primarily to Romans 5:12-19 to see the Gospel implications for the virgin birth.

Of all the symbols and unique circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth, which aspect of His birth is mentioned the most in the Bible? The fact that Jesus is the Son of David was the most biblically mentioned detail of the incarnation story. Why is this so important? Is it essential for Jesus to be a Son of David for Him to seek and save the lost? In this sermon, Pastor Catlan looks to what Jesus Him...

Was the Star of Bethlehem essential for Jesus to seek and save the lost? In this series, Pastor Catlan explores some of the biblical symbols of Christmas and explains why a given symbol was essential for Christ's work of saving the lost. This episode seeks Old Testament connections to the Star and Magi and shows why they are important.

What is complete joy? If you could have the most complete fulfillment of joy, what would you have to do? In 1 John 1:4, we see an appeal from John that, “our joy may be complete.” In this message, Pastor Catlan explains both the miracle of God’s written Word and what the Bible teaches us about complete joy.