Border City Church Podcast, Detroit, MI

The Church was never meant to be a spectator sport. In this message, Pastor Steve Martel breaks down Ephesians 4 and Romans 12 to remind us that every single believer is a uniquely gifted, essential organ in the living body of Christ. When we stop consuming and start contributing our spiritual and leadership gifts, the Church achieves its true goal: spiritual maturity, unity, and a complete revela...

What happens after you accept Christ? God's ultimate desire isn't just to save us, but to transform us into the image of His Son. Steve Martel dives into Ephesians 4, James 1, and Hebrews 5 to show how intentional spiritual growth changes how we weather storms, how we treat others, and how we reflect Jesus to a world that desperately needs Him.

A healthy church doesn't say, "You need to look like me to be here." It says, "We gather around a common Savior." This week, Pastor Steve Martel breaks down how Jesus tore down the walls that divide us to build one healthy body. True unity doesn't happen by accident—it requires humility, intentional forgiveness, and active spiritual effort. Discover how our differences actually display the full po...

Sermon Summary: Abiding in the Lord Speaker: Steve Martel | Date: June 6, 2026 1. The Priority of Connection Jesus is the Head: The health of the Church body depends entirely on its connection to Christ. The Trap of Busyness: Jesus desires connection, not just activity. Being busy does not equate to being spiritually fruitful. Lifelong Dependency: Spiritual maturity means needing Jesus more, not l...

Jesus did not die and resurrect so that bad people could become good, it was so that dead people could become alive. Jesus has the power to transform our lives and we are called to live alive with and for Jesus.

This powerful, gospel-centered message is a urgent reminder of the believer's true calling: The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). It strips away the pressure of performance and anxiety over "saying the right things," shifting the focus entirely onto the overwhelming love, grace, and authority of Jesus.

The message focuses on the vulnerability of human promises versus the relentlessness of divine pursuit. It uses Peter’s "identity collapse"—the moment his actions contradicted his self-perception—as a case study for how guilt can drive people back to their "old lives" (symbolized by Peter returning to fishing).

The fact that Jesus is resurrected changes everything about our lives if we receive Him and allow Him to impact our lives. Jesus brings peace that frees us, gives us purpose, and authority to live out His purposes.

Sometimes we pray and have faith, but things do not happen how we expect. God wants us to have renewed hope in Jesus, because He is alive and He is the God who is with us.

In this powerful message, Steve Sudsworth explores the transformative power of the phrase "But God." He contrasts the human condition—the "But I" perspective—with the overwhelming intervention of the Creator. While our own strength often fails and our internal dialogue centers on "But I can't" or "But I'm not enough," the Gospel offers a definitive rebuttal through God's sovereign grace.

A beautiful breakdown of the story of the resurrection of Jesus for us on our Easter Sunday service. Calling Mary by name, and calling each one of us home to Him.

Paul Nichols discusses the transition in leadership to Steve and Jess Martel. He encouraged the church to bring the experience of Jesus to locals and beyond. God has put what doesn’t belong together to blur the borders to unite with the life of Jesus. His wish is for the Church to grow and spread. To foster the life of Jesus and to carry the burden for those that don’t know Jesus. Border City Chur...

Mary had a heart posture that loved Jesus sacrificially. In this message, we hear how that is how we are called to relate to Jesus, not simply serving Him with works.

In this message we hear about how Jesus is the head of the church, not human leaders. Human leaders are called to point us towards Jesus, not to themselves.

There are amazing privileges that we gain when we follow Jesus, but there is also a very real cost. Following Jesus requires dying to ourselves and taking up our cross daily.

Many people followed Jesus when He was physically here on earth to see what miracles he might perform. However, there were few who really followed Him - who were willing to count the cost, sacrifice and follow Jesus. We are called to obey Jesus and follow Him, and be willing to sacrifice for Him. All because we love Him and we have seen how much He loves us.

Deemas did not follow until the end in his calling. In this message, Paul teaches 4 principles of discipleship to finish well.

Handover Annoucement - Nichols and Martels - 02-22-26 by Border City Church

Every family is being formed by something. In Joshua 24, Joshua calls the people to choose whom they shall serve. We have to choose that as for us and our families, we will serve the Lord.

Paul and Minda talk about parenting and disciplining children in a way that is loving and reveals the gospel of Jesus. Their sons, John David and Peter, also take a few minutes to testify of how these realities have impacted their lives.

Paul & Minda talk about the biblical roles of husbands and wives.

God has called us to be apart of local church where we can grow and be challenged together. The most important thing in our walk with God is our personal relationship with Jesus, but that is not a thing we do unto ourselves.

At Border City Church, we have Community Groups - gatherings in homes where we share meals, build relationships, have vulnerable and applicable spiritual discussion and pray together. In this message, we discuss how Jesus' ministry, and His disciples' ministry started and took place in homes. From that, we talk about reasons why community groups are important, and also are real about why NOT go to...

In Luke 5, we see Jesus calling His first disciples to follow Him. The story is an example of how we are called to have an "if You say so," response to Jesus, even in the face of previous failures. We can do this because Jesus wants to bless us beyond what we can even comprehend, and He is trustworthy.

In this message, Paul Nichols preaches about the life of John Mark. John Mark's life was initially a story of fear being something that limited him from what God had called him to. However, that was not the final word of his life. He pressed into Jesus, overcame, and became a faithful and dependable man of God who faced his fears.