Summit Podcasts: BACK40, Sermon Audio, and Leadership Night

Pastor Mel's sermon on Romans 1:1-17 serves as an introduction to the book of Romans, highlighting Paul’s identity as a willing slave of Christ Jesus, called and sent as an apostle to proclaim the gospel—the long-promised Good News about God’s Son, Jesus Christ, descended from David and powerfully declared Son of God through His resurrection. Paul establishes common ground for the divided Roma...

In Michael's Bible study on Genesis 3:17-24, he concludes the account of the Fall by examining God's curses on Adam and the earth: the ground is cursed, requiring toil and sweat for food amid thorns and thistles, and humanity faces mortality as dust returns to dust. He emphasizes God's mercy woven throughout the judgments—cursing the creation rather than Adam directly, providing animal...

Pastor Christina's sermon, concluding the "Prepare the Way" series, draws from Isaiah 40:3-5 and the story of Moses in Exodus to explore how believers prepare for God's calling. She emphasizes that a calling is not based on personal performance, qualifications, or position, but on intimately knowing Jesus, trusting Him, and obeying Him. Using Moses' life—from his failed attem...

Mel, Joel, and Michael discuss how a Christian can have a healthy relationship with sports. What is it about sports that draws so many people into them? Is there anyway we could leverage this attraction in the Church? What does it look like when someone idolizes a sport? Next they discuss the problem of morbid fascination. Why are we so riveted to watching high-risk live events? Are the massive au...

Mel explores leadership lessons from the career of college football coach Curt Cignetti. Cignetti is the head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers and recently led the team to win the National Championship. He was also coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania from 2011 to 2016. Cignetti is a five-time conference coach of the year and a two-time national coach of the year. Mel explains how Cignetti’s c...

Mel, Joel, and Michael discuss anti-ICE protesters demonstrating during church services. What's the plan if something like this happened at Summit? How would it be different here than it was in Minnesota? Next they talk about confession. Why is confession the key to sins leading to a furtherance of grace? Are confessions still valid if they withhold incriminating details? The conversation fini...

In the third message of our series called Prepare the Way, Pastor Mel draws from Matthew 3:1-3 and Isaiah 40:3-5 to emphasize preparing for a move of God by surrendering personal control and allowing divine leadership, as illustrated by the Israelites' obedience to the pillar of cloud and fire in Exodus 13, 40, and Numbers 9. Just as the people followed God's visible guidance—moving or sta...

Mel, Joel, and Michael discuss the problem of people generalizing their sin so much that they no longer view it as sin. Should we try to help these people or allow them to sin in hopes the consequences of the sin will wake them up? What's the difference between irrational anger and righteous anger? What are some indicators you can look for to tell you you've crossed into sinful anger? Next...

In the second message of our series called Prepare the Way, Pastor Mel draws from Matthew 3:1-3 to emphasize preparing the way for God's blessings through complete obedience, illustrating the concept with the story of King Saul from 1 Samuel 15, where Saul's partial compliance in destroying the Amalekites—sparing King Agag and the best livestock while claiming to sacrifice them to God—resu...

Mel, Joel, and Michael discuss why great leadership is an effective way to influence the broader community for Christ. What draws a person into exploring a new worldview? How can you be admirable and how can you train others to be admirable? Next they talk about principles which they never allow themselves to question. Which truths should be considered sacred? What happens to a believer when he el...

In the first message of our series called Prepare the Way, Pastor Mel draws from John the Baptist's call in Matthew 3 and Isaiah 40 to urge believers to actively prepare their hearts for God's presence, much like preparing a home for an honored guest. Using the analogy of hosting a visitor, he outlines three practical steps: first, "Clean Up" by confessing sin and pursuing inner...

In the final message of our "Even Though" series, Pastor Mel draws from 2 Corinthians 6 to explore the paradoxical "yet" statements in Paul's ministry—such as being sorrowful yet always rejoicing, poor yet making many rich, and having nothing yet possessing everything—emphasizing that true Christian hope is the joyful anticipation of good in Christ, even amid hardship, suff...

In the third message of our series called Even Though, Pastor Mel preaches a Christmas Eve sermon centered on the biblical meaning of hope as a joyful anticipation of good that is future-oriented and rooted externally in God's unfailing promises, distinct from mere wishing and closely tied to faith in the person of Jesus. Drawing from Isaiah 54:10, Mel emphasizes God's unbreakable covenant...

In this installment of his ongoing Bible study series on Genesis chapter 3, Michael examines verses 11-16, delving into God's confrontation with Adam and Eve after their disobedience, their attempts to shift blame onto one another and the serpent, and the subsequent divine judgments. He emphasizes the importance of true repentance and full ownership of sin rather than deflection, contrasts Sat...

In the second message of our series called Even Though, Pastor Mel further surveys the question, "What is hope?" by exploring the Old Testament book of Habakkuk. Defining hope as the joyful anticipation of good, he contrasts the prophet's honest complaints about suffering and injustice with God's powerful responses, highlighting key verses like Habakkuk 2:2-3 (write the vision an...

In the first message of our series called Even Though, Pastor Mel explored Psalm 23:4, emphasizing that biblical hope is a joyful anticipation of good rooted in God's external promises rather than mere wishful thinking. Drawing parallels between faith—which often relates to past, present, and relational trust in Jesus—and future-oriented hope, he focused on the verse's powerful declaration...

In his sermon "Called to the Wall" from Nehemiah 2:17-18, Pastor Jim powerfully challenges the church to hear and respond to the desperate cry of "Someone help us!" that echoes from broken lives all around—from persecuted believers and unreached tribes to struggling neighbors and those battling illness or identity confusion. Drawing from Nehemiah’s example, he shows how a holy...

Michael teaches from Genesis 3:6-10, tracing Eve’s fatal glance at the forbidden fruit, her eating, and Adam’s silent participation. He asks: Why did the fruit suddenly seem no different from any other—have you ever “generalized” a sin until God’s clear command disappeared? What makes forbidden things feel uniquely desirable, and how does Satan still twist the promise of wisdom into rebellion agai...

In the eighth message of our series called Feasts, Pastor Stef taught that the Sabbath is not merely a rule to obey but a profound gift from God designed to expose and heal our areas of distrust. Drawing from the Israelites’ grumbling in Exodus 16, she showed how their complaints about hunger revealed a deeper lack of trust in God’s provision, and how God responded by giving the Sabbath—with doubl...

In his sermon on the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), Pastor Mel teaches that this joyful seven-day biblical festival, celebrated each fall after the harvest, was designed by God to remind Israel of His faithful provision during the wilderness years when they lived in temporary shelters, while also pointing forward to greater spiritual realities fulfilled in Christ. Drawing from Leviticus 23, he hig...

Mel, Michael, and Joel discuss how to properly preach difficult passages of scripture like those found in Leviticus. How does understanding these texts transform the way you understand the rest of scripture? Next they talk about the Marriage Encounter which featured special guest Debra Fileta. What made this event so impactful? The conversation finishes with the connection between postmillennial e...

In the sixth message of our series called Feasts, Mel teaches about the Feast of Atonement (Yom Kippur). This message centers on the profound significance of atonement as described in Leviticus 16 and its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Drawing from Leviticus 23:26-32, Mel explains the ancient rituals of Yom Kippur, where the high priest, Aaron, entered the Most Holy Place to offer sacrifices for the...

Mel, Michael, and Joel discuss what to do if you experience trials which leave you feeling like less of a person. Can we be certain God will make us better as we walk through difficult seasons? What if God doesn't restore to us what was lost? Next they discuss the maturation required of men if they want to succeed in marriage. What is the biblical difference between a boy and a man? They also...

Michael continues working through Genesis by opening chapter three. This chapter represents the first inflection point in the biblical narrative. This is the moment when the serpent deceives Eve and initiates the fall of man. Expect to learn how the story of Adam and Eve losing paradise lays the groundwork for the gospel of Jesus Christ. How are Adam and Jesus connected? This study examines the ch...

In the fifth message of our series called Feast, Pastor Mel explains the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah), a biblical holy day outlined in Leviticus 23:23-25 and Numbers 29:1-6, emphasizing its significance as a time of solemn rest, remembrance, and spiritual renewal, marked by the sounding of the shofar (ram’s horn). He highlights its role as Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, initiating the 10 Da...