Summit Podcasts: BACK40, Sermon Audio, and Leadership Night

Mel, Michael, and Joel discuss how authoritative commands given by God were part of the pre-Fall perfected order and therefore should be considered altruistically good today. God's commands do not make us less than we could be. Why do some people resist relationship with Jesus Christ because they're afraid of restrictions? Are restrictions even bad? Next they talk about the role of holy fe...

Michael continues working through Genesis by finishing chapter two. In this study we’ll see God make His first ever covenant with humanity when He prohibits Adam from eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God determined it was not good for Adam to be alone, so He made Eve from the bone of Adam. The man and woman are joined in a union which represents the very first human...

In the fourth message of our series called Feasts, Pastor Mel explains the Jewish "Shavuot" which means "Weeks". God instituted the feasts so the people of Israel would celebrate His provision, memorialize significant events, and foreshadow things to come. The Feast of Weeks celebrates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai, as well as the wheat harvest in the land of Israel. P...

In the third message of our series called Feasts, Pastor Mel explains the timeless biblical principles represented by the Hebrew feast of firstfruits. In scripture the Jewish feasts are instituted to celebrate God's provision, remember significant events, and foreshadow things to come. The feast of firstfruits represents the biblical principle of "firsts" which points to the reality...

Mel, Michael, and Joel discuss the value of large Christian conferences. What can a conference provide which normal church services or discipleship cannot? What happens to a person whose Christianity is limited to attending conferences? Next they discuss what your prayers should be like in the midst of terminal illness. How can we stand behind the nobility of asking God to use our deaths to glorif...

In part two of our series called Feasts, Pastor Mel explains the feast of unleavened bread. Jewish feasts were instituted to celebrate God's provision, remember significant events, and foreshadow things to come. Preaching through Exodus chapter 12, Mel shows how the feast of unleavened bread represented the Hebrews' separation from the sin of Egypt. Today we understand the doctrine of unle...

Mel, Michael, and Joel discuss the role of stoicism in the Christian faith. Should Christians aspire to live a life of stable equilibrium as opposed to manic highs and despairing lows? What's the difference between stoicism and self-control? Next they talk about infertility. If children are conceived by the sovereign will of God, does that mean infertility is God's will? How should you cou...

Michael opens the second chapter of Genesis with a closer look at the creation of Adam and Eve. This passage represents the opening of what is called the Yahwist account of creation. These verses mark the first place in scripture where God is titled Jehovah-Elohim, a compound name emphasizing His character as "all-powerful creator of perfection." Expect to learn why the breath of God is...

In week one of our series called Feasts, Pastor Collin preaches about the most notable of all Judaic feasts: the feast of Passover. Collin explains how the Sabbath helped posture the people's spirits for participating in the Passover celebration. Christians should observe a Sabbath today because intentional rest helps prevent us from becoming distracted from the most important spiritual matter...

Guest speaker Pastor Eran Holt shares an important message about identity. He carefully deconstructs the culture's ingredients for a false identity: feelings, attraction, achievement, and approval. Eran explains why this kind of identity is incoherent, resulting in instability and idolatry. Instead we should build our lives on biblical truth, love, serving others, belonging, and God-ordained p...

Michael finishes his study of Genesis chapter 1 by examining the fifth and sixth days of creation. In these passages we'll see God generate some of His most sophisticated creations. On the fifth day He creates all aquatic life and all birds. On the sixth day He creates the higher order land animals as well as those creatures which creep along the ground. Why is it important that God created all th...

Mel, Michael, and Joel talk about spiritual strongholds being wrong patterns of thinking. Idolatry begins when you submit yourself to these patterns and begin to make oaths based on them. What are some common causes of strongholds in a person's life? How do you resist developing strongholds in your own life? Next they discuss the incongruity between why people say they disbelieve in God versus...

Pastor Mel brings leadership lessons from Bob Iger’s book titled The Ride of a Lifetime . Bob Iger is the CEO of Disney. You’ll sometimes hear his name brought up in the political landscape because of how important he is to media. His book presents a wealth of leadership principles and Mel highlights just a few of them in this podcast. Expect to learn why any good organization is dependent on acqu...

In the fourth and final message of our Welcome Home series, Pastor Mel walks us through three of Summit's core values: radical generosity, healthy relationships, and freedom. God is radically generous and we want the world to see that in how we live and give. When we put God first in our lives, everything else falls into order. We’re committed to loving others sacrificially and resolving confl...

Mel, Michael, and Joel begin the conversation with how to know when it's time to start delegating. As your organization grows, what are the downsides of keeping your hands on everything? What metric does Mel use to determine the degree of control he imposes on a project? Next they talk about the importance of God as the Creator of all things and how understanding God as your own Creator shapes...

In the third message of our series called Welcome Home, Pastor Mel addresses the realities of spiritual war. Humanity has existed in the midst of spiritual conflict since the original sin. This conflict has expressed itself in different ways throughout history, with its most recent expression coming in the form of cultural warfare in the West. Mel explains why we are called to fight the good fight...

Mel, Michael, Joel and Collin attempt to answer two of the most common questions which follow any tragedy: why would God let this happen and how should we move forward? The Austrian neurologist and psychologist Viktor Frankl, who himself was a prisoner in Auschwitz, thought that finding meaning within tragedy helped one cope with pain. Is all loss as senseless as it feels, or can we find God insid...

In the second part of our series called Welcome Home, Pastor Kim preaches about knowing Jesus and reaching the lost. She explains how there's a difference between cognitive knowledge of God and a personal relationship with Him. We are designed to participate with God at every level of human experience: mind, body and spirit. A life centered in Christ naturally becomes a sent life to reach the...

Mel, Joel, and Michael spend the first half of this episode discussing the tragic murder of Iryna Zarutska on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina. Why do such heinous crimes seldom lead to actual change? What are we getting wrong in the way we react to such headlines? What is the proper response which would minimize future occurrences? Next they talk about the common misconception that...

In the first message of our series called Welcome Home, Pastor Mel explains what it means for every life to be made different in Christ. At Summit Church our vision is to see Every Life Made Different. Preaching through the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19, Mel reminds us the gospel is for everyone. Jesus Christ came to save the lost and that includes people who we sometimes mistake as being irredeem...

Mel, Michael, Collin, and Joel discuss best practices for being Christlike while resisting idolization from those around you. We want to encourage a culture of honor, but what's the different between honor and idolatry? Next they talk strategies for how you might honor your enemies or those you dislike. Is it possible to honor someone from afar? Isn't honoring your enemy kind of like lying...

The Marvel Comic Universe, as you may know, is worth tremendous amounts of money today. But it wasn’t always like this. In 1996 Marvel filed for bankruptcy under the leadership of Ron Perelman. From that point Marvel changed hands and with vision, passion, and a bit of serendipity, it was brought from the brink of failure to the heights of success. Pastor Mel explains the leadership principles whi...

God speaks and trillions of galaxies, each containing hundreds of billions of stars, explode into formation. Scripture says God calls each star by name. When measured against the incomprehensible grandeur of the cosmos, what is humanity worth? This study observes God create the firmament and populate it with heavenly bodies. Working through the second, third, and fourth days of creation we'll...

In the final message of our series called One Another, Pastor Mel explains the importance of honoring one another. Honor is rooted in biblical love and therefore bears consequences for the condition of our hearts. Practicing dishonor corrupts a person's heart and limits his relationship with God. Familiarity breeds contempt and too much familiarity can lead to a lack of reverence for God. Scri...

Mel, Joel, and Michael discuss different considerations when starting or joining a small group. What is the purpose of a small group? In the context of a small group, is relationship more important than content? What are some examples of things which commonly ruin a small group? Next they discuss the painful process of developing leaders only to send them off for the benefit of the kingdom of God....