Summit Podcasts: BACK40, Sermon Audio, and Leadership Night

In the first message of our series called Kingdom Builders, Pastor Mel explains what we know about the character of God's kingdom. God's kingdom is not of this world and it is mysterious. Despite the mystery, there are certain things we can know about the kingdom because the kingdom is also principled. We know the order of God's kingdom is unshakable. Scripture also teaches us the king...

In the fourth and final message of our series called Inevitable, Pastor Mel explains the best way to leave a church. Two common reasons why a person chooses to leave a church are misunderstandings and misalignments. Misunderstandings occur when two or more people fail to have proper "Matthew 18 conversations" aimed at reconciliation. Mel points out how we see what we look for: if we look...

Pastor Mel teaches about biblical masculinity at the inaugural Men's Gathering for 2025. What qualities make for a godly man? How does the Bible say we should conduct ourselves as men? When does it make sense for men to run away as if their lives depend on it? Mel answers these questions and explores further which things a godly man should pursue. Six characteristics of biblical masculinity in...

Mel, Kim, and Michael discuss the power of redemption in leadership and why second chances are necessary in pastoral ministry. How does a leader practice Christlike forgiveness while also protecting the organization against repeat betrayal? How should you extend mercy to someone when others believe the person doesn't deserve it? The conversation turns to analyzing why church leaders sell out -...

Pastor Collin McKnight discusses loss, sorrow, and mourning in this edition of our series called Inevitable. Grief and sorrow are inevitable for all human beings. We are created with the understanding that we will encounter loss. Jesus revealed His humanity through grief when He wept over Lazarus's death. Collin explains why it is absolutely acceptable to bring your questions to God while in t...

In the third message of our series called Inevitable, Pastor Mel teaches how we should prepare for death and how the reality of death should impact our perspective. The unknown scares us and so part of how we prepare for death is focus on what we know. We know death is assured and we know eternity is assured. We know Hell is real but we also know Heaven is real. Seneca said, "The day which we...

In the second week of our series called Inevitable, Pastor Mel teaches how Christians should walk through health setbacks. Proverbs says, "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength." A positive outlook as you endure health crises doesn't mean you're denying what's happening, it means you're trusting God. Mel unpacks several of Chr...

In week one of our series called Inevitable, Pastor Mel talks about the inevitability of financial setbacks and how we should strive for a godly relationship with money. He explains how a large number of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, even those who have a relatively high income. Scripture warns us that our lives are not measured by how much we own, but that we should seek first the ki...

In the fourth and final week of our series called Meet God Here, Pastor Mel teaches about the characteristics of God's presence. Preaching through selected scriptures in Exodus, Mel shows how the presence of God provides rest. Moses was a great man of faith and he didn't want to enter the Promised Land without God. Moses understood it's better to be in the wilderness with God than to b...

Pastor Collin McKnight preaches live in Blairsville on week three of our series called Meet God Here. Throughout scripture God met with His people on the mountain, but now we can meet Him through Jesus wherever we go. Charles Swindoll said, "God enjoys turning wandering people into worshipers, transforming drifters into pilgrims who receive His words, follow His ways, believe His promises.&qu...

In the third message of our series called Meet God Here, Pastor Mel explains the role of holy places in our worship. Throughout history, both inside and outside the faith, people have considered high places to be holy. Elevations like mountains and hills have frequently been considered holy locations. Mel talks about several locations in scripture which God's people privileged as being holy. T...

Mel, Collin, and Michael discuss their thoughts on the Inauguration of President Donald Trump. Was the pageantry appropriate or did it go over the top? What can church leaders learn from the technical failure during Carrie Underwood's performance? Should schools close on Inauguration Day? The conversation turns to the best way to treat those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. What shoul...

In the second part of our series called Meet God Here, Pastor Kim teaches how we meet God in community. Western culture has made individualism an ideal by promoting freedom, rights, and satisfaction of our own desires. Kim explains how human beings are created as image bearers of God with an inner need to connect with each other. Preaching through Acts 2, Kim presents four marks of a healthy Churc...

Mel and Michael discuss Craig Groeschel's perspective on the value of keeping tenured, trusted leaders together. They also talk about how Jesus viewed the Church. Is Christianity really about relationship more than it is about religion? We learn from Mel why it's important to remain calm when leading through challenges. What are his strategies for inspiring confidence when things are uncer...

Mel and Michael talk about practicing prudence while also remembering God tends to deliver in big, unexpected ways. How do you keep yourself open to God's improbable works while also being cautious to make good decisions? What is the right way to think about miracles? Do we expect too much? How can an organization foster a culture of honoring leaders without corrupting the humility of those leader...

Summit Church's theme for 2025 is: Meet God Here. Our first series of the year kicks off this theme and part one focuses on fasting. What does it mean to fast in a way that honors God? What happens when you fast? What are some common mistakes you might make when attempting a fast? Pastor Mel answers all of these questions and more as he carefully works through Isaiah 58. This passage in Isaiah pre...

Pastor Mel teaches systematically through a passage in Romans 8 to explain what it means for God to cause everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. This passage is often misquoted or misunderstood because the intention of the text and the meaning of the text is skewed by its interpreters. Mel works through Romans 8:28 nearly wo...

In a special Christmas message, Pastor Mel preaches through John chapter 1 that Jesus is the light of the world. He explains why it's fitting for us to celebrate the birth of Christ near the winter solstice because Jesus is the light who came into a darkened world. Mel draws out the analogy to light by reminding us that light energizes, light attracts, and light reveals. He teaches why all of thes...

In the final message of our series called In the Meantime, Pastor Mel teaches why weeping is both acceptable and to be expected while you wait. Often we don't get to choose whether we wait, but we always get to choose how we wait. Preaching through 2 Corinthians, Mel talks about Paul's famous thorn in the flesh and how Paul begged the Lord three times to take it away - yet the Lord didn't. He also...

Mel and Michael talk about succession plans. Why is it important for every organization to have pre-drafted succession plans? Should these plans take on the character of advance directives in case the leader is no longer around to execute them? You can also expect to learn about staff development. Should staff development fall on the shoulders of the leader or should it be delegated to managers? D...

In the third part of our series called In the Meantime, Pastor Kim teaches what it means to work while you wait. Waiting without working leads to apathy, laziness, bitterness, and hopelessness. The apostle Paul had plenty of opportunities to slip into these kinds of issues throughout his imprisonment but he chose to work while he waited. Paul worshipped, wrote prison epistles, and kept doing every...

In the second message of our series called In the Meantime, Pastor Mel teaches that we get to choose how we wait. We get to choose what we do in the meantime as we are awaiting results. Mel explains how Paul was made to wait at several points throughout his missionary journey, and that Paul chose to watch while he waited. He was watching to see how the churches were doing and watching to see what...

In the first message of our series called In the Meantime, Pastor Mel explains what to do when we're in the space between our expectations and results. What do we do in the meantime? Preaching through Acts 9, Mel explores what it must have been like for Paul while he was waiting to find out whether he would ever see again. During this time Paul worshiped, and we too must worship while we wait. Mel...

Pastor Christina preaches through Matthew 26 and shows how Jesus exemplified godly obedience in the Garden of Gethsemane as well as throughout His Passion. Obedience means choosing to submit to and trust God's heart. Christina explains how obedience means choosing to be faithful and submitted in the mundane and in the painful. She finishes the message by challenging us that Christ's obedience call...

Pastor Collin unpacks what it means to be a disciple and explains why there's more to the Christian life than initial conversion. Every next step we take with Jesus leads us to a deeper relationship with God. Brother Lawrence said, "The More we know Him, the more we will desire to know Him. As love increases with knowledge, the more we know God, the more we will truly Love Him. We will learn to lo...