The Summit Church

Faith often takes different shapes and forms throughout your life. Sometimes it means believing God for a miracle, while at other times it looks like trusting that God is good even when the miracle doesn't come. In this week's message, the finale of our Hebrews 11 series, Pastor J.D. encourages us with the truth that no matter where we find ourselves, our faith can be used to glorify God and point...

The beauty of faith is often found in its simplicity. You don't have to possess a wealth of theological knowledge to be captivated by the truth of the gospel. Maybe, like Rahab, you've simply heard what the Lord has done and you believe. In this week's message from Hebrews 11, Pastor J.D. explains how the faith of a Gentile prostitute changed the course of history and left an enduring legacy. In t...

When you think of Joseph, you may think of the famous "coat of many colors," or even of his bizarre dreams or his prominent position as Pharaoh's second-in-command. But you probably don't think of the instructions that Joseph gave for his own burial. In this week's message from Hebrews 11, Pastor Curtis shows us how throughout Joseph's life, whether he was in the palace or the prison, he remained...

It’s tempting at times to read the Bible through a human-centric lens, as though we are the main character in each narrative. But in so doing, we’re in danger of missing the larger point of stories like Joshua and the city of Jericho. In this week’s message from Hebrews 11, Pastor J.D. shows us how this key moment in Joshua’s life holds a valuable lesson for us: Rather than orienting our lives aro...

“A life of more.” This phrase likely has different connotations depending on who is speaking. To the world, “a life of more” may look like more money, more possessions, or more recognition. But to the Christ-follower, it means a kind of satisfaction and contentment that is found in Jesus alone. In this week’s message from Hebrews 11, Pastor Bryan shows us how Moses’ pursuit of a life of more meant...

Though we may not realize it, our choices often reveal what we truly value. How we choose to spend our time, what we choose to do with our money—these things are a reflection of what we hold dear. In this week's message from Hebrews 11, Pastor Curtis explains how choices made by Moses and his parents revealed the value they placed on faith in God, and how much they were willing to sacrifice for it...

There is something in each of us that cries out for acceptance, that longs for blessing. And while the culture around us strives for this acceptance to the point of exhaustion, the gospel says that God's acceptance of us is strictly a gift of grace that can't be earned. In this week's message from Hebrews 11, Pastor J.D. shows us how this truth came to life for Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Though cir...

We all build our lives on something. For many, it's the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle. For others, it may be the allure of a successful career or the comfort of relationships. But these things were never meant to bear the weight of our faith. In this week's message from Mark 5, Pastor John takes us through the story of two healings performed by Jesus, the only one in whom we can joyfully and conf...

What Abraham faced in his final test from God was incomprehensible, and yet he knew that God would remain faithful no matter the outcome. How was Abraham able to display such trust when met with the thought of sacrificing his son? In this week's message from Hebrews 11, Pastor J.D. explains how ultimately, this story is not about Abraham's obedience, but about God's commitment to his people. Whate...

Have you ever felt an overwhelming sense of emptiness, whether regarding your career, marriage, or simply life in general? In this week's message from Hebrews 11, Pastor Bryan highlights this experience in the life of Sarah, a woman whose barrenness led her to take matters into her own hands. But what Sarah learned was that her only hope of seeing the promise fulfilled was by living a life of comp...

Many people struggle with doubting their faith. This week Pastor Derrick DeLain from Proclamation Church walks us through Matthew 11. Just like John the Baptist was a beacon of hope pointing to Jesus in the New Testament, we can look to Jesus and have confidence in him.

A man often regarded as the "father of faith," Abraham was faced with numerous tests throughout his life. Called by God to an unknown land, Abraham had to decide if obeying God was worth leaving everything that was familiar and comfortable. In this week's message from Hebrews 11, Pastor J.D. invites us to consider what made Abraham regard what he was gaining as having far greater value than what h...

Though widely known, the story of Noah and the ark is one that tends to be misinterpreted by many in today's society. Far from being a tame bedtime story, it gives us a glimpse of the response of a holy God to the depravity of sin. In this week's message from Hebrews 11, Pastor J.D. explains how Noah's faith led him to act on God's command, without fear of what the surrounding community might thin...

One of the most inspiring chapters in the Bible is Hebrews 11, often referred to as the "Great Hall of Faith." But while the stories contained there are indeed powerful, we shouldn't regard the people in them as perfect or their faith as unattainable. In this week's message, Pastor J.D. begins our series through Hebrews 11 by helping us see what faith looks like in practice. Through the examples o...

While the issues at the front and center of American politics in 2024 are different from those that the religious leaders highlighted during Jesus' day, they certainly aren't any less contentious. In this week's message from Mark 12, Pastor Bryan shows us how Jesus navigated stormy political waters with grace—and how we can do the same. When we recognize that it should be our faith that drives our...

With six months to go until Election Day, the rhetoric from news outlets and social media is likely to become increasingly combative. For Christians, one thing is certain: Our political engagement should look different than that of the world. In this week's message, the first of a two-part series, Pastor J.D. examines Mark 1 and Luke 2, drawing out the implications of Jesus' rule in a world hostil...

These days, it's not exactly popular to claim the existence of absolute truth. It's even less popular to claim that such truth is embodied in the person of Jesus, the one who is the only way to salvation. In this week's message from John 14, Pastor J.D. shows us the importance of what is perhaps Jesus' most controversial "I am" statement: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." Yet, this stat...

It doesn't take an expert gardener to know that a branch that isn't connected to the vine won't survive for very long. In this week's message from John 15, Pastor Bryan explores the next of Jesus' "I am" statements, helping us understand what it means to abide in Jesus, the "true vine." Many other things—often good things—vie for our time and attention, making this seem impossible. But the truth i...

Without shepherds to care for them, the threats posed to sheep run the gamut, from losing their way to being attacked by other animals. Simply put, sheep thrive under the guidance and protection of their shepherd. In this week's message from John 10, Pastor J.D. takes us through Jesus' claim to be the "good shepherd." What is so remarkable about this shepherd is that his love for the flock leads h...

Given the choice between soda and water to quench extreme thirst, surely we would all agree on which to choose. The difference, of course, is that one truly satisfies and the other doesn't. When it comes to spiritual thirst, we can be tempted to turn to things that don't fulfill us instead of to the one who offers living water: Jesus himself. In this week's message from John 7, Pastor Curtis helps...

If we're honest, most of us have probably experienced disappointment with God at some point in our lives. We question why God didn't cure our friend's cancer, or why he didn't provide for us financially when we really needed it. This Easter, Pastor J.D. walks us through Jesus' claim to be the "resurrection and the life," from John 11. In Jesus' response to the death of Lazarus, and to the pain of...

Doors and gates are things that we likely don't give much thought to until they are in need of repair—and while the truth is that they are usually constructed to keep people or animals out, they can also certainly be opened to let them in. In this week's message from John 10, Pastor J.D. explains perhaps the most overlooked of Jesus' "I Am" statements: "I am the door." Though most people recognize...

No matter what side of the "daylight saving time" debate we find ourselves on, we all have to at least acknowledge that light is essential for life, for a myriad of reasons. So Jesus' declaration that he is "the light of the world" was truly a bold claim. In this week's message from John 8, Pastor J.D. shows us how Jesus' light is one that doesn't merely reveal our sin, but ultimately, it heals us...

As humans, one of our most basic needs is food—when we don't have it, we experience discomfort, irritability, or even sickness or death. And yet, as unbearable as physical hunger can be, it is our spiritual hunger that we often neglect to address, to our own detriment. As we begin a series looking at the seven "I am" statements made by Jesus in the Gospel of John, this week's message from Pastor J...