The Summit Church - Weekend Service: Recent Episodes
The Summit Church
The Summit Church Weekend Service podcast is our weekly main service message designed to give practical, Biblical insights to challenge and equip people to receive and share the love of Jesus. Share comments, questions, or feedback at info@thesummitchurch.net.
Coping with the aftermath of the afterlife of someone you love is challenging and normal. Discover how God heals our hearts through grief.
It is real. But what's it like; and how do we get there? Probably not the way most people think.
Is it real? Is it fair? What's it like; and how can we avoid it? The good news is: you get a pass, if you take it.
You will die, just sayin'! So the best resolution is not one just for the new year but one that affects your entire life, both now and forever.
God's answer to the despair in the world is better than we imagined. Discover the joy, hope, and peace the wonder of Christmas brings.
In a world of pessimism and despair, discover how to reclaim the joy of what Christmas truly is all about. It's how we really make a difference in our world.
Who we exclude says more about us than who we include. Let's just follow Jesus' example on this one.
It's easy to get caught up in our culture's take on Christmas. But what if Christians are part of the problem?
Discover how to break the back of entitlement in a way that will actually bring more blessing to your life.
What you want the most is not what you really need, but what you need the most is not what you really want. But it's better this way.
The cost of having and being a family is up and not coming back down. Discover how to make it all work for and not against you.
Marriage is the starting point of the family. Let us help you keep it from being the primary source of the crazy.
Crazy Kids - Being a parent is the craziest hardest job in the world. We will help you uncover some truths that will take some pressure off.
The pace of our lives are crazy. We're gonna help you take back control of your out of control schedule.
The crazy in your family is not going away, not really. Discover what you can do to survive and thrive through it.
Discover the new thing Jesus introduced 2000 years ago and how it's still new and needed today.
If you're gonna go places with God, you've gotta know what's getting in your way. You might be surprised what it is.
There is something so foundational to your spiritual journey that without it, you'll be at a standstill.
Discover where you are so that you can take the next step to what God has for you next.
In this "stand alone" message, Pastor Jonathan teaches what God has to say about our reaction to recent, tragic events.
Discover the extraordinary things God can do with ordinary people, ordinary things, and an ordinary moment.
Even if you're not a fisherman, fishing is a great way to understand God's purpose for your life.
Discover what the true story of a man who spent 3 days in the belly of a big fish, and lived to tell about it, has to do with you.
Our health is very important, but it's temporary. Discover how to best see it for what it is and isn't.
Jesus' resurrection from the dead set into motion the possibility for anyone to experience the comeback we so desperately long for.
We are incapable of fixing our own soul, but God has a solution that changes everything.
We are all desperately flawed and in aching need of a remedy to the hopelessness within our souls. It's our starting point.
God loves "new" and intends bring a new reality to everyone, changing everything. All we have to do is let Him.
Jesus introduced something new that is just as new to us today as it was to His followers then; and it makes all the difference.
Everybody said them, but not everybody lives them. What if our vows came to life in our marriage?
When a marriage has the right kind of competition, there are no losers. Everybody wins!
Our "issues" describe us but don't define us. Discover how to push through the fray of your differences.
We want to be in control. Yet giving up control is the only way to truly live close to the God who is in control.
We want to know who's "spiritual" and who's not. Knowing "what" is "spiritual" is the 1st step.
We want quick and easy. Getting close to God is neither, but it's more simple than you might think.
When the church is being the church, there is nothing else like it and people are never the same, forever.
Nothing is more transformational in a community than a local church that serves like Jesus.
The impact of the local church depends on how those in it share their experiences with others.
Keeping the main thing, the main thing is what sets the church apart from all other organizations.
Financial giving is not really about what you think it's about. Embrace the bigger picture, and it'll put it all into perspective.
Debt doesn't have to be a way of life. Discover how to eliminate, instead of manage it.
Financial health is all about having and following a plan. God's Word helps us know what the right plan is.
Get a fresh view of where The Summit's been, where we are now, and where we're going next!
Life is too important to live it foolishly, yet we all can be foolish. God has much to say to us about wise living.
Life is too important to live it foolishly, yet we all can be foolish. God has much to say to us about wise living.
God created us to live in community. Discover the power of a common purpose and goal. We need each other.
Self-doubt is often what keeps us from going to the next level with God in life. There is a better way.
Life is uncertain. You can be certain of that. Learn how to prepare yourself for the unexpectedness of life.
God designed life with Him to be an adventure. Gain a fresh view of how we were really meant to live.
We are often our own worst enemy. Discover how to get out of your own way when it comes to living the life God has purposed for you.
No greater ripple has ever been created than what Jesus Christ has set into motion for us.
Few things have the lasting effect on others than serving them. Discover how to meet needs that matter.
Living a generous life sets into motion a series of life-changing experiences for others. It's a daily decision.
Second chance people are not second class. Receive the new start God wants to give you.
Your failures might be one of the best things that could have happened for those God has placed around you, not like you think.
Understand what makes success "success". And it has very little to do with whether or not you fail.
Many of the things you want the most can only be received through the failures you wished you could have avoided.
Discover a much better way to evaluate yourself than whether or not you are a success or failure.
What if the resurrection of Jesus had never happened? But what if it did, and all evidence points to the fact that it did. The reality of the resurrection changes everything.
God advances His will for us through pain and suffering more than anything else. But it's worth it!
Most of what God wants you to do, He's already showed you how to do; it's a no-brainer.
The will of God is not restrictive but freeing, not narrow but wide, not hidden but obvious.
Everyone has doubts. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Learn how doubt is really a wonderful opportunity.
Experience how this widespread, misunderstood area of brokenness can be an avenue of God's grace.
Life seldom plays itself out as we hoped or planned. Discover the right perspective when things don't go your way.
We are broken, but not just because of what happens to us; it's who we are. And it's a gift. Discover how.
A healthy soul depends greatly on our connection and communication with the God who created our soul. We cannot do without this.
There are some things we must eliminate from our hearts in order to live as God designed us to live.
What matters most is what's going on inside you not what's happening around you. We live from the inside out.
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, hope arrived, literally. He is the full embodiment of hope for all who will come to Him. And He is with us.
You are imperfect; we all are. However, our sin does not exempt us from hope; it actually prepares us for it.
No matter what your issues are, your marriage can be happy and fulfilling if you'll just be willing to not give up.
Hope comes not from the absence of problems but from the presence of God in the midst of your problems.
People need to know that there is hope for them, right where they are, right now; and we are meant to be carriers of hope to others.
The difference between "winning" and "losing" financially has nothing to do with how much money you have.
Without a game plan, your chances of winning are slim. We must understand and honor God's game plan for money if we expect to win financially.
What do you do when your money runs low? Understanding why this happens and then what to do when it does, makes all the difference.
Everyone should take a financial "time-out" to evaluate whether or not we see our money the way God sees it and says we should see it.
We must always remember that we are free because of Jesus. Losing sight of this means we miss out on God's best for us.
Every life that God freely changes carries a story that needs to be shared. Learn how to understand and share yours.
Living for God is not something God wants us to do out of obligation. There is a much better way to pursue God and actually enjoy it.
In a world where nothing is really free, God freely offers us something that can change everything for everyone who embraces it.
Jesus' expectation for His followers is clear and unwavering. Without this, we'll never live in sync with Him.
To be the Son of God, Jesus did the most unexpected things. Truth is, He asks us to do the very same for each other.
What Jesus asks of His followers is too big, yet too simple to miss. It all comes back to this one thing, over and over again.
Discover how Jesus' personal mission relates to yours. You only live once. What mission is driving you?
Don't miss the most powerful display of love. It's something that changes us and gives us all hope.
When we all use the powers God has given each of us, we can accomplish amazing things. We were made to be a team!
On Aug 17, 2014, over 5500 people attended The Summit at the Ballpark event at BB&T Field where they learned that God is for us! What if you started each day with the reality that God is FOR you?
Stories like that of Jackie Robinson open us up to the possibility that our tomorrow can be better than today if we have the courage to move forward in the face of fear and opposition. We all need a vision of a preferred future and the "guts" it requires to make it happen.
What does it take for people to come to the point where they believe they can do something extraordinary for God? How does God use our ordinary struggles and challenges to grow us up in our faith? Watch Eric interview Jeremy Merritt to find out.
Love makes or breaks a marriage. Rediscover the kind of love that makes a marriage last a lifetime!
What does it take to be great? How can you be great now? Being great is easier than you think.
About 50% of the families in our society are what we call blended. Divorce and remarriage has created a muddy, often sticky, reality of relationships that must be navigated with purpose and patience. There is much to consider and navigate, but the purpose of family will yet again be our guide.
No greater, more challenging job exists on our planet than being a parent. Yet, there is no greater joy God has afforded us than the joys that come with parenting. Again, when we come back to the purpose of being a parent, and then parent with that purpose in mind, it keeps us on course. It doesn't get easier, just less complicated.
There is no more beautiful earthly relationship than that of marriage. Rediscovering the purpose of marriage will guide and insure the health of any marriage. Keeping the bigger “Why” in mind provides a clear path for how to be married and love it. Remember, it takes two; actually, it takes three.
Dating is no game; it's a serious deal. But it's so messy, unpredictable, and exhausting - it's complicated. However, when you discover the purpose of dating, it begins to clear up and free up this important season of life. It doesn't have to be as hard as we make it.
There is perhaps no more complicated relational issue in our society than sex. Making sense of the bombardment of mixed messages we receive countless times a day is all about coming back to the purpose of sex. It's more than you think and best when we get it right.
When Jesus died and was buried, it looked like the end. But 3 days later He arose from the grave to prove that the “end” was really just the beginning. That's just how God works. He has a way of creating new beginnings from the parts of our lives that are dead. Because of Jesus, the conclusion is really a new introduction.
Perhaps no tension at work is more tense than the pull and tug between work and home. We gotta work to provide for those we love, but we all know our family relationships are much more important than our jobs. Therein is the tension. Inevitably, someone, at work or home, is gonna get cheated. We must learn how to cheat wisely.
How we work is as important, if not more so, than the fact that we work at all. Attitude matters more than we think. There is a mindset that God wants us to adopt that will keep our attitudes in check. In addition, it'll help us be more effective at work.
We work too much. We rest too little. God has given us a principle to help us find a rhythm of work and rest that will make us more productive and keep us healthy. Without it, we will lose our way. What's more, it's a command, not a suggestion.
We are not likely to have the same job our entire lives. How do you know the right job or career for you? When do you stay at a job you hate? When you do leave to pursue another job? Coming back to the reason we work and who God created us to be will help us navigate these tough decisions.
Most people never stop to think about why it is we work, really. When we discover this, then we see the real reason God created us, and it's not to work. Embracing our true purpose for living will change how we work.
At The Summit, why do we do what we do the way we do it? Why matters because people matter and what we do is eternally significant. We must never lose sight of the “Why”!
Is it all worth the waiting? The truth is, when we find out what we stand to gain in waiting, we realize that we don't really lose all that much. There is a discovery we must make about how God intends on our waiting to work. When we see it and embrace it, Him, then we discover that it's all well worth the wait.
What are we supposed to be doing while we are waiting on God to do what only He can do? Waiting is not “down-time”; in fact, there is still much for us to do while we wait.
So while we wait on God to do what only He can do, what is He doing? If He is working on our behalf, what is He working on?
When we discover how God is working for us it gives us fresh perspective and new energy to continue to wait for Him.
We all would rather not wait, but it seems like we are almost always waiting on something or someone. Waiting on God brings an entirely different set of challenges. But when we discover how God sees waiting, it makes all the difference.
It is simply not enough for us to embrace who God says we are. We must embrace our role as a shaper of the identities of those around us. We must help others know that they are who God says they are, no more, no less, no matter what.
What happens when we mess up so badly that we begin to question our identity? What happens to how God sees us when we disappoint ourself, others and even Him? We must discover that what we do doesn't change who God says we are.
Typically, based on our personalities and experiences, we gravitate towards one of two extremes: either thinking we are less than who God says or thinking we are more than God says we are. Both are dangerous. Both are unnecessary.
When we recenter ourselves on who God says we are, we can live in freedom from the extremes.
Our identity is a mixture of how we see ourselves, how we feel others see us, and how God sees us. We put way too much emphasis on the first 2 and not nearly enough on what God thinks. However, it's what He thinks that matters most. After all, He made you. He knows best.
When all “hell” breaks loose inside you, in your mind and heart, it's a whole different kind of battle. Our great God knows and cares about these inner struggles and invites us to come to Him. Instead of carrying it on your own, learn to run to Him for comfort and hope.
Often it's in our relationships where the “hell” seems to be most prevalent. We are quick to look for someone to blame and a way of escape. However, there is a much better way to navigate the turbulent waters of our friendships, marriage, family, and coworkers.
Then there are those times when it's just keeps on coming and problems seem to go from bad to worse. What is God up to in allowing such times? When God is present but feels very absent because of what's happening around us, we discover there is a bigger, much more important, agenda at work within us.
It's only a matter of time until we go through moments, even long periods of time, when “all hell is breaking loose”. No one is exempt. It's in these times when God seems a million miles away; but is He, really?
There is a decision that must be made by each of us that has the potential of helping you discover your “now” more than anything else. It's a choice made possible by Jesus Christ and what He has done for us. Now is the time to make this decision. In fact, there's never been a better time.
It's not enough for us to just be concerned with our own “now” moments. God has strategically placed us in life and connected us with others so that we can help them embrace their own God-given “now”opportunities. Let's join the long line of Christ-followers who bring others closer to the heart of our amazing God.
There is an activity we can engage that will help us fully embrace and maximize our “now” moments. It'll make your faith more real to you than ever before. It'll grow and mature you spiritually. And it's something you must do now and again and again...
We are not promised tomorrow. Yesterday is already gone. All we have guaranteed each day is today, in each moment, now. Our “now” is a result of our past and prep for our future. Now is important. There is a question to ask ourselves that will help us maximize our “now”. Following God's guidance through it now will make all the difference.