For The Collective Night, Jimmy shares his personal journey of faith, reflecting on his struggle with living a "double life" between his church community and his social circles during high school. He highlights his greatest regret: lying to a younger student of a different ethnicity who asked him to a dance because he was more concerned with his reputation among his peers than with being a "light" as a brother in Christ. Using his "life verse," Ephesians 2:10, Jimmy emphasizes that every person is God’s masterpiece and challenges the students to consider whether they are living to please themselves, others, or Jesus. He concludes by urging the group to go "all in" with their faith and to use their influence to value and treasure those around them rather than succumbing to the pressure of social approval.

In week 4 of the "Radical Life" series, Derrick shares a teaching from the book of Mark, focusing on the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 to illustrate the difference between a "faith of convenience" and a "faith of necessity." He describes how Jesus and his disciples were exhausted and seeking rest, yet when faced with a large, hungry crowd, Jesus chose compassion over comfort. Derrick challenges the middle schoolers to stop taking the easy way out or waiting for "convenient" moments to share their faith, noting that miracles happen when we move beyond minimal effort to do what is necessary for others. By highlighting that Jesus gave His entire life rather than the bare minimum, Derrick encourages the students to live a life defined by spiritual necessity, even when it is uncomfortable or exhausting.

Derrick reflects on a powerful weekend, celebrating the spiritual breakthroughs and life-changing moments experienced by the students. He highlights testimonies from individuals like William, who committed his life to Christ, and others who found peace, surrender, and the importance of community at the altar. Derrick passionately challenges the group to maintain their "fire" and passion for God rather than letting the weekend's momentum fade, urging them to continue their culture of inviting others and building a lasting legacy of faith. The session concludes with a call to lead the wider church in worship and a prayer of gratitude for the work God has done in their lives.

In Session 4 of The WKND, Brian bridges the conclusion of The WKND with the ongoing "Life of Peter" sermon series to explore how to build a lasting spiritual legacy. Reflecting on Peter’s journey from a common fisherman to a bold apostle, Brian highlights that while faith often includes moments of failure and denial—much like Peter’s heartbreaking experience in the high priest's courtyard—failure does not disqualify someone from following Jesus. Drawing from Psalm 1, he argues that a legacy isn't built on isolated emotional moments but on the daily "proximity" of surrounding oneself with the right influences and the "practice" of consistent spiritual habits. Brian illustrates this transformation by showing how a once-fearful Peter, after being filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts 4, stood fearlessly before the same authorities he once fled, proving that a life rooted in Christ can move beyond temporary experiences into a transformative, lifelong mission.

In Session 3 of The WKND 2026, Derrick challenges students to consider the lasting impact of their lives as they conclude The WKND focused on the theme of "Legacy." He emphasizes that a true legacy is not defined by mere church attendance, but by a life built on the "rock" of Jesus and an active relationship with the Holy Spirit. Using a visual metaphor of milk and chocolate syrup, Derrick illustrates that the Holy Spirit should not just reside beside a believer but must be "activated" within them to transform their character and actions. He invites the students to move beyond temporary emotional highs and embrace their roles as "ambassadors for Christ," calling them to make bold decisions regarding salvation, baptism, or even future ministry. Ultimately, Derrick urges his audience to choose a path of obedience and faith, ensuring that their legacy is one of honoring God and inclusively loving others.

In Session Two of The WKND, Derrick challenges his audience to move beyond a superficial faith and honestly evaluate the foundation of their lives. Drawing from the teachings of Jesus in Luke 6, he contrasts the person who builds their life on the solid rock of obedience and true transformation with the person who builds on sand, seeking only temporary emotional highs or "feel-good moments." Derrick shares a personal story of ignoring his grandfather’s rules and the subsequent "crash" to illustrate that simply hearing God’s word without acting on it leads to spiritual collapse. He emphasizes that a legacy of faith requires the hard work of "digging deep"—sacrificing time, effort, and pride—to ensure one's hope is rooted in the blood of Jesus rather than in human comparison or past mistakes. By inviting the audience to reflect on whether their lives show actual change, Derrick concludes with a call to commitment, urging them to decide if they are standing on a firm foundation or a crumbling one.

In Session One of The WKND 2026, Brian explores the vital importance of remembering God's work in our lives to secure our faith for the future. Drawing on the biblical story from Joshua 4, where the Israelites built a stone memorial after miraculously crossing the Jordan River, Brian emphasizes that "miracles fade if we don’t remember them." He candidly shares his own struggles with forgetfulness to illustrate how easily we can lose sight of our identity and God’s goodness when we fail to intentionally commemorate spiritual milestones. By highlighting the enduring impact of a longtime church member named Miss Kay, Brian demonstrates how individual faithfulness creates a ripple effect—or a legacy—that blesses others across generations and even continents. Ultimately, he invites students to experience the "greatest miracle" of salvation through Jesus Christ and encourages them to build personal "memorials" that turn fleeting emotional moments into a lifelong, transformative legacy of faith.

Student Pastor Brian Smith gives a message to the middle schoolers, using the biblical parable of the Prodigal Son to explore how people respond when they "mess up" their lives. He begins with a personal anecdote about a childhood injury caused by his own unwise choices, noting that his first instinct was to run toward his father for help. Brian contrasts this with the common human tendency to run away from God when experiencing shame or failure. By examining Luke 15, he emphasizes that while God allows individuals the freedom to choose their own paths and face the resulting consequences, He remains a compassionate Father who is constantly watching for their return. Brian concludes by encouraging the students to view God not as a harsh judge, but as a loving parent who "runs" to meet those who return home, urging them to share this message of grace with others who may feel defined by their mistakes.

Pastor Jimmy Carter shares his personal journey from being a local student-athlete to becoming the church's new senior pastor. Reflecting on his roots as a "Dunwoody Wildcat," Carter describes how his identity was once solely tied to football, leading to a period of "lukewarm" faith and personal struggle after a failed college recruitment attempt. He recounts how God unexpectedly opened doors for him to play at the University of Kentucky, where a Fellowship of Christian Athletes Bible study eventually led him to fully commit his life to Christ. Using his experience of punting through a record-breaking 73-0 loss to Florida as a backdrop, he encourages the students to embrace their identity as God’s "workmanship" (Ephesians 2:10), emphasizing that their value is found in Jesus rather than performance and expressing his excitement to invest in the next generation of church leaders.

In this second week of the "Radical Life" series, speaker Derrick Milner explores Mark 2, focusing on the story of the four friends who lowered a paralyzed man through a roof to reach Jesus. Derrick emphasizes that a "radical life" requires bringing our entire "mess" to the Messiah rather than trying to compartmentalize our faith. He highlights that Jesus performed an unexpected miracle by prioritizing the man's eternal spiritual healing (forgiveness of sins) over his physical recovery, demonstrating that God cares more about the state of our hearts than our past circumstances.

The message concludes with a challenge to students to be like the four friends: surrounding themselves with a community that pushes them toward Christ and possessing a boldness to do "whatever it takes" to bring others to the Gospel.