DBC Students

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.

Derrick Milner welcomes students back for the new year of 2026 and introduces a new series titled "Radical Life," which will explore the entire Gospel of Mark over several months.

Using the first eight verses of Mark 1, Derrick focuses on the "unexpected" nature of John the Baptist—an eccentric figure living in the wilderness who God chose to prepare the way for Jesus. He emphasizes that a radical life of faith requires three things: trusting God’s timing, recognizing that God uses unexpected people (regardless of their past or appearance), and maintaining an unexpected selflessness that points others toward Christ rather than oneself.

Derrick challenges the students to evaluate whether their own New Year's resolutions and daily schedules have left God out, urging them to choose selflessness and obedience over their own selfish plans.

Student Pastor Brian Smith recounts the biblical story of Zechariah and Elizabeth from the beginning of Luke's Gospel, setting it against the backdrop of the 400 years of silence following the Old Testament's final prophecy in Malachi. He emphasizes that during this time, God's people likely felt forgotten, a feeling many students can relate to when facing personal struggles or unanswered prayers. The message focuses on the moment the angel Gabriel appears to the elderly priest Zechariah in the temple, announcing that his barren wife, Elizabeth, will bear a son named John (later known as John the Baptist). This birth is revealed to be the fulfillment of the Malachi prophecy—John will be the prophet "like Elijah" who prepares the people for the Lord. Zechariah's doubt, resulting in him being temporarily unable to speak, serves as an example of how people can become so focused on their difficult circumstances (like 400 years of silence or being old) that they forget the power of God's promises. The ultimate takeaway is that God is always faithful and keeps His promises, offering assurance of forgiveness, strength, peace, and eternal life, even when people feel forgotten or have forgotten Him.

🙏 Kate Bacon's Testimony

Kate Bacon, who grew up in the church and graduated from Dunwoody High School in 2022, shared her personal testimony about finding her identity in Jesus Christ while navigating the challenges of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Although she understood the gospel from a young age and committed her life to Christ at seven, she admitted that throughout middle and high school, she was driving her own life, only turning to God when things were difficult. Her rigorous experience at West Point—which challenged her with deep-seated fears like a fear of heights and required her to endure intense stress, lack of sleep, and hard leadership decisions—ultimately brought her to her knees, demonstrating that she could do nothing in her own strength. Kate's journey taught her the critical lesson that true identity is found not in worldly accomplishments, performance (grades, sports, etc.), or future plans, but solely as a child of God, and that trusting in His different, yet infinitely better, plan brings profound peace and joy.

Sebbi Harrison, a middle schooler, delivered a speech focusing on 1 Timothy 4:12, which says, "Never let anyone look down on you because you're young, but set an example for them." Drawing from his personal experience of feeling overlooked as the youngest brother and initially small and new to the church, Sebbi emphasized that young people, specifically middle schoolers, can and should make a significant difference, both within the church and in the world. He shared how a simple act of welcome by an older peer, Dillon, helped him feel included, illustrating the power of setting a positive example. Sebbi encouraged his fellow students to be leaders and boldly show their faith everywhere—in school, on sports fields, and in the church—because they are a vital core part of the church, and people are always looking to them for an example, especially those who are new. He concluded by reiterating his belief that through sharing their faith and leadership, young people will continue to do great things.

Avery's Message: Learning How to Be Still

Avery's message, "Learning how to be still," encourages middle schoolers to find rest and peace in God despite their overwhelming, busy schedules of school, sports, and other activities. She shares that she herself struggled with being still, which God addressed first with a gentle reminder, then a stop sign, and finally through a fractured arm, forcing her to slow down. Citing scripture like Matthew 11:28 ("Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest") and Psalm 46:10 ("Be still and know that I am God"), Avery explains that God is commanding them to stop rushing and invites them to exchange their heavy burdens of stress and worry for His easy yoke and light burden. Ultimately, she urges them to stop, open the invitation to God's presence, and trade their stress for peace, joy, and rest.

Derrick Milner wraps up "The Grave Robber" series by emphasizing that true faith requires shifting one's focus from personal efforts and religious actions to a genuine, heart-felt relationship with Jesus Christ. He opens by reflecting on powerful worship and announcing the upcoming "collective night," then recounts the series' previous themes: Jesus makes the impossible possible (raising the widow's son) and no one is too far gone (Jairus's daughter). Milner then introduces the final point using the story of Jesus's resurrection from Matthew 27-28, highlighting the stark contrast between the disciples, who were initially hopeless but then worshiped the resurrected Jesus, and the Jewish leaders, who were focused on discrediting the resurrection with a cover-up story. He asserts that many people, like the Jewish leaders who were obsessed with following 630 laws, focus on actions (church attendance, prayer, being a "good person") rather than on a transformed heart, which leads to self-focused faith. Milner concludes that wherever your focus is, your heart will be also; therefore, salvation is not earned by doing enough—it is a gift received by confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in his resurrection, which naturally leads to actions that glorify God.