DBC Students

Student Night of Worship and Prayer was designed to ignite faith and passion in students before an upcoming camp, emphasizing that spiritual growth doesn't need to wait. The evening focused on preparing hearts to encounter God through singing, communal prayer, and seeking God's presence. The speakers highlighted the power of prayer, especially when done collectively, stressing that it's a potent weapon against life's struggles and spiritual battles. They encouraged students to take the moment seriously, regardless of whether they were new to the experience or not, promising that drawing near to God would result in God drawing near to them.

Throughout the night, there were several worship songs and prayer moments led by different individuals. A key theme was intercessory prayer, particularly for the new students attending the camp who might not yet have a relationship with Jesus. The message conveyed was that through salvation, believers are made righteous, making their prayers powerful and effective. Students were encouraged to form small groups to pray for these individuals, trusting that God's will to "seek and save that which is lost" would be realized at the camp. The event aimed to build anticipation and a spiritual foundation for the camp, with the hope that the revival experienced that night would continue and lead to life-changing encounters with God.

In a recap of 2025 Student mission trips, Derrick Milner highlighted two impactful experiences: a middle school trip to Venice, Florida, and two high school trips to Guatemala.

Derrick described the two-and-a-half-week mission to Venice, Florida, where middle schoolers put on a Vacation Bible School (VBS) for a Hungarian church. He admitted to initial anxiety due to uncertainty about attendance, with only one child, Josh, showing up on the first day. However, this allowed the students to deeply minister to him, exemplifying the "power of one" that had been discussed prior to the trip. The following days saw increased attendance, with five children, primarily middle and high schoolers, attending. This unexpected demographic allowed the students to minister to peers their own age, fostering deep relationships, even leading to one scholarship recipient attending camp. Students shared their takeaways, with Kaden emphasizing God's constant presence, Summer noting God's ability to move even with small numbers, Lily finding peace in the message "God is in control, not you," Caitlin recognizing the power of testimonies, and Anna highlighting the ability to change lives regardless of attendance.

Derrick then discussed the two high school trips to Guatemala, praising them as his favorite mission experiences. Working with the "Revive" organization and its founder, Omar, the teams focused on providing sustainability, clean water, and food to impoverished communities. Students conducted home visits, offering water filters and sharing their faith. Milner was particularly moved by the hospitality of the Guatemalan people, who, despite having little, generously offered food and drinks.

A significant achievement of the trip was building farm boxes, chicken coops, and mushroom huts which, for one family, provided enough resources to sustain them for 15 years, allowing them to grow their own food and sell the surplus. Students like Josh shared how the trip was "mindset changing," seeing people’s happiness despite their circumstances. Matt realized if they could do so much in an "extreme situation" like Guatemala, they could do more in their daily lives. Abby expressed gratitude for what they have and the value of connecting with the local community, while Noah learned about the ups and downs of God's work, but also about God's constant presence.

Derrick emphasized that these mission trips are not just about serving in distant lands, but about shifting perspective and recognizing the same responsibility to serve at home. He shared an impactful anecdote about students distributing leftover food to those in need in Guatemala, underscoring that acts of service and sharing the gospel should not be confined to mission trips. He challenged the audience to be as passionate about sharing their faith with friends and family in Dunwoody as they are with strangers abroad, stressing that there are over 6,000 middle and high school students in their city who need to hear the message of Jesus. He concluded by encouraging everyone to live out their faith more passionately and to continue the conversations about the mission trips, inviting those interested to speak with the students who participated.

In his sermon, Intern Zach Milner discusses the concept of unshakable faith, drawing parallels between the biblical story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and contemporary society. He begins by recounting how King Nebuchadnezzar commanded everyone to bow down to a golden idol, with the penalty of being thrown into a blazing furnace for disobedience. While thousands conformed, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego famously refused to worship the idol, demonstrating unwavering loyalty to God.

Milner emphasizes that modern society often presents similar pressures to conform to worldly standards that may contradict one's faith. He urges listeners to stand firm in their convictions during trials and temptations, recognizing these as opportunities for God to reveal and strengthen their faith. The speaker highlights Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's resolute declaration that their God could deliver them, but even if He didn't, they would still not serve false gods. This illustrates that true faith is not dependent on a desired outcome, but on an unyielding relationship with God. Milner concludes by noting that such unwavering faith not only builds personal character but also serves as a powerful testament to others, ultimately pointing them towards God.

In Week 2 of "Distracted", Intern Zach Milner emphasizes the critical difference between a "counterfeit gospel" and the true gospel, which offers an abundant life through Jesus Christ. He explains that while many people try to earn God's love and salvation through good deeds or religious practices, this leads to an empty, counterfeit life. This mirrors the early church in Galatia, who, despite initially understanding the true gospel, began to drift back into trying to earn God's favor through adherence to the law. Milner highlights that Jesus' sacrifice was not merely to make "bad people good," but to transform "dead people alive" by adopting them as sons and daughters, granting them a secure and unearned relationship with God.

Zach stresses that this adoption is final and unchangeable, meaning believers are no longer slaves to sin, guilt, or insecurity. Instead, they are heirs to God's promises, loved unconditionally regardless of their imperfections. He challenges listeners to examine if they are living like "spiritual orphans" trying to earn what has already been freely given, urging them to embrace the freedom and joy that comes from understanding their true identity as beloved children of God. The ultimate message is to receive God's grace and love rather than striving for it, leading to a life of relationship and intimacy with the Father.

In week one of the sermon series, "Distracted," Creative and Communications Director, Jonathan Talbert, emphasizes how easily we can get sidetracked from our primary goal as Christians: to glorify God and bring others to His kingdom. He explains that distractions, whether from phones, school, friends, video games, or even our own minds, lead to "destructive mistakes." Drawing a parallel to sports, he highlights how missing small steps can prevent a team from reaching its championship goal. Talbert quotes the saying, "The devil doesn't need to destroy you if he can distract you," suggesting that even a slight deviation from our path can lead us astray.

Jonathan outlines three ways we become distracted: having a discombobulated belief, meaning our beliefs are confused or wavering; a deviated base, where we compromise our fundamental Christian teachings; and forgetting our distinct belonging as followers of Christ. He stresses that God will never distract or confuse us, only direct us. Referencing the parable of the wise and foolish builders, he illustrates the importance of building our faith on a firm foundation (the "rock") rather than shifting sands. Finally, he encourages listeners to be "focused followers" who seek "authentic abundance" in Christ, much like a baby zebra imprints on its mother's distinct smell, pattern, and sound to avoid getting lost in the herd. He urges regular quiet time to discern God's voice amidst life's distractions.

The second week of a series called "Breakout," which focuses on dealing with stress. He explains that this is a recurring series because stress is a constant in everyone's daily lives.

Milner emphasizes that everyone experiences stress, from small irritations to major life challenges. He reminds the audience of the previous week's lesson: to cast our cares on God because He cares for us. While giving our worries to God doesn't eliminate problems, it means God will see us through them. He challenges the audience to truly believe they can take every stressful situation to Jesus, no matter how insignificant it seems. Milner then explores various sources of stress, including peer expectations, parental pressures, the weight of leadership, and the desire to perform well in school, sports, or even church. He admits that even he, as a speaker, experiences stress, particularly with upcoming mission trips and camps, stressing that attending church doesn't magically solve all problems or make one perfect. He also touches on the stress of comparison and the importance of striving to be who God designed us to be, rather than trying to imitate others.

Milner introduces the concept of stress leading to fear, drawing from Proverbs 29:25, which states, "The fear of man will prove to be a snare." He explains that fear, if allowed to control our lives, can trap us, much like a mousetrap ensnares a mouse. He uses a physical demonstration with mousetraps to illustrate this point, emphasizing that fear is a dangerous tool used by Satan to keep us from God's plan and to make us feel unworthy or stuck in cycles of sin. He cites Psalm 107, verses 10-13, to show that even when people are in dire situations due to rebellion against God, crying out to Him leads to salvation from distress and broken chains. This leads to his core message: to overcome stress, we must trade our stress for God's strength by giving Him everything and truly trusting Him.

To further illustrate his point, Milner conducts an exercise where he is blindfolded and guided through a maze of mousetraps by his intern, Zach. This demonstrates the necessity of trusting God even when we can't see the way forward. He likens the temptations and distractions in life to the audience's shouts, trying to get him to step on a mousetrap, and stresses the importance of tuning out the noise and listening to God's voice. Milner concludes by urging the audience to not take moments of worship for granted and to make a decision to truly know God now. He explains that salvation comes from confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. He stresses that this relationship with God is the source of strength to overcome stress and fear, encouraging anyone who feels ready to make that commitment to speak with him or another leader. He ends with a prayer, asking God to help those feeling stuck to give everything over to Him and to live a life devoted to Him.

Derrick Milner encourages the Students to fully engage in worship, setting aside distractions to focus on Jesus. He emphasizes that salvation belongs to God alone and highlights God's love and provision, urging everyone to truly believe in God's ability to provide, regardless of past mistakes. Milner then leads the group in prayer, first for personal forgiveness and drawing closer to God, and then for the city of Dunwoody, specifically for the over 6,000 middle and high school students to hear the gospel. He also prays for revival and unity within their student ministry, expressing a desire for genuine faith and a willingness to share it. Finally, Milner leads prayers for specific individuals, including Brian as he goes on sabbatical and Liam, who is moving to Chile for the summer, asking for spiritual growth, safety, and continued connection within their church family, before concluding with more worship.

In Week 3 of, "We Are The Church," Student Pastor Brian Smith challenges the middle schoolers to shift their understanding of faith from performance-based to pursuit-based. He begins by acknowledging an unexpected change in his sermon schedule, leading him to deliver a message he considers "desperately important" for students to grasp. He highlights that many common ideas about being a Christian are inaccurate and can hinder a true experience of faith. As a real-life example, he shares the heartbreaking story of a high school student whose parents forbade her from attending church after she accepted Jesus, due to their preconceived, negative notions about Christians and churches.

Brian argues that almost everything in life, from school grades and sports to medical professions, is performance-based, and this emphasis on performance often brings immense pressure, turning enjoyable activities into burdensome chores. He warns that this performance-based mindset can "seep into our faith," leading individuals to believe that God's blessing is conditional upon their good behavior and adherence to rules. He describes this as a "performance-based faith" where "if I do good, then God will bless me," and conversely, if one falters, God withdraws His love. Such a faith, he explains, transforms spiritual practices like church attendance, worship, and Bible reading into tedious obligations, ultimately causing faith to "wither," "grow shallow," and even "die."

Drawing from the Apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians,Brian illustrates how Paul, once a fervent persecutor of Christians and a master of performance-based righteousness (being blameless under the law, a Pharisee, and meticulously following all commandments), ultimately deemed all his past achievements as "loss because of Christ." Paul discovered that knowing Jesus and having a personal relationship with Him far "surpasses the value of anything else that performance-based faith could bring." Smith emphasizes that with Jesus, faith is not about achieving perfection or following a rigid checklist, but about the continuous "pursuit" of Him. He urges the middle schoolers to actively pursue Jesus by reading their Bibles not out of obligation, but out of a desperate desire to know Him, and to bring their doubts and fears to Him in prayer.

Finally, Brian offers practical advice for pursuing Jesus, highlighting two key points: first, that God is actively pursuing humanity, demonstrating His desire for a relationship before any human effort is made; and second, the crucial role of community. Just as marathon runners need supporters scattered along the race to encourage them when they hit "the wall," believers need each other to "push us forward, to give us the courage to keep going" when faith grows weary. He concludes by expressing his hope that when he returns from his five-week absence, the students' faith will be deeper and stronger, not from better performance, but from a heartfelt pursuit of the King of Kings, recognizing that this pursuit is "more valuable than anything you could possibly experience."

In week 2 of their series, "We Are the Church," Student Pastor Brian Smith focuses on the book of Philippians. He briefly recapped the previous week's message, emphasizing that they were created as citizens of heaven, entitled to its benefits now, and called to join its mission of bringing others to know God.

Pastor Brian then explained that the idea of "church" often defaults to a building, but the true church is the people, the body of Jesus working together. He stressed that the student ministry was their church just as much as anyone else's and urged them to see it that way. He then delved into Philippians 2:1-2, where Paul encourages the church with the concepts of encouragement in Christ, consolation of love, fellowship with the Spirit, affection, and mercy, all leading to complete joy through unity in thought, love, spirit, and purpose. He defined encouragement as giving courage, love as providing comfort, belonging, and belief, and fellowship with the Spirit as accessing God's power within them.

Moving into Philippians 2:3-4, Pastor Brian presented the challenge: to do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others more important than themselves, looking out for their interests. He defined "selfish ambition" as something that creates "split parties" or cliques within the church, which can be destructive. He contrasted this with true humility, which isn't thinking less of oneself but thinking of oneself less, focusing on others. To cultivate this humility, he reiterated the need for encouragement, love, and the power of the Holy Spirit within the church body.

Pastor Brian then illustrated true humility by referencing a worship song quoted in Philippians 2:5-11, highlighting Jesus' example. Despite his divine nature, Jesus humbled himself by taking the form of a servant, becoming obedient to death on a cross, demonstrating ultimate selflessness. He challenged the middle schoolers to embrace this attitude to build a thriving ministry. He concluded by emphasizing that real joy is tied to real humility, drawing from Paul's example of finding joy even in the face of death because of his commitment to serving God and others. He prayed that the students would experience a deep and real faith characterized by humility and joy, fueled by encouragement, love, and the power of the Holy Spirit.