FOUNT

Discipleship isn't about casual commitment, it's about radical surrender.

In Luke 14:25–33, we are confronted with the cost of truly following Jesus. Discipleship calls us to more than just a surface-level decision; it's a radical reordering of priorities. Jesus challenges us to "hate" our family and even our own lives, not as a call to self-hatred, but to choose God's will over our own, even when it's hard.

Pastor Ryan Sclachter reminds us that true discipleship requires us to examine our hearts, ambitions, and desires in light of our commitment to Christ. It's about daily surrender bearing our cross, not suppressing our personality or self-worth, but choosing God's plan over our own.

While the cost of following Jesus is high, the cost of not following Him is infinitely higher. As we count the cost, we discover that what we gain in Christ far outweighs what we give up.

In this week's Leadership Lessons, we're invited to consider what it means to build altars to the Lord in our everyday lives. Drawing from 1 Kings 18, Pastor Layla Nahavandi challenges us to become modern-day Elijahs people marked by both public demonstrations of faith and private intimacy with God.

This message reminds us that true spiritual authority is forged not only on platforms but in prayer closets. It's in the quiet places through consistent prayer, faith, and obedience that we build the kind of altars that attract heaven's fire. As we cultivate a lifestyle rooted in seeking God's presence, we prepare the ground for revival in our hearts and communities. Let this be a call to rebuild the secret place, knowing that what happens there empowers everything we do in the open.

Faith doesn't ignore reality, it speaks to it.

Layla Nahavandi unpacks the charge of Mark 11:22–24, where Jesus calls us to mountain-moving faith not rooted in hype, but in His Word.

Believing isn't passive. It's active trust. Speaking what God said, standing when nothing looks like it's shifting. Faith is obedience. It seeks the Word, speaks the Word, and prays like it's already done.

This is the way of the Kingdom. The way Jesus taught. The way mountains move.

In this week's Leadership Lessons, we're invited into a deeper examination of our integrity through the lens of Matthew 5:33–37. Pastor Ryan Schlachter challenges us to consider what it means to be people whose words carry the weight of truth. Jesus calls us beyond legalistic oath-making into a life where our "yes" is yes and our "no" is no where honesty is not conditional but foundational.

This message confronts the subtle ways we compromise truth through half-truths, exaggeration, or fear-driven silence. We're reminded that deception, no matter how small, echoes the voice of the enemy, not the heart of Christ. As disciples, we're called to reflect God's character through our speech, walking in a trustworthiness that needs no embellishment. When we align our hearts with our words, we cultivate a life of authenticity one that testifies to the truth-telling nature of our Savior.

Retaliation isn't something we resist in our own strength, it's something we surrender to Jesus.

Brittany Smigielski unpacks the radical call of Matthew 5:38–42, where Jesus confronts our instinct for revenge and invites us into a higher way, the way of peacemaking.

Turning the other cheek, giving more than what's asked, walking the second mile are not passive responses. They are powerful acts of love rooted in Heaven's logic.

Peacemaking is not weakness, it's courage clothed in grace. IHumility that confronts hurt, generosity that disrupts greed, and service that silences oppression.

This is the way of the cross. The way Jesus lived. The way we're called to follow.

Confront isn't about conflict for conflict's sake, it's about transformation.

In this message, Pastor Ryan Schlachter opens up Matthew 5:38–41, where Jesus confronts our desire for retaliation and control. The law said, "eye for eye," but Jesus invites us into something deeper: a life where grace disarms offense and love silences revenge.

This isn't weakness it's courage. The courage to name our pain, resist passive silence, and choose dignity over dominance. Jesus doesn't ask us to ignore injustice or absorb abuse. He shows us how to confront with clarity, restraint, and Spirit-empowered peace.

As we step into this new series, we're reminded: confrontation in the Kingdom isn't about proving a point it's about pointing to a Savior. Turn the other cheek. Walk the second mile. Let go without losing yourself. These are revelations of a Kingdom heart.

In this week's Leadership Lessons, we're challenged to see conflict not as something to avoid, but as a sacred opportunity for growth. Drawing from Psalm 133 and James 1:19–20, we're reminded that unity isn't something we manufacture, it flows from God.

Pastor Josh Kelsey encourages us to shift from judgment to curiosity, especially in tense moments, and to practice a "holy pause" before reacting. By validating emotions both ours and others', we create space for God to move in our relationships. It's in these challenging interactions that our faith is tested, refined, and matured. Just as Christ prayed for unity in John 17, we're called to stay at the table, even when it's uncomfortable, believing that tension can become a pathway to deeper understanding and spiritual transformation.

Unity isn't something we manufacture, it's something we join.

Pastor Josh Kelsey unpacks the profound mystery of unity through Psalm 133, showing us that unity is spiritual, sacrificial, and supernatural. It begins with Jesus, our Anointed Head, and flows down through His Body. When we come under His authority, we receive His fullness. Grace upon grace. Unity isn't loud or flashy it's gentle, hidden, yet deeply life-giving.

Unity is the soil where eternal life grows. Jesus prayed for it. The Spirit empowers it. And the world sees Him through it.

As we close our Ascent series, we see that the climb was never just about reaching a destination, it was about becoming a people marked by obedience. Every step, every surrender, every "yes" has shaped us into a dwelling place for God. Obedience is the path. Unity is the fruit. And God's presence is the reward.

God's strategy has always been multiplication, not accumulation.

In this weeks Leadership Lesson, Pastor Josh Kelsey unpacks Numbers 11 and the moment when God took the Spirit that was on Moses and placed it on the seventy elders, showing us that leadership was never meant to be carried alone. Impartation happens when the burden outweighs our capacity, and it's in those moments we learn this was never about us, it's always been God.

If you've been carrying the weight of leadership, ministry, or vision alone, this episode is a prophetic reminder that multiplication requires unity, surrender, and supernatural trust. Pastor Josh challenges us to ask: Who are you gathering? Are you creating space for others? Are you submitted before you're leading?

The journey of discipleship demands more than belief it requires a daily "yes." A yes that's rooted in God's Word, anchored in His promises, and willing to pay the cost. Obedience isn't optional; it's essential.

Pastor Steph Rivas walks us through Psalm 132, showing how obedience has a history, will cost us daily, and leads us to hope. Obedience isn't just about rules, it's about relationship and when we say yes to Jesus, we're aligning with Him for a lifetime. This isn't about behavior modification. It's about heart transformation. God isn't asking for part of your life, He wants all of it. And He's worthy of it.