In this special episode of Monday Morning Faith, Dave is joined by Keira Eirich (Kids Director), Nick Campbell (Worship Pastor) and TJ Earl (Youth & Young Adults Pastor) to talk about the Christmas season and trusting in Christ as our solid rock and firm foundation.

This powerful conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount forces us to confront an uncomfortable truth: we're all building something, and the only question is what foundation we're building on. Jesus presents us with two builders, two houses, and the same devastating storm—but drastically different outcomes. The difference? Obedience. We live in a culture saturated with spiritual information—podcasts, devotionals, Bible studies, sermons on 1.5 speed—yet Jesus isn't impressed with how much we know. He's after transformation, and transformation happens when hearing becomes doing. The rock Jesus speaks of isn't our discipline, church attendance, or willpower—it's Jesus himself and our obedience to his words. This message challenges us to examine where we've become experts in hearing but amateurs in doing. Are we building our lives on the shifting sand of partial obedience, cultural Christianity, and spiritual convenience? Or are we anchored in the rock that withstands every storm? The invitation isn't to try harder—it's to anchor deeper. Because storms don't care what we know; they reveal what we've obeyed. And when life shakes us, the question won't be whether we attended church or knew the right verses—it will be whether we actually built our lives on the one foundation that cannot fall.

In today's episode, Donny and Dave talk about how faith takes root through seeds planted early in our walk with God and the fruit that is produced through our reliance on Jesus alone.

What if everything we've built our faith on turns out to be counterfeit? This powerful message from Matthew 7:21-23 confronts us with one of Jesus' most sobering warnings: not everyone who calls Him 'Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven. Through the striking image of counterfeit twenty-dollar bills that look real but hold no value, we're challenged to examine whether our faith is genuine or merely religious activity. Jesus reveals that real faith isn't about saying the right words, attending church regularly, or even performing miracles in His name. Instead, it's about doing the will of the Father—living in obedient relationship with Him. The passage exposes a terrifying possibility: we can be surrounded by faith, doing good works, speaking truth, and still be strangers to Jesus. Many will stand before Him confident in their salvation, pointing to their ministry resumes—'Lord, didn't we prophesy, cast out demons, and do mighty works in Your name?'—only to hear the devastating words, 'I never knew you.' This isn't about earning salvation through works; it's about understanding that genuine salvation produces real transformation. The question isn't what we've done for Jesus, but whether we truly know Him in intimate, surrendered relationship. Are we fans cheering from the stands, or followers who've stepped onto the field? Today is the day to examine our foundation and ensure we're trusting in Christ alone, not our religious credentials or spiritual activity.

This week on Monday Morning Faith, Donny and Dave talk about Jesus being in every area of our life and choosing to walk the narrow path.

We're presented with one of the most sobering truths in all of Scripture: there are only two paths in life, and every single one of us is walking on one of them right now. Drawing from Matthew 7:13-20, we explore Jesus's teaching about the narrow gate and the wide gate—two roads with vastly different destinations. The narrow way requires us to drop our baggage of pride, self-righteousness, and sin at the door. It's the path of surrender, repentance, and daily choosing to follow Christ. The wide road, meanwhile, looks easy and inviting, crowded with affirmation and comfort, but it leads to destruction. What makes this message so powerful is the reminder that we can't drift into the kingdom of God—salvation is intentional, not accidental. Jesus isn't trying to keep us out; He's inviting us into real, abundant life. But we must come through the one door: Him. The question isn't which church we attend or what we say we believe, but which way we're actually walking. Are we carrying too much into the gate—our ego, our sin, our 'I'll do it my way' attitude? The gate isn't small because God is exclusive; it's small because our pride won't fit through. This message challenges us to examine our hearts honestly and asks: which path are we truly on today?

On this chilly Monday morning, Donny and Dave chat about ways to strengthen your marriage and how mercy triumphs over judgement.

Matthew 7 challenges us to examine the difference between righteous discernment and hypocritical judgment. We discover that Jesus isn't forbidding us from ever making moral evaluations—instead, He's calling us to start with humility and self-examination. The vivid image of trying to remove a speck from someone's eye while a log protrudes from our own reveals how blind we can be to our own faults while hyper-focused on others' shortcomings. The message invites us into a transformative rhythm of dependence on our Heavenly Father through persistent asking, seeking, and knocking. This isn't about manipulating God but about drawing close enough that our desires align with His heart. When we grasp that we serve a generous Father who loves giving good gifts to His children, everything changes—including how we treat others. The Golden Rule becomes not just a moral platitude but a gospel-powered way of life where we reflect the grace we've received. We're challenged to move from the judge's bench to our knees, from criticism to compassion, and from self-righteousness to Spirit-dependence. This upside-down kingdom life means we don't wait for others to deserve grace—we lead with it because we've been lavished with it first.

On today's episode, Donny and Dave talk about Donny's Crossfit progress and what's next at Fountain City Church.

This message cuts straight to the heart of our modern struggle with anxiety and control through Jesus's timeless words in Matthew 6:33-34. We're challenged to examine what we're truly seeking first in our lives—are we building our own little kingdoms of comfort and security, or are we pursuing God's reign and righteousness? The contrast is stark: when we seek first our own kingdom, anxiety rules our lives because we simply don't have the power to control everything. But when we seek His kingdom first, peace begins to reign. The Greek word for 'seek' means to actively pursue, to go hard after something—this isn't casual Sunday Christianity. We're called to live under God's authority, reflect His character, and join His mission, which means prioritizing obedience over comfort, holiness over happiness, mission over maintenance, and trust over control. The beautiful promise attached to this priority is that God will take care of 'all these things'—our daily needs. Like the Israelites receiving manna each morning, we're learning to depend on God daily rather than borrowing tomorrow's trouble. This isn't passive laziness but active faith that works hard while trusting the Provider rather than our plans. When we stop trying to live tomorrow before it arrives, we discover that God's grace is sufficient for today, and tomorrow's grace will come exactly when we need it.