Hazen Stevens Podcast

Worship and prayer rise like incense before God, and his blessing comes down like oil. In Part 1 of Incense & Oil, Pastor Hazen Stevens opens the Psalms of Ascent, the songs pilgrims sang on the road up to Jerusalem, the same songs Jesus sang as a boy. From Psalm 122 he shows four marks of the one who goes up: a joyful response to God's invitation, united praise, an altar that is also a throne we can petition, and the release of shalom, nothing broken, nothing lacking, nothing lost.

Key Scriptures: Psalm 122, Psalm 133, Acts 10:4, 2 Corinthians 2:15, Hebrews 4:16, Luke 2:41-52

The Call: let the Prince of Peace bring his shalom into your heart, then your home, then your city. This week, pray for the peace of Atlanta and ascend daily with us in prayer.

For more, visit gatecitybuckhead.com

In Part 7 of Family Matters, Pastor Hazen Stevens closes seven weeks in Ephesians with a question: why does Paul end a letter about family with armor? Because the family God is building has an enemy, and the person across the table is never it.

Before the armor come three things: strength that comes from the Lord, a struggle that is not against flesh and blood, and an evil day no one gets to schedule. Then, piece by piece, the full armor of God: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet fitted with the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. And after the armor: pray, pray, pray.

Key Scriptures: Ephesians 6:10-24, John 10:10

The Call: be strong in the Lord, suit up before the evil day comes, and take your stand in prayer for your family and all the Lord's people.

For more, visit gatecitybuckhead.com

In Part 6 of Family Matters, Pastor Hazen Stevens opens Ephesians 5 and the call to walk as children of light. Once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord, so live like it.

From "not even a hint" of what belongs to the dark, to the truth that light is how words travel, this message traces what it looks like to receive the light of Christ and release it through your speech: words that bless, a life kept filled, gates that are guarded.

Key Scriptures: Ephesians 5:1-14

The Call: receive His light, release it through your words, and make one concrete commitment this week to walk as a child of light.

For more, visit gatecitybuckhead.com

In Part 5 of Family Matters, Pastor Hazen Stevens crosses the great pivot of Ephesians: after three chapters of what God has done, Paul turns and says "walk worthy of the calling to which you have been called." Not to earn the fullness, but to live it out.

From the unity of one body and one Spirit to the gifts that equip the family to build itself in love, from putting on the new man to putting away the old, this message traces what the walk actually looks like when grace goes first: a life renewed from the inside, imitating God as dearly loved children.

Key Scriptures: Ephesians 4:1-6, Ephesians 4:7-16, Ephesians 4:17-24, Ephesians 4:25-32, Ephesians 5:1-2

For more, visit gatecitybuckhead.com

In Part 4 of Family Matters, Pastor Hazen Stevens reads Ephesians 1-3 the way you'd read a mountain range: following the recurring words, the pivots, and the crescendo that builds until God's family becomes God's dwelling place, filled with all His fullness.

From the eight-fold trail of "in Him" to the mystery that erupts in chapter 3, this message traces one chain: blessed, chosen, adopted, made alive, seated, brought near, built together, filled. And the crescendo is always love, a love that surpasses knowledge, prayed over your home by name.

Key Scriptures: Ephesians 1:3-14, Ephesians 1:15-23, Ephesians 3:1-13, Ephesians 3:14-21, Ephesians 4:1

For more, visit gatecitybuckhead.com

In Part 3 of Family Matters, Pastor Hazen Stevens explores the incredible purpose of spiritual family: God’s family is meant to become God’s home. Ephesians describes a progression from strangers, to citizens, to family, to a house, and ultimately to a dwelling place where God lives by His Spirit.But becoming a dwelling place requires more than knowing about God—we are invited to interact with God through His Spirit. This message explores how we can move deeper than the rational level through worship, prayer, Scripture, vulnerability, and intentional time in God’s presence—both personally and together. As we learn to enter in with one another, God forms us into a people who can be filled with all His fullness.Key Scriptures:Ephesians 2:19–22, Ephesians 3:14–20, John 4:23–24, Matthew 18:20, Acts 5:15–16Main Points:1. God’s family is meant to become a dwelling place for His presence2. God desires more than intellectual knowledge—He invites us to know and encounter Him by the Spirit3. Worship, prayer, praying in the Spirit, and meditation on Scripture help us move deeper than the rational level4. Shame, inadequacy, busyness, and information without encounter can keep us from entering into God’s presence5. We cultivate His presence by tending our personal fire, setting aside intentional time, and learning to enter in together6. Vulnerability joins the stones—especially in the small places of family, friendship, and spiritual community7. When a people become God’s dwelling place, His presence can saturate and overflow through them➤ For more, visit presencecenteredlife.comNotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gODmszKUPNoEJBKxzMSJOqpG6W5pN4aRvVpqeP-RErs/edit?usp=sharing#FamilyMatters #ADwellingPlaceForGod #Ephesians2 #Ephesians3 #PresenceOfGod #SpiritualFamily #HolySpirit #PresenceCenteredLife #PrayerAndWorship #ChristianPodcast #SundaySermon

In the opening message of Family Matters, Pastor Hazen Stevens begins a journey through Ephesians with the story of his sister’s adoption and a powerful truth at the heart of the gospel: God chose us. Paul tells us how to live as family, he tells us that in Christ we have already been chosen, adopted, and brought fully into the family of God.We are not second-class members of God’s household or children who have to earn our place. We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing and welcomed into the Father’s love and inheritance. And this was never an afterthought—God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. When we truly believe that we are wanted, chosen, and loved, it changes how we relate to God and how we love the people around us.Key Scriptures:Ephesians 1:3–14, Romans 8:29Main Points:1. In Christ, we have been chosen and adopted into the family of God2. We are not second-class children—we receive the full love and inheritance of the Father3. We are first in the affections of God4. Our adoption was always God’s plan, not an afterthought5. Being chosen gives us both privilege and responsibility as members of God’s family6. Because we have been welcomed in, we are called to welcome others into the family➤ For more, visit presencecenteredlife.comBlog : https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ByPmI0KDeMHtu2S-L5rQ8sTcYn9-vAjC75_N72rlkDk/edit?usp=sharing#FamilyMatters #SheWasChosen #Ephesians1 #ChosenByGod #Adopted #FamilyOfGod #IdentityInChrist #PresenceCenteredLife #ChristianPodcast #SundaySermon

In Part 2 of Family Matters, Pastor Hazen Stevens explores Paul’s prayer that the eyes of our hearts would be **flooded with light**. We can hear that God loves us, know the gospel, and even believe that we are chosen—yet still need the Holy Spirit to reveal the depth of what those truths actually mean.At the center of that revelation is Jesus. We were chosen and loved so completely that Christ willingly gave His life for us. Paul prays that what we know in our minds would become revelation in our hearts—that we would truly see the hope we have in Christ, how precious His people are to Him, and the incredible power of God at work on our behalf.Key Scriptures:Ephesians 1:15–21Main Points:1. Spiritual truth must move from information to revelation2. The Holy Spirit floods the eyes of our hearts with light so we can truly see3. Jesus chose us and demonstrated the depth of His love by giving His life for us4. We are precious to God—His people are described as His glorious inheritance5. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work for those who believe6. Paul’s prayer gives us a model for asking God to make these truths real in our hearts➤ For more, visit presencecenteredlife.comBlog: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TjvHeNIz4cK1sXhZAVsLjyIg-414SD5vpM-qip6_YqM/edit?usp=sharing#FamilyMatters #FloodedWithLight #Ephesians1 #ChosenByGod #LoveOfJesus #EyesOfTheHeart #SpiritualRevelation #PresenceCenteredLife #ChristianPodcast #SundaySermon

In the final message of the Detox series, Pastor Hazen Stevens reveals that lasting transformation isn't found in trying harder—it's found in remaining connected to Christ. Jesus repeated one invitation more than any other in John 15: "Remain in Me." Just as a branch bears fruit only by staying connected to the vine, our spiritual growth depends on abiding daily in God's Word and His love.Combining biblical wisdom with insights on habit formation and neuroscience, this message shows how small, consistent practices reshape both our minds and our lives. Transformation isn't a one-time decision—it's a lifelong rhythm of remaining. As we continue reflecting, removing, replacing, and abiding in Christ, His life flows through us and produces fruit that lasts.Key Scriptures:John 15:1–9, Psalm 1:2–3, Ephesians 3:17–19, Romans 12:2Main Points:1. Lasting transformation comes through remaining in Christ2. God's Word and His love are the foundation of spiritual growth3. Small, consistent habits shape who we become over time4. Healthy rhythms help us remain connected to the Vine5. The next season of growth begins with daily faithfulness, not occasional inspiration6. Reflect, Remove, Replace, and Remain is a lifelong pattern for spiritual formation➤ For sermon notes and more, visit presencecenteredlife.comNotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MhnvbLp2K3KTVu6eku29xMi-aDnQJBeIf8hsm6O0YJA/edit?usp=sharing#DetoxSeries #Remain #AbideInChrist #John15 #SpiritualFormation #PresenceCenteredLife #ChristianPodcast #SundaySermon #BuildHealthyHabits #RemainInHim

In Week 3 of the Detox series, Pastor Hazen Stevens shows that freedom isn't found simply by removing what is unhealthy—it comes by replacing it with the life of Christ. Confession cleanses the heart, but God never intends to leave it empty. Scripture calls us to put off the old self, be renewed in our minds, and put on the new man created in Christ.Drawing from Ephesians 4, John 15, and practical insights on habits and healthy rhythms, this message reveals that transformation happens in the spaces between our old patterns and our new identity. Instead of striving through willpower, we learn to rest in Christ, embrace who He says we are, and trust the Father—the Vine Dresser—to produce lasting fruit.Key Scriptures:Ephesians 4:22–24, Psalm 51:10, Genesis 2:1–3, Galatians 3:27, Ephesians 5:8, Romans 8:16–17, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Corinthians 2:16, Matthew 5:14, John 15:1–5Main Points:1. Lasting transformation requires replacement, not just removal2. We put off the old self and put on our new identity in Christ3. New habits are formed by replacing old patterns with life-giving rhythms4. Rest, recovery, and abiding are essential to spiritual growth5. Our identity is received, not achieved—we put on Christ by faith6. Lasting fruit comes from remaining in the Vine, not striving in our own strength➤ For sermon notes and more, visit presencecenteredlfie.comNotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I-cpgjx4kA7hYSKOkP0Jiqa7mvRCMiQiadjomKCe4uM/edit?usp=sharing#DetoxSeries #Replace #PutOnTheNewMan #AbideInChrist #IdentityInChrist #John15 #PresenceCenteredLife #SpiritualFormation #ChristianPodcast #SundaySermon