Former Hope member and current Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Warrenton, Virginia, Mike Poff shares ten life-changing lessons learned over decades of ministry—lessons that moved him from doubt and failure to discovering God's genuine purpose. Whether you're new to faith, skeptical, or just searching for direction, you'll find timeless principles that actually work in real life.

Mike openly discusses his biggest struggle: watching his church decline while questioning everything. Through this painful season, he discovered that God defines success differently than we do. His vulnerability and the real stories he shares—including how one phone call led to 15+ baptisms and changed families—will help you understand what it truly means to follow Jesus in everyday life.

If you've ever felt lost, doubted God, experienced failure, or wondered if faith actually works—this is for you. Mike's honest storytelling about his own struggles makes these lessons feel real and immediately applicable. You'll hear about actual people whose lives have been completely transformed, and you'll get practical tools you can use right away.

What if gratitude could become a way of life—even on the hard days? Pastor Matt explores how seven ancient festivals from the Old Testament point us toward seven powerful reasons to live with overflowing thankfulness every day. Discover how Passover, First Fruits, Pentecost, and four other feasts all foreshadow Jesus and reveal what we have in Christ: forgiveness, new life, resurrection hope, empowerment, cleansing, and God's constant presence. Whether life is amazing or difficult right now, this message offers practical ways to cultivate lasting gratitude through faith.

In this concluding message of the "I AM" series, Pastor Matt reviews the seven statements of Jesus that reveal His divine identity: the bread of life, light of the world, the door, good shepherd, resurrection and life, way/truth/life, and true vine. Each statement offers a unique invitation, collectively calling us to respond to God's invitation to relationship through Christ. Pastor Matt celebrates that 26 people surrendered to Jesus and 12 were baptized during the series.

Pastor Matt then transitions to explain discipleship as the process of transformation where followers grow to be more like Jesus in character and conduct. This leads to the launch of the church's annual Christmas offering—an 11-week generosity campaign with a goal of $155,000 to support kingdom-building initiatives locally (like Union Gospel Mission), nationally (church plants), globally (missionaries), and on college campuses. He encourages everyone to participate according to their ability, emphasizing that "a little adds up over time" and that together they can accomplish more than individually.

Pastor Matt wrapped up the church's "I AM" series by reviewing how Jesus revealed His divine identity through seven statements in the Gospel of John. Each statement—Bread of Life, Light of the World, Door, Good Shepherd, Resurrection and Life, Way, Truth and Life, and True Vine—offers a unique invitation to relationship, collectively inviting us back into relationship with God through Christ. The sermon emphasized that discipleship isn't a tiered system but the natural state of every follower of Jesus, who should be "following Jesus, being changed by Jesus, and committed to the mission of Jesus."

Pastor Matt then launched our annual Christmas offering campaign with a goal of $155,000, supporting local partners like Union Gospel Mission, national church planting efforts, global missions, and campus ministries. This 11-week generosity initiative aligns with Jesus' final command in Acts 1:8 to be witnesses "in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth," while also supporting Vision 2028—the plan to start a new work by our 50th anniversary.

In this sermon, Pastor Brian explores Jesus's declaration "I am the true vine" from John 15, delivered during His final hours with the disciples before the crucifixion. Pastor Brian explains that in ancient Jewish culture, the grapevine symbolized Israel, but Jesus now claims to be the "true vine," indicating that what Israel failed to accomplish as God's chosen people is fulfilled in Him. The Father serves as the vinedresser who both removes unfruitful branches and prunes fruitful ones for greater productivity.

Pastor Brian emphasizes that the key to spiritual life and fruitfulness is abiding in Christ, comparing it to his own 25-year marriage where "not getting divorced" is fundamental but insufficient for a thriving relationship. Similarly, believers must actively abide in Jesus through Bible reading, prayer, obedience, and sharing their faith. The fruit of this abiding includes transformed character (the fruit of the Spirit), worship, and spiritual reproduction—making new disciples. Pastor Brian concludes with an invitation for non-believers to be grafted into the vine, for wayward believers to return to abiding, and for faithful believers to express gratitude for Christ's sacrifice.

Focusing on Jesus's words in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life," this sermon explores how this sixth "I AM" statement in John's Gospel reveals Christ's exclusive claim as the only path to God. Pastor Matt explains how these statements build in clarity throughout John, showing Jesus's increasing revelation of His divine identity. Against cultural relativism that claims "your truth" and "my truth," the sermon emphasizes that truth is not a concept to be defined by individuals but a person to be known and followed. For non-believers, Jesus offers forgiveness for the past, direction for the present, and hope for eternity, while for believers, His way guides our walk, His truth anchors our knowledge, and His life enables our abundant living through abiding in Him.

Pastor Matt examines Jesus' sixth "I Am" statement from John 14:6: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." This statement, made during Jesus' farewell address to His disciples, represents His most controversial claim of exclusivity. Pastor Matt explains how the previous five "I Am" statements progressively revealed Jesus' identity, culminating in this definitive declaration.

The sermon unpacks a crucial interpretation: Jesus is "the way because He is the truth and because He is the life." This means Jesus perfectly reveals what is true about God and possesses the life we need to overcome our spiritual deadness. Pastor Matt contrasts this absolute truth with cultural relativism ("my truth"), emphasizing that sincerity without truth is still deception. For non-believers, Jesus offers forgiveness of past sins, direction for the present, and certainty of eternal life—something no other religion provides. For believers, this statement provides a discipleship pathway of walking in Jesus' steps, anchoring in His truth, and drawing strength from His presence.

Join Lead Pastor Matt Sturtevant, Pastor Brian Cropp, and Pastor Luke Myers for an in-depth discussion of the fifth "I Am" statement from Jesus in the Gospel of John. In this episode, we unpack Jesus's declaration "I am the resurrection and the life" from John 11, exploring the profound truths about spiritual life, death, and transformation.

What We Cover:

• The story of Lazarus and what it teaches us about resurrection power
• Understanding the difference between physical life and spiritual life
• Jesus's dual role as the giver of life and destroyer of death
• The critical question: What will you do with Jesus?
• Why community matters in removing our "grave clothes"
• The distinction between God's role and our role in spiritual transformation
• Two judgments we all face: salvation and stewardship
• Understanding conversion, regeneration, justification, and sanctification
• Why you can't be spiritually "sinless" on this side of heaven (but you can sin less!)

Behind the Scenes: Hear about the unplanned technical difficulties during the 9:30 service that became a perfectly-timed sermon illustration about being connected to the power source!

Key Takeaway: Life in Christ is personal, but never private. We're called to grow in community, take next steps of obedience, and help others experience the transformation that comes from moving from spiritual death to spiritual life. Perfect for anyone wrestling with questions about faith, salvation, spiritual growth, or what it means to truly follow Jesus.

This sermon explores Jesus' fifth "I am" statement from John 11:25, "I am the resurrection and the life," alongside the miracle of Lazarus' resurrection. The pastor explains how significant it was that Lazarus had been dead four days—past when Jews believed resurrection was possible—making this miracle undeniably divine.

The message reveals two profound truths: Jesus is the giver of life (physical, spiritual, and abundant) and the destroyer of death (the last enemy, a real enemy, but a defeated one). Just as Jesus called Lazarus from the tomb but had the community remove his grave clothes, Jesus gives us new spiritual life while using fellow believers to help us walk in freedom. The pastor emphasizes that while we're all born physically alive but spiritually dead, Jesus offers resurrection now, not just in eternity, calling us to surrender to Him and experience true life in community with other believers.

Pastor Matt examined Jesus' "I am" statements from John 10, where Christ describes Himself as both the door of the sheep pen and the good shepherd. As the door, Jesus divides (keeping some things in and others out) and demands a decision about which side we choose to be on. As the good shepherd, Jesus knows His sheep, calls them by name, protects them, and gathers them from all nations.

Pastor Matt outlined four practical responses for believers: dependence (recognizing we need Jesus daily), obedience (following His voice through Scripture), community (belonging to a church family), and protection (standing firm through Scripture and spiritual support). He emphasized that "the Spirit of God will never lead you to act contrary to the Word of God," providing numerous examples of misguided spiritual "promptings" that contradict Scripture. The sermon concluded by challenging listeners to consider which side of the door they're on and whose voice they're following.