One Single Story

Welcome back to One Single Story! Today Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Sheryl Daughety for a candid conversation through Ecclesiastes 4-6. The hosts dig into what Solomon has to say about work, wealth, envy, and isolation — and why the busiest, most "successful" lives can still end up empty if relationships get sacrificed along the way.

Scripture Focus: Ecclesiastes 4:1 – 6:12 - Solomon reflects on social injustice, competitive envy, the loneliness of hoarding wealth, and the tension between chasing career success and preserving what matters most — relationships, health, and a quiet heart before God.

In This Episode:

• Why Ecclesiastes 5:12 says the hardworking sleep well but the rich often don't
• The difference between working "in" a business versus working "on" it
• How short-term goals can blind us to the long-term cost to our relationships
• Why intentionality — not balance — is the key to protecting what matters
• How career success can quietly become someone's whole identity
• Guarding your steps and cultivating holy silence in worship (Ecclesiastes 5:1)
• Practical thoughts on the value of prayer, quiet, and the current 21 Days of Prayer

Key Quote: "Just because you are successful in one area of your life... doesn't mean you are leading a successful life. It just means you're trying really hard and concentrating on that one area where your view might need to be broader."

About One Single Story: One Single Story is a weekday devotional podcast that walks through the One Year Bible reading plan, offering a brief but meaningful conversation around God's Word. Hosted by the pastors of Open Door Church, each episode is designed to help you slow down, open your Bible, and reflect on Scripture in community.

Open Door Church is located in Edenton, North Carolina. Learn more at visitopendoor.com and onesinglestory.com.

Subscribe to One Single Story so you never miss a daily reading — new episodes drop every weekday to help you stay grounded in God's Word.

Coming This Week: Join us as we continue through the Old Testament wisdom literature this week, unpacking more of Solomon's reflections on life, work, and worship — and how they apply to our modern, distraction-filled world.

Hashtags: #OneYearBible #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #DailyDevotional #OpenDoorChurch #BiblicalEncouragement #ChristianLife #Scripture #Faith #Ecclesiastes #WisdomLiterature #WorkLifeBalance #Prayer

Welcome back to One Single Story! Join Pastor Stephen Mizell along with Pastor Jay Rivenbark and Pastor Sheryl Daughety as they dig into the book of Ecclesiastes, exploring King Solomon's honest and sometimes startling reflections on the brevity of life, the futility of chasing worldly achievement, and how everyday blessings are actually gifts straight from the hand of God.

Scripture Focus: Ecclesiastes 1:1 – 3:22 - Written by Solomon, the wisest and wealthiest king of Israel, these opening chapters lay out his search for meaning through pleasure, labor, and accomplishment, only to conclude that life "under the sun" is fleeting, like vapor or mist, unless it is grounded in God.

In This Episode:

• Why Solomon, despite having "it all," calls life a vapor and warns against chasing fulfillment through achievement
• How the thrill of the pursuit often outweighs the satisfaction of actually reaching a goal
• Recognizing the brevity and fragility of life and how that awareness should reorder daily priorities
• The danger of turning temporary things into idols, and how fasting can reveal hidden attachments
• God's design of eternity in the human heart and why nothing on earth can fully satisfy that longing
• The difference between ownership and stewardship, and how that shift changes our ability to enjoy life's blessings
• Embracing simple, everyday pleasures like food, laughter, and community as gifts from God

Key Quote: "When you stop demanding that this temporary world fill your eternal heart, you will finally be free to enjoy the daily gifts God placed in your hands."

One Single Story is a daily podcast where Open Door Church walks through the One Year Bible reading plan, offering practical, conversational teaching designed to help you grow in your walk with Christ, one story at a time.

Open Door Church is located in Edenton, North Carolina. Learn more at visitopendoor.com or onesinglestory.com.

Subscribe now so you never miss a daily episode of One Single Story, and be sure to like and share this video to help others discover the beauty of God's Word.

Coming This Week: Join us as we continue through Ecclesiastes, uncovering more of Solomon's wisdom on wealth, wisdom, and the true meaning of a life well lived under God.

Hashtags: #OneYearBible #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #DailyDevotional #OpenDoorChurch #BiblicalEncouragement #ChristianLife #Scripture #Faith #Ecclesiastes #Solomon #WisdomLiterature #Contentment #Stewardship

Welcome to today's edition of One Single Story! Join Pastor Stephen Mizell, Pastor Jay Rivenbark, and Pastor Sheryl Daughety as they dive into Job 40-42 for a powerful conversation about what happens when we move from hearing about God to truly encountering Him — and how that encounter changes the way we live, speak, and forgive.

Scripture Focus: Job 40:1 –42:17 - In these closing chapters, God finally responds to Job out of the whirlwind, Job repents in humility after seeing God for himself, God rebukes Job's friends for misrepresenting Him, and Job's fortunes are restored only after he prays for the very friends who wounded him.

In This Episode:

• The difference between "hearing about" God and truly experiencing Him firsthand
• Why experiential encounters with God can transform theology in ways debate never can
• The danger of offering simplistic or formulaic answers to people in pain
• Why "showing up and shutting up" is often the most faithful response to grief
• How misguided comforting phrases can unintentionally misrepresent God
• The spiritual significance of Job praying for the friends who hurt him
• How forgiveness positioned Job to receive restoration from God
• Job's role as intercessor and what it reveals about the oldest book in the Bible

Key Quote: "A man with experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument."

About One Single Story: One Single Story is a daily weekday devotional podcast where hosts walk through a portion of that day's reading in the One Year Bible, offering brief, honest, and practical conversations around Scripture. Each episode is designed to help listeners engage more deeply with God's Word, one story at a time.

Open Door Church is located in Edenton, North Carolina. Learn more at visitopendoor.com or explore the full podcast library at onesinglestory.com.

Subscribe to One Single Story so you never miss a daily devotional. New episodes release every weekday to help you stay grounded in God's Word.

Coming This Week: Keep following along in the One Year Bible reading plan as the hosts continue walking through Scripture together, offering fresh insight and honest conversation each weekday.

Hashtags: #OneYearBible #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #DailyDevotional #OpenDoorChurch #BiblicalEncouragement #ChristianLife #Scripture #Faith #BookOfJob #Forgiveness #Suffering #Restoration #Repentance

Join Pastor Stephen Mizell along with co-hosts Pastor Jay Rivenbark and Pastor Sheryl Daughety for today's edition of One Single Story, a daily devotional podcast walking through the One Year Bible. In this episode, the team dives into Job 37-39, exploring how God responds to Job's suffering not with an explanation, but with a revelation of His creative power and majesty.

Scripture Focus: Job 37:1 –39:30 - God finally breaks His silence and answers Job's pain, not with reasons for his suffering, but with a series of questions about the vastness of creation, from the stars and constellations to His care for wild animals like the donkey and the ostrich.

In This Episode:

• Why God answers Job's suffering with a display of creation rather than a direct explanation
• The connection between the constellations mentioned in Job 38 and the seven stars Jesus holds in Revelation
• How focusing too much on our problems can make them feel like the center of the universe
• Finding comfort in recognizing our small place within the vastness of God's creation
• God's delight in creatures like the donkey and the ostrich, even when they serve no human utility
• How encountering God's revelation, rather than seeking intellectual explanations, brings true healing

Key Quote: "We want intellectual explanations for our problems that we can't understand, but if we were given them, they would not heal us. What we really need is a revelation."

About One Single Story: One Single Story is a daily devotional podcast from Open Door Church that walks through the One Year Bible reading plan, offering brief, thoughtful conversations designed to help listeners see how every part of Scripture connects to the one single story of God's redemptive plan.

Open Door Church, Edenton, North Carolina visitopendoor.com | onesinglestory.com

Subscribe to One Single Story so you never miss a daily reading and reflection from the One Year Bible. New episodes release each weekday to help you stay grounded in God's Word.

Coming This Week: Join us as we continue through Job and Ecclesiastes this week, uncovering fresh insights into suffering, wisdom, and what it means to trust God's sovereignty over every part of life.

Hashtags: #OneYearBible #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #DailyDevotional #OpenDoorChurch #BiblicalEncouragement #ChristianLife #Scripture #Faith #BookOfJob #Ecclesiastes #GodsCreation #TrustGod

Welcome back to One Single Story! Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Alyssa Bream for a candid conversation about debt—how it shapes our decisions, restricts our freedom, and can quietly compromise our walk with God. Whether it's personal, institutional, or church debt, this episode digs into what Scripture really says about borrowing and lending.

Scripture Focus: Proverbs 22:7 - "Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender." Solomon's blunt wisdom sets the stage for a deeper look at how debt can restrict a believer's—and a church's—ability to obey God freely.

In This Episode:

• How carrying heavy personal or institutional debt can limit a leader's freedom and opportunities
• The difference between debt used as leverage versus debt that becomes a burden
• Why churches and organizations like the Association of Related Churches avoid consumer debt when planting new churches
• How debt can even become a national security liability, illustrated through a personal family story
• Balancing "necessary" growth and building expansion against the wisdom warning of this verse
• Practical, biblical steps for breaking free from consumer debt—budgeting, generosity, and realigning trust from money to God
• Why financial struggles are often a "practice problem, not an income problem"

Key Quote: "Poor people borrow money to survive. Middle class people borrow money to impress. Rich people borrow money to make money—to leverage."

One Single Story is a daily devotional podcast from Open Door Church in Edenton, North Carolina, walking through the One Year Bible reading plan. Each weekday, Pastor Stephen Mizell and rotating co-hosts unpack a passage from that day's reading, offering practical, Scripture-rooted insight for everyday faith and life.

Open Door Church is located in Edenton, North Carolina. Learn more at visitopendoor.com and onesinglestory.com.

Subscribe to One Single Story so you never miss a daily devotional, and join us Monday through Friday as we walk through God's Word together, one story at a time.

Coming This Week: Join us for more daily conversations from the One Year Bible reading plan, as we continue exploring practical wisdom and biblical truth for everyday life—one passage, one story at a time.

Hashtags: #OneYearBible #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #DailyDevotional #OpenDoorChurch #BiblicalEncouragement #ChristianLife #Scripture #Faith #Proverbs #BiblicalStewardship #DebtFreeLiving #FinancialWisdom #ChristianFinance

Welcome to today's edition of One Single Story! Join Pastor Stephen Mizell, Pastor Jay Rivenbark and Pastor Alyssa Bream as they dig into Proverbs 22:5-6, exploring the hidden thorns and traps that snare unsuspecting people, and how intentional, wise parenting can change the trajectory of a child's entire life.

Scripture Focus: Proverbs 22:5-6 - Verse five warns that thorns and traps lie on the path of the crooked, while the soul who guards himself will stay far from them. Verse six, one of the most quoted verses in Proverbs, instructs parents to train up a child in the way he should go, so that when he is old he will not depart from it.

In This Episode:

• How the "see something, say something" principle applies to spiritual accountability
• Why proximity matters when speaking truth into someone's life, too close or too distant can both fail
• The danger of becoming enamored with "bait," whether it's relationships, alcohol, drugs, or money
• Understanding Proverbs 22:6 as a principle of trajectory rather than an ironclad promise
• A fresh look at training a child "in the way he should go," recognizing each child's unique God given wiring rather than a one size fits all approach
• Why parents are responsible for the input they give their children, not the outcome
• How modeling repentance and restoration teaches children to respond after they stray

Key Quote: "Stop trying to force a one size fits all model on those that you lead, discern their desire and train their heart and trust God with their trajectory."

About One Single Story: One Single Story is a weekday devotional podcast that walks through the One Year Bible reading plan, offering practical, conversational insight into Scripture. Each episode brings together pastors and leaders from Open Door Church to unpack a passage from that day's reading and connect it to real life.

Open Door Church is located in Edenton, North Carolina. Learn more at visitopendoor.com or onesinglestory.com.

Subscribe to One Single Story so you never miss a daily devotional. New episodes release every weekday to help you stay grounded in God's Word.

Coming This Week: Stay tuned as the One Single Story team continues working through the One Year Bible reading plan, bringing fresh perspective and practical wisdom to Scripture each weekday.

Hashtags: #OneYearBible #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #DailyDevotional #OpenDoorChurch #BiblicalEncouragement #ChristianLife #Scripture #Faith #Proverbs #ChristianParenting #RaisingKidsInFaith #BiblicalWisdom

Pastor Stephen Mizell, Pastor Jay Rivenbark, and Pastor Alyssa Bream dig into Proverbs 22:2-4, wrestling with why God allows both rich and poor, how the church can avoid favoritism, and the warning signs that trouble is creeping into our lives or leadership.

Scripture Focus: Proverbs 22:2-4 - the rich and poor share one Maker, the prudent see danger coming, and humility with the fear of the Lord leads to true riches and honor.

In This Episode:

• Does God cause wealth and poverty, or is Proverbs about our response to it?
• Guarding the church against status and favoritism
• Warning signs of spiritual and organizational danger
• Self-promotion versus surrender before God

Key Quote: "When you walk in genuine humility before your Creator, you gain the eyes to spot danger early and a heart that can receive true honor."

Open Door Church, Edenton, North Carolina visitopendoor.com | onesinglestory.com

Subscribe for daily Bible study, weekdays.

#OneYearBible #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #DailyDevotional #OpenDoorChurch #BiblicalEncouragement #ChristianLife #Scripture #Faith #Proverbs #Humility

Welcome back to One Single Story! Today, Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Alyssa Bream to dig into Proverbs 22:1, exploring why a good reputation is worth more than silver or gold, and why guarding our character matters far more than the world often admits.

Scripture Focus: Proverbs 22:1 - "Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold." This verse challenges the cultural assumption that net worth and metrics define success, calling believers instead to value integrity and character above financial gain.

In This Episode:

• Why a broken reputation takes far longer to rebuild than lost finances
• The danger of measuring leadership success by metrics and net worth alone
• Practical guardrails leaders can put in place to protect against temptation and financial mismanagement
• How personal reputation and organizational reputation become inseparable
• The connection between Romans and how our conduct affects how outsiders view the gospel
• Why the world looks for reasons to invalidate the cross, and how our character can serve as a shield

Key Quote: "When you value your character more than your capital, you can build a Kingdom legacy that outlasts any balance sheet."

About One Single Story: One Single Story is a weekday devotional podcast walking through the One Year Bible, offering short, practical lessons drawn straight from the day's reading. Each episode is designed to help you engage Scripture, spark meaningful conversation, and apply God's Word to everyday life.

Open Door Church, Edenton, North Carolina visitopendoor.com | onesinglestory.com

If this episode encouraged you, subscribe to One Single Story so you never miss a daily devotional. Join us every weekday as we walk through Scripture together, one story at a time.

Coming This Week: Stay tuned as we continue our journey through the book of Proverbs, uncovering more wisdom for daily living, leadership, and walking faithfully with Christ.

Hashtags: #OneYearBible #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #DailyDevotional #OpenDoorChurch #BiblicalEncouragement #ChristianLife #Scripture #Faith #Proverbs #Wisdom #Reputation #ChristianLeadership

Welcome back to One Single Story. Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Alyssa Bream from Open Door Church in Edenton, North Carolina.

Today we're closing out Proverbs 21 — verses 30 and 31 — where Solomon reminds us that no wisdom, no plan, no strategy can override the will of God. The horse is prepared for battle, but victory belongs to the Lord.

We talk about where good planning turns into self-reliance, what Gideon's army teaches us about trusting God over numbers, and how easy it is to let past success — or today's tools, whether that's AI, technology, or social media — quietly become our modern-day warhorse.

Here's the line that sums it up: when you stop treating your preparation as your Savior, you free God to demonstrate his unfiltered sovereignty in all of your battles.

Subscribe so you don't miss a daily lesson from God's Word, and we'll see you tomorrow as we keep moving through Proverbs.

Welcome back to One Single Story, the daily devotional podcast walking through the One Year Bible. Today Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Wendy Korbusieski for a conversation about confidence, integrity, and the steady hand of God in the midst of life's stumbles.

Scripture Focus: Psalm 37:12-29 - David contrasts the schemes of the wicked with the security of the righteous, reminding us that the Lord laughs at those who oppose His people because He already sees their day of judgment coming. The passage promises daily provision, a lasting inheritance, and the assurance that even when the righteous stumble, they will not fall because the Lord holds them by the hand.

In This Episode:

• Why the Lord's laughter at human opposition should change how we respond to intimidation and fear
• The difference between measuring success by size versus measuring it by integrity and spiritual health
• Why sustainable growth, personal or corporate, is a slow process built on small daily disciplines
• Unpacking the promise that the righteous may stumble but will never utterly fall
• A missionary story from India illustrating the difference between holding onto God and being held by Him
• Pastor Jay's story of a literal fall in a hole, and the practical lessons behind it

Key Quote: "God's grip, no matter what slip I have... his grip is tighter than any failure, weakness that I have. And he's not going to allow me to get lost."

About One Single Story: One Single Story is a weekday Bible study podcast offering brief, honest lessons from each day's reading in the One Year Bible. Hosted by the pastoral team at Open Door Church, each episode is designed to help listeners grab their Bible, open a conversation around God's Word, and grow in daily relationship with Him.

Open Door Church is located in Edenton, North Carolina. Learn more at visitopendoor.com or explore the full podcast library at onesinglestory.com.

Subscribe so you never miss a daily episode, and share this podcast with someone who needs encouragement from God's Word today.

Coming This Week: Join us as we continue walking through the One Year Bible together, exploring more of God's Word one story at a time and unpacking practical, honest applications for everyday faith and leadership.

Hashtags: #OneYearBible #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #DailyDevotional #OpenDoorChurch #BiblicalEncouragement #ChristianLife #Scripture #Faith #Psalm37 #TrustInGod #ChristianLeadership #DevotionalPodcast #GodsProm