One Single Story

Join Pastor Stephen Mizell, Pastor Jay Rivenbark, and Pastor Sheryl Daughety for a heartfelt conversation on Psalm 18:16-36, exploring what it means to be rescued by God not out of obligation, but because He genuinely delights in us. This episode digs into the difference between obedience born from fear and obedience born from love, and what it looks like to stand firm when life gets unstable.

Scripture Focus: Psalm 18:16-36 - David shifts from recounting his physical rescue from deep waters to a personal declaration of integrity, righteousness, and trust in God. This section highlights God making David's feet "as sure as the feet of a deer" even in high, treacherous places.

In This Episode:

• Why David's declarations of blamelessness reflect a heart postured toward God, not sinless perfection
• The difference between fearing punishment and being motivated by knowing God delights in you
• How childhood teaching about conditional love can create insecurity in our relationship with God
• Untangling the tension between "God loves you no matter what" and the reality that intimacy with Him requires repentance
• What spiritual stability looks like when leading through volatile or uncertain seasons
• Practical convictions that keep our feet steady on slippery spiritual ground

Key Quote: "You should stop trying to hold yourself up through your own grit and rest in the hand that is currently supporting your weight, and that is the Almighty God."

About One Single Story: One Single Story is a weekday devotional podcast offering a brief, practical lesson from that day's reading in the One Year Bible. Hosted by the pastoral team at Open Door Church, each episode is designed to help listeners connect Scripture to everyday life through honest, conversational Bible study.

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

Subscribe to One Single Story so you never miss a weekday devotional. Hit the notification bell to join us for daily conversations around the Word of God.

Coming This Week: Stay tuned as we continue walking through the One Year Bible reading plan, with fresh daily conversations on Scripture, faith, and how to live it out in real life.

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Welcome to One Single Story! Today, host Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Sheryl Daughety for a powerful conversation through Psalm 18:1-15, exploring the many names David gives to God, the intensity of crying out in crisis, and what it means to know God as multi-dimensional rather than distant.

Scripture Focus: Psalm 18:1-15 - A psalm of David, written after his deliverance from Saul and all his adversaries. David responds to God's rescue not with a quick thank you, but with an overwhelming, intentional outpouring of praise, worship, and adoration.

In This Episode:

• Why David's gratitude and worship after deliverance challenges us to praise God as much as we petition Him
• The meaning behind God's many names in this psalm - rock, fortress, savior, shield, stronghold
• A word study on the Hebrew terms behind "rock" and "cliff," and their surprising connection to California's Big Sur
• Why David describes his rescue in such cosmic, cinematic imagery, even though it was a series of localized escapes
• How to remember that God hears our prayers even when our voices feel small, desperate, or drowned out
• The spiritual warfare present in David's long, protracted season of running and waiting to become king

Key Quote: "The volume of your faith matters infinitely more than the volume of your voice."

About One Single Story: One Single Story is a weekday podcast offering a brief, honest conversation around a section of that day's reading in the One Year Bible. Each episode brings together pastors and hosts digging into Scripture together, making God's Word approachable, personal, and applicable to everyday life.

One Single Story is a ministry of Open Door Church in Edenton, North Carolina. Learn more at visitopendoor.com | onesinglestory.com

Subscribe so you never miss a daily edition of One Single Story, and join us as we walk through the One Year Bible together, one single story at a time.

Coming This Week: Stay with us as we continue moving through the Psalms this week, uncovering more of David's honest, unfiltered relationship with God through prayer, praise, and the trials that shaped his faith.

Hashtags: #OneYearBible #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #DailyDevotional #OpenDoorChurch #BiblicalEncouragement #ChristianLife #Scripture #Faith #Psalm18 #PsalmsOfDavid #KingDavid #PrayerLife #FaithOverFear

Join Pastor Stephen Mizell, Pastor Jay Rivenbark, and Pastor Sheryl Daughety for today's edition of One Single Story as they dig into Psalm 17:1-15, David's urgent prayer for vindication in the face of ruthless enemies. The conversation explores what it means to invite God to examine our hearts, why integrity requires ongoing internal scrutiny, and how believers can guard against chasing worldly wealth instead of resting in God's presence.

Scripture Focus: Psalm 17:1-15 - A high-tension petition from David, written while he feels surrounded by prideful and ruthless people. David asks God to test his heart, protect him "as the apple of your eye," and hide him "in the shadow of your wings," ultimately contrasting worldly satisfaction in wealth with true satisfaction found in God's presence.

In This Episode:

• Why David opens his prayer by insisting it doesn't come "from deceitful lips," and how our own prayers can be shaped by hidden motives
• The importance of inviting God to test our thoughts and examine our hearts, even when the process feels uncomfortable or exposing
• Unpacking the imagery of being kept as "the apple of God's eye" and hidden "in the shadow of His wings"
• How to respond to criticism, gossip, and attacks from both inside and outside the church
• A candid conversation about wealth, contentment, and the difference between having resources and pursuing them
• Practical ways to guard your heart, including being intentional about who you allow to influence you
• Why an ongoing internal audit of our motivations is essential to a satisfied, integrity-filled life

Key Quote: "Let the world have its temporary treasures, but set your heart on the only thing that satisfies, and that is Christ."

One Single Story is a weekday podcast from Open Door Church that walks through the One Year Bible reading plan, offering brief, honest conversations around Scripture to help you grow in your walk with God one day at a time. Each episode is designed to be a quick but meaningful stop in your day, connecting the day's reading to real life.

This episode comes to you from Open Door Church in Edenton, North Carolina. Learn more about the church at visitopendoor.com or explore the full podcast library at onesinglestory.com.

Subscribe to One Single Story so you never miss a daily conversation around God's Word. New episodes release every weekday, walking through Scripture one step at a time.

Coming This Week: Join us as we continue through the One Year Bible reading plan, exploring more of the Psalms and uncovering fresh insight for daily life and faith. Grab your Bible, a pen, and paper, and walk through God's Word with us each weekday.

Hashtags: #OneYearBible #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #DailyDevotional #OpenDoorChurch #BiblicalEncouragement #ChristianLife #Scripture #Faith #Psalm17 #Psalms #AppleOfHisEye #Contentment #WalkingWithGod

Join Pastor Stephen Mizell, Pastor Jay Rivenbark, and Pastor Sheryl Daughety for a conversation about the "little gods" that quietly compete for first place in our hearts, and what it means to find true contentment in the Lord.

Scripture Focus: Psalm 16:1-11 - David's psalm of satisfaction and security in God, rejecting other gods and resting in the Lord's constant presence.

In This Episode:

• How everyday things, even good ones, can become "little g" gods
• Why healthy boundaries protect our relationship with God
• Living in daily awareness of God's presence, not just belief in it
• Breaking the comparison-discontentment cycle

Key Quote: "Contentment only comes when we are able to see what God has provided, instead of what somebody else possesses."

One Single Story offers brief weekday lessons from the One Year Bible. Subscribe to walk through Scripture with us, one story at a time.

#OneYearBible #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #DailyDevotional #OpenDoorChurch #Psalms #Contentment #Faith

Welcome to today's edition of One Single Story! Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Alyssa Bream for a rich conversation in Romans 4:1-12, exploring the difference between wages and gifts, and what it means to be justified by faith rather than works.

Scripture Focus: Romans 4:1-12 - Paul defends the doctrine of justification by faith, using Abraham as his central example. He shows that Abraham was credited righteousness through faith before he was circumcised, proving that God's grace has never depended on religious ritual or performance, for Jew or Gentile alike.

In This Episode:

• How our cultural "bootstraps" work ethic distorts our understanding of grace
• Why viewing God as an employer instead of a Father leads us astray
• The shocking truth that God "justifies the ungodly" and what that phrase means across Bible translations
• Wrestling honestly with which sins we struggle to believe are truly forgivable
• What justification really means: "just as if you had never done it"
• Why Abraham's circumcision timeline matters for both Jews and Gentiles
• How faith always comes before outward signs, in the Old Testament and the New

Key Quote: "Justification means just as if you had never done it. You have been made right, or righteous. And whether it is pride or greed or lying or adultery... the same act of forgiveness and justification happens."

One Single Story is a daily devotional podcast walking through the One Year Bible reading plan, offering brief, honest, and thought-provoking conversations around God's Word. Each weekday, our hosts break down a passage from the current reading to help you grow in faith, one story at a time.

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

Subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss a new episode of One Single Story, and share it with a friend who could use some daily encouragement in the Word.

Hashtags: #OneYearBible #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #DailyDevotional #OpenDoorChurch #BiblicalEncouragement #ChristianLife #Scripture #Faith #Romans #Justification #GraceNotWorks #Abraham #BibleTranslations

Join Pastor Stephen Mizell, Pastor Jay Rivenbark, and Pastor Alyssa Bream for today's conversation through Romans 3:9-31, one of the most pivotal passages in all of Scripture. As Romans turns from exposing human sinfulness to declaring the way of justification, this episode unpacks what it means that righteousness comes not through the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ.

Scripture Focus: Romans 3:9-31 - Paul builds his case that all people, Jew and Gentile alike, stand guilty before God, then reveals the solution: justification by faith apart from the works of the law. This passage is the theological hinge of Romans, moving from the diagnosis of universal sin to the good news of grace freely given through Christ's sacrifice.

In This Episode:

• Why the law was never meant to save us, but to reveal our need for a Savior
• Understanding total depravity - we're not just sick, we're spiritually dead
• A Leonard Ravenhill quote on why Jesus came to raise the dead, not improve the bad
• How the cross allows God to be both "just and the justifier" of those who believe
• Why justification by faith erases every cultural, racial, and social divide
• Stories from the mission field in India and Argentina on the unifying power of shared faith in Christ
• What it means that salvation is a gift, not a performance-based achievement

Key Quote: "When human performance stands bankrupt before the court of heaven, the righteousness of God stands in to write a check we could never clear."

About One Single Story

One Single Story is a weekday devotional podcast offering brief, thoughtful lessons from each day's reading in the One Year Bible. Hosted by the pastors of Open Door Church, this show helps listeners dig into Scripture with clarity, honesty, and practical application for everyday faith.

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 lesson. New episodes release every weekday to help you stay grounded in God's Word one story at a time.

Coming This Week: We continue our journey through Romans, exploring how Paul builds on the foundation of justification by faith to unpack what it means to live in the freedom and assurance of God's grace. Grab your Bible and join us for the next edition of One Single Story.

Hashtags: #OneYearBible #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #DailyDevotional #OpenDoorChurch #BiblicalEncouragement #ChristianLife #Scripture #Faith #BookOfRomans #Justification #Grace #Salvation

Welcome back to One Single Story! Join Pastor Stephen Mizell, Pastor Jay Rivenbark, and Pastor Alyssa Bream as they dig into Romans 2:25 through 3:8, wrestling with what it really means to belong to God — is it about outward religious markers, or a genuine transformation of the heart? This episode tackles heart transformation versus behavior modification, the assurance of our relationship with God, and the philosophical puzzle of whether our sin somehow gives God more glory.

Scripture Focus: Romans 2:25-3:8 - Paul confronts the Jewish reliance on circumcision as a badge of identity, arguing that true belonging to God is a matter of the heart, not an external ritual. He then turns to address whether human unfaithfulness can cancel out God's faithfulness, and closes by dismantling the twisted logic that sin might actually benefit God by showcasing His righteousness.

In This Episode:

• Why circumcision became a "badge" for the Jewish people, and why outward compliance alone falls short
• The danger of measuring spiritual growth only by attendance, giving, or visible behavior
• How the Holy Spirit produces a genuine change of heart rather than mere rule-following
• Wrestling with doubt: does personal failure cancel God's faithfulness?
• A powerful sharecropper illustration about assurance being God's grip on us, not our grip on Him
• Breaking down the "cheap grace" argument that sinning glorifies God
• Understanding that God redeems evil in spite of it, never because of it

Key Quote: "I tripped a couple more times, but I never failed because the tether was dependent on his holding, not my holding... the assurance we have is not based on our behavior, because that's useless. The assurance we have is based on his ability to hold us."

About One Single Story: One Single Story is a weekday devotional podcast offering brief, conversational lessons from each day's reading in the One Year Bible. Hosted by the pastoral team at Open Door Church, this podcast helps Christians dive deeper into Scripture, one story at a time, with practical application for everyday faith.

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

Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss a daily episode of One Single Story — join us Monday through Friday for fresh insight into God's Word.

Coming This Week: We continue our journey through Romans, exploring Paul's teaching on righteousness, faith, and the law as he builds the theological foundation for the Gospel. Be sure to follow along in your One Year Bible reading plan and join us for tomorrow's episode.

Hashtags: #OneYearBible #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #DailyDevotional #OpenDoorChurch #BiblicalEncouragement #ChristianLife #Scripture #Faith #Romans #BookOfRomans #HeartTransformation #GodsGrace #ChristianAssurance #ApostlePaul

Pastor Stephen Mizell, Pastor Jay Rivenbark, and Pastor Alyssa Bream open Romans 2, exploring why we judge others' sins to excuse our own, how God's patience is meant to lead us to repentance, and how our hypocrisy shapes the world's view of God.

Scripture Focus: Romans 2:1-24 - Paul confronts the self-righteous, warning that knowing the law doesn't exempt anyone from its standard.

In This Episode:

• Why we deflect from our own sin by pointing at others
• "Big rock" sins vs. quieter internal sins like pride and envy
• Mistaking God's patience for approval
• How hypocrisy in leaders damages God's reputation

Key Quote: "The kindness is meant to draw us into God... we don't think of God's kindness as something to become comfortable with."

One Single Story is a weekday devotional walking through the One Year Bible, connecting scripture to everyday life in short, honest conversations.

Find us at Open Door Church, Edenton, NC, or online at visitopendoor.com and onesinglestory.com.

Subscribe so you never miss a daily episode.

Coming This Week: We continue in Romans, unpacking what true righteousness looks like from the inside out.

#OneYearBible #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #DailyDevotional #OpenDoorChurch #Romans #Repentance #Faith

Welcome to another episode of One Single Story! Host Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Alyssa Bream for a thought-provoking discussion on Romans 1:18-32, exploring what it means to suppress the truth of God and the subtle ways we trade the Creator's glory for idols of our own making.

Scripture Focus: Romans 1:18-32 - Paul lays the theological foundation for the book of Romans with a sobering indictment of human sin. In this passage, he explains how people willfully suppress the truth about God despite creation making His existence obvious, and describes the downward spiral that occurs when God "gives people over" to their own desires.

In This Episode:

• Understanding the difference between willful sin and actively encouraging others to sin
• How suppressing truth (like the tobacco industry hiding cigarette dangers) mirrors spiritual deception
• Why "entrapment evangelism" and pure apologetics often fail to lead people to genuine faith
• Modern-day idolatry: elevating personalities, denominations, family, and political movements above God
• The warning sign that "if God never contradicts you, you have an idol"
• Unpacking the three-fold repetition of "God abandoned them" and what it reveals about divine judgment
• Why God allowing us to experience the full consequences of sin can actually be an act of mercy

Key Quote: "The safest place to live is fully surrendered to a God that you cannot escape."

About One Single Story: One Single Story is a weekday podcast offering brief, conversational lessons drawn from each day's reading in the One Year Bible. Hosted by the pastoral team at Open Door Church, this podcast is designed to help listeners engage more deeply with Scripture through honest, real-world conversation and practical application.

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

Subscribe to One Single Story so you never miss a daily conversation around God's Word. New episodes drop every weekday to help you stay grounded in Scripture, one story at a time.

Coming This Week: Join us as we continue working through the book of Romans in the One Year Bible reading plan, digging deeper into Paul's letter and uncovering fresh insight for daily faith and life application.

Hashtags: #OneYearBible #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #DailyDevotional #OpenDoorChurch #BiblicalEncouragement #ChristianLife #Scripture #Faith #Romans #BookOfRomans #Idolatry #Evangelism #DivineJudgment #ChristianApologetics

Join Pastor Stephen Mizell, Pastor Jay Rivenbark, and Pastor Wendy Korbusieski as they close out this week's conversation on 1 Chronicles 9 and 10. Together they unpack the quiet, unseen work of gatekeepers and doorkeepers in God's house, the tragic downfall of King Saul, and how God uses painful leadership transitions to make room for what He wants to do next.

Scripture Focus: 1 Chronicles 9:1 – 10:14 - This passage closes out the genealogical prologue of Chronicles, highlighting the temple gatekeepers who guarded access to God's house and the various servants who supported temple worship, before recounting Saul's death on Mount Gilboa after he sought guidance from a medium instead of the Lord.

In This Episode:

• Why the temple gatekeepers and behind-the-scenes servants in 1 Chronicles 9 matter to God's kingdom
• How faithfulness, not visibility, determines true significance in ministry
• Practical ways Open Door Church honors unseen volunteers, from baptism teams to cleaning crews
• What it means that the gatekeepers were armed Levites entrusted with guarding access points
• Saul's death in 1 Chronicles 10 and his fatal choice to consult a medium rather than seek the Lord
• Modern-day "mediums" leaders turn to instead of God, including culture, politics, and artificial intelligence
• How to use AI as a tool without letting it replace discernment and hard work
• Navigating painful leadership transitions and successions, from Saul and David to the church today

Key Quote: "Significance in God's kingdom is really determined by faithfulness and not visibility."

About One Single Story: One Single Story is a daily weekday devotional podcast that walks through the One Year Bible reading plan, offering a brief, conversational lesson from Scripture to help you grow in your walk with God one day at a time.

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 edition, and share this episode with someone who needs encouragement in God's Word today.

Coming This Week: Join us next time as we continue through the One Year Bible, exploring new passages and fresh conversations around Scripture, faithful service, and following God's Word together.

Hashtags: #OneYearBible #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #DailyDevotional #OpenDoorChurch #BiblicalEncouragement #ChristianLife #Scripture #Faith #1Chronicles #KingSaul #Gatekeepers #ChristianLeadership