Programs And Podcasts

Janet’s daughter, Sarah, will join her to provide an update on what is happening in classrooms all across America. Why did the Department of Education just open a complaint against the schools in Portland, Oregon? What’s going on at Yale University, and why are there issues with the Hawaii Department of Education? Join us to get the answers to these questions and learn how to defend your family.

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On this edition of Summit Life, we’re beginning a new series that gets to the very heart of this ministry. It’s simply titled, Gospel. If you’ve been a believer for a while, you might think you’ve moved beyond the gospel. But Pastor J.D. argues that we never outgrow the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection. In fact, getting deeper into the gospel is the key to the entire Christian life.

Unity among believers was one of Jesus’ final prayer requests before He was crucified. Dr. Tony Evans explains how we can see that prayer answered in our lifetime and why real unity is rooted in worship that goes deeper than culture—worship in spirit and truth.

Henry Drummond once wrote, “To become like Christ is the only thing in the world worth caring for…before which every ambition of man is folly and all lower achievement vain.” Those words cut straight to the heart of how Scripture defines success.

In a culture that measures achievement by accumulation and applause, Jesus offers a very different scoreboard—one centered not on what we gain, but on who we become.

It’s easy to believe that if we could just reach a little higher, earn a little more, or move a little faster, we’d finally arrive.

We see this impulse at the very beginning of Scripture. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve weren’t lacking anything, yet they believed something better was being held back (Genesis 3). At the Tower of Babel, humanity declared, “Let us make a name for ourselves” (Genesis 11:4).

Success, in their minds, meant defining greatness on their own terms.

That same instinct shapes us today. We measure success by paychecks and promotions, by titles, trophies, and the size of our homes or portfolios. And in a world that equates success with accumulation, it’s hard not to wonder: Am I successful yet? Will more finally be enough?

Jesus speaks directly into that tension in Luke 12:15: “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

He then tells the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:16–21). A man experiences an abundant harvest and decides to tear down his barns to build bigger ones. He reassures himself: “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”

On the surface, it sounds like success. He planned ahead. He saved. He prepared. But Jesus calls him a fool.

Listen to the language: my barns, my grain, my goods, my soul. There’s no gratitude, no dependence on God, no concern for others. His definition of success was accumulation, and his confidence rested entirely in what he had stored up.

God’s response is sobering: “This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” (Luke 12:20)

Jesus concludes, “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:21).

The story is meant to shake us awake. It exposes how easily we confuse preparation with control and wisdom with self-reliance. God isn’t measuring success by what we store—He’s measuring it by what we surrender.

The apostle Paul understood this well. By every cultural standard of his day, Paul had succeeded. Yet he wrote: “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8).

Paul didn’t lower the bar for success—he replaced it. Scripture tells us God’s goal for our lives plainly: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29).

That’s the metric. Not income. Not influence. Not recognition. Christlikeness.

So it’s worth asking: What scoreboard are you watching right now? Whose applause are you chasing?

If your goals are rooted in impressing others or securing more for yourself, satisfaction will always feel just out of reach. But if your goals are rooted in becoming more like Christ, you’ll discover a kind of success that cannot be taken away.

Jesus invites us to measure progress differently. Instead of asking, “Did I win today?” we can ask, “Did I look a little more like Jesus today?”

In God’s economy:

And God delights in what is done faithfully—even when no on

Negative influences about sexuality are coming at young people nearly every day, whether it’s through media, peers, or their phones. Dr. Jim Burns helps equip you as a parent to talk with your teen about sexuality and set a foundation for sexual integrity. You’ll discover practical tools for combatting the culture and helping to develop a godly identity in your child.

Receive a copy of A Student’s Guide to Sexual Integrity and an audio download of "How to Equip Your Teens with a Biblical Understanding of Sexuality" for your donation of any amount!

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So much of life is determined by our focus. Do we focus on career more than family, or family more than career? Do we focus more on pursuing goals, or enjoying the journey? Some focus on happiness . . . it’s their most important pursuit in life. And yet happiness isn’t found through direct pursuit. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie points out that happiness comes when we put God before ourselves . . . when His will becomes our will. That’s our cross to bear.

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Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.

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What if your doubts made your faith stronger? Author, speaker, and humorist Amberly Neese explores Jesus questions--ones He Himself asked--as a way to reclaim your trust all over again.

Show Notes and Resources

• Untangling Faith: Reclaiming Hope in the Questions Jesus Asked Participant Workbook
  by Amberly Neese.
• Begin the Easter story early with Resurrection Eggs. Start your family tradition now! 
• Learn more about Amberly Neese on her website amberlyneese.com

• Thanks to the Christian Standard Bible for sponsoring this episode. Learn more at CSBible.com.
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