This week at Summit we continued our journey through Philippians, exploring Paul’s challenge to keep Christ at the centre of our faith and life. In Philippians 3, Paul warns the church not to veer into either ditch, trusting in performance on one side or drifting into complacency on the other, but to stay on the road of knowing Jesus. He reminds us that nothing compares to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ and being found in him. This message invites us to re-evaluate what truly defines us, to recentre our hearts on Jesus, and to live out our faith from that deep, life-giving connection.

Pastor Simon talking about spiritual battles and the encouragement to engage with Jesus.

Pastor Simon: the start of our Philippians series, He who began a good work in you

Pastor Simon: Philippians series, A community of encouragement 

Pastor Simon: Philippians series, The hymn of Christ

This week we explored Psalm 133, a short but powerful psalm about the blessing of unity among God’s people. Pastor Simon opened with the reality of our divided culture and challenged us to reflect on how we work with those who are different from us. In contrast to the polarization around us, the Church is called to live out a kingdom culture—one of unity that reflects God’s character and attracts a watching world.

We learned that unity is not about uniformity but about coming together in our diversity for a shared purpose. Psalm 133 compares unity to oil and dew—symbols of God’s presence, refreshment, and growth. This kind of unity invites God's commanded blessing and is meant to be experienced as we gather together in worship and community.

We were reminded that Satan fears a united Church more than a large one, and that love and humility are the keys to overcoming division. The message closed with practical ways to pursue unity: don’t sweat the small stuff, connect across differences, and contribute your gifts to the body.

Summer in the Psalms: “Rooted and Fruitful”

This week, we opened Psalm 1, a powerful introduction to the Book of Psalms that draws a sharp contrast between two ways of living: the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. Pastor Simon reminded us that the Psalms are not just poetic prayers—they’re God-inspired models of intimacy and devotion that we’re invited to learn from.

Psalm 1 describes the blessed person as someone who delights in God’s law and meditates on it day and night. This life is pictured as a fruitful tree, planted by streams of living water—rooted, flourishing, and bearing fruit in season. That water, we learned, points us to Jesus and the Spirit He gives. We aren’t meant to just consume spiritual content but to communedeeply with Christ—abiding in Him daily as our source of life.

The message called us to evaluate what shapes our lives: Are we influenced by the world’s noise or by God's truth? Are we delighting in His Word? Are we living out of connection or just consumption?

Psalm 139, furthering our "Summer in the Psalms" series, our visiting speaker, Steve, touched upon the deep personal truths of Psalm 139. Be blessed by this encouragement!

June 15, 2025
Summer in the Psalms: “Where Does My Help Come From?”

This past Sunday, we continued our Summer in the Psalms series by reflecting on Psalm 121, one of the Psalms of Ascent—songs sung on the journey to Jerusalem. Pastor Simon encouraged us to think about our own life journey and the need for strength and direction beyond what we can muster ourselves.

We explored how modern tools like YouTube and AI can offer quick fixes, but when it comes to our faith, purpose, and calling, our true help comes from the Lord—the Maker of heaven and earth. We’re called to co-labour with God, especially through persistent prayer (P.U.S.H.—Pray Until Something Happens), and to live daily in partnership with the Holy Spirit, our Helper and Advocate. The message closed with a call to keep looking to Jesus as our guide and strength.

Here’s the audio from last week’s message, where Simon kicked off a new series exploring the Psalms, a book that captures the raw and honest journey of faith. In this sermon, Simon walks us through the story of David’s escape to the cave of Adullam, a place of fear and isolation that became a turning point in David’s life. Through this story and the connected Psalms, Simon shares how God meets us in our lowest moments, how He hears us, is near to us, and brings us freedom. It’s a powerful invitation to magnify the Lord, to seek Him, and to walk in awe of Him, because when we do, fear fades, faith rises, and freedom breaks in."