Summit Podcasts: BACK40, Sermon Audio, and Leadership Night

Mel, Todd, and Michael discuss the wisdom of focusing on a select number of projects at one time. Is it too late for you if you've taken on more than you can handle? How do you manage the chaos and arrive at a productive conclusion? They also talk about the importance of pastoring your team and what this pastoring should look like. Then the conversation deepens with the idea of preaching about sobering topics like sin and the holiness of God.

In the second part of our series called It's a Wonderful Life, Pastor Mel looks at the worldly perspective on wanting to be rich. Generally, the desire for material wealth stems from either wanting to live a life of leisure or not wanting to worry about money. Mel makes the case that what we're really after is freedom and we try to acquire freedom through wealth. It's very common for people to worry about who is going to take care of them, and Pastor Mel explains why we become slaves to those who provide for us. He finishes the message by showing how true freedom comes when we understand that God is our provider.

In a special edition of Leadership Night, Mel teaches principles he has learned from time spent working on his Jeep. Working through a list of ten points, he explains how these principles apply to leadership in business and in your personal life. The ideas include being careful to invest in critical infrastructure before spending on flashier, more attractive purchases: "lockers before light bars", as the Jeep community puts it. He also talks about ways to keep your employees happy at the middle of the pay-scale, how to learn from leaders without merely imitating them, and the danger of starting too many projects at one time. Q&A follows.

In the opening message of our series It's a Wonderful Life, Pastor Mel investigates the meaning of biblical love. He talks about the problems associated with the culture's fantastical infatuation with being "in love." He explores the self-sacrificial love of called agape, and then he explains why it's a bad idea to follow your heart when it comes to loving others well. Preaching through 1 John 4, Mel shows us that love is not about chasing a feeling, but choosing a discipline.

Pastor Christina tells a personal story explaining the negative consequences of envy. Preaching through James chapter 3, she teaches us what we should do if we discover that jealousy is a problem in our own lives. Christina makes it clear jealousy is not an attractive vice, and that it is the product of earthly, unspiritual, and demonic tendencies. She contrasts these attributes with godly wisdom which is pure, peace-loving, gentle, and willing to yield to others.

In the third and final message of our series on Habakkuk, Pastor Mel walks us through the prophet's song detailing the wrath of God. Habakkuk's song inspires fear, awe, and confidence in the glorious power of God. Mel explains the Hebrew term "selah" to indicate a moment of pause and praise. So we get to see the moments when the prophet reflected on the movement of God which adds another dimension of interest to the text. The message includes a powerful testimony from Kathy Eshbaugh, she tells us how her trust in God helped her through unthinkable grief. Mel closes with encouragement for us to take worship seriously because it is our weapon of war.

Mel, Todd, and Michael discuss how to spot false teachers. What are some qualities to look for in a good teacher? Are there more false teachers inside the church or outside the church? How should a pastor react when a false teacher emerges within the congregation? They also talk about the role of rituals in the Christian life. Can rituals change the quality of your spirit and help you mature as a Christian? The conversation lands on a discussion of the Golden Rule, and whether or not its meaning can be corrupted by cultural decline.

The second message in our series on Habakkuk brings us exposition of chapter 2. Pastor Mel teaches that it is through faith that a righteous person has life. He draws a distinction between righteousness and pride, citing that righteousness results in firmness, steadiness, fidelity, and steadfastness. Habakkuk cried out to God wondering how long before He will help. The prophet also faces frustration when it looks like the wicked are getting away with their deeds longer than they should. This chapter also presents prophetic warnings against those who build with ill-gotten money as well as those who practice idolatry.

Mel, Todd, and Michael discuss Christ's distinction between the broad path which leads to destruction and the narrow path which leads to life. What does this illustration mean for theological concepts like justification, sanctification, and entire sanctification? What is Summit's official position on these doctrines? Once we've established our convictions on what sanctification looks like, how should these convictions inform our discipleship programs? How can you be the best possible influence on a person's process of becoming more like Jesus?

Pastor Mel begins our series on the book of Habakkuk, who was one of the minor prophets of the Old Testament. This oft-neglected book teaches us invaluable wisdom concerning how we should receive God's correction. Habakkuk's prayer presented in the first chapter comes in the form of a complaint. Mel explains to us why it's okay to complain to God when facing difficulties in life. Complaining to God instead of to our neighbors helps preserve us against sins like gossip. In this message Mel teaches why it's better to be corrected by a friend than an enemy - although even correction by an enemy can be a mercy of God. This message concludes with hopeful words from Jesus Christ in Matthew 11, encouraging us to bring everything to God so He can give us rest.