Summit Podcasts: BACK40, Sermon Audio, and Leadership Night

The fifth and final message of our series One Nation Under God brings Pastor Mel teaching about Christian generosity as well as the tithe. The thematic idea for this series is that political transformation is easy while spiritual transformation is hard. Mel begins by explaining the differences between how Romans and early Christians viewed money. Romans were stingy and self-serving, while Christians were open-handed and generous. Mel explains the distinctions between The First Tithe, The Festival Tithe, and The Poor Tithe. What does the Bible say about the spiritual significance of tithing? Mel finishes the message by challenging us that we fail to find peace with our finances because we fail to trust in God. The world will not be changed by our spare time and our spare money, but authentic Christian generosity has the power to change everything.

In the fourth message of our series called One Nation Under God, Pastor Mel helps us understand the truths about idolatry. The running theme for this series is that while political transformation is easy, spiritual transformation is hard. We often think of shrines and statues when we think about idolatry, but idolatry normally takes on a different form for us today. Mel explains how idolatry may not mean loving evil things, but loving good things too much and making them supreme over God. Some commonly idolized facets of life include success, fame, and identity. Mel provides two tests for our hearts to determine whether we have idols: where do we spend our money and where do we spend our time? The message finishes with a personal story from Mel's own life to illustrate what biblical repentance looks like.

In the third week of our series called One Nation Under God, Pastor Mel unpacks what the Bible teaches us about sex. He begins the message by contextualizing the Scripture through a comparison of the Roman view sex with the Christian view of sex. Scripture prohibits sexual sins including adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bestiality, and incest. Mel breaks down the neurological processes which occur during sex and explains how they are both helpful and motivating in the context of marriage - but destructive in the context of sexual sin. He finishes the message by reminding us of God's grace shown to the adulterous woman in John 8.

Mel and Michael discuss a range of topics including what to do when you say something you regret. How do you go about fixing it? The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Knowing this, how do you trust someone who has poor past behavior? What does Mel think about Artificial Intelligence? Does AI have a role in the Church or in his own ministry? What should we do when AI becomes indistinguishable from humanity? If there is no marriage in Heaven, does that mean the institution of marriage is inherently corrupt? The conversation finishes with death-bed conversions and whether such testimonies are good for the kingdom of God.

In week two of our series called One Nation Under God, Pastor Collin teaches about the Judeo-Christian values concerning the sanctity of life. The main idea for this series is that nations are changed when followers of Jesus give their lives for other people. Part of understanding this is the reminder that "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." Collin explains Summit's unashamedly pro-life position by preaching through Psalm 139 and John 3. He finishes his message by encouraging us to make sacrifices by seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

Mel, Todd, and Michael begin the conversation by discussing whether there's a real risk of Christian Nationalism emerging as a reaction to woke idolatry. What is Christian Nationalism? What makes a political leader a theocrat? Is it even possible or desirable to keep religion out of politics? Next they discuss Israel's multi-front war and whether or not it bears eschatological significance. Does it tell us anything about the end of days? The conversation finishes with a reflection on the immensity of information given to us each day. Will the truth get lost in the confusion if we don't self-restrict what we consume?

In the first message of our series called One Nation Under God, Pastor Mel explains some critical distinctions between church and government. Part of the reason our political conversations have become so contentious is because we've made our politics as sacred as the church. We idolize our politicians instead of remaining focused on Jesus. Political transformation is often easier than spiritual transformation. The early church thrived under political persecution because it offered a direct relationship with an intimate God. The first century church was countercultural, and they understood eternal life came by grace through faith - not by works. Through Romans 12 Mel encourages us not to copy the behavior and customs of this world, but to let God transform us into new people by changing the way we think.

In the fourth and final message of our series called More Than Christians, Pastor Mel explains the final phase of a disciple's development: to do as Jesus did. We should be baptized in water because Jesus was baptized in water. We should be led by the Spirit of God because Jesus was led by the Spirit of God. Jesus also prioritized prayer and being with God, even if it meant withdrawing from others for a time. We also see that Jesus went to church regularly and he preached the gospel boldly, which further solidifies the reasons for why we should not forsake the gathering of the saints. Perhaps most importantly, Jesus suffered in this world and he also loved sacrificially. Walking well through suffering and pouring yourself out to love others are the most difficult projects in doing what Jesus did. Under normal circumstances we cannot do it on our own, but by the power of the Holy Spirit we can live a life like Jesus lived.

In part three of our series called More Than Christians, Pastor Mel explains what it means to become like Jesus. He reminds us of the three goals of a disciple: to be with your rabbi, to become like your rabbi, and to do as your rabbi did. God's purpose for his people is for them to become like Jesus Christ. A disciple of Jesus is anyone who intentionally organizes their life around Jesus (being with him, becoming like him, and doing what he did). A non-disciple of Jesus is anyone who intentionally organizes their life around anything else. Becoming like Jesus means imitating him and surrounding yourself with an environment which promotes Christlikeness. Whether we're aware of it or not, we are busy becoming like something. We are being spiritually shaped and influenced at all times. Mel helps raise our awareness to this reality by reminding us our lives are perfectly designed to shape us into who we are at this moment. If we want to be shaped into something different, we need to change the way we do life.

In the second part of our series called More Than Christians, Pastor Mel explains how real disciples commit themselves to be with Jesus. John Mark Comer said, "This is the first and most important goal of apprenticeship to Jesus: to be with him, to spend every waking moment aware of his presence and attentive to his voice. To cultivate a with-ness to Jesus as a baseline for your entire life." Disciples abide in Jesus, rooted in connection to him by the Holy Spirit. Mel maps out a threefold strategy for cultivating connection to Jesus: gathering with God's people, prayer, and transformed thinking. To be disciples of Christ we must choose to live a life that is always attentive to God.