Summit Podcasts: BACK40, Sermon Audio, and Leadership Night

Mel, Todd, and Michael discuss a curious statement made recently by Professor Jordan Peterson. Is mental health actually external? Can sin damage your brain? Is psychological well-being determined by the narrative on which you construct your life? Next they talk about the importance of repeating personal testimonies. Should churches dedicate platform-time to sharing testimonies? The conversation finishes on a deeper note when the pastors are asked in which areas of their faith do they still wrestle with God.

Mel and Michael discuss how they reacted to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. How can you make sense of big news or major events when you aren't given enough information? What's responsible and what's irresponsible? How can we maintain spiritual well-being in this climate? Next they talk about the joy and the sense of meaning which is found in sacrificing yourself for the benefit of others. The conversation turns to the topic of ministering to people who many would consider too dangerous or too lost to reach. What exactly makes a person dangerous?

This message features Pastor Jim Hennesy, who leads a vibrant church in Cedar Hill, Texas. Jim explains what it looks like to step up and be bold in your identity as a follower of Jesus. Repentance is an indispensable step in the process of overcoming sluggish faith. Jim teaches about the mysterious biblical character Melchizedek and reminds us that he was both a priest and a king. To be a priest and a king means to embrace the gifts of the Spirit while also living a life engaged in practical ministry. Scripture says the peace of God which goes beyond understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. This peace is a key attribute of a Christian who is living as both a king and a priest.

In a special edition of Back40, listen to Pastor Jim Hennesy deliver a message on optimizing your spiritual well-being so that you can foster growth as a leader. Jim discusses why displaying beauty is better than supplying information when it comes to correcting others. We admire what we find beautiful and so we strive to imitate beauty. Being a role model is more effective than being a judge. He also talks about the importance of rest and understanding the sufficiency of Jesus. Q&A follows.

In the final week of our series called Origin Story, Pastor Mel walks us through the major moments in Paul's life and ministry. The apostle Paul is broadly considered the most significant contributor to Christianity apart from Jesus himself. The biblical account of Paul begins before his conversion when he is named Saul and is a high-ranking member of the Pharisees. During this stage of his life he persecuted Christians and sought to have them killed. At one of the most famous inflection points in recorded history, Paul (then called Saul) encountered the risen Christ on the road to Damascus and his entire worldview was transformed in a moment. He ceased persecuting Christians and instead became the most influential apostle in scripture. Paul called himself the worst of sinners, but by the power of the Holy Spirit and with the encouragement of fellow believers like Ananias and Barnabas, Paul's life was redeemed. If God can glorify himself through someone like Paul, what could he do in your own life?

In week 3 of our series called Origin Story, Pastor Mel examines the life of Hannah - who was the mother of the prophet Samuel. In week 2 we learned how Samuel lived a life of faithfulness, and this week we see that his mother was faithful as well. Hannah struggled with infertility and chose to take her suffering to the Lord. God granted her a son, who she then surrendered back to God by taking a Nazirite vow on Samuel's behalf. Hannah left Samuel with Eli the priest when Samuel was just four years old. On first pass Hannah's decision to give Samuel to the priesthood might seem cold or harsh, but in the final analysis it's one of scripture's most renowned acts of faithfulness. Godly parents teach their children how to worship, how to pray, how to trust God, and how to leave the home. Hannah is sometimes criticized for giving Samuel to the priesthood, but modern parents still give their own children to things like athletics, career paths, talents, and more. What are you giving your children to?

Week 2 of our series called Origin Story explores the life of the prophet Samuel. The name Samuel means "heard of God" which is appropriate considering Samuel's position as a prophet. Samuel lived a life of faithfulness which provided stark contrast to King Saul's record of disobedience. The prophet obeyed God in the anointing of Saul as king of Israel, and he continued to obey God when Saul's kingship was taken from him and given to David. Mel explains how God spoke to Samuel because Samuel was first obedient. God will not give us that which we refuse to steward well. Samuel's faithfulness resulted in him having a reputation of honesty and integrity. The words Samuel spoke were reliable and true. Mel goes on to point out how delayed obedience is disobedience, and partial obedience is disobedience. He finishes the message with a challenge to Christians concerning the priesthood of all believers: you don't have to be a prophet to live a faithful life like Samuel did.

Mel, Todd, and Michael discuss the do's and don'ts of planting a multi-site campus church. What defines a multi-site church? How are these churches different from traditional church plants? What pieces need to be in place before making moves to start a new location? What are the advantages of the multi-site model? They also talk about how to handle mistaken teachers who are leading small groups within your congregation. How much theological misalignment is acceptable? The conversation finishes on the topic of proper relationships with denominations. How much control should the local church turn over to the denomination? How does Summit handle their own relationship with the Assemblies of God?

In the first message of our series called Origin Story, Mel walks us through the story of King Saul. Mel explains how Saul was everything the people thought would make for a good king. The prophet Samuel told Saul he was the hope for all of Israel. Despite this fantastic start and these royal qualities, Saul disobeyed God and this disobedience undermined his authority and caused him to lose the kingdom. Mel explores the series of inflection points which corrupted Saul's heart and ultimately resulted in his death. Saul's life is a case study on bad leadership. Mel distills these lessons to three principles: we should fear God primarily, worship God supremely, and obey God completely.

Mel, Todd, and Michael discuss the biblical rationale for why megachurches are a good thing. The megachurch is often unfairly maligned when in reality many of the same problems which arise in megachurches also trouble smaller churches. They also talk about whether there are any honorable reasons for desiring a large following. Are we certain we're treating Christendom's most influential shepherds properly? How should this treatment scale to secular positions of authority? The conversation finishes with self-interested motivations for converting to Christianity. Is there any nobility in coming to Christ simply to avoid Hell?