SummitPA Sermon Audio

In the second sermon of our series called The Parable of the Sower, Pastor Mel explains the importance of being rooted in Christian community. What you are rooted in determines what your life is producing. People who are rooted in the love of Christ will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. A good question to ask ourselves in order to reveal where our roots are is, "What do we hold tightly when we find ourselves in crisis?" Aspen trees grow in community as their roots spread below the earth's surface and spring others to life to form a group. They are interconnected by their root system and share nutrients and resources to support each other. Resilient Christians are the same way as they join small groups and sacrifice for the community.

In the first message of our series called The Parable of the Sower, Pastor Mel teaches what it means to have a hardened heart. Preaching through Matthew 13, Mel explains why having a hardened heart prevents you from seeing and hearing God. The factors which contribute to a hardened heart are often associated with repetition. Repetition of pain can harden a person's heart, and repetition of performance can result in routines which make church mechanical instead of meaningful. Mel expresses how our hearts grow hard to beauty when beauty becomes routine. If you are unimpressed with God, if you are cynical of life, or if you see God as transactional, then this message is for you.

Pastor Kyle Hammond joins us for a special message on what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus. What do Christ followers know? What do Christ followers do? Kyle explains why, while we get to decide whether to be disciples of Jesus, we don't get to decide what a disciple of Jesus does. Disciples of Jesus are called to turn the other cheek, give the shirts of their backs, go the extra mile, help those in need, and give more than expecfted. Authentic belief must transform the way we behave because faith without works is dead. Pastor Kyle finishes his message with a challenge for us to decide whether Jesus is merely the Lord of our lips or truly the Lord of our lives.

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 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.

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.

6 for 6 is a fun set of mini-sermons preached by a rotation of our pastors here at Summit Church. Each preacher has 6 minutes to deliver his or her sermon and if they are not done when the timer hits 0:00, a buzzer sounds and they must walk off stage. While it was sometimes a frantic speed and not all of our communicators finished, expect to learn about the core values which define us as a church. Knowing Jesus means we center our lives around Him and His good news. We value reaching the lost, so we know that to reach people no one is reaching, we have to do things no one is doing. We also value freedom, big faith, healthy relationships, and radical generosity.

Pastor Mel preaches a special message on Pentecost Sunday about the power of the Holy Spirit and how this power enables every life to be made different. At Summit Church, the central focus of all our core values is to see every life made different. Mel explains the history behind what occurred on the day of Pentecost and why it matters for us today. Preaching through Acts 1 & 2, as well as other scriptures, Mel makes the case for why the spiritual gifts are meant for believers today. He unpacks the gift of tongues, explaining the difference between a public gift and a private grace. The message finishes by explaining how praying in the spirit speaks to God, builds up the person praying, and is Paul's desire for all believers. Mel invites us to be baptized in the Holy Spirit so that we might become powerful witnesses for the gospel.