Truth on the Trail with Dr. Pete Pawelek

In Part 2 of the “Alive” series, Pastor Pete dives into Romans 6 to show us what it truly means to walk in a new way of life through Christ. This message builds on last week’s focus on sin and death and shifts our attention to salvation, transformation, and the life Jesus calls us into.

We learn that following Jesus means leaving behind our old patterns, including our comfortable habits, familiar routines, and the “old way” we naturally cling to. Walking in Christ is a new way of living, and Scripture is honest about it:

This message is a call to step boldly into the life Jesus offers, which is to walk the hard road, embrace the best way, and follow the only path that leads to true life. If you’re ready to leave the old life behind and walk in the new way Jesus has for you, this message will encourage, challenge, and strengthen your faith.

In this powerful kickoff to the “Alive” series, Pastor Pete teaches from Romans 6 and explores one of the clearest contrasts in all of Scripture: the difference between being dead in sin and being alive in Christ.

Using everyday examples of things we instantly know how to tell apart, Pastor Pete shows that the difference between spiritual death and spiritual life is just as obvious when we truly understand it. Sin isn’t something small, harmless, or forgettable. It’s deadly, destructive, and always leads to death, but through Jesus, we’re offered something radically different: new life, new identity, and a new way of walking every single day.

If you’re ready to step out of the old life and truly be alive in Christ, this message is for you.

In this powerful kickoff to the “Alive” series, Pastor Pete teaches from Romans 6 and explores one of the clearest contrasts in all of Scripture: the difference between being dead in sin and being alive in Christ.

Using everyday examples of things we instantly know how to tell apart, Pastor Pete shows that the difference between spiritual death and spiritual life is just as obvious when we truly understand it. Sin isn’t something small, harmless, or forgettable. It’s deadly, destructive, and always leads to death, but through Jesus, we’re offered something radically different: new life, new identity, and a new way of walking every single day.

If you’re ready to step out of the old life and truly be alive in Christ, this message is for you.

Job 2:11–13 introduces us to Job’s three friends, who, before giving any bad advice later, actually get a few things right. When they hear about Job’s suffering, they travel from their homes, weep with him, and sit beside him in silence for seven days because “they saw that his suffering was very intense.”

This message reminds us that while everyone suffers, no one should suffer alone. Faithful friendship looks like:

Seeking and seeing those who are hurting, sharing in their struggle, and sitting in silence when words would only wound.

Just as Job’s friends sat with him, Jesus seeks us, sympathizes with us, and never leaves us to suffer by ourselves.

In Part 2 of our CrossRoads series, we step into the cold courtyard where Peter faced one of the greatest failures of his life. This message explores the moment Peter denied Jesus three times and asks a sobering question we all must answer: Will you stand with Him, or walk away from Him?

Peter was bold, courageous, and deeply committed to Christ, yet when the pressure rose and following Jesus became costly, he collapsed. His story reminds us how quickly confidence can give way to compromise, and how distance from Christ can set the stage for denial.

But this sermon is not only about failure. It is also about grace. After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to Peter personally. Peter had forsaken the Lord, but the Lord had not forsaken Peter. That is the hope of the gospel. Jesus does not move toward perfect people. He moves toward broken people, failures, and those who know they have messed it up.

This message is for anyone who has been following Jesus at a distance, anyone who has compromised under pressure, and anyone who needs to know that failure does not have to be final.

In Job 2:6–10, Job’s suffering intensifies as he’s struck with painful boils (from head to toe) after already losing his wealth and his children. His faith comes under fire again when even his wife urges him to “curse God and die,” but Job refuses. Instead, he responds with remarkable trust.

Just as Job trusted God under fire, we can too by affirming His promises, accepting His will, aligning with His purpose, and anticipating His provision.

In Job 2:6–10, Job’s suffering intensifies as he’s struck with painful boils (from head to toe) after already losing his wealth and his children. His faith comes under fire again when even his wife urges him to “curse God and die,” but Job refuses. Instead, he responds with remarkable trust.

Just as Job trusted God under fire, we can too by affirming His promises, accepting His will, aligning with His purpose, and anticipating His provision.

In Job 1:13–22, Job loses almost everything in a single day...his wealth, his servants, and all ten of his children. Yet in the middle of unimaginable devastation, Job makes a choice: instead of panicking, despairing, wondering, sulking, or blaming God, he falls to the ground and worships.

This message reminds us that when disaster, disappointment, or heartbreak strike, we also have choices. We can panic or pray, despair or depend on God, wonder “why?” or worship, sulk or seek God, or blame or bless the Lord,

Even in the worst moments, you can choose faith, dependence, worship, and trust—just like Job.

In Job 1:13–22, Job loses almost everything in a single day...his wealth, his servants, and all ten of his children. Yet in the middle of unimaginable devastation, Job makes a choice: instead of panicking, despairing, wondering, sulking, or blaming God, he falls to the ground and worships.

This message reminds us that when disaster, disappointment, or heartbreak strike, we also have choices. We can panic or pray, despair or depend on God, wonder “why?” or worship, sulk or seek God, or blame or bless the Lord,

Even in the worst moments, you can choose faith, dependence, worship, and trust—just like Job.

In Job 1:1–5, we see not just Job’s integrity, but his deep faithfulness to his family. While his children lived differently (hosting frequent banquets and drifting spiritually), Job consistently led, loved, and interceded for them. He gathered them after each cycle of feasting and offered individual burnt offerings on their behalf.

Job’s example reminds us to be intentional and unwavering with our families by worshiping together, praying together, serving together, sacrificing together, and playing together.