We Are Chapel

After 12 years of ministry, life change, and walking through every season together, Pastor Bobby Gourley shares his final message as Lead Pastor of Christ Chapel.In Acts 20, the Apostle Paul says goodbye to a church he deeply loves, offering words of gratitude, encouragement, and wisdom as he prepares them for life without his leadership. In this special message, Pastor Bobby reflects on all God has done at Chapel, the people who have made these 12 years unforgettable, and the truths that will continue to guide the church into its next season.From baptisms and life-changing testimonies to the Dream Center, missions, and serving the Shoals, this has always been about more than one pastor. It's about Jesus, the gospel, the power of the Holy Spirit, loving one another, and carrying the hope of Christ into a broken world.As the Gourley family follows God's call to a new season of ministry, Pastor Bobby challenges Chapel to stay unified, guard against division, keep serving, and remain faithful to the mission God has given them. The church's calling doesn't change with a change in leadership. Jesus is still the Shepherd, and His church is still His.Twelve years ago, Chapel took a chance on the Gourleys. Now, as this chapter comes to a close, Pastor Bobby leaves the church with a reminder that has anchored his ministry from the beginning:*“Twelve years ago you took a chance on us. Today I'm leaving you with a sure thing. His name is Jesus.”*Subscribe to the channel for more messages from Christ Chapel, and share this message with someone who has been part of the journey.

What if the biggest threat to your peace isn’t your enemy — but your distraction?When people hurt you, oppose you, or seem to get ahead of you, it’s easy to spend all your energy watching them, fighting back, and wondering why God hasn’t done something about it. But Psalm 23 offers a different picture: God prepares a table for you in the presence of your enemies.In this message, we continue through Psalm 23 and discover what it means to live with confidence in the presence of the King. David shows us a God who welcomes us to His table, anoints our heads with oil, and fills our cups until they overflow.Instead of chasing your enemies, God invites you to focus on His presence. Instead of wasting your purpose trying to prove yourself, protect what He has entrusted to you. And instead of comparing your blessings to someone else’s, learn to recognize the abundance of grace, hope, mercy, and provision God has already given you.Don’t leave the table of the Lord to fight your enemies. Your job is to sit at the table. God’s job is to deal with your enemies.The good news is that God’s table has room for you, too. He invites you into relationship, healing, and a life overflowing with His goodness.If this message encourages you, subscribe to the channel and share it with someone who needs the reminder to stop focusing on the fight and start focusing on the One who holds them.

Are you wondering where your life is headed?Everyone is on a path. The question isn’t whether you’re following a path — *it’s whose footprints you’re following.*In this message, we continue through Psalm 23 and discover what it means when David says, *“He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”* The Shepherd doesn’t just restore us and leave us standing still. He leads us. He knows the way, and He knows exactly where He is taking us.There are plenty of paths we can follow — our culture, our desires, our past, our friends, or our own understanding. But Jesus doesn’t simply point us toward the right path. *He says, “I am the way.”*Following Jesus means trusting His Word, walking in His ways, listening to His Spirit, and choosing His path one step at a time. And sometimes the right path won’t be the most popular one — but it will always be worth walking.We also celebrate *20 people who publicly declared their faith through baptism at River Baptisms!* Their baptism isn’t the finish line. It’s the beginning of a life spent following the Shepherd.So the question is simple: *What path are you walking?*

Why are you so tired?Not sleepy. Tired. The kind of tired that a vacation can’t fix and a full night of sleep can’t touch. Because sometimes what needs rest isn’t your body — it’s your soul.In this message, we continue through Psalm 23 and discover how the Good Shepherd restores weary souls. David shows us four things Jesus does for us: He gives our weary souls rest, feeds our hungry souls, calms our anxious souls, and restores our discouraged souls.The Shepherd knows what your soul needs because He knows you completely. He leads you to green pastures when you’ve been running on empty. He brings you beside still waters when anxiety has become the soundtrack of your life. And when you’ve fallen flat on your back, He doesn’t shame you — He comes looking for you and restores you.You don’t need to try harder to fix what only the Shepherd can restore.The Shepherd isn’t disappointed in you. He came looking for you.

What if the thing you think makes you unqualified is actually part of what God wants to use?When David stood face-to-face with Goliath, everyone around him saw a boy facing a giant. But David remembered something different: *God had already been faithful.* The lion. The bear. The battles no one else saw. And David knew that the same God who had rescued him before would rescue him again.In this message, Tyler Sterban takes us into the story of David and Goliath and reminds us that we don’t have to step into someone else’s armor to face what’s in front of us. God can use what He’s already placed in your hands, and the battles you’ve already walked through may be preparing you for the battle you’re facing now.You may feel too young, too inexperienced, or too ordinary. But your confidence doesn’t have to come from what you can do. *It comes from knowing who your God is.*Watch this message and be encouraged to trust God, remember His faithfulness, and step into what He has called you to do.

Who are you following?Every one of us is being led by something — our desires, our fears, our culture, our circumstances, or our own understanding. But Psalm 23 begins with a simple declaration that changes everything: “The Lord is my shepherd.”In this message, we begin our journey through Psalm 23 by discovering what it really means to have God as our Shepherd. Like sheep, we are vulnerable, easily distracted, and in desperate need of direction. But we have a Shepherd who knows us, provides for us, guides us, protects us, and loves us personally.David doesn’t promise that life will always be easy. He reminds us that when the Lord is our Shepherd, we never have to walk through life alone.And when the Shepherd is truly leading us, we can say with confidence: “I shall not want.”The question is simple: Do you know the Shepherd, or do you just know the Psalm?

Speaking in tongues is one of the most misunderstood topics in the Christian faith, yet the Bible commands believers to earnestly desire spiritual gifts. There are two distinct forms of tongues described in Scripture: a public gift given to certain believers that requires interpretation, and a private spiritual language available to all believers for personal prayer and growth. Praying in tongues offers four powerful biblical benefits: speaking directly to God, receiving spiritual insight, building up your faith, and expanding the potential of your prayers beyond the limits of human language. You do not need a special setting or dramatic experience to receive this gift. Simply come to God with hunger and ask. Whether you have never prayed in tongues, have drifted away from it, or have no words at all, God meets you exactly where you are.

What would it look like to live for and from communion with the Father?Guest speaker Jeremy Robertson from Vertical Life Church takes us to Exodus 33 and the moment Moses refuses to move forward without the presence of God. Moses understood that God’s presence wasn’t simply something to experience—it was the foundation for everything God had called him to do.A presence-driven life isn’t about doing more for God. It’s about learning to live with God — and allowing everything we do to flow from that communion."A presence-driven life is to live for and from communion with the Father.” — Jeremy RobertsonIf you’ve been striving, distracted, or trying to accomplish God’s purposes in your own strength, this message is an invitation to slow down, draw near, and rediscover the power of God’s presence.

Everyone has an opinion about Jesus—but the Jesus of Scripture is far more than a therapist, life coach, mascot, or moral teacher.In Hebrews 1:1–4, we see Jesus revealed as Prophet, Priest, and King. He is the Prophet who speaks the truth of God, the Priest who bears our guilt and shame, and the King who reigns with complete authority. You don't get to pick and choose which parts of Jesus you want—He is the whole Christ.Jesus is Prophet — so listen.Jesus is Priest — so draw near.Jesus is King — so submit.In this message, we look at what each of these roles means and why seeing Jesus clearly changes the way we follow Him.

Failure is inevitable. But what if failure doesn't have to be final?Every one of us will experience failure. Even the people God used most throughout Scripture—Jacob, Moses, David, Jonah, Manasseh, and Peter—had moments when they fell short, made terrible decisions, or walked away from what God had called them to do. But their failures weren't the end of their stories.God's grace doesn't minimize our failures; it overcomes them. In this message, we'll discover what it means to fail forward, learn from our mistakes, embrace repentance, and trust that God can still use our lives after we've fallen short.What failure are you allowing to define you? Your past may be part of your story, but it doesn't have to be the final chapter. Through Jesus, there is always the possibility of redemption, restoration, and a new beginning.