When life takes an unexpected turn, we have a choice: We can take matters into our own hands, or we can do things God’s way and wait on him to fulfill his promises. In this message, Pastor J.D. uses Abigail’s story of wisdom and discretion to show us why we cannot accomplish the promise of the Spirit in the power of the flesh and how to instead leave vengeance to God and respond with grace.
One day, the story of your life will be told to the next generation. How do you want today’s chapter to be told? In this message from 1 Samuel 25, Pastor J.D. shows us King David at a critical juncture, fresh off his faithful response to the murderous King Saul. But when a smaller obstacle meets David, he stumbles and nearly falls. The only thing that prevents David from veering into a pattern of sin and foolishness is an obscure figure—one of the wisest (and least known) people in the entire Bi...
David did not spend time in the wilderness, running from Saul, so we could believe that if we trust God more, he will accept and provide for us. That’s the wrong order—and the order is critical. Pastor J.D. explains in this message how David’s confidence and steadfast faith in God’s purpose developed because he believed God had already accepted him and how you can have the same faith.
What do you do when the path you’re on takes an expected turn for the worst? In this message from 1 Samuel 24, Pastor J.D. follows King David into an unexpected place—the wilderness. At this point in his life, David had been chosen to be king. And yet circumstances sent him running for his life. David’s temptation in this season echoes our own: When our plans seem to be going south, we can take matters into our own hands. Or we can follow David, doing the hardest thing in the Bible—trust God and...
We all need the kind of friendships in our lives that will shield us, strengthen us, and shape us into the person God created us to be. In this message, Pastor J.D. shows how Jonathan’s friendship with David modeled this kind of friendship and how friendship with Jesus enables us to be to others this kind of friend—healthy, complete, trusting, and forgiving.
In this message from 1 Samuel, Pastor J.D. looks at one of the greatest friendship stories of all time—between the presumptive heir, Prince Jonathan, and the anointed king, David. This unlikely friendship challenges us to choose our own response to the one true King, Jesus. Will we, like Saul, resist him? Or will we, like Jonathan, yield the throne of our life to him?
For anyone who struggles to find courage in adversity, the story of David and Goliath does not give us hope because God promises to help us defeat all of our “giants” if we trust him enough. Pastor J.D. teaches in this message how the story of David shows us that, because of Jesus’ victory over death, we can have audacious courage in the face of obstacles.
In this message from 1 Samuel, Pastor J.D. walks through the most famous story in the Old Testament—David and Goliath. Everyone knows this story, but few truly understand what it’s about. Goliath’s downfall isn’t an encouragement to underdogs or a guarantee that you’ll overcome every “giant” in your life. Goliath’s story shows us what true courage is, where courage comes from, and what God is up to when the Accuser’s voice is all we hear.
Do you ever feel like you’re just biding your time doing mundane tasks that aren’t really leading anywhere? In this message, Pastor J.D. continues to look at David’s ordinary years in the pasture before he became king and explains how the blank spaces—the sections in the Bible where all the activity seems to stop—are where our hearts are shaped by God to be faithful in the big and small things.
In this message from 1 Samuel, Pastor J.D. finally introduces us to the person of David. But David’s first appearance is hardly a commanding one: He is overlooked before being anointed as king, then seemingly forgotten immediately afterwards. What this message will show us, is that those moments when God seems completely absent often turn out to be the places where God does his most transformative work.
Most of us don’t want to be poor in spirit. We’d rather be upper middle class in spirit, so we can do what we want, when we want. Pastor J.D. helps us understand in this message why God blesses those who are poor in spirit and how a posture of humility leads to dependence, surrender, and ultimately peace and life and power.
There’s a fine line between “thy kingdom come” and “my kingdom come.” Friday on Summit Life, Pastor J.D. shows us how Saul was a king who at first displayed humility, yet, as time passed his main concern became making a name for himself. Learn how—just like Saul and the people of Israel—we often search for the wrong things, Friday on Summit Life with Pastor J.D. Greear.
All earthly kings that we demand, whether a literal king or a metaphorical one, like success or money or romance, are going to not only let us down; they are also going to enslave us. Pastor J.D. teaches that we, too, have to learn the hard lessons Israel learned—and those lessons create in us a desire for the only King that offers joy and freedom through surrender.
In this teaching from The Life of David, Pastor J.D. shows us how all of us—religious or irreligious, Christian or not—seem hard-wired to chase after someone (or something) to make us feel okay. Like the people of Israel, we desire a king. We desire identity, security, happiness, freedom. And what 1 Samuel 8 teaches us is as simple as it is profound: Every king promises freedom; but every king but God only delivers slavery.
The stories of the Old Testament often show us what not to do, even through some of its most famous characters—but every story points to Jesus, who faithfully delivered God’s truth to us and refused to forsake us when we rejected his words. In this message, Pastor J.D. shows how every great leader becomes good only as they model their leadership after Jesus, the ultimate Prophet, Priest, and King.
In this teaching, Pastor J.D. highlights the radical difference between God’s faithful shepherds and spiritual abusers. Throughout history—and throughout the Bible—it is tragically common to find spiritual leaders who exploit and wound others. But in Jesus, we find a different kind of Shepherd—faithful, gentle, safe, and true. He came not to wound, but to be wounded for us. And by his wounds, we are healed.
It’s easy to read Hannah’s story in 1 Samuel and think the lesson is that if we ask God for something in faith, he will answer. But Hannah’s song of praise and trust in God’s faithfulness point to an even greater promise. Pastor J.D. continues to teach in this message how trust in God’s greatest gift, Jesus, leads to identity, security, and happiness.
Pastor J.D. kicks off our series following the biography of David, Israel’s greatest king. A king who began his life as an obscure shepherd boy, but became a warrior who brought rival nations to their knees. We see hints of that king long before David arrives—in the story of an overlooked woman named Hannah.
Sometimes, the worst situations in life provide the best opportunities for God to use us. As we conclude our study in the book of Acts, Pastor J.D. reminds us that it’s usually during the middle of life’s storms that God uses us to make the biggest impact on those around us. It’s part of our SENT series, and Pastor J.D. is teaching from Acts, Chapter 28.
Life doesn’t always go the way we want. But even in the midst of those difficult seasons, God calls us to make the most of our time. As we continue our series titled, SENT, we’re turning to the book of Acts, Chapter 28. Pastor J.D. shows us how Paul furthered his mission of getting the gospel to Rome—while sitting in jail.
Sometimes it can feel like the weight of the world is on our shoulders. But Pastor J.D. explains that there’s only one person who is responsible for saving the world, and it’s not us! Pastor J.D. draws our attention to five things in the Book of Acts we should be focused on instead. It’s part of our series called SENT.
Have you ever considered what you’d like to have written on your tombstone? Well, death isn’t something we like to think about very often. But Pastor J.D. encourages us to reflect on the summation of our lives. From Acts 20, this message is titled, Paul’s Tombstone, and it’s part of our series called SENT.
I bet we all have things we’re not willing to give up. And if we’re holding too tight to something, it might be an idol! So, Pastor J.D. is helping us to examine our hearts to identify any idols in our lives. J.D. is teaching from the book of Acts as we continue our series called SENT.
When we hear the word “idol,” we probably conjure up images of ancient statues and graven images. But idols are still with us today. They just come in different packages. That’s our subject as Pastor J.D. continues our SENT series, teaching from Acts, Chapter 19.
Bank tellers don’t waste their time looking at counterfeit bills. Instead, they learn to spot fakes by studying the genuine article! As we continue our series titled, SENT, Pastor J.D. explains that if we want to share God’s redemptive plan in a counterfeit culture, we’ve got to start by studying God’s Word.
When it comes to cross-cultural communication, there’s a lot that can get lost in translation. We’re learning that in order for others to understand the gospel, we first need to understand where they’re coming from! Pastor J.D. continues our study in the book of Acts, teaching us about effective communication. It’s part of our series titled, SENT.
In the midst of trials and tribulations, we may not be aware that we’re making an eternal impact on those around us. Our reactions can either draw people closer to God or push them further away. Pastor J.D. continues our study in the book of Acts, picking up in Chapter 16.
A businesswoman, a slave girl, and a jailer. What do all these people have in common? No, they’re not the punch line for a joke, but three biblical examples that remind us that the gospel message is for everyone! Pastor J.D. is continuing a study in the book of Acts, providing the foundational principles for faith. It’s part of our series called SENT, and today’s message is titled Three Gospel Conversations.
From the outside, it might seem like there are a lot of rules and regulations when it comes to being a Christian. But Pastor J.D. explains how to remove the barriers that may keep people from coming to Jesus. It’s more from our series in the book of Acts, and today’s message is called When Drinking, Politics, Cussing, and Circumcision Divide.
The early Church was anything but vanilla! It was full of people from all kinds of backgrounds and ethnicities. As we study the book of Acts, Pastor J.D. is explaining the power of diversity in the body of Christ. There’s more to learn from our series called SENT.
