Sermon messages from Pastor J.D. Greear and the pastoral team of The Summit Church. The Summit is one church that meets in many locations around Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
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Drawing parallels between Vanellope's glitch in "Wreck-It Ralph" and Paul's "thorn in the flesh," this message reveals how God uses our weaknesses not as liabilities, but as gateways to experience His sufficient grace. It challenges listeners to embrace struggles, recognizing that humility and dependence on God are where true spiritual power flows, protecting us from pride and fostering a deeper relationship with Him. The episode encourages finding contentment and strength in life's "glitches."
There are many spiritual battles that we will face in our lives, whether related to our own growth, parenting our children, or seeing someone come to Christ. The problem is that we often try to fight these battles out of our own strength, rather than relying on the power that God supplies. In this week's message from 2 Corinthians 10, Pastor J.D. shows us the importance of being properly equipped for any spiritual battle—and it begins with things like prayer, saturating ourselves in the Word, an...
It can be tricky to distinguish a real diamond from a fake one, and it requires intentional examination to do so. In much the same way, we don't always know if someone's faith is real just by looking at them from the outside. In this week's message from 2 Corinthians 6–7, Pastor J.D. provides us with some diagnostic questions to ask ourselves in order to determine if our own faith is authentic. If we want to be true disciples of Jesus, we must do the hard work of honestly reflecting on things su...
In this week's message from 2 Corinthians 3, Pastor Curtis helps us take a closer look at what it means that we are being transformed “from one degree of glory to another.” As we begin a new year, we should be encouraged to press in and seek God, knowing that as we do, he is slowly but surely transforming us.
One of the most intriguing elements of the Christmas story is that of the wise men, who see a mysterious star and set out on a journey that ultimately leads them to worship Jesus. In this week’s message from Matthew 2, Pastor J.D. gives us a snapshot of various responses to the birth of Jesus, all of which are still seen in different degrees today. Just as God used a sign to lead the wise men to the Savior, he continues to meet us where we are and draw us to himself. The only question is if we w...
What drives your life? Whether money, or our children, or the approval of others, we all have something that drives us, even controls us. In this week's message from 2 Corinthians 5, Pastor Bryan helps us see how allowing the love of Christ to control us changes everything. Living out the identity that Jesus gives us as believers means a new outlook on everything—ourselves, others, and even life and death itself.
The gospel is so beautiful and valuable, yet God chooses to place this great treasure in “jars of clay.” It's almost incomprehensible, really, but it's how God works. All throughout the Bible, we see examples of how he uses weak, broken vessels for his glory. In this week's message from 2 Corinthians 4, Pastor J.D. shows us how even when we experience suffering, God often uses it for his good purposes, working in us and through us in powerful ways.
When we think about reading Luke 2, our thoughts naturally turn to the story of Jesus’ birth. But what follows is the account of a man named Simeon, a man who marveled at the sight of Jesus because he knew that at last, salvation had come. In this week’s message, Pastor John takes us through Simeon’s story, showing us what we all should marvel at: the wonder of Jesus.
We've all heard the voice of that inner critic, telling us that we're not enough, that we need to constantly prove ourselves. It's exhausting to try to live up to the pressure we place on ourselves, to try to carry a weight that the gospel has already lifted. In this week's message from 2 Corinthians 2 and 3, Pastor Curtis explains how to let go of these weights and submit to the transformation that only the Holy Spirit can bring. Ultimately, transformation doesn't come from trying harder, but f...
When we evaluate why many people aren't generous, it's probably not because they're selfish. More likely, they're battling either fear or pride (or maybe both). In this week's message from 2 Corinthians 9, Pastor J.D. shows us how these things can prevent us from being generous, as well as the remedy. By trusting and obeying God as it relates to our finances, we will experience the joy that results from seeing him use these resources to build his kingdom. And we will proclaim, as Paul did, “Than...
Let’s face it: It’s hard to talk about money. But what if we reoriented our perspective on it? In fact, what if we reoriented our entire lives in response to the grace that God has shown us? In this week’s message from 2 Corinthians 8, Pastor J.D. explains the Apostle Paul’s reasons for wanting the Corinthian church to be generous, as well as some obstacles that often sabotage good intentions. We have such a kind, generous God, and in the end, the only right response is for our own generosity to...
What comes to mind when you think of caring for people? Maybe it’s bringing a meal, writing a note of encouragement, or providing a place to stay for someone in need. But in this week’s message from 2 Corinthians 1 and 2, Pastor Bryan explains how for the Christian, true care doesn’t stop with these things. Rather, it looks like recognizing the greatest need that people have and pointing them to Jesus. This, of course, takes work. It’s often inconvenient. But it’s always worth it.
It’s a universal experience: going through suffering but struggling to understand the “why” behind it. In the Apostle Paul’s case, much of the reason behind his suffering was found in his subsequent ability to comfort others in similar situations. In this week’s message from 2 Corinthians 1, Pastor J.D. helps us see what Paul learned about God’s faithfulness through his pain. As we learn more about the character of God through our own suffering, we too will gain a testimony that speaks volumes t...
A popular criticism often leveled against Christians is that they are hypocrites, meaning that they say one thing but do another. But Jesus addresses a different kind of hypocrisy in the Sermon on the Mount, that of doing spiritual things to be seen as more godly than you actually are. In this week’s message from Matthew 6, Pastor Curtis shows us not only the cost of hypocrisy but the cure for it. The key isn’t found in doing more and more religious things, but in having a genuine relationship w...
What does a bold, faithful witness to Jesus look like in 2025? After all, we're living in an age where Christianity is increasingly viewed as a problem, even an obstacle to be removed. In this week's message from Jeremiah 29, Pastor J.D. helps us see that we have a vital part to play in the renewal of our city. As we do our jobs with excellence, integrity, and grace, we not only reflect the gospel, but we ultimately display a foretaste of the world as God intended it to be.
Psalm 51 is widely known as the psalm in which David confesses his sins related to Bathsheba and her husband. But in this week’s message, Pastor Bryan takes us through Psalm 32, revealing a look into David’s heart in the year before he actually confessed. Like David, we sometimes have a tendency to be slow in confessing our sins, mistakenly believing that in these moments we should keep a safe distance from God. The truth, however, is that God is a safe place for us precisely because our sins ha...
The final chapters of the book of Revelation present the end of the world as we know it—but there's also a glorious beginning. In this week’s message from Revelation 21–22, Pastor J.D. walks us through the vision of a new heaven and a new earth described by the Apostle John. The fact that God will once again dwell with his people should cause all of us to rejoice. But the fact that those who reject God will not experience this reunion with him should motivate us to share the gospel with urgency,...
The gospel is beautiful for so many reasons, but one of them is its power to unite people from different cultures, family backgrounds, and circumstances. As we come together for Church at the Dome this weekend, Pastor J.D. shows the power of the gospel at work through the stories of three very different people in Acts 16. Whether you're a seeker, a cynic, or something in between, the resurrected Jesus meets you exactly where you are and offers true hope and freedom.
In this week’s message, Pastor Tyler Staton, our guest preacher from Bridgetown Church, reintroduces us to the person of the Holy Spirit by tracing five biblical scenes: creation, roots, Jesus, then, and now.
What do you most look forward to? Maybe it's a vacation that you've been anticipating for a long time, or a new job that you can't wait to start. Maybe it's catching up with an old friend that you haven't seen in years. For those who follow Jesus, what we look forward to with great anticipation is what Revelation calls “the marriage supper of the Lamb.” In this week's message from Revelation 19–20, Pastor J.D. unpacks the implications of this great wedding feast as well as the 1,000-year earthly...
We're all familiar with the experience of being tourists, but exiles? No way. And yet, we are told in multiple places in the Bible to think of ourselves as exiles here on earth, because this is not our true home. In this week's message from Revelation 14–18, Pastor J.D. shows us the value of living as exiles in a place that frequently seems alluring but will ultimately pass away. What we are meant to do is fix our eyes on the heavenly city, the one with true, lasting foundations. That, after all...
If you’ve ever watched a movie with a big reveal the SECOND time, it’s a much different experience. The suspense is gone, and you can be calm, cool, and collected. Why? Because you knew the end before the story even got there. The coming of the Antichrist is a lot like that, as God tells us ahead of time what to expect from the end of history. And because we know the end, we can live today with patience, peace … and even joy.
Judgments. Fire and hail. A beast from a bottomless pit. Taken on their own, quite frankly, these things seem like the stuff of nightmares. In the midst of such frightening images, we might ask, where is hope to be found? In this week's message from Revelation 8–11, Pastor J.D. encourages us to find hope by keeping our gaze on this glorious picture: Jesus reigns victorious, his mission will ultimately be accomplished, and his Word will triumph.
No one likes being caught off guard or feeling unprepared. But the truth is, though we don't know the exact time that it will happen, we know that Jesus' return is certain. In this week's message from Matthew 24, Pastor John encourages us to ready ourselves by living lives that are fully surrendered to God. When we do so, we can be sure that wherever God leads us and whatever he has for us is ultimately for his glory and our good.
If you're like most people, once you make it to Revelation 6, you decide your devotional time would probably be better spent elsewhere. After all, what are those seven seals about, anyway? And the “great tribulation”? Forget it. But as we'll see in this week's message from Pastor J.D., Revelation 6–7 is essential to understanding the very culmination of biblical history, when people from all tribes, nations, and tongues will worship God together. It's a beautiful vision, and it's one that gives ...
We were created to worship. Even those who claim no interest in religion will inevitably worship something, whether it's fame, wealth, family, or another thing entirely. In this week's message from Revelation 4–5, Pastor J.D. gives us a glimpse of heavenly worship that is motivated by the sovereignty of God and the salvation found in Jesus. This Jesus, the Lion and the Lamb, is the one our hearts yearn for and the only one who can give us life to the full.
The proper perspective can change everything. What we see is limited by our human nature, and the temptation at certain points in life is to conclude that everything is out of control and chaotic. But as Pastor Curtis shows us in this week's message from Revelation 4, the vision that the Apostle John receives is the eternal, heavenly perspective that we need. The fact is, everything comes into focus when we see our lives through the lens of God's glory. And this heavenly perspective should ultim...
The art of letter writing is one that has largely fallen by the wayside in today's highly technological society. But taking the time to write a personal letter communicates something in a way that simply sending a text never can. In this week's message from 3 John, Pastor John shows us the value of just such a personal letter. What we learn from reading this communication from the Apostle John to a man named Gaius is how to walk in the truth. And this, of course, is only possible when we know th...
“Lukewarm” isn't really a desirable trait in, well, just about anything. After all, is there anyone who actually looks forward to a lukewarm cup of coffee in the morning? But when Jesus uses this word, what he has in mind is something far worse. In this week's message from Revelation 3, Pastor J.D. takes us through John's last three letters to the churches. Though Jesus doesn't have anything negative to say to the church at Philadelphia, he has plenty to say to the congregation of Laodicea, and ...
There are many threats that the church faces today, but the most dangerous may lie within, in the form of sin that we tolerate and compromise that we engage in. In this week's message from Revelation 2, Pastor Curtis examines how John's letters to the churches at Pergamum and Thyatira reveal the dangers of compromising to blend in with the surrounding culture. What often disguises itself as tolerance is little more than excusing sin, and this is the very thing that Jesus warns against. But when ...
