Summit Life with J.D. Greear

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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. 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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!