The Summit Church

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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20 episodes
Updated July 26

Episodes20

Newest first

July 26 · 49 min
Contentment and a Life That Matters
The longing for a life of meaning and significance is a universal human desire. But too often, we end up looking in all the wrong places to create a life that matters. In this week's message from the second half of Philippians 4, Pastor Bryan shows us how the Philippian church lived lives of eternal significance, exemplified by their partnership in sharing the gospel. Their example ought to be an encouragement to us to pour out our lives for the spread of the gospel, whether in our homes, in the marketplace, or abroad.
July 19 · 50 min
Whatever Happens, I’m Good
True contentment can seem so elusive, especially in a world inundated with ads and influencers, a world designed to teach us that the road to happiness is paved with the accumulation of more possessions. So what is the secret to contentment? In this week’s message from Philippians 4, Pastor Bryan gives us a framework for what it looks like to be content in Christ, something that doesn’t come naturally but must be learned. Thankfully, we have the ultimate teacher, the one who modeled contentment better than anyone: Jesus himself.
July 12 · 47 min
When Was the Last Time You Felt Happy?
It's tempting to read verses like "Rejoice in the Lord always" and "Do not be anxious about anything" and dismiss them out of hand. They're nice sentiments, we might think, but ultimately, they're simply out of touch with reality. But as Pastor J.D. reminds us in this week's message from Philippians 4, the Apostle Paul wasn't exactly living in the lap of luxury as he wrote these words. On the contrary, they carry more weight precisely because he had endured so much suffering. We, too, can rejoice always—not because our circumstances are always good, but because our God is.
July 5 · 45 min
Time to Grow Up: Maturing in Christ
When we begin following Jesus, we’re much like newborn babies—but just as babies grow and mature, so should we in our walk with Christ. In this week’s message from Philippians 3, Pastor Curtis reveals four marks of maturity in Christ, and—spoiler alert—it begins with being honest enough to admit that we haven’t arrived. It’s only when we’re willing to do this that we can direct our focus toward the one thing we must pursue: knowing and following Jesus with everything we have.
June 28 · 48 min
Résumé for the Good Life
One of the most important parts of applying for a job is presenting an impressive résumé. After all, your résumé is essentially an argument for why you are the best candidate for a particular job. In this week’s message from Philippians 3, Pastor J.D. takes us through the Apostle Paul’s résumé before he met Jesus. As impressive as it was, Paul counted it as rubbish compared to the joy of knowing Jesus. And in the end, as he reminds us, even our best earthly accomplishments don’t contribute anything to our acceptance in the sight of God—and that’s a good thing.
June 21 · 46 min
You Can’t Stream Community
It can be easy, particularly in a large church, to slip in and out unnoticed and never truly experience community. But when we do this, we are missing out on how God intended his church to function: as a family. In this week's message from Philippians 2, Pastor Bryan shows us just how vital this sense of community is, and how we each play a role in creating and sustaining it. As Christians, there really is nothing that quite compares to the bond we share through the gospel of Jesus.
June 14 · 45 min
Work It Out
The Apostle Paul’s charge to “work out your own salvation” can, at first glance, seem contradictory to the idea that our salvation is something that can’t be earned. But when we read the rest of the sentence, we see that what Paul is talking about is the process of sanctification, where God continues to work in us throughout our entire lives. In this week’s message from Philippians 2, Pastor Curtis helps us unpack the practical implications of this rich theological truth. Yes, salvation is a gift we receive—but it’s also a life we live.
June 7 · 40 min
The Good Life ROI
As Christians, the love that we have received from God is, in the words of hymn writer Frederick Lehman, “greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell.” But God doesn't give us good gifts with the intention that we keep them to ourselves. In this week's message from Philippians 2, Pastor John helps us see that a proper response to God's love and grace is to, well ... do something. What exactly that something is may vary depending on our passions and areas of gifting, but it is the love of Christ that compels us to be a blessing to others in whatever way we can.
May 31 · 48 min
The Good Death
The book of Philippians is full of paradoxes, one of the most profound being how Paul experiences true freedom even while in chains. His confidence, after all, was never in the possibility of God changing his circumstances, but in God sustaining him no matter what. In this week’s message from Philippians 1, Pastor Curtis reveals three more aspects of “the good life,” a life that makes sense only when our perspective is the same as Paul’s: To live is Christ, and to die is gain.
May 24 · 51 min
The Bottom Line to Everything
When we consider some of the great missionaries of the past, whether the Apostle Paul himself or people like Adoniram Judson and William Carey, we often wonder how they endured under such difficult circumstances. Not only that, but how could they possibly be joyful in the midst of these trials? In this week’s message from Philippians 1, Pastor Bryan shows us that what these heroes of the faith had in common was a radical perspective: Everything in life is an opportunity to advance the gospel. Whether in the marketplace or overseas, we all have a call to live on mission for God.
May 17 · 45 min
GLP-0: Paul's Rx For The Good Life
You’d think that someone sitting on the cold stone floor of a Roman jail cell would be the least likely to pen a letter overflowing with joy and gratitude—but that’s exactly what the Apostle Paul does with his letter to the church at Philippi. And in this week’s message from Philippians 1, Pastor J.D. explains how gratitude is one of the secrets to the “good life” that Paul illuminates for us. Gratitude, of course, doesn't always come naturally. It isn’t merely a feeling that comes and goes, but a practice that we can—and must—intentionally cultivate.
May 10 · 47 min
Fade to Black
We’ve all seen shows or movies with unsatisfying endings—the kind that make us question, “Wait, was that really it?” The last chapter of Nehemiah certainly has the potential to make us feel the same way. But as we’ll see, what initially seems like a terribly unsatisfying ending actually paves the way for the greatest finale of all time. In this week’s message from Nehemiah 10–13, Pastor J.D. shows us that though Nehemiah was ultimately not the reformer the people needed, a greater one was still to come—one who would not just compel external conformity but would change the very hearts of his people.
May 3 · 49 min
The Pain You Didn’t See Coming
It's one thing to be on the receiving end of gossip or criticism by a coworker or acquaintance, but to be hurt by someone close to us? That's an entirely different kind of pain. And this is precisely why church hurt can cut so deep, because it comes from a completely unexpected place. In this week's message from Psalm 55, Pastor Bryan explores what a godly response to this kind of hurt looks like. It can be tempting to isolate ourselves, but these are the very moments when we need to resist drawing away and instead pursue community with fellow believers.
April 26 · 49 min
Confession and Renewal
Of all the things required of those who follow Jesus, confession of sin is probably one of the hardest. True confession requires humility and courage—but what enables you to do it is a desperation for the power and presence of God in your life. In this week’s message from Nehemiah 9, Pastor J.D. takes us through the prayer of the Levites, highlighting four crucial elements of confession. Yes, it’s hard. But it’s so worth it, and ultimately, it brings renewal and revival.
April 19 · 43 min
God, I’m Saying YES!
This weekend, Pastor Spence Shelton from Mercy Church (Charlotte) shares a message from Jonah 4.
April 12 · 49 min
The Water Gate Revival
Depending on which generation you're a part of, the word "revival" may conjure up thoughts of planned, week-long events at church featuring fiery sermons and calls for repentance. But as we'll learn, revival isn't something you can simply put on a calendar. In this week's message from Nehemiah 8, Pastor J.D. takes us through five elements of true revival, some of which we can do and others of which only God can do. And in the end, revival doesn't begin with a brilliant strategy; it begins with a hunger for the Word of God.
April 5 · 45 min
Who Is Jesus? How the Resurrected Christ Sets Us Free
Easter is a cause for incredible celebration for many reasons, of course. But one of them is that even as astounding as Jesus' miracles of healing were, ultimately, they were signs that pointed to something greater still. They were mere shadows, and Jesus' resurrection, his resounding victory over sin and death, is the substance. In this weekend's message from John 5, Pastor Bryan shows us the healing and freedom that is found in believing in the resurrection and finding our true identity in Jesus.
March 29 · 48 min
The Greatest Threat to Your Calling
It's hardly surprising that Nehemiah faced opposition in rebuilding the wall. But what is particularly unsettling is that the most dangerous opposition came not from outside but from inside. In this week's message from Nehemiah 5, Pastor J.D. shows us how compromise on the inside is a far bigger threat to the work of God than critics on the outside. So how can we guard against such a grave threat? The truth is, the heart of leadership that refuses to bow to compromise is found, first and foremost, in a posture of awe and reverence before God.
March 22 · 49 min
The Devil’s Defensive Line of Discouragement
Every work of God in the world, whether big or small, faces opposition. If we're going to fulfill what God has called us to, persistence may be the most important skill that we can master. In this week's message from Nehemiah 4 and 6, Pastor J.D. not only shows us the different kinds of opposition that Nehemiah faced, but how he responded. A proper response always starts with remembering how God has been faithful in the past, and this, ultimately, fuels our anticipation of how he will be faithful in the future.
March 15 · 52 min
Everybody’s Got a Job
The book of Nehemiah leads us to think a lot about the idea of a calling on our lives. We may think we're too broken or messy to be used by God, but the truth is, broken people are exactly who God longs to use to build his kingdom. In this week's message from Nehemiah 2 and 3, Pastor J.D. explains how everybody has a job to do and a role to play in the restoration that God is bringing. The question is, are we ready to go where he calls us to go and do what he calls us to do?

The Summit Church

Contentment and a Life That Matters

Whatever Happens, I’m Good

When Was the Last Time You Felt Happy?

Time to Grow Up: Maturing in Christ

Résumé for the Good Life

You Can’t Stream Community

Work It Out

The Good Life ROI

The Good Death

The Bottom Line to Everything

GLP-0: Paul's Rx For The Good Life

Fade to Black

The Pain You Didn’t See Coming

Confession and Renewal

God, I’m Saying YES!

The Water Gate Revival

Who Is Jesus? How the Resurrected Christ Sets Us Free

The Greatest Threat to Your Calling

The Devil’s Defensive Line of Discouragement

Everybody’s Got a Job