Summit Life with J.D. Greear

You aren’t likely to find many people who genuinely enjoy tests, but they certainly have a way of revealing where we are lacking in knowledge. Today, Pastor J.D. explains three tests that God walked the Israelites through after delivering them through the Red Sea. These tests, along with the lessons learned from them, were so fundamental that New Testament writers would later refer to them again and again. The truth is, we are no less forgetful than the Israelites, and like them, we need to be continually reminded of why God is always worthy of our trust.

The parting of the Red Sea was not only an epic moment in Israel’s history, but an event that would become the most frequent image of salvation in the Old Testament. Pastor J.D. shows us how this defining moment became a marker for the Israelites to look back on when their faith faltered. In the same way, when we are tempted to doubt God’s goodness in our lives, we can remember his faithfulness to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

For many people in the world, believing in God may not necessarily be a far reach. But believing in Jesus? Furthermore, believing that it was necessary for Jesus to die in order for us to receive forgiveness of sins? That, they would say, is a step too far. In this week’s message from Exodus 11–13, Pastor J.D. takes us through the story of the Passover, showing us the mercy of God for the Israelites. Ultimately, this mercy would find expression in Jesus, the true Passover Lamb and our only hope of forgiveness.

Our obedience to God doesn’t necessarily guarantee that things in our life won’t go wrong, or that we won’t fail. And yet, that’s a hard pill to swallow—if we’re obeying God, surely everything will fall into place, right? In this week’s message from Exodus 4–6, Pastor J.D. shows us how Moses faced this very struggle in his first confrontation with Pharaoh. Ultimately, God allowed Moses to fail not because he was cruel, but as a demonstration of his saving power and unmatched glory.

A look at Moses’ burning bush moment and God revealing himself as I AM. Discussion of God’s reassurance to the insecure and how his presence answers fear. Exploration of prayer, relying on the Spirit instead of self, and how brokenness can become ministry. Practical signs of when we act in our own strength and encouragement to cast burdens onto God.

Rescue. Salvation. Deliverance. These words characterize the story of the book of Exodus, as God frees his people from slavery in Egypt in an amazing display of power and might. As we begin a new series through the first half of Exodus, Pastor J.D. shows us from the first two chapters what we can learn about God’s work of salvation on a broad scale, as well as in our individual lives. And often, the very aspects of our lives that we consider weak, broken, or useless are what God uses to write a beautiful story of redemption.

In this message from Genesis 32, Pastor J.D. tells the story of Jacob, a man who began his life as a deceiver and ended his life with a limp—but who, right in the middle, wrestled with God and received an unimaginable blessing. Jacob provides a model for all of us who have ever waited on God to answer us, unsure if he hears, he cares, or he will ever act. Through Jacob, we learn that many of the blessings of God are released into our lives only through persistent, unrelenting prayer.

Jesus said we should pray like children. Children don’t think about how they approach, whether they are using the right words, or whether their parents are pleased with them. They just ask. Astoundingly, that’s the beginning of learning to pray.

Hope has a name, and his name is JESUS. For all that you aren’t, for all that you need, for all that you fear, for all that you crave, for literally all that you ever cannot be, he is the great I AM.

The Savior that was promised hundreds of years before Jesus came to earth was the Messiah an army under siege needed … not because they needed to be delivered from their enemies but because they needed to be delivered from their sin. Pastor J.D. continues today in Isaiah 7 to show us how to approach the Wonderful Counselor, who knows our sin but instead of condemnation offers us the righteousness of Christ.