In the sixth message of our series called Feasts, Mel teaches about the Feast of Atonement (Yom Kippur). This message centers on the profound significance of atonement as described in Leviticus 16 and its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Drawing from Leviticus 23:26-32, Mel explains the ancient rituals of Yom Kippur, where the high priest, Aaron, entered the Most Holy Place to offer sacrifices for the sins of Israel, including the scapegoat that symbolically carried the people's sins into the wilderness. He highlights the gravity of approaching God’s presence, referencing the deaths of Aaron’s sons and the massive veil separating the Holy of Holies. Mel connects these Old Testament practices to the New Testament, emphasizing Hebrews 9:11-15 and 10:19-22, which portray Jesus as the ultimate High Priest and Lamb of God, whose sacrifice tore the veil and opened direct access to God’s presence. He underscores that Christ’s blood, unlike the temporary animal sacrifices, provides eternal redemption, inscribing believers’ names in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Revelation 3:5), inviting all into a reconciled relationship with God through faith.

Mel, Michael, and Joel discuss what to do if you experience trials which leave you feeling like less of a person. Can we be certain God will make us better as we walk through difficult seasons? What if God doesn't restore to us what was lost? Next they discuss the maturation required of men if they want to succeed in marriage. What is the biblical difference between a boy and a man? They also touch on the connection between exhaustion and moral failure. What part of exhaustion lends itself to moral failure? They finish the conversation trying to find the balance between fatalism and a messiah-complex, as well as discussing the heresy of memorialism.

Michael continues working through Genesis by opening chapter three. This chapter represents the first inflection point in the biblical narrative. This is the moment when the serpent deceives Eve and initiates the fall of man. Expect to learn how the story of Adam and Eve losing paradise lays the groundwork for the gospel of Jesus Christ. How are Adam and Jesus connected? This study examines the character of Satan to see what patterns are shaped by his deceptions. What should you look for? If we have common ancestry in Adam and Eve, what can we do to be certain we don't succumb to similar temptations?

In the fifth message of our series called Feast, Pastor Mel explains the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah), a biblical holy day outlined in Leviticus 23:23-25 and Numbers 29:1-6, emphasizing its significance as a time of solemn rest, remembrance, and spiritual renewal, marked by the sounding of the shofar (ram’s horn). He highlights its role as Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, initiating the 10 Days of Awe for introspection and repentance, and explores its multifaceted biblical symbolism—calling Israel to renewal, obedience, gathering, war, submission, worship, and repentance, as seen in scriptures like Exodus 19:16-20, Numbers 10:1-4, Joel 2:1, and others. Mel connects the feast to New Testament eschatology, particularly in 1 Corinthians 15:50-55 and 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18, where the trumpet blast signifies the transformation and gathering of believers at Christ’s return, portraying Yom Teruah as both a historical observance and a prophetic foreshadowing of God’s ultimate redemption and judgment.

Mel, Michael, and Joel discuss how authoritative commands given by God were part of the pre-Fall perfected order and therefore should be considered altruistically good today. God's commands do not make us less than we could be. Why do some people resist relationship with Jesus Christ because they're afraid of restrictions? Are restrictions even bad? Next they talk about the role of holy fear in Christianity. What does it look like to fear the Lord? The conversation finishes with a proposition that egalitarianism doesn't scale entirely from church policy to household familial dynamics.

Michael continues working through Genesis by finishing chapter two. In this study we’ll see God make His first ever covenant with humanity when He prohibits Adam from eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God determined it was not good for Adam to be alone, so He made Eve from the bone of Adam. The man and woman are joined in a union which represents the very first human marriage. What does it mean to be awake to your own vulnerabilities? What does the dynamic between Adam and Eve teach us about how men and women should treat each other? What can the perfection of Adam's circumstances in the garden teach us about how we consider our own families today?

In the fourth message of our series called Feasts, Pastor Mel explains the Jewish "Shavuot" which means "Weeks". God instituted the feasts so the people of Israel would celebrate His provision, memorialize significant events, and foreshadow things to come. The Feast of Weeks celebrates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai, as well as the wheat harvest in the land of Israel. Pentecost is the Greek name for the Feast of Weeks which occurs 50 days after the Feast of Firstfruits. God orchestrated the feast schedule so that a crowd of Jews from various nations were gathered into one place when the Holy Spirit was poured out on them. Robert Baer said, "Bethlehem was God with us, Calvary was God for us, and Pentecost is God in us."

In the third message of our series called Feasts, Pastor Mel explains the timeless biblical principles represented by the Hebrew feast of firstfruits. In scripture the Jewish feasts are instituted to celebrate God's provision, remember significant events, and foreshadow things to come. The feast of firstfruits represents the biblical principle of "firsts" which points to the reality of God's own preeminence. God is first whether we believe He is or not. Putting God first in our lives will facilitate a proper affection for everything else which is important to us. Like Abel in Genesis chapter 4, we must give our first and our best to God because we are our best selves when we put God first.

Mel, Michael, and Joel discuss the value of large Christian conferences. What can a conference provide which normal church services or discipleship cannot? What happens to a person whose Christianity is limited to attending conferences? Next they discuss what your prayers should be like in the midst of terminal illness. How can we stand behind the nobility of asking God to use our deaths to glorify Himself when we really don't want to die? The conversation finishes with a possible misapprehension about God's calling you somewhere. If God wants to move you on to new or different things, won't he just do it? Shouldn't we be focused on being faithful and obedient right where we are?

In part two of our series called Feasts, Pastor Mel explains the feast of unleavened bread. Jewish feasts were instituted to celebrate God's provision, remember significant events, and foreshadow things to come. Preaching through Exodus chapter 12, Mel shows how the feast of unleavened bread represented the Hebrews' separation from the sin of Egypt. Today we understand the doctrine of unleavened bread as a call to holiness. Paul elaborates on this call in 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 when he says, "Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old 'yeast' by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread of sincerity and truth."

Mel, Michael, and Joel discuss the role of stoicism in the Christian faith. Should Christians aspire to live a life of stable equilibrium as opposed to manic highs and despairing lows? What's the difference between stoicism and self-control? Next they talk about infertility. If children are conceived by the sovereign will of God, does that mean infertility is God's will? How should you counsel couples who are struggling with infertility? How should Christians view artificial methods like IVF or surrogacy? The conversation finishes on the topic of exchanging your soul for worldly gain. Why would anyone do this? What does it feel like to lose your soul?

Michael opens the second chapter of Genesis with a closer look at the creation of Adam and Eve. This passage represents the opening of what is called the Yahwist account of creation. These verses mark the first place in scripture where God is titled Jehovah-Elohim, a compound name emphasizing His character as "all-powerful creator of perfection." Expect to learn why the breath of God is central to the value for human life. This passage presents a view of the paradisal Garden of Eden and reveals humanity's very first covenant with God. Is the fear of losing what we love really enough deterrant to restrain us from sin?

In week one of our series called Feasts, Pastor Collin preaches about the most notable of all Judaic feasts: the feast of Passover. Collin explains how the Sabbath helped posture the people's spirits for participating in the Passover celebration. Christians should observe a Sabbath today because intentional rest helps prevent us from becoming distracted from the most important spiritual matters. The Passover commemorated the night when God's Spirit took all of the firstborn of Egypt, passing over the houses whose doorframes were marked by the blood of the lamb. As Christians, we celebrate Jesus Christ as our Passover Lamb, and because of His blood we are saved from our sins.

Guest speaker Pastor Eran Holt shares an important message about identity. He carefully deconstructs the culture's ingredients for a false identity: feelings, attraction, achievement, and approval. Eran explains why this kind of identity is incoherent, resulting in instability and idolatry. Instead we should build our lives on biblical truth, love, serving others, belonging, and God-ordained purpose. Building a proper identity is necessary if we expect to withstand the trials of life.

Michael finishes his study of Genesis chapter 1 by examining the fifth and sixth days of creation. In these passages we'll see God generate some of His most sophisticated creations. On the fifth day He creates all aquatic life and all birds. On the sixth day He creates the higher order land animals as well as those creatures which creep along the ground. Why is it important that God created all things according to their kinds? What does that tell us about competing meta narratives like evolution? On the second part of the sixth day God creates the crown-jewel of all His work: human beings. Expect to learn about the notable difference in His creative process for humans from all else He created. The chapter finishes with God evaluating all He had made and declaring it to be very good. What are the implications of this declaration for the redemptive gospel of Jesus Christ?

Mel, Michael, and Joel talk about spiritual strongholds being wrong patterns of thinking. Idolatry begins when you submit yourself to these patterns and begin to make oaths based on them. What are some common causes of strongholds in a person's life? How do you resist developing strongholds in your own life? Next they discuss the incongruity between why people say they disbelieve in God versus why they actually disbelieve in God. Are some people simply embarrassed to admit their need for Christ? Scripture suggests the primary reason a person rejects God is his or her sin - not some rational argument. The conversation finishes with an evaluation of how much you can control in your life. What are the limits of your control?

Pastor Mel brings leadership lessons from Bob Iger’s book titled The Ride of a Lifetime. Bob Iger is the CEO of Disney. You’ll sometimes hear his name brought up in the political landscape because of how important he is to media. His book presents a wealth of leadership principles and Mel highlights just a few of them in this podcast.

Expect to learn why any good organization is dependent on acquiring good talent. You’ll discover the differences between raising talent up from within as opposed to hiring from the open market. Mel explains why it’s important for leaders to own the mistakes of their teams. In this episode you’ll hear about how to criticize projects without hurting the creative person. We discuss whether healthy leaders can afford to focus less on self-care. It’s sometimes challenging to explain to young people why character is more important than performance — but in this episode Mel gives some strategies for how to do it. Q&A Follows.

You can purchase Bob Iger's book here: https://a.co/d/23nl6yZ

In the fourth and final message of our Welcome Home series, Pastor Mel walks us through three of Summit's core values: radical generosity, healthy relationships, and freedom. God is radically generous and we want the world to see that in how we live and give. When we put God first in our lives, everything else falls into order. We’re committed to loving others sacrificially and resolving conflict biblically. We believe in experiencing the abundant and victorious life that only Christ can give. Mel explains how each of these core values depends on Christ's greatest commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." Anything we exalt above biblical truth becomes idolatry which corrupts us and prevents us from embodying these values each day.

Mel, Michael, and Joel begin the conversation with how to know when it's time to start delegating. As your organization grows, what are the downsides of keeping your hands on everything? What metric does Mel use to determine the degree of control he imposes on a project? Next they talk about the importance of God as the Creator of all things and how understanding God as your own Creator shapes your relationship with Him. What are the implications of God being the Creator of everything? This discussion finishes on the topic of baptism. What is baptism? Should we baptize infants? What would happen if the Church began taking the sacrament of baptism as seriously as they take the sacrament of marriage?

In the third message of our series called Welcome Home, Pastor Mel addresses the realities of spiritual war. Humanity has existed in the midst of spiritual conflict since the original sin. This conflict has expressed itself in different ways throughout history, with its most recent expression coming in the form of cultural warfare in the West. Mel explains why we are called to fight the good fight. We make war on Hell and we make war on the flesh. We make ourselves hard to kill by praying everyday, reading scripture everyday, getting in community, and serving the kingdom of God. In the final analysis we must have faith enough to remember who God is and that He fights for us.