Mariners Church Weekend Messages

Episode: Conviction: Displaying Clarity and Courage

Speaker: Senior Pastor Eric Geiger
Date: November 4, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Senior Pastor Eric Geiger challenges listeners to examine whether they are living by convenience or by conviction, drawing lessons from the biblical figure Nehemiah. The central message urges believers to pursue a life and leadership style defined by deep, unwavering conviction—rooted in both clarity of vision and courageous action—rather than settling for the ease of modern convenience. Using examples from Mariners Church’s own history and outreach, Pastor Eric connects these biblical principles to present-day leadership, faith, and community engagement.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Convenience vs. Conviction

• Modern conveniences (technology, AI) bring comfort but can subtly erode our capacity for conviction and critical thinking.

• MIT study: Overuse of AI by students led to diminished critical thinking and a lack of conviction in their writing (02:15).

• Quote:

  "They lost a sense of, I believe this. It's an ethical conversation."
  —Eric (03:46)

• Eric refuses to use AI for writing sermons:

  "I want to preach from conviction, not from a place of convenience."
  —Eric (04:57)

2. Defining Conviction

• Conviction: a belief held so deeply that it shapes your agenda, calendar, and the allocation of your energy and resources (07:39).

• Conviction not only sustains a leader in hard times, it also shapes all of life.

• Concrete example: Even when COVID-19 hit in 2020, conviction to launch new congregations pushed Mariners Church to innovate rather than pause, resulting in five new congregations instead of one (08:31–12:07).

3. Leadership Lessons from Nehemiah 2

• Nehemiah as a model:

  • Waited for the right moment to act on his conviction (13:47).
  • Led "upward" wisely, gaining trust with the king by appealing to his values (16:38).
  • Balanced spiritual reliance and practical planning (“prayed and planned” – 18:19).

• Clarity and Courage in Leadership:

  • Nehemiah’s clarity: Knew why, what, when, who, and how—the mission, vision, team, and strategy.
  • Nehemiah’s courage: Despite fear, acted on conviction in the face of danger and uncertainty (21:54).

• Quote:

  "Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is moving in the midst of being afraid."
  —Eric (23:51)

4. Handling Overwhelm and Opposition

• Leaders will feel overwhelmed, often spiraling into fear, especially at night (25:27).

• The antidote: Replace fear of people with awe for God; turn anxious energy into God-focused prayer and trust.

• Quote:

  "My best moments as a leader are in those moments I reject fear of man and I replace it with... fear of God."
  —Eric (25:54)

• Leadership wisdom: Not everyone will agree with your vision; expect both pushback and apathy (27:39).

• Memorable Illustration: Pastor’s mentor:

  "If you want to make everybody happy, don't be a leader. Go sell ice cream."

• Napoleon:

  “A third of the people said, that's the best idea ever. A third hated the idea, and a third waited to see which of the other two groups were right.”
  (28:00)

5. Conviction Requires Both Clarity and Courage

• High clarity without courage leads to frustration.

• High courage without clarity creates chaos.

• Conviction is the fruitful combination of both (29:19).

• Christians should excel at conviction, because Jesus modeled ultimate clarity (his mission) and courage (embracing the cross) (29:50–30:31).

• As believers, we have:

  • The clear guidance of God’s Word
  • The indwelling courage from the Holy Spirit

• Quote:

  "You have great clarity because you have Him. And you have great courage because you have him."
  —Eric (30:56)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On clarity and values in leadership:

  “Values that are not strong enough to repel the wrong people won't be strong enough to attract the right people.”
  (20:35)

• On serving cities:

  "You are here not only to consume from Southern California, but to seek the good of Southern California."
  (38:22)

• On giving and heart alignment:

  "Where you put your treasure, that's where your heart goes... To get your heart in the right place, you put your treasure there, and that's where your heart goes."
  (36:03)

Outreach Hubs & Seeking the Good (31:35–38:00)

• Mariners expands its “Seek the Good” outreach through five “outreach hubs” in regional congregations.
• Three primary areas of focus:
  • Food Insecurity: Transition to a “choice model” food pantry for dignity and respect.
  • Language Barriers: ESL (English as Second Language) classes to support integration.
  • Unique Community Needs: Examples include serving military families and teen moms.
• Quote (Outreach Hub Video):

  “Like Nehemiah, we believe that God's people should not stand at a distance, but step into the rubble, shoulder to shoulder to restore dignity to our communities.”
  (31:40)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:10–05:20 — Technology, AI, and the difference between convenience and conviction
• 06:40–13:20 — Defining conviction; Mariners Church’s conviction-driven decisions during COVID-19
• 14:50–20:50 — Lessons from Nehemiah 2: leading up, clarity, and appealing to values
• 21:30–23:51 — Courage in leadership amidst fear
• 25:27–26:35 — Handling spirals of fear and anxiety as a leader
• 27:39–28:30 — Handling criticism and divergent opinions as a leader
• 29:19–30:31 — Clarity + Courage = Conviction
• 31:35–33:02 — Introduction to Outreach Hubs and church-wide “Seek the Good” campaign
• 33:02–38:36 — Serving, giving, and loving the cities of Southern California

Closing Challenge

• Examine where you currently live on the clarity/courage/conviction matrix.
• Embrace both clarity and courage rooted in Jesus, leading to a life of conviction.
• Get practically involved: participate in serving or giving through Mariners’ “Seek the Good” campaign.

Final Blessing (39:58):

“Jesus, I pray you'd bless your sons and daughters this week, that you would remind them that you were gentle and approachable and that you love them. Cause your face to shine on them. I pray they will experience your mercy and your joy this new week. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
—Eric

Summary:
This episode weaves biblical wisdom from Nehemiah with practical, modern leadership and civic engagement, inviting listeners to become people of conviction—living out clear beliefs and courageous action for the good of their communities, following the example of Jesus.