Podcast
Summit Podcasts: BACK40, Sermon Audio, and Leadership Night
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The official podcast network of Summit Church. Here you will find The Back40 Leadership Podcast, Sermon Audio, Leadership Night, and much more.
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Episodes
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Romans - Week 1 Discussion (Part 1)
Feb 2701:09:01Tap to summarizeMichael and Caleb discuss the first week of our sermon series on the Epistle to the Romans. They explore Romans as Paul's theological masterpiece, a comprehensive unpacking of the gospel written without prior connection to the Roman church, contrasting it with his more pragmatic letters to other congregations. The conversation delves into how Romans' dense, layered structure challenges simplistic faith approaches, encouraging deeper, verse-by-verse study that mirrors the interconnected web of the entire Bible and fosters spiritual growth through repeated reflection. They address themes like faith versus works, the role of the law and grace, the balance between Scripture and church tradition (emphasizing sola scriptura while valuing tradition as a heuristic), categorizing doctrines into primary, secondary, and tertiary levels, and the tension between church unity and truth, including when splits are necessary over fundamental issues like biblical authority. The episode concludes with reflections on inclusion, reconciliation limits, and the importance of Spirit-led living, urging listeners to engage robustly with Scripture for personal transformation.
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Leadership Night - Being a People-Pleaser
Feb 2401:01:36Tap to summarizeIn this episode Pastor Mel talks all about being a people-pleaser. What is a people-pleaser? What are the dangers of being a people-pleaser and how does this impact your leadership? Expect to learn strategies for dealing with individual relationships without defaulting to people-pleasing. You’ll notice one question which comes up continuously throughout this episode: What is your motivation behind the way you’re treating others? This question comes up repeatedly not to belabor the point, rather because it’s such an important factor which underwrites your actions and determines whether you are a people-pleaser. So the thrust of this teaching is not telling you how to be contrarian, rather it’s explaining the correct way to be kind. Q&A follows.
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Romans - Week 4: Romans 2:17-29
Feb 2200:38:34Tap to summarizePastor Mel's sermon on Romans 2:17-29 challenges those who rely on external religious identity and privileges—particularly the Jews in the Roman church who boasted in their knowledge of God's law, their special relationship with God, and circumcision—while failing to live in obedience to it. He highlights Paul's pointed confrontation: they teach others yet fail to teach themselves, condemning sins like stealing, adultery, and idolatry while secretly committing them, thereby dishonoring God and causing Gentiles to blaspheme His name. Drawing modern parallels, Mel equates outward circumcision or church attendance with having value only when accompanied by genuine obedience; otherwise, it offers no advantage. True Jewish identity (and by extension, true belonging to God's people) is not outward or merely physical but inward—a heart transformed by the Spirit, producing real righteousness through faith rather than legalistic performance. This inward change seeks God's praise alone, underscoring Paul's call for authentic, heart-level faith that unites a divided church rather than relying on cultural or ritualistic superiority.
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BACK40 E111 - Children Belong to God, Gratitude, Misjudging Character
Feb 2000:58:47Tap to summarizeMel, Joel, and Michael discuss the biblical doctrine that our children belong to God and are given to us to steward. How does this view change the way we see our children? How does the foreordained sanctity of each life influence the way parents react to unplanned pregnancy? Next they talk about gratitude, specifically why no person is justified in having more complaints against God than reasons to praise Him. How does gratitude shape your relationship with God and other people? The conversation finishes with the realization that even the best human leaders can't see character the way God sees it. Given this limitation, what can we do to prepare for our own misjudgments?
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Romans - Week 3: Romans 2:1-16
Feb 1500:50:18Tap to summarizePastor Mel's sermon on Romans 2:1-16 challenges listeners not to hypocritically judge others for the sins listed in Romans 1:29-32—such as wickedness, greed, envy, gossip, and heartlessness—while committing the same things themselves, as this self-condemnation leaves no excuse before God's impartial justice. He emphasizes that God's kindness, tolerance, and patience are intended to lead people to repentance, yet a stubborn, hard, and impenitent heart stores up wrath for the coming day of righteous judgment, where God will render to each person according to their deeds rather than mere intentions or hearing the law. Good actions, pursued in seeking God's glory, lead to eternal life, honor, and peace for both Jews and Gentiles alike, while self-centered wickedness brings anger and calamity, with no favoritism shown. Even Gentiles without the written law demonstrate an innate moral awareness through conscience, proving God's law is written on human hearts. The sermon concludes by underscoring that on the day of judgment through Christ Jesus, all secret lives and hidden motives will be revealed, echoing Jesus' warning in Luke 12 about hypocrisy and the exposure of what is whispered in darkness.
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Romans - Week 2: Romans 1:18-32
Feb 800:57:57Tap to summarizeIn his sermon on Romans 1:18-32, Pastor Collin explains why humanity desperately needs the righteousness and salvation offered through Jesus Christ. Although God has clearly revealed Himself through creation, people suppress the truth, refuse to worship or thank Him, and instead turn to idols and foolish thinking. As a result, God’s wrath is revealed—not primarily as direct punishment, but by “giving people over” to their sinful desires, allowing them to reap the consequences of their rebellion. This leads to widespread moral breakdown, including sexual immorality, idolatry, greed, hatred, gossip, and all kinds of wickedness. Pastor Collin emphasizes that these sins are not just targeting one group, but reveal the universal brokenness of humanity when we exchange the truth of God for lies. The solution is to repent, reject our idols, humbly acknowledge our sin, and return to wholehearted worship of the Creator, finding hope and healing through the righteousness of Christ.
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Bible Study E10 - Genesis 4:1-7
Feb 500:43:40Tap to summarizeIn Michael's Bible study on Genesis 4:1-7, he offers a rich, theologically layered exploration of the Cain and Abel narrative, presenting it as one of Scripture's most profound revelations of human nature. He portrays Cain as the archetype of the rebellious sinner and Abel as the model of the obedient saint, emphasizing how heart attitude—not merely the external form of sacrifice—determines God's acceptance. Michael traces Eve's hopeful yet mistaken naming of Cain as the promised redeemer, contrasts the brothers' occupations and offerings, and highlights Abel's faith-filled gift of the firstlings and fat portions versus Cain's presumptuous, half-hearted presentation. He delves deeply into Cain's sinful anger, God's gracious yet firm warning about sin "crouching at the door," and the universal principles of personal responsibility, repentance, and mastering temptation. Throughout, Michael draws insightful applications to modern life, warning against the spirit of Cain—marked by resentment, false victimhood, and envy—and urging listeners to cultivate upright hearts, genuine worship, and gratitude for God's grace, setting the stage for the tragic consequences that follow in the rest of the chapter.
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BACK40 E110 - Christian Advantages, Suicide, Stereotyping Sinners
Feb 301:01:34Tap to summarizeMel, Joel, and Michael discuss the problems which come with chasing the benefits of Christianity without submitting your life to the lordship of Jesus Christ. What are some advantages to being religious when religion is culturally ascendant? Should we accept people who come to church with the wrong motives? Next they discuss suicide and some patterns of thought which lead to it. What are some important things to tell someone who is presenting suicidal ideation? What are some traps you can avoid to becoming this depressed yourself? The conversation finishes with the utility of stereotypes. Is it safe to say all unrepentant sinners are possessed by the same spirit which captured Cain? Do we appeal to complexity as a way of obfuscating simple truths?
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BACK40 E74 - Redemption, Mercy, Selling Out, Overcoming the Past
Feb 21, 202501:06:17Tap to summarizeMel, Kim, and Michael discuss the power of redemption in leadership and why second chances are necessary in pastoral ministry. How does a leader practice Christlike forgiveness while also protecting the organization against repeat betrayal? How should you extend mercy to someone when others believe the person doesn't deserve it? The conversation turns to analyzing why church leaders sell out - especially when facing threats to their ministry. The discussion finishes with strategies for overcoming past sins. How do you move on when others keep reminding you of what you've done?
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Inevitable: Loss - Collin McKnight
Feb 21, 202500:56:39Tap to summarizePastor Collin McKnight discusses loss, sorrow, and mourning in this edition of our series called Inevitable. Grief and sorrow are inevitable for all human beings. We are created with the understanding that we will encounter loss. Jesus revealed His humanity through grief when He wept over Lazarus's death. Collin explains why it is absolutely acceptable to bring your questions to God while in the midst of grief. The conversations we have with God that are born of despair are some of the most honest conversations we will ever have. William Barclay said, "Endurance is not just the ability to bear hard things, but to turn it into glory.”
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