Summit Life

Pastor J.D. Greear

The Anatomy of Faith, Part 2

May 23, 2023

Do you have the kind of faith Abraham had? The Apostle Paul says that, even when he faltered, Abraham “did not waver in unbelief.” As Pastor J.D. continues to teach from Romans 4, he helps us understand that faith is not about never failing; it’s about placing your trust in the God who always keeps his promises. Faith is about admitting that you cannot save yourself, but that, in God’s grace, he has done it for you.

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Jesus changed the world by loving people one at a time. Influencing just one person at a time may seem insignificant at first glance. But as we better understand the surprising habits of Jesus, we unlock the power of small things done with great love. Learning to love people like Jesus did takes intentional practice and repetition. This devotional helps you build this vital habit into your daily life. Each devotion includes questions for reflection and a challenge to inspire you to make a difference in the world every day--one person at a time.

Archives

One of the most common questions about Christianity is, “How did people in the Old Testament get to heaven?” In today’s teaching, Pastor J.D. teaches us not only when and how Abram — the “father of our faith” — was saved, but also how our faith is the same as Abraham’s. Through his story, we see that the Christian life is started and sustained by faith that God will keep his promises and that he fulfilled his most important one in Jesus.
May 22, 2023
When we experience division in the church, the first question we should ask is, “What are we boasting in?” As he continues in Romans 3, Pastor J.D. shows us in this message the three things we tend to boast in and why they contribute to conflict. When we understand that, while God only accepts those who are repentant, he also accepts repentant people from every background and race, only then will we have unity in God’s family.
May 19, 2023
We often like the concept of diversity, as long as other people adapt to our customs and styles. But the gospel teaches us a different way. In this message, Pastor J.D. teaches from Romans 3, where we learn that, while there is only one way to salvation, God doesn’t accept us because of anything about us but because of what he’s done for us. This makes Christianity, as Tim Keller says, “the most inclusive exclusivity there is.”
May 18, 2023
If you’ve never known how to reply to someone who asks, “What’s the big deal about Jesus?” then this is the message for you. Pastor J.D. continues through the passage in Romans 3 that some scholars say is the most important in the Bible. Through its message, we learn what makes Christianity so different from every other religion and how accepting Jesus’ forgiveness changes the foundation of our lives.
May 17, 2023
Have you ever wondered how to respond when someone asks you why you think Jesus is the only way to salvation? In this message, Pastor J.D. walks through one of the most important passages in Romans, what Martin Luther called “the very central place ... of the whole Bible.” In it, we find not only the answer to why Jesus saves but also a confidence that is found only through our justification.
May 16, 2023
Billy Graham said that what sends most people to hell is not their sins but their good works, because good works make us think there is something good about us that can save us from ourselves. Pastor J.D. continues in this message from Romans to show us how religion cannot reform us and willpower cannot change our hearts—and the one thing we need to come to Jesus for salvation.
May 15, 2023
You’ve got a problem. We all do! Salvation through Jesus has always been available, but many people still have not received it because they’re not willing to admit that there’s a problem with their heart. In this message, Pastor J.D. walks through Romans 3 and helps us see how the law showed us our need for a Savior, but that we cannot do anything to be made righteous except believe in Jesus who kept the law in our place.
May 12, 2023
Good news! Though religion can’t change us, the gospel gives us a new heart. In Romans 2 Paul admonishes religious people who have grown up in church and have never recognized their need for repentance but reminds us that there is hope. In this message, Pastor J.D. shows us the only way for religious and irreligious people to be saved and how God stands ready not with condemnation but mercy and kindness.
May 11, 2023
In Romans 2, Paul goes after religious people who think they’re better because they know the Bible and go to church—and he’s talking to us. Pastor J.D. continues in the “Romans” series in this message as he explains why, on the final day, God will look beyond the outward performance of religion to our inward motivations and how both religious and irreligious sinners are welcomed back into God’s family through the cross.
May 10, 2023
It’s easy to look at the sins listed in Romans 1 and think, “What was wrong with those people?” But the gospel teaches us that the same idolatry in the hearts of people throughout history still exists in us today. In this message, Pastor J.D. continues to show us in Romans that, while we all stand under judgment of a righteous God, he is also a merciful God who spares us through his grace.
May 9, 2023
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Featured Offer

Request One Day at a Time: A 60-Day Challenge to See, Serve, and Celebrate the People around You
Jesus changed the world by loving people one at a time. Influencing just one person at a time may seem insignificant at first glance. But as we better understand the surprising habits of Jesus, we unlock the power of small things done with great love. Learning to love people like Jesus did takes intentional practice and repetition. This devotional helps you build this vital habit into your daily life. Each devotion includes questions for reflection and a challenge to inspire you to make a difference in the world every day--one person at a time.

About Summit Life

Summit Life is a daily, 25-minute program, featuring the gospel-centered ministry of J.D. Greear. Summit Life with J.D. Greear is dedicated to calling people up to a joyous, reckless, generous, and audacious life of faith by learning more about God’s extravagant love found in Christ. In each engaging half-hour, J.D. Greear shares challenging biblical truths that inspire listeners to have daily encounters with Jesus Christ and his transformative grace.

About Pastor J.D. Greear

J.D. Greear is the pastor of The Summit Church, in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. Under Pastor J.D.’s leadership, the Summit has grown from a plateaued church of 300 to one of over 10,000. Pastor J.D. has led the Summit in a bold vision to plant one thousand new churches by the year 2050.

Pastor J.D. Greear has authored several books, including Above All (2019), Not God Enough (2018), Gaining by Losing (2015), Gospel (2011), Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart (2013), and Jesus, Continued… (2014). Summit Life with J.D. Greear is a daily, half hour radio broadcast featuring the teaching of Pastor J.D.

Pastor J.D. completed his Ph.D. in Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He currently serves as the 62nd president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Pastor J.D. and his wife Veronica are raising four awesome kids: Kharis, Alethia, Ryah, and Adon.

Contact Summit Life with Pastor J.D. Greear

J.D. Greear Ministries
P.O. Box 12293
Durham, NC 27709
Phone Number
866.335.5220