Summit Life with J.D. Greear

Some people imagine God as an absentee “watchmaker in the sky” who set the world in motion and then stepped away. They think he’s probably out there, but there’s no way to know what he’s like. Others think of God as an unknown, impersonal force, without thoughts or emotions. But on this edition of Summit Life, Pastor J.D. kicks off a brand new series that’s all about knowing God intimately. He titled this series, The Name.

Transcribed - Published: 29 April 2025

Like the disciples, we want to know the “how” and “what” of the Christian life. Pastor J.D. helps us see in this message that the Christian life, from start to finish, is a relationship with Jesus. Whatever you need, whatever you lack, wherever you are incomplete or broken, whatever you are missing in yourself or didn’t get from someone else, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

Transcribed - Published: 28 April 2025

These days, it's not exactly popular to claim the existence of absolute truth. It's even less popular to claim that such truth is embodied in the person of Jesus, the one who is the only way to salvation. In this week's message from John 14, Pastor J.D. shows us the importance of what is perhaps Jesus' most controversial "I am" statement: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." Yet, this statement isn't primarily about a set of principles to live by, or even having the correct answers to every theological question. Instead, it's about truly knowing and having a relationship with the Savior of the world.

Transcribed - Published: 25 April 2025

Do you want to know how to find peace when you feel confused or afraid, when you don’t know what to do with your finances or your kids or a big decision? Pastor J.D. continues to teach in this message how, when we fix our eyes on Jesus, the Good Shepherd, we can rest in his promise to give us peace and lead us in the way we should go.

Transcribed - Published: 24 April 2025

Without shepherds to care for them, the threats posed to sheep run the gamut, from losing their way to being attacked by other animals. Simply put, sheep thrive under the guidance and protection of their shepherd. In this week's message from John 10, Pastor J.D. takes us through Jesus' claim to be the "good shepherd." What is so remarkable about this shepherd is that his love for the flock leads him to not only protect them, but lay down his life for them. As believers, then, we can fix our eyes not on any dangers that may threaten to harm us, but on our good shepherd.

Transcribed - Published: 23 April 2025

Does it feel like you’re in a long “second day” of waiting before resurrection? In this message, Pastor J.D. looks at the story of Lazarus to teach us why sometimes God seems to delay his help or deliverance. One day soon, this whole veil of tears we call life will end in resurrection, and we’ll see that, even when life felt like meaningless chaos, Jesus was never absent in our pain.

Transcribed - Published: 22 April 2025

If we're honest, most of us have probably experienced disappointment with God at some point in our lives. We question why God didn't cure our friend's cancer, or why he didn't provide for us financially when we really needed it. Pastor J.D. walks us through Jesus' claim to be the "resurrection and the life," from John 11. In Jesus' response to the death of Lazarus, and to the pain of those close to him, we find a Savior who not only weeps with us, but meets us in our moments of disappointment and doubt. And, ultimately, we have a Savior whose resurrection will one day mean the end of pain and death—forever.

Transcribed - Published: 21 April 2025

Most people think that surrender to Jesus means giving up our freedom. But when you surrender to Jesus and lean on him, it leads to freedom and abundance! Pastor J.D. continues in this message to show us how Jesus is a Good Shepherd who proved his commitment to us on the cross and now promises to use everything he lets into the pasture of our lives for good.

Transcribed - Published: 18 April 2025

Doors and gates are things that we likely don't give much thought to until they are in need of repair—and while the truth is that they are usually constructed to keep people or animals out, they can also certainly be opened to let them in. In this week's message from John 10, Pastor J.D. explains perhaps the most overlooked of Jesus' "I Am" statements: "I am the door." Though most people recognize this as Jesus' claim to be the only way to salvation—and it is—it is also a statement that is far richer and deeper than we may realize. Because while Jesus is indeed the only door to salvation, he is also the door that leads to a flourishing life here on earth.

Transcribed - Published: 17 April 2025

Jesus said in John 8:12 that those who follow him will not walk in darkness, which means that our lives will radiate with his light. In this message, Pastor J.D. continues to share how to look to the light of Jesus to be saved and then live in a way that glows with the knowledge that you belong to Jesus and Jesus belongs to you.

Transcribed - Published: 16 April 2025

No matter what side of the "daylight saving time" debate we find ourselves on, we all have to at least acknowledge that light is essential for life, for a myriad of reasons. So Jesus' declaration that he is "the light of the world" was truly a bold claim. In this week's message from John 8, Pastor J.D. shows us how Jesus' light is one that doesn't merely reveal our sin, but ultimately, it heals us. As a result, we shouldn't feel as though we have to hide in the darkness—on the contrary, we can be the ones who radiate the light of Jesus in the midst of this darkness.

Transcribed - Published: 15 April 2025

If we were to trace some of our worst choices, our bad habits, our addictions, and even some of our emotional problems back to their source, we would find a deep and unsatisfied spiritual hunger. Pastor J.D. continues to teach in this message how Jesus satisfies that spiritual hunger we all have and the two things we need to feast on Jesus’ grace.

Transcribed - Published: 14 April 2025

As humans, one of our most basic needs is food—when we don't have it, we experience discomfort, irritability, or even sickness or death. And yet, as unbearable as physical hunger can be, it is our spiritual hunger that we often neglect to address, to our own detriment. As we begin a series looking at the seven "I am" statements made by Jesus in the Gospel of John, this message from Pastor J.D. explores the first of these, from John 6. Jesus' claim to be the "bread of life" is a truth that we so desperately need in a world full of people who seek to satisfy their spiritual hunger with anything but Jesus.

Transcribed - Published: 11 April 2025

Our emotions function like smoke from a fire—and just like you can follow a trail of smoke to figure out what’s on fire in your house, you can follow the trail of your emotions to figure out what is on fire in your heart. Pastor J.D. concludes with the emotion of shame.

Transcribed - Published: 10 April 2025

We’re in the final couple of days of our series on difficult emotions titled, “Smoke from a Fire.” Or, to change the analogy—each of these emotions—depression, anxiety, anger, envy, and now “shame”—functions like warning lights on the dashboard of our hearts, indicating what is going on in the engine of our souls.

Transcribed - Published: 9 April 2025

Sociologists say that envy seems to be a bigger problem for our generation than any before us, because social media seems designed to play on it! But when we look at other people’s lives on social media, we are seeing a filtered image. Pastor J.D. concludes his message on the difficult emotion of envy.

Transcribed - Published: 8 April 2025

Envy surrounds us—and most of us don’t realize the deadly poison that envy is. We think of envy as a kind of petty jealousy that just comes from wanting a little more. But the Bible treats it as far more serious. We’re discovering what the Bible really says about our emotions as we continue our series called, “Smoke from a Fire.”

Transcribed - Published: 7 April 2025

We seem to live in an angry society. Just turn on any evening news talk show. The issues change by the day, but the anger doesn’t. People seem queued up and ready to be angry—in the classroom, at work, on Twitter, and on the freeway. Pastor J.D. teaches how we can be angry like Jesus.

Transcribed - Published: 4 April 2025

Remember that one time in the Bible when Jesus got angry? And he didn’t hide it? And he didn’t sin? Pastor J.D. is helping us see how we can be angry like Jesus, too. We’re discovering what the Bible really says about our emotions … as we continue our series called, Smoke from a Fire.

Transcribed - Published: 3 April 2025

When it comes to money, parenting, marriage, education, career, and any of the other litany of things we worry about, God is not telling us to sit back and do nothing. He is saying that we need to do what we can—in obedience to God, to the best of our ability—and trust him with the results. Pastor J.D. continues our study of difficult emotions called, Smoke from a Fire, with the emotion of anxiety. While anxiety thinks too little about God, it also minimizes how much God thinks of us.

Transcribed - Published: 2 April 2025

What brings you the most worry and anxiety? Is it your kids? Your job? Your finances? We worry most about what we are devoted to most. Jesus talks about the difficult emotion of anxiety by first challenging what we are most devoted to. Today, Pastor J.D. continues our series called, Smoke from a Fire.

Transcribed - Published: 1 April 2025

For some reason, most of us tend to think of “good Christians” as those who’re always smiling and encouraging others. So whenever we struggle with depression, despair, or doubts about God, we think there’s something wrong with us or maybe we just don’t have enough faith. And it can be difficult to ask for help because we don’t want anyone to see us as broken. Today, Pastor J.D. addresses this very real struggle from a biblical perspective.

Transcribed - Published: 31 March 2025

St. Augustine once said that our deepest emotions often function like smoke from a fire: They can indicate what is going wrong in our hearts before we can articulate it. In this series, Pastor J.D. shows us that the aim of the Bible’s teaching on emotions isn’t to suppress them or even to manage them, but to read them accurately, express them honestly, and allow the gospel to reshape them completely.

Transcribed - Published: 28 March 2025

Death is never a comfortable subject, but in the back of our minds, we all know that death is eventually coming. So, what happens after? Pastor J.D. talks about the two eternal destinations as he concludes our overview of the Bible titled, The Whole Story.

Transcribed - Published: 27 March 2025

In art and film, heaven is usually portrayed as this ethereal place in the clouds full of harps and chubby cherubim. But, is that really all we have to look forward to in eternity? In this message, Pastor J.D. gives us a biblical picture of the new heaven and new earth promised in the book of Revelation. It’s part of our series called, The Whole Story.

Transcribed - Published: 26 March 2025

If you were to flip through the book of Revelation with no previous Bible knowledge, it would probably sound like a piece of science fiction or someone’s crazy dream journal. All that talk of dragons and beasts can be pretty confusing! But Pastor J.D. is walking us through this book of prophecy and explaining how God pulled back the curtain to give us a glimpse of the spiritual reality. It’s part of our series called, The Whole Story.

Transcribed - Published: 25 March 2025

In our series called, The Whole Story, we’ve been traveling from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how every page is pointing to Jesus and revealing the gospel.  In this message, we’re looking at the life of the Apostle Paul and the example he set for how the gospel transforms our priorities and our definition of success.

Transcribed - Published: 24 March 2025

In our series called, The Whole Story, we’ve been traveling from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how every page is pointing to Jesus and revealing the gospel.  In this message, we’re looking at the life of the Apostle Paul and the example he set for how the gospel transforms our priorities and our definition of success.

Transcribed - Published: 21 March 2025

Everyone wants to feel like they’ve succeeded at life. But, what does “success” even mean? Our world often points to fame, wealth, or accolades from peers. But as believers, we should have a different metric. In this message, Pastor J.D. describes the biblical standard for a successful life and explains how we can make our days count. It’s a challenging message from our series called, The Whole Story.

Transcribed - Published: 20 March 2025

In this message, Pastor J.D. tackles a subject that can be a bit sensitive, but is vital to advancing the gospel. We’re talking about biblical generosity—in every area of life! Pastor J.D. is challenging us to surrender everything to God as he continues his series called, The Whole Story. We’re in Second Corinthians 9:7.

Transcribed - Published: 19 March 2025

Tragically, it’s not uncommon to hear speakers and pastors who promise God’s blessing in order to manipulate their audience into giving them money. They claim that if you give a certain amount, God will bring you physical healing or financial success. But is that really what the Bible means when it talks about blessing? What should be the heart behind true, biblical generosity? That’s our subject as we continue the series called, The Whole Story.

Transcribed - Published: 18 March 2025

When asked about their hopes for the future, 96% of teens in a recent survey said they want to make a difference in the world. Clearly, we all crave a greater purpose and for our lives to leave an impact. But, how do we make that happen? How do we find our calling? Pastor J.D. addresses those questions as he continues our survey of the Bible called, The Whole Story.

Transcribed - Published: 17 March 2025

Have you ever come to a crucial moment where you realized that, one way or another, the decision you were about to make was gonna change your life forever? Maybe it was your wedding day or when you took the plunge and launched a new business. Well, as we continue our series called, The Whole Story, we’re looking at a crucial moment that changed—not just the course of a single life—but the course of human history. And how you respond to this moment will change your eternity!

Transcribed - Published: 14 March 2025

In our series called, The Whole Story, we’ve been going from Genesis to Revelation to see the unfolding story of God’s redemptive plan for mankind. In this message, we’ve come to the climax of the story, the moment on which everything else hangs.  It’s a hope-filled message about the crucifixion.

Transcribed - Published: 13 March 2025

As Christians, we all know that prayer is important. And yet, sometimes it feels like just another thing to check off on our to-do list. In this message, Pastor J.D. is reminding us of the ultimate purpose of prayer and why it matters. And when we catch sight of this vision, it’ll give us a fresh excitement for prayer like never before! This message is part of our series called, The Whole Story.

Transcribed - Published: 12 March 2025

Have you ever noticed that people tend to be a lot more honest about their opinions when voicing them through an anonymous email or online profile? It’s easy to be bold when no one can hold us responsible for what we said. But Pastor J.D. is challenging us to take a bold, public stance for our faith. He’s calling us to step out of our comfort zone and make our private faith known to the world as he continues our series called, The Whole Story.

Transcribed - Published: 11 March 2025

According to tradition, there are two topics you should avoid in social conversations: politics and religion. It’s much easier and more comfortable to keep our faith a private, personal thing. But Pastor J.D. is challenging us to get outside our comfort zone and make our faith known. It’s part of our series called The Whole Story.

Transcribed - Published: 10 March 2025

Even with all the comfort and luxury of modern life, happiness is still hard to come by. And all the self-care and positivity in the world can never truly satisfy our souls. So, what are we missing? In this message, Pastor J.D. explains how Jesus himself tackled that question in the Sermon on the Mount. It’s part of the series called The Whole Story.

Transcribed - Published: 7 March 2025

We all crave happiness, and yet, it often seems elusive. We pin our hopes on something in the future, like marriage, kids, career success, or retirement, and we think if we can just get to that goal, we’ll be happy. But nothing ever seems to satisfy! So what’s the solution? How do we escape the rat race and find true, lasting joy?  Pastor J.D. answers that question as he continues his series called The Whole Story.

Transcribed - Published: 6 March 2025

When artists try to depict Jesus, they often paint him wearing a clean, white robe and holding a lamb in a quiet, green pasture.  It’s a peaceful and comforting representation, reminding us that Jesus is our Good Shepherd. There’s nothing wrong with those images, in and of themselves, but they don’t capture the full picture of Jesus. In this message, Pastor J.D. draws our attention to another aspect of Jesus’ character. And it might surprise you! It’s part of our series called The Whole Story.

Transcribed - Published: 5 March 2025

Sometimes, a little scare can be fun, like when you’re watching a suspenseful movie or riding a roller coaster. But aside from that, we don’t typically think of fear as a positive thing. However, when it comes to our relationship with God, fear is actually a good, healthy, and even essential emotion. That’s our subject as we continue our series called The Whole Story.

Transcribed - Published: 4 March 2025

Have you ever prayed for a miracle? At one point or another, almost everyone will end up on their knees begging for the impossible, even those who don’t consider themselves religious. Sometimes, you might get the answer you were hoping for! But other times, it seems like God doesn’t respond. Why is that? Pastor J.D. tackles this challenging topic as he continues our series called, The Whole Story.

Transcribed - Published: 3 March 2025

As we continue our series called, The Whole Story, Pastor J.D. walks us through the story of two people who came to Jesus looking for physical healing. But as we’ll see, these stories are about so much more than just getting your prayers answered. We’re talking about faith, prayer, and God’s sovereign plan.

Transcribed - Published: 28 February 2025

Whether we’re aware of it or not, we all face temptations on a daily basis. Sometimes, we’re even tempted to be prideful about overcoming temptation! So, how do we find the power to overcome and keep resisting the constant enticement? That’s the subject as Pastor J.D. continues this series called, The Whole Story.

Transcribed - Published: 27 February 2025

When you hear the word, “sin,” what do you picture? For some of us, it’s something along the lines of a wild party or an adulterous affair. Impatience probably isn’t first thing that comes to mind. But as Pastor J.D. continues a series called, The Whole Story, he explains that a lack of patience is at the root of a lot of sins.

Transcribed - Published: 26 February 2025

Baptism is one of those subjects that tends to stir up some lively debate among believers. Some people say you should be baptized as a baby; others say you should wait for adulthood. Some like to sprinkle, while others like to dunk. But what does the Bible say on the issue, and why does it even matter? Pastor J.D. addresses those questions as he continues a series called, The Whole Story.

Transcribed - Published: 25 February 2025

When you were a kid, did you ever get a really big homework assignment, but instead of chipping away at it over the semester, you put it off until the night before it was due? Thankfully, with a homework assignment, the worst that can happen is a bad grade. But in this message, Pastor J.D. talks about something you might be putting off that has much higher stakes. It’s part of our series called, The Whole Story.

Transcribed - Published: 24 February 2025

If there’s one part of Scripture most of us skip over, it’s the genealogies. It’s hard to see how a list of “who-begat-who” is relevant to our own lives. But in this message, Pastor J.D. explains that those lists are actually critical to understanding God’s plan. We’re looking at the genealogy of Jesus and learning how God has been working through all of history to reveal the plan of salvation. It’s part of our series called, "The Whole Story."

Transcribed - Published: 21 February 2025

Recently, there’s been a growing interest in studying family histories. In fact, multiple companies have popped up that will trace your family line through a DNA sample. For some people, the results may be exciting, learning about historical figures or even royalty in their line. For others, the findings may be a little less glamorous. In this message, we’re taking a look at Jesus’ family history and what it reveals about God’s overarching plan for human history. It’s part of our series called, "The Whole Story"

Transcribed - Published: 20 February 2025

If you asked an atheist why they don’t believe in God, they’ll often say that it’s due to a lack of evidence. But is that really the case? Is our faith just based on wishful thinking, or are there logical reasons to believe the Bible? As Pastor J.D. continues our series called, The Whole Story, he argues there is solid evidence of God’s existence. He’s taking us through the prophecies of Isaiah—a book that can only be explained by divine inspiration.

Transcribed - Published: 19 February 2025