Journey Church SC

Journey Church

5.0 (10)
Religion & Spirituality
Updated Biweekly

The Journey Church in Summerville, South Carolina exists to create disciple-makers of Jesus Christ. Messages from Lead Pastor Chris Fowler, as well as other teachers and guests, are published weekly. We also publish video versions and other resources at JourneyChurchSC.org.

2d ago

A Seat at the Table

What does it mean to be welcomed somewhere we have no right to be? In 2 Samuel 9, we encounter one of the most striking stories in all of Scripture -- a story that cuts straight to the heart of grace. Mephibosheth, the crippled grandson of King Saul, David's greatest rival, is summoned not for punishment but for an invitation. David, having established his kingdom and secured peace on every side, goes searching -- not for more enemies to conquer, but for someone to whom he can show kindness. This is peak David, the covenant-keeping king who seeks the forgotten. The Hebrew word used here is hesed -- a loving kindness that is pure, selfless, and completely unearned. What makes this story so arresting is how thoroughly it dismantles our instinct toward merit. Mephibosheth had nothing to offer. He lived in Lo-debar, a place whose name means no pasture, no provision, no word from anyone. He called himself a dead dog. And yet the king sought him out, restored his inheritance, provided for his family, and seated him permanently at the royal table as one of his own sons. We are invited to see ourselves in Mephibosheth -- not because we enjoy thinking of ourselves as broken or forgotten, but because recognizing our true condition is exactly what opens us to the depth of what grace actually is. The question this passage presses us to answer is not whether we deserve a seat at the table. We do not. The question is whether we will receive the kindness of the king.
Aug 16

Waiting on the LORD: God's Way in God's Time

What does it look like to truly wait on God when every instinct tells us to take matters into our own hands? In 2 Samuel 5 through 7, we find David at one of the most pivotal moments in Israel's history, and the lessons embedded in his story cut straight to the heart of how we live our faith today. David had every reason, every opportunity, and arguably every right to seize power on his own terms. Yet time and again, he chose to wait. The result was not stagnation but extraordinary blessing. The central thread running through these chapters is deceptively simple: doing things in God's way and in God's timing is always better than doing things our own way. We see this in David's patient ascent to the throne over all Israel, in his humble dependence on God before each military engagement, and in his willingness to receive God's promises without demanding their immediate fulfillment. What makes this message so striking is how deeply it challenges our default settings. We are wired for speed, efficiency, and control. But the story of David invites us into a different kind of life, one shaped by trust, obedience, and the quiet confidence that God is already at work before we even arrive on the scene.
Aug 9

Kingdom Troubles

What does it look like to trust God when everything around us seems to contradict his promises? In this deep dive into 2 Samuel chapter 3, we explore one of the most turbulent and dramatic seasons in David's life, a period marked by civil war, betrayal, murder, and political chaos. Yet at the center of it all stands a man who refuses to seize what God has promised him, choosing instead to wait. We examine the contrast between David's patient, faith-driven posture and the grasping, self-serving ambitions of those around him, and we are challenged to ask ourselves whether we trust God enough to wait on his timing even when circumstances seem to be moving in the wrong direction. Drawing on powerful passages from Isaiah 40, Psalms 27, and Lamentations 3, we are reminded that waiting on the Lord is never passive resignation but an active, courageous act of faith that produces strength, courage, and salvation. The concept of meekness, as described in Matthew 5:5, is reframed not as weakness but as the surrendering of our own will to God's, and we see in David a living portrait of what it means to inherit rather than seize what God has prepared for us.
Aug 2

Honor Where Honor is Due

What does it look like to genuinely love those who have wronged us? In this exploration of 2 Samuel 1 and 2, we are confronted with a portrait of kingship that challenges every instinct we have toward self-protection and revenge. David, a man who had every reason to celebrate the downfall of his persecutor Saul, instead tears his clothes in grief and composes a lament honoring the man who made his life miserable. This is not weakness. This is a profound trust that justice belongs to God alone. As we trace David's refusal to lift his hand against the Lord's anointed across multiple moments in 1 and 2 Samuel, we begin to see a pattern that points far beyond David himself. The sermon draws a straight line from David's restraint and grief to the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 5, where we are called to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. The rain falls on the just and the unjust alike, and that reality should reshape how we think about the people we are most tempted to dismiss or despise. Whether it is a political figure, a personal rival, or someone who has genuinely hurt us, we are asked to consider whether we have quietly embraced the cultural permission to hate. David shows us a better way, and it is a way that leads us directly to the cross.
Jul 26

A Loving Father to the Prodigals

What does it truly mean to be lost, and what does it look like when we are found? In this exploration of one of Jesus' most beloved parables, the story of the prodigal son opens up into something far richer than a simple tale of a wayward child coming home. At its heart, this is a story about the nature of the Father's love -- a love that is sacrificial, relentless, and utterly indifferent to cultural expectation or personal dignity. We see a father who willingly absorbs the humiliation of a son's rejection, divides his estate at great personal cost, and then runs -- robes hiked up, legs exposed -- to embrace a child who had written him off entirely. This is the picture of God's love for us. The parable challenges us to examine where we place our hope and what we are truly chasing. The younger son's journey from fortune to feeding pigs is a vivid portrait of what happens when we pursue the things of the world -- the desires of the flesh, the pride of life -- in place of relationship with the Father. And yet the moment of hitting rock bottom, described in scripture as the son 'coming to himself,' is not a moment of defeat but of awakening. It is the beginning of repentance, and it is exactly the kind of moment God uses to draw us back home.
Jul 19

The Work of the Laborers

This powerful exploration of Matthew 9 and 10 challenges us to examine our commitment to the mission Jesus has given us. We're confronted with an uncomfortable truth: how much do we truly care about those who don't yet know Christ if we're unwilling to risk even momentary embarrassment to share the gospel? The message unpacks three essential elements of mission—motivation, means, and message. Our motivation flows from Jesus' own example of compassion for the harassed and helpless, those wandering like sheep without a shepherd. The eternal stakes are real: hell is not an abstract concept but a reality Jesus himself taught about with clarity. The means of mission requires earnest prayer, collective deployment into our unique spheres of influence, and an all-in commitment that holds nothing back. We're reminded that God has sovereignly placed each of us among specific people—neighbors, coworkers, family members—that no one else in our church knows. What if we each faithfully shared the gospel with those seven or eight households only we can reach? The multiplication effect could be staggering. The message is beautifully simple yet profound: repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And we don't go alone—the Spirit speaks through us, giving us both wisdom and innocence as we navigate a world that may reject us just as it rejected our Master.
Jul 12

The Seed of the Kingdom

Journey Church SC
Jul 5

My Declaration of Dependence

This powerful message takes us on a remarkable journey through history, connecting ancient Israel's demand for a king in 1 Samuel 8 with America's Declaration of Independence and ultimately to our own spiritual condition today. We discover that when Israel demanded a king like other nations, God warned them through Samuel about what earthly rule would cost them: their sons, daughters, resources, and ultimately their freedom. Fast forward to 1776, and we see colonists experiencing exactly what God predicted - oppression under King George III, leading them to declare independence. The profound insight here is that humanity constantly cycles through this pattern: we seek life, liberty, and happiness through human means rather than through God. Whether it's ancient Israel wanting visible security, colonists fighting tyranny, or us today chasing success and comfort, we're all searching for the same things. The revolutionary truth is that real life, genuine freedom, and lasting joy are found only in Christ. Unlike every other religion that demands we earn our way, the gospel flips the script - salvation comes through grace, not works. We're introduced to Jesus through the Gospels as our promised King, suffering servant, perfect human savior, and eternal Son of God. The challenge is clear: we don't need a declaration of independence from God, but rather a declaration of dependence on Him. This message calls us to account for how we'll stand before God and whether we've faithfully proclaimed His name to a world desperate to hear it.

5

out of 5

10 Ratings

The Journey Church in Summerville, South Carolina exists to create disciple-makers of Jesus Christ. Messages from Lead Pastor Chris Fowler, as well as other teachers and guests, are published weekly. We also publish video versions and other resources at JourneyChurchSC.org.

Creator

Journey Church
Years Active

2018 - 2026
Episodes

623
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026 Journey Church SC
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Journey Church SC