Seven Marks Church Messages

Seven Marks Church
  • 5.0 (4)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to the weekly podcast of messages from the Communicator Team at Seven Marks Church in Raleigh, NC. To learn more, visit our website at https://sevenmarkschurch.com.

  1. 5D AGO

    Between Rescue and Rest, Part 3: The Way In | PAUL CROUTHAMEL

    After rescue comes formation. After formation comes a decision. In Part 3 of our Between Rescue and Rest series, we arrive at "The Way In." Moses is gone. A new generation stands at the edge of the Jordan River. The promise of God is in front of them — but so is a flood-stage river. God's words to Joshua are clear: "Be strong and courageous… for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9) This moment isn't just about geography. It's about identity. For forty years, God had been forming His people in the wilderness. Now it was time to step into who they were called to be — a chosen people, a holy nation, a blessing to the world. The same is true for us. God does not form us simply so we can be informed Christians. He forms us so we can live as courageous, obedient, holy people in a world that desperately needs Him. In this message, we explore: Why God anchors His invitation in who He is How courage flows from identity, not self-confidence What it means to live from acceptance, not for it Why stepping into obedience always requires strength and trust The promise is secure. The presence of God is guaranteed. The mission is clear. The question is whether we will step into it. If you're standing at the edge of your own "Jordan" — facing uncertainty, leadership, calling, or obedience — this message is an invitation to move forward with strength, courage, and holiness.

    41 min

  2. FEB 23

    Between Rescue and Rest, Part 2: The Way Through | JUSTIN ELAM

    Freedom is only the beginning. In Exodus 19–34, God brings Israel to Mount Sinai—not just to rescue them, but to form them. In the wilderness, He reveals who He is, gives them His covenant, and teaches them how to live as His people. But formation takes time. When Moses stays on the mountain longer than expected, impatience and fear surface. The golden calf reveals what's still living in Israel's heart. Even after rescue, Egypt is still in them. In Part 2 of Between Rescue and Rest, Pastor Justin shows us that the wilderness is not punishment—it's preparation. God uses waiting seasons to reshape our desires, reorder our habits, and deepen our trust. Our commitment can't outperform our formation. And how we wait matters. If you are in a season where growth feels slow, answers feel delayed, or obedience feels costly, this message will help you see that God is still at work. He is not just getting you out of something—He is forming you into someone. Salvation gets us out. Formation takes us through.

    38 min

  3. FEB 16

    Between Rescue and Rest, Part 1: The Way Out | PAUL CROUTHAMEL

    Have you ever felt trapped — like there's no clear way forward and no safe way back? In Exodus 14, the Israelites stand at the edge of the Red Sea with an army behind them and impossible waters in front of them. Panic sets in. Fear rises. Control slips away. And into that chaos, God speaks. In Week 1 of Between Rescue and Rest, we explore "The Way Out" — and what God does when His people don't know what to do next. Through Moses' leadership and Israel's fear, we discover four movements that carry us from panic to worship: Do not be afraid. Stand firm. Be still. Move forward. This message is for anyone battling anxiety, facing uncertainty, walking through illness, relational strain, addiction, confusion, or simply feeling stuck. The same God who made a way through the waters still makes a way today. When you don't know what to do, you don't need more control — you need deeper trust.

    51 min

  4. FEB 9

    Finding the Way Home, Part 5: When the Story Falls Apart | CALEB BALDWIN

    Life doesn't always unfold the way we expect. Sometimes obedience feels costly, waiting feels endless, and the story we thought God was writing seems to fall apart. In this final message of Finding the Way Home, Pastor Caleb walks through the story of Joseph—a story filled with betrayal, silence, suffering, and long seasons of waiting. From the pit to the prison to the palace, Joseph's life shows us that God is still at work even when the story feels upside down. This message is for anyone who feels stuck, forgotten, or unsure where God is in the middle of their circumstances. It reminds us that God never wastes the waiting. What looks like loss may actually be preparation. What feels like exile may be the very place God is forming us for something greater. Joseph's story isn't just a personal story of perseverance—it's the final bridge between Genesis and Exodus, revealing the pattern of how God works: God rescues. God forms. God dwells. God sends. And ultimately, Joseph's life points us to Jesus—the One who entered suffering, endured betrayal, and brought life through resurrection. If you're in a hard season, this message invites you to trust that God is still writing your story—even when it doesn't make sense yet.

    44 min

  5. FEB 2

    Finding the Way Home, Part 4: Letting God Write the Story | PAUL CROUTHAMEL

    What does it look like to follow God when the future is unclear, the promise feels delayed, and your own failures threaten to derail the story? In Part 4 of Finding the Way Home, Pastor Paul walks through the story of Abram—later Abraham—to show how God begins His rescue of humanity not through ideal people, but through deeply flawed ones. Called out of exile after the scattering of Babel, Abraham is invited into a new story shaped not by control or self-made security, but by trust, surrender, and obedience. Yet Abraham's journey is anything but clean. He drifts. He takes control. He compromises. And still, God remains faithful—reaffirming His promise, reshaping Abraham's identity, and patiently forming him over time. Through Abraham's story, we see that God's work of rescue is often slow, relational, and marked by grace rather than perfection. This message invites us to see ourselves in Abraham's story—to recognize our own moments of surrender and drift—and to trust that God is still at work, calling us forward, reminding us who we are, and leading us step by step toward home.

    42 min

  6. JAN 26

    Finding the Way Home, Part 3: Stuck in the Wrong Story | TYLER CARROLL

    What if the reason we feel restless, anxious, or disconnected isn't just our circumstances—but the story we believe we're living in? In Part 3 of Finding the Way Home, Pastor Tyler explores a recurring pattern in Scripture that begins just outside the gates of Eden and comes into sharp focus at the Tower of Babel. After exile, humanity doesn't simply wander—we start building. Cities. Systems. Towers. Stories meant to give us identity, security, and meaning apart from God. From Cain settling in the land of Nod to the rise of Babylon, the biblical story reveals a deeply human impulse: trying to recreate "home" on our own terms. Again and again, people attempt to secure life from the ground up—only to find themselves more fragmented, confused, and distant from the life they were created for. But this is not a story of condemnation. It's a story of mercy. God intervenes at Babel not to punish humanity, but to interrupt a path that would ultimately destroy us. In the scattering, God begins something new—setting the stage for His rescue to unfold through Abraham, the Exodus, and ultimately Jesus. This message invites us to slow down, examine the stories shaping our lives, and ask an honest question: What story am I living in—and where is it leading me? And more importantly, it invites us to hear God's gentle call into a better story—one that leads us home.

    35 min

  7. JAN 19

    Finding the Way Home, Part 2: The Story We Traded | PAUL CROUTHAMEL

    What if the reason we feel disconnected, restless, or out of place isn't random—but rooted in a story that began long before us? In Part 2 of the Finding the Way Home series, Pastor Paul takes us back to the opening pages of Scripture to explore what the Bible calls Paradise Lost. This message traces how humanity moved from life at home with God into exile—not simply by breaking rules, but by trading a bigger, better, truer story for a smaller and false one. Through the story of Eden, we see the fractures that still shape our lives today: trust replaced with distrust, openness replaced with shame, security replaced with fear, honesty replaced with blame, and home replaced with exile. These ancient trades continue to echo in the stories we tell ourselves and the lives we live. But this message isn't just about what went wrong—it's about why rescue became necessary. Paradise Lost sets the stage for the Exodus story and reveals God's relentless movement toward restoration: a God who seeks, clothes, promises, and rescues. If you've ever wondered why life feels dislocated, why longing runs so deep, or why "home" feels just out of reach, this teaching invites you to see your story inside God's larger one—and to begin finding your way back home.

    42 min

  8. JAN 12

    Finding the Way Home, Part 1: What Story Is Shaping Your Life? | PAUL CROUTHAMEL

    We all love stories. But whether we realize it or not, we're not just watching them—we're living inside one. Every decision we make, every value we hold, and every direction our life takes is shaped by the story we believe we're in. The problem is, we don't always stop to ask if it's the right story. In this opening message of Finding the Way Home, Pastor Paul invites us to step back and examine the story shaping our lives—and to consider what happens when the story we believe is quietly leading us somewhere we were never meant to go. This message introduces a recurring pattern found throughout the Bible—often called the "Exodus way"—that helps us make sense of Scripture, our faith, and our everyday lives. More than a historical event, it's a framework that reveals how God rescues, forms, dwells with, and sends people into the world. Whether you're exploring faith, rethinking your assumptions, or longing for a deeper sense of meaning and direction, this message invites you to locate yourself within a bigger story—and begin finding your way home.

    39 min
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Welcome to the weekly podcast of messages from the Communicator Team at Seven Marks Church in Raleigh, NC. To learn more, visit our website at https://sevenmarkschurch.com.

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