speaker Brian Barcelona says the opposite: praise was never optional, and boredom is the greatest tragedy of

Christianity.

Brian opens with the story that changed how he sees worship — his sister, who once encountered God and later found

herself trafficked and addicted to fentanyl, and what it looked like to hand her something more powerful than the drug.

From there he teaches straight from Scripture: heaven has a culture of praise, there’s a fragrance you can produce

that angels can’t, and there are seven Hebrew words for praise — yada, halal, shabach, zamar, todah, barak, and

tehillah — that most of us have never been taught. Along the way: why the band isn’t manipulating your emotions, why

you shout because the victory is already won, and why worship — not whining — is what shifts the atmosphere when

you walk back out into your week.

📖 Scripture: Psalm 150 · Psalm 34 · Psalm 63 · Psalm 47 · Psalm 95 · Psalm 22 · Psalm 50

🎯 OUR MISSION - Make Disciples of Jesus who encounter God’s presence and bring healing to their cities.

💛 Give into what God is doing → https://www.christalive.com/give

🏠 Plan a visit → https://christalive.com

🎧 Listen on any podcast platform → https://christalive.transistor.fm/

📍 Christ Alive Church · 1549 Southwest Blvd · Newton, North Carolina

#christalive #praise #worship #brianbarcelona #hebrew

interested anymore. Sunday’s message says the opposite. The harvest was never the problem. The problem has

always been getting enough of us to actually put our hand in and do something.

Pastor Mark Ivey teaches from Jesus’ story of the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20) — and grows up around real

harvest work in northern Maine to make it land. Along the way: why prayer is the engine that moves people into the

field, why coming to church and doing nothing doesn’t count, why only about 20% of church growth in America is real

conversion, and the partnership where you plant and God gives the growth. Wherever you are and whatever your age,

there’s extreme grace for the part God is asking you to do. You don’t need to have it all together — you just need to

ask, “God, what can I do?”

📖 Scripture: Matthew 20 · Matthew 9 · John 4 · 1 Corinthians 3 · Acts 2 · Galatians 6

🎯 OUR MISSION - Make Disciples of Jesus who encounter God’s presence and bring healing to their cities.

💛 Give into what God is doing → https://www.christalive.com/give

🏠 Plan a visit → https://christalive.com

🎧 Listen on any podcast platform → https://christalive.transistor.fm/

📍 Christ Alive Church · 1549 Southwest Blvd · Newton, North Carolina

#christalive #theharvest #savethelost #discipleship #prayer

about the one thing every one of us can do: get in between that person and God in prayer. The Bible calls it

intercession, and it’s simpler than it sounds — it just means standing in the gap for someone who can’t yet stand there

for themselves.

Pastor Mark Ivey teaches from Jesus’ story of the friend who shows up at midnight (Luke 11) — the man who has

nothing to give, so he goes to the One who has everything. Along the way: a true story about his own teenage son

bringing a stranger home in the middle of the night, a grandfather God woke at 3 a.m. to pray for a granddaughter on a

failing plane, and the staggering math of what happens when just one person leads one person to Jesus and shows

them how to do the same. You don’t have enough on your own — but you know the One who does.

📖 Scripture: Luke 11 · Exodus 11 · Acts 16 · Genesis 18 · Ruth 3 · Matthew 25

🎯 OUR MISSION - Make Disciples of Jesus who encounter God’s presence and bring healing to their cities.

💛 Give into what God is doing → https://www.christalive.com/give

🏠 Plan a visit → https://christalive.com

🎧 Listen on any podcast platform → https://christalive.transistor.fm/

📍 Christ Alive Church · 1549 Southwest Blvd · Newton, North Carolina

#christalive #threefriendsatmidnight #intercession #prayer #savethelost

from. Sunday’s message makes the case that God intends far more for you than that — and that the one thing you

actually need to encounter Him isn’t knowledge or having it all figured out. It’s hunger.

In this message, Pastor Mark Ivey walks through Mark 1 — the day a bound man who’d sat in the synagogue for years

was set free by Jesus — and draws out the moments the church can’t afford to miss. Along the way: a shift happening

in a whole generation, a bridge in Honduras that outlasted a hurricane while the river moved beneath it, and one

recurring question: don’t you want this? The church, he argues, has to be a place of real freedom, more than songs

and sermons — because you don’t need an encounter with the church, you need an encounter with the living Jesus.

📖 Scripture: Mark 1 · Mark 3 · Luke 13 · Hebrews 12:13 · John 8:36 · 2 Corinthians 3:17

🎯 OUR MISSION - Make Disciples of Jesus who encounter God’s presence and bring healing to their cities.

💛 Give into what God is doing → https://www.christalive.com/give

🏠 Plan a visit → https://christalive.com

🎧 Listen on any podcast platform → https://christalive.transistor.fm/

📍 Christ Alive Church · 1549 Southwest Blvd · Newton, North Carolina

to kids camp and youth retreat, and they came back changed. They didn’t just sit through songs and a talk; they

encountered God.

Across the stories, three things became clear. God wants to encounter you — an 11-year-old saw a vision, a 9-year-

old worships until she weeps. God wants to empower you — a teenager who felt too broken to be used got a word of

knowledge and led his friend to Jesus, because there’s no junior Holy Spirit. And God wants to set you free — a boy

too scared to worship was freed, and an entire family line was delivered in a single night. Encounter, empowerment,

and freedom aren’t just for the platform or for someday. They’re for you.

📖 Scripture: Revelation 12:11 · Joel 2:28 · Acts 1:8 · John 10:10 · Romans 8:28 · 2 Corinthians 3:17

🎯 OUR MISSION - Make Disciples of Jesus who encounter God’s presence and bring healing to their cities.

💛 Give into what God is doing → https://www.christalive.com/give

🏠 Plan a visit → https://christalive.com

🎧 Listen on any podcast platform → https://christalive.transistor.fm/

📍 Christ Alive Church · 1549 Southwest Blvd · Newton, North Carolina

habit — before we’ll really do anything for God. Sunday’s message makes the case that the very thing you feel

chained to might be where God’s power shows up strongest.

In “Your Weakness Is Your Strength,” Pastor Mark Ivey walks through Paul — who wrote half the New Testament

chained to a Roman guard, and who begged God three times to remove a thorn in his flesh. God’s answer wasn’t an

explanation; it was sustaining grace: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

You don’t need perfect conditions to do what God has called you to do — and, as one woman written off in a wheelchair

proved, God loves to use what the world calls damaged goods.

📖 Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12 · Philippians 1 & 4 · Ephesians 6 · 2 Timothy 2 · Matthew 28

🎯 OUR MISSION

Make Disciples of Jesus who encounter God’s presence and bring healing to their cities.

💛 Give into what God is doing → https://www.christalive.com/give

🏠 Plan a visit → https://christalive.com

🎧 Listen on any podcast platform → https://christalive.transistor.fm/

📍 Christ Alive Church · 1549 Southwest Blvd · Newton, North Carolina

day never seems to come — and Sunday’s message makes the case that it was never the requirement in the first

place.

In “Perfection Not Required,” Pastor Mark Ivey walks through four moments in Peter’s life to show how Jesus uses

ordinary, unfinished people to bring heaven to earth. The disciples were a group of undisciplined teenagers, and Jesus

placed the future of his kingdom on them. The principle repeats: perfection not required — surrender is, a step is,

correction is, restoration is. If you have a friend and a mouth, you already have everything you need to point someone

to Jesus.

📖 Scripture: Luke 10 · Matthew 6:10 · Luke 5 · Matthew 14 · Matthew 16 · 1 Corinthians 15

🎯 OUR MISSION - Make Disciples of Jesus who encounter God’s presence and bring healing to their cities.

💛 Give into what God is doing → https://www.christalive.com/give

🏠 Plan a visit → https://christalive.com

🎧 Listen on any podcast platform → https://christalive.transistor.fm/

📍 Christ Alive Church · 1549 Southwest Blvd · Newton, North Carolina

who’ve heard the gospel a hundred times but never surrendered to it?

Austin Minor’s answer starts with barbecue. He’d been told about a restaurant in Atlanta for a year before a friend

finally dragged him there — and the moment he tasted it, everything people had been saying suddenly made sense.

People don’t need to hear about Jesus one more time. They need to taste Him. And the way they taste Him is your life.

Here’s what we get into:

• Why speaking the gospel has to be partnered with people experiencing it

• A consecrated life: why “how close to the line can I get?” is the wrong question

• A hope-filled life: when life shakes you, whatever’s inside is what spills out

• A compassionate life: weeping over the people who are still spiritually dead

• Why an anxious, hopeless generation is watching how you handle hard things

Sometimes the greatest witness you have is not what you say, but a life that points to Jesus.

📖 Scripture: 1 Peter 2:9-12, 1 Peter 3:1-15, 2 Timothy 2:22, Matthew 15:11-18, John 11

🎯 OUR MISSION - Make Disciples of Jesus who encounter God's presence and bring healing to their cities.

💛 Give into what God is doing → https://www.christalive.com/give

🏠 Plan a visit → https://christalive.com

🎧 Listen on any podcast platform → https://christalive.transistor.fm/

📍 Christ Alive Church · 1549 Southwest Blvd · Newton, North Carolina

#christalive #savethelost #alifeofwitness #evangelism #hope #discipleship #newtonnc #northcarolina

Barbara Potter has been part of Christ Alive Church since before there was a church — 25 years. On Sunday she told

the story of how she got here: the move she didn’t understand, the years of waiting, going back to school at 40 to learn

to type, a cancer diagnosis in the middle of it, and a phone message that changed everything.

The point wasn’t her story. It was that God is writing yours the same way — one page at a time, details and all.

Here’s what we get into:

• Why obedience never required knowing the whole plan

• What to do in a season that feels like waiting or a hard page

• How God used the most ordinary preparation years later

• The street sign that showed up 25 years after a prayer

• Where your mission actually begins — and it’s closer than you think

You are not behind. You are mid-chapter.

📖 Scripture: Psalm 37:23, Psalm 51:10, Proverbs 3:6, Job 13:15, Acts 1:8, Matthew 9:37-38, Joshua 24:15

🎯 OUR MISSION - Make Disciples of Jesus who encounter God's presence and bring healing to their cities.

💛 Give into what God is doing → https://www.christalive.com/give

🏠 Plan a visit → https://christalive.com

🎧 Listen on any podcast platform → https://christalive.transistor.fm/

📍 Christ Alive Church · 1549 Southwest Blvd · Newton, North Carolina

#christalive #savethelost #godisstillwriting #yourstorymatters #faith #obedience #callingandpurpose #northcarolina

#newtonnc

It's Mission Sunday! Pastor Micah Smith shares powerful testimonies from Christ Alive's recent mission trips to Los Angeles and Ecuador, and challenges the church to embrace evangelism not as an event, but as a lifestyle. Through real stories of rejection, breakthrough, and life-change, this message reminds us that our job is to plant and water — but it's God who gives the growth.

📖 Scripture Reference: 2 Timothy 4:5, Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 19:10, 1 Corinthians 3:5-8, Romans 8:15

🔑 MAIN TALKING POINTS

1️⃣ The Mission Trip Report. Two nations, five cities, 37 team members, and over 100 hours of serving — plus over 100 intercessors and 40 people fasting back home. God moved through salvations, baptisms, healings, and deliverances.

2️⃣ Do the Work of an Evangelist. Drawing from 2 Timothy 4:5, Pastor Micah shares how God shifted his focus from chasing after signs and wonders to actually seeking to make people believers.

3️⃣ Evangelism Is a Lifestyle, Not an Event. Being an evangelist isn't just a title reserved for preachers on a platform — it's a relational, everyday calling to share Jesus with the people already in our path.

4️⃣ It's Relational First. Through stories like Andy at the Dream Center, Wintour the bus driver in Ecuador, and Joseph on Skid Row, we see how small, consistent moments of connection open the door for the gospel.

5️⃣ Plant, Water, and Trust God for the Growth. Not every conversation ends in a "yes." Testimonies of rejection remind us it's our job to plant and water seeds — the growth belongs to God, not us.

6️⃣ Consistency Over Convenience. One story of a decade of persistent, faithful invitations shows that you never know which "no" will eventually become a "yes." Keep showing up, because God keeps showing up.

7️⃣ No Fear in Trying. God hasn't given us a spirit of fear — He's proud of us when we step out and try, even when we don't get it exactly right.

About Christ Alive Church: Our mission is to make disciples of Jesus who encounter God's presence and bring healing to their cities — through seeking God daily, saving the lost, and healing the home.

📍 Join us in person or online every week! 🔔 Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss a message.

#MissionSunday #MicahSmith #ChristAliveChurch #Evangelism #SundaySermon #ChristianMessage #MissionsTrip #DreamCenter #SkidRow #EcuadorMissions #SaveTheLost #Discipleship #FollowJesus #BibleTeaching #ChurchOnline #SermonNotes #FaithInAction #ChristianLiving #WeeklyMessage #PastorMicahSmith

We all reach moments where we don't know what to do next — after a loss, a disappointment, or even after a huge win from God. In this message, Pastor LJ Johnson unpacks the story of Jesus appearing to His disciples on the beach in John 21 to answer the question we all eventually ask: "Now what?"

📖 Scripture Reference: John 21:1-14, Matthew 6:33, Romans 12:2

1️⃣ Do Something. When the disciples didn't know what to do after Jesus' death, Peter said "I'm going fishing." Sitting still and waiting is one of the most dangerous places to be — we're built to move forward, not stay stagnant.

2️⃣ Am I Willing to Change? Jesus told the disciples to throw their net on the "other side" of the boat — completely against convention and common sense. Reaching people today requires letting go of "the way we've always done it" and building real relationships with people far from God.

3️⃣ Am I Remembering What God Has Already Done? When Peter recognized Jesus, he immediately jumped into action. Gratitude for what God has already done fuels the courage to take the next step — while an ungrateful, "Eeyore" spirit keeps us stuck.

4️⃣ Seek the Kingdom First. Pastor LJ challenges us to filter the words that come out of our mouths — because what we speak reveals what we truly believe. Full obedience to Christ starts with a transformed mind and heart (Romans 12:2).

5️⃣ The Call to Make Disciples. The message closes with a challenge: it's simple, but not easy — go and make disciples. If you've drifted from sharing your faith, today is the day to take a step.

🙏 If you don't know Jesus, or you've been resisting Him, this message ends with a prayer of surrender and an invitation to give your heart fully to Christ.

About Christ Alive Church: Our mission is to make disciples of Jesus who encounter God's presence and bring healing to their cities.

📍 Join us in person or online every week! 🔔 Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss a message.

#NowWhat #LJJohnson #ChristAliveChurch #SundaySermon #ChristianMessage #FaithJourney #MakeDisciples #JohnChapter21 #GospelMessage #ChurchOnline #SermonNotes #Discipleship #FollowJesus #BibleTeaching #KingdomFirst #ChristianLiving #FaithOverFear #SundayService #WeeklyMessage #PastorLJJohnson

In this week’s message, Pastor kicks off our brand new series — Heal the Home — and asks a question most of us avoid: Is there leprosy in your house?

Using the shocking true story of over 100,000 homes poisoned by Chinese drywall, he walks us through Leviticus 14 and reveals 6 things God calls every family to do when something hidden starts showing up on the surface:

1. Recognize the problem
2. Reveal the problem
3. Remove the problem
4. Replace the problem
5. Root out the problem
6. Release the problem

This isn’t just about going to church on Sunday. God is looking for holy homes — families where His presence is welcomed, generational patterns are broken, and the future is shifted.

If you’ve ever felt like something in your family keeps repeating — anger, dysfunction, broken relationships — this message is for you.

This message confronts something most people don’t think about — your home is already being discipled. The question is by what?

In this week of Heal the Home, we talk about restoring the family altar and why God designed your home to be the primary place of spiritual formation — not culture, not social media, not even the church.

If you’ve felt like your family is drifting, disconnected, or being shaped by everything except God… this is where it shifts.

This message will help you:

Recognize what is forming your family right now
Take back spiritual leadership in your home
Build rhythms that actually change your family culture
Start simple and create lasting impact

You don’t need perfection. You need a pattern.

Your home can change — and it starts with what you build daily.

📖 Scripture References:

Deuteronomy 6:4–9
Genesis 8:15–20
Genesis 12:7
Genesis 13:14–18
Genesis 18:17–19
Genesis 22:9–18
Genesis 26:23–25
Genesis 35:1–3
1 Corinthians 11:1
2 Corinthians 13:5

📍 Christ Alive — Newton, NC

And the truth is… that still happens today.

There are things that try to run in families
Addiction, anger, broken relationships, hidden sin
And if they aren’t confronted, they don’t disappear… they get passed on

But you don’t have to repeat what’s been handed to you

This message gives practical, biblical steps to:
• Recognize patterns in your family
• Put boundaries in place
• Handle conflict the right way
• Lead your home with intention

You’re not powerless in this
God has already given you what you need to break the cycle

It doesn’t have to continue
It can stop with you

📖 Scripture References:

Numbers 13
Numbers 14
Matthew 5:27–30
James 5:16
Ephesians 4:26–32
Colossians 3:21
1 Peter 2:9–10

📍 Christ Alive Church — Newton, NC