I Still Believe...
The Church isn't perfect, but it doesn't need to be, because its strength was never based on us.
Speaker: Pastor Lee Cummings
Date: September 13, 2026
On Radiant Church’s 30th anniversary, Pastor Lee shares the heart behind why it all began: the Church. Even in a dark world, God empowers the local church to be salt and light, and in that we still believe. Don't miss this powerful message!
Here's a 5-day devotional guide based on this sermon:
Day 1: Arise, Shine
Isaiah 60:1–5 | John 8:12
Isaiah's ancient prophecy became this church's founding scripture three decades ago: arise, shine, for your light has come. It's a call issued in the middle of darkness, not after it lifts. Jesus later called Himself the light of the world, and told His followers that whoever follows Him would never walk in darkness. What God asked Isaiah's readers to do, rise and reflect glory into a dark world, is the same invitation extended to His Church today.
Day 2: The Strength of the Head
Ephesians 1:15–23 | Colossians 1:18
Paul's prayer for the Ephesian church was not that their leaders would get better or their programs would improve, but that they would grasp the immeasurable greatness of God's power at work in them. Colossians describes Jesus as the head of the body, the church, holding first place in everything. A body's strength was never meant to come from its own effort. It comes from staying connected to its head.
Day 3: The World Is Peripheral to the Church
Matthew 16:18 | Ephesians 3:9–11
Jesus made a singular commitment: I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. He did not diversify that promise across other institutions. Paul later explained that through the church, God's manifold wisdom is being displayed to rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. Whatever else changes in the world, the church remains God's chosen vehicle for His purposes on earth.
Day 4: Give God Your Yes
Ephesians 1:20–23 | Colossians 1:15–17
It can feel like the Church is a small, sidelined institution compared to governments, corporations, and culture. Scripture describes it the opposite way. Christ, who holds all things together, rules the church as the center of what He is doing on earth, not the other way around. What looks marginal from a worldly vantage point is, from heaven's perspective, exactly where the action is.
Day 5: Little Children, Love One Another
Isaiah 60:1 | Romans 12:1
Thirty years of church history can trace back to a single yes, given by two people who did not know exactly what they were doing but believed God was asking them to move. Paul urges believers to offer themselves as a living sacrifice as an act of worship. Whatever God started in you did not begin with your competence. It began with your willingness to say yes, and that is still the price of admission to whatever comes next.