Alive in Christ: Not a Spectator Sport

In this powerful message from Romans 5–6, Justin Younger calls believers to examine what it truly means to live alive in Christ—not as spectators, but through a surrendered and obedient life shaped by real relationship with Jesus. This sermon confronts passive Christianity and invites listeners into a deeper understanding of identity, freedom, and transformation in Christ.

Romans teaches that righteousness is received, not earned. Justin reminds us that when someone is born again, their identity fundamentally changes. We are no longer defined as sinners trying to do better. Instead, we are sons and daughters who have died with Christ and been raised to walk in newness of life. To live alive in Christ begins with trusting what Scripture says about who we are in Him.

Righteousness Received, Not Earned

A central theme of this message is the biblical truth that righteousness cannot be achieved through effort, discipline, or religious performance. Instead, Jesus gives righteousness as a gift. While believers do grow in obedience and maturity over time, no one becomes more righteous by striving harder. Growth flows from relationship, not pressure or performance.

Because of this foundation, believers are freed from guilt-driven faith. As a result, they are reoriented toward living alive in Christ with confidence, rooted in grace rather than fear.

Beyond Sunday: A Daily Relationship With Jesus

This sermon challenges the idea that church attendance alone sustains spiritual life. Justin speaks clearly about the danger of living spiritually empty throughout the week and relying on Sunday gatherings to feel close to God again. God desires daily fellowship with His people through Scripture, prayer, and obedience.

For this reason, to live alive in Christ means cultivating a personal relationship with Jesus that extends into everyday life—not just moments of worship or teaching.

Filling the Void After Sin Is Removed

Justin teaches that when sin is repented of and removed, it leaves a space that must be filled. If that space remains empty, old habits and patterns often return. Drawing from Jesus’ teaching about the empty house, this message emphasizes that freedom is sustained when believers replace sin with devotion to Christ and the planting of God’s Word.

Scripture is described as seed. When believers plant it, nurture it, and protect it, growth follows. To live alive in Christ requires intentionally filling life with truth, not simply removing what does not belong.

Conviction as an Invitation, Not Condemnation

Another key emphasis of this sermon is the difference between conviction and condemnation. Conviction comes from the Holy Spirit and draws believers closer to Jesus. Condemnation leads to shame, hiding, and defeat. Justin encourages listeners to respond quickly and humbly when conviction comes, because it trains the heart and produces spiritual growth.

Those who want to live alive in Christ learn to respond to God’s voice instead of resisting it.

Not a Spectator Sport: A Call to Obedience

Ultimately, this message makes one thing clear: following Jesus is not passive. Christianity is not something to observe from the sidelines. It is something to live. Justin challenges believers to get off the bench, stop pretending, and step fully into obedience, even when it costs comfort or familiarity.

To live alive in Christ means surrendering control, saying yes to God’s leading, and allowing Jesus to shape every part of life. This sermon invites listeners into real freedom, real growth, and real discipleship in Christ.

Key Scriptures
Romans 5: 18–21, Romans 6: 1–4, Romans 6: 6–7, 2 Corinthians 5: 17, John 15: 4

When the Greatest Battle Is Within

What if the greatest threat to spiritual authority isn’t opposition from the enemy—but independence from God?

In this message, Chad Everett continues the Spiritual Authority — Restored in Christ series by directly confronting one of the most subtle and destructive issues believers face: Overcoming the Pride of Life. Rather than focusing on obvious sin, this teaching presses deeper, calling us to examine self-rule—living by our own understanding while still expecting God to bless our choices.

Instead of pointing outward, this message turns our attention inward and asks a clear, necessary question: Who is really leading my life?

Jesus’ Model for True Spiritual Authority

Luke 4 provides the foundation for this message as Chad walks through Jesus’ time in the wilderness. Jesus lived filled with the Holy Spirit, followed the leading of the Spirit, and submitted to training through prayer, fasting, and temptation. This progression shows that spiritual authority does not appear automatically. It grows through surrender, obedience, and dependence on the Father.

Overcoming the Pride of Life begins when we reject self-confidence as our source of authority and choose submission instead. Jesus refused shortcuts. He embraced training, trusted the Father fully, and demonstrated the pathway God designed for every disciple.

Understanding the Pride of Life

Many believers misunderstand the pride of life. Pride does not only appear as arrogance or self-promotion. At its core, the pride of life shows up as independence from God—making decisions without seeking Him, relying on personal wisdom, and turning to God only in moments of crisis.

Chad clearly exposes how this mindset surfaces in everyday choices involving work, finances, relationships, and personal goals. Overcoming the Pride of Life requires more than adjusting behavior. It demands a change in leadership—from self to Christ.

Psalm 91 and the Danger of Scripture Without Submission

This sermon places special emphasis on Psalm 91 and the temptation of Jesus at the temple. Satan quoted Scripture but intentionally removed the condition of relationship and obedience. That moment reveals a sobering truth: people can quote God’s Word and still resist God’s authority.

Chad challenges listeners to examine whether they use Scripture to justify personal plans or allow God’s Word to shape their obedience. Overcoming the Pride of Life means pursuing the person of God, not simply claiming the promises of God.

Provider or Provision?

Chad also contrasts trusting God as our Provider with treating Him like a resource. Drawing from Israel’s wilderness experience and Jesus’ warning in Luke 18, this message exposes how self-sufficiency quietly replaces faith.

When we rely on our own provision, we stop depending on God. Overcoming the Pride of Life restores humility, daily reliance, and trust in God’s care.

An Invitation to Respond

This sermon does not aim to condemn; it invites reflection and response. God confronts pride because He desires something better for His people. Spiritual authority grows when Jesus leads and we follow.

As you listen, consider where self-leadership may have taken root. Reflect on what freedom might come through deeper trust in Christ.

If you feel ready to move beyond transactional faith and step into true dependence, this message will challenge and encourage you to begin Overcoming the Pride of Life—and to rediscover the authority that flows from surrender.

Key Scriptures
Luke 4: 1–13, 1 John 2: 15–16, Psalm 91: 1–13, John 15: 5, Deuteronomy 6: 16

What is the purpose of the local church?
Not entertainment—but training.

Church attendance is the door. But once you step inside, there is training that must take place. In this message, Chad Everett clearly defines the biblical mission of the church: Training Warrior Disciples, not producing spectators or casual attenders. The church exists to enter people into the fullness of Christ and equip them to live out their faith with spiritual authority.

This sermon confronts a common misunderstanding in modern Christianity—that gathering is the goal. Instead, Chad reminds us that gathering is only the beginning. Discipleship is what happens after you walk through the door. The call of the church is formation, maturity, and preparation for spiritual responsibility.

Luke 4: A Masterclass in Training Warrior Disciples

Using Luke 4 as a masterclass example from the life of Jesus, this message unpacks how spiritual authority is trained, strengthened, and activated. Jesus did not walk in authority by accident. He was filled with the Holy Spirit, led by the Holy Spirit, and anchored in the Word of God.

This pattern matters because Training Warrior Disciples requires more than inspiration. It requires formation. Jesus models what it looks like to follow the Spirit instead of the flesh and to respond to pressure with obedience rather than compromise. His time in the wilderness reveals that authority is forged before it is exercised.

Why Biblical Fasting Is Part of Discipleship Training

One of the clearest markers of Training Warrior Disciples is discipline over the flesh. This message explains why biblical fasting is not religious hype, legalism, or church tradition—but normal discipleship. Fasting is a time of consecration where physical food is temporarily replaced with spiritual food: prayer and the Word of God.

Fasting trains believers to say no to the flesh so they can say yes to God. It teaches that authority flows from surrender, not strength. When the flesh is crucified, the spirit is free to lead. This is essential for anyone who wants to walk in spiritual authority rather than spiritual cycles.

Identity, Deception, and Spiritual Authority

This message also exposes the enemy’s primary strategy. The enemy does not overpower believers—he deceives them. His first attack is always identity. If he can confuse who you are in Christ, he can limit your authority.

Training Warrior Disciples means grounding believers in truth: who Christ is in us and who we are in Him. Jesus shows us how to respond when identity is questioned, when counterfeit shortcuts are offered, and when offense tries to trap us and stop forward movement. Authority is not activated by arguing with the enemy, but by responding with truth and obedience.

A Call to Become, Not Just Attend

This sermon is a call to move beyond attendance into transformation. The church is not meant to be a show to watch, but a training ground that equips believers to live on mission every day. Training Warrior Disciples requires intentional discipleship, spiritual discipline, and a willingness to follow Jesus fully—not partially.

If you are ready to move forward in your faith, this message will challenge you to examine what is shaping your decisions, what voices you are following, and where God is calling you to grow. The goal is not simply to come—but to become.

Key Scriptures
Luke 4: 1–8, Galatians 5: 24, 1 John 2: 16, John 12: 31–32, Philippians 3: 13–14

2026 – Year of the Turning Point
God is turning the tables on the enemy.

What if 2026 isn’t just another year on the calendar — but a turning point?

In this powerful message, Pastor Chad Everett declares that what the enemy meant for evil, God can turn for good (Genesis 50: 20). This is an invitation to step into the new year with clarity, renewed hunger for God, and confidence that the Lord still turns tables — in our homes, our minds, our families, our health, and our future.

Spiritual Authority Through Prayer and Fasting

As The Roads Church begins the year with prayer and fasting, attention is drawn to why spiritual authority through prayer and fasting is not an extreme practice or a religious tradition, but normal discipleship. Jesus didn’t say if you fast — He said when you fast.

Biblical fasting is not about impressing people or proving devotion. It is about consecration. It is about replacing physical food with spiritual food — prayer and the Word of God — so our spirit can lead instead of our flesh. Fasting becomes a way to make room for God’s voice and direction rather than allowing appetite or comfort to lead.

Led by the Spirit, Not Driven by the Flesh

Using Luke 4, Pastor Chad walks through Jesus’ time in the wilderness and shows how being filled with the Holy Spirit leads to being led by the Spirit. As long as we insist on calling the shots, we won’t experience the leadership of God.

And when you start pursuing God seriously, don’t be surprised if resistance shows up. Often, the enemy gets louder right before breakthrough. Resistance doesn’t always mean you’re in the wrong place — sometimes it means you’re exactly where God intends you to be.

Answering the Enemy with Truth

One of the most practical and freeing moments in this message is the insight into how spiritual warfare often works in our thought life. The enemy’s strategy has not changed since Genesis. He plants doubt, fear, and unbelief — especially right after God speaks.

Satan’s first words to Jesus were, “If you are the Son of God…” — an attempt to undermine identity. In the same way, the enemy still tries to talk us out of who God says we are and what God has promised.

But Jesus didn’t stay silent. He answered.

His response gives us a clear blueprint for spiritual authority through prayer and fasting: “It is written.” Lies aren’t defeated by ignoring them. They are defeated by answering them with truth. This message helps listeners recognize those moments and respond with God’s Word instead of being worn down by accusation.

Hunger That Makes Room for God

Hunger is reframed — not just as discomfort, but as invitation. Hunger can be a sign that something is being emptied so God can fill it. It can awaken spiritual awareness and restore desire for God’s presence.

This message challenges a simple but powerful question: When was the last time you were hungry for God? And it offers practical, attainable steps to begin again — starting with giving God your first and your best.

If you’re ready to step into 2026 with clarity, silence the voice of the enemy, and grow in spiritual authority through prayer and fasting, this message is for you.

Watch now, lean in, and let God turn the tables.

Key Scriptures
Genesis 50: 20, Luke 4: 1–4, Matthew 6: 17–18, Matthew 5: 6, John 8: 44

“What spirit we are full of is what will lead us.” — Pastor Chad Everett

In this message from Spiritual Authority – Restored In Christ, Pastor Chad Everett teaches a foundational truth for every believer: spiritual authority flows from Living By The Spirit, not from effort, emotion, or religious habit. Drawing from Ephesians, Luke, and the book of Acts, this teaching calls the church back to maturity, discipleship, and a life empowered by the Holy Spirit.

The Purpose of the Church: More Than Attendance

Scripture clearly shows that the church exists for more than weekly services. In Ephesians 4: 11–13, Jesus gave gifts to the church to equip the saints—not to perform for them.

Living By The Spirit means the church enters people into the fullness of Christ and trains them to live as disciples every day of the week.

When believers fail to live out their faith beyond Sunday, spiritual growth stalls. God designed the church for transformation, not consumption.

Spiritual Authority Requires Cooperation With God

God remains the source of all power, authority, and life. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. At the same time, Scripture shows that God entrusts responsibility to His people.

From the beginning, God gave humanity dominion. Spiritual authority operates through cooperation—what we agree with, align with, and yield to. Living By The Spirit calls believers to cooperate daily with God’s will rather than follow personal reasoning or emotions.

The direction of our lives often reflects how willingly we cooperate with God’s leading.

Why Being Filled With the Holy Spirit Matters

Jesus modeled Living By The Spirit. Luke 4: 1 shows that Jesus lived filled with the Holy Spirit and followed the Spirit’s leading.

If Jesus, the Son of God, relied on the Holy Spirit to walk in authority, believers need the Spirit even more.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit does not describe a one-time event. It describes an ongoing relationship with a Person. Scripture repeatedly shows believers receiving fresh filling as they walked with God.

Living By The Spirit requires continual filling.

The Difference Between the Spirit in You and the Spirit Upon You

The Bible reveals a clear distinction between the Holy Spirit working in us and coming upon us.

The Holy Spirit in us brings regeneration and new life.
The Holy Spirit upon us brings power, boldness, and authority.

Throughout the book of Acts, believers who already followed Jesus received fresh empowerment through the Holy Spirit. Living By The Spirit welcomes both salvation and empowerment.

What Fills You Will Lead You

One of the most practical truths in this message remains simple and powerful: what fills us leads us.

When bitterness, fear, lust, or unforgiveness fill the heart, those influences guide decisions. When the Spirit of God fills a believer, the Spirit directs thoughts, responses, and actions.

Living By The Spirit does not depend on resisting sin through effort. It depends on allowing God’s Spirit to fill every space until no room remains for competing influences.

Spiritual Maturity Means Being Led by the Spirit

Romans 8: 14 teaches that those led by the Spirit of God live as sons and daughters of God. Scripture points to maturity, not position.

Living By The Spirit moves believers from spiritual infancy toward spiritual maturity. As faith grows, believers surrender control and trust the Spirit’s leading more fully.

Maturity shows itself not by church attendance but by consistent obedience to the Spirit of God.

Making Room for God’s Presence

This message also challenges a culture that rushes out as soon as the sermon ends. God often works beyond preaching through prayer, response, and reverence.

Living By The Spirit honors God’s presence and creates space for Him to move in hearts and lives, both personally and corporately.

God’s work does not end when the sermon ends.

Living By The Spirit Every Day

Jesus restored spiritual authority so believers could live transformed lives. Living By The Spirit equips followers of Christ to walk in freedom, resist the flesh, and partner with God’s purposes wherever they go.

This life does not grow from religious effort. It grows from relationship, filling, and obedience.

When believers live filled with the Spirit, they walk led by the Spirit. When they follow the Spirit’s leading, they walk in the authority Christ restored.

Key Scriptures
Ephesians 4: 11–13 • Luke 4: 1 • Acts 1: 8 • Acts 2: 4 • Acts 4: 31