Advertise on podcast: Open Door Church Official Podcast

In the final message from our Jesus Is Enough series, Pastor Stephen Mizell wraps up the book of Colossians with a reminder that everyone has a part to play in God's Kingdom. Through the stories of ordinary people who helped advance the Gospel, we're reminded that our past doesn't define our future, failure doesn't have to be final, and faithfulness matters even when no one is watching. Whether you lead, serve, pray, encourage, or simply make someone feel welcome, your role matters. Scripture: Colossians 4:7–18; Colossians 3:2; Philemon Lead Pastor Stephen Mizell Open Door Church | Edenton, NC

Does your faith make a difference on Monday morning? In this message, Lead Pastor Stephen Mizell continues through the book of Colossians to explore how following Jesus should impact every area of our lives, including our work, leadership, relationships, and everyday conversations. It's easy to recognize the spiritual significance of Sunday worship, but God doesn't stop working in us when we clock in on Monday. Whether you're at work, caring for your family, leading others, or navigating a difficult season, God has given you opportunities to live out your faith right where you are. In this message, discover how to: • Work faithfully as though you're working for the Lord. • Lead with justice, humility, and accountability. • Make prayer a priority in every season. • Treat others with wisdom and grace. • Recognize the everyday opportunities God gives you to represent Jesus. You don't have to wait for a bigger opportunity or a different season to fulfill your purpose. The question is: Where has God assigned you today, and are you being faithful in it? Scripture: Colossians 3:22–25; Colossians 4:1–6; Genesis 37–39.

What happens when Jesus becomes the Lord of your home? In Week 5 of the Jesus Is Enough series, Lead Pastor Stephen Mizell explores Colossians 3 and how following Jesus should transform the way we love, lead, forgive, and encourage our families. Our homes are often where our faith is tested the most. How we respond to conflict, treat our spouse, and guide our children reveals the work Jesus is doing in us. In this message, discover why healthy marriages require mutual responsibility, why children need both loving authority and encouragement, and how we can correct without crushing the hearts of those we love. Your family doesn't need a perfect version of you. They need a surrendered version of you, one that is still growing, learning to love, and allowing Jesus to shape every response. In This Episode: • Why we can be right and wrong at the same time • Taking personal responsibility in marriage • Recognizing and avoiding harshness in our relationships • Leading children with loving authority, boundaries, and consistency • Correcting children without discouraging them • Allowing Jesus to shape the atmosphere of our homes • Choosing growth, humility, and surrender over perfection Scripture: Colossians 3 About the Speaker: Lead Pastor Stephen Mizell Open Door Church | Edenton, North Carolina

What does it actually look like to live differently because of Jesus? In this message from the Jesus Is Enough series, Lead Pastor Stephen Mizell walks through Colossians 3 and challenges us to recognize that following Jesus isn't just about where we're going someday. Jesus wants to change how we live today. Our thoughts, desires, emotions, relationships, and habits all matter. Paul gives us a practical picture of what it means to live from our new identity in Christ: set our minds on Christ, put to death the things that are destroying us, put on the character of Jesus, and let His peace rule in our lives. Christian maturity isn't just about what we stop doing. It's about becoming more like Jesus. In this message: • Why what we focus on matters • The difference between being changed by Christ and trying to earn God's approval • What it means to "put to death" the things that don't belong in our new life • Putting on mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love • Why Christian maturity is about becoming more like Jesus • How community and gratitude help us live differently • Learning to live from our new identity in Christ Scripture: Colossians 3:1–17, Philippians 4:8, 2 Corinthians 10:12 Lead Pastor Stephen Mizell Open Door Church Edenton, NC

Why do we keep going back to things we already know aren't good for us? In this message from the Jesus Is Enough series through Colossians, Pastor Stephen Mizell looks beneath our repeated habits and asks a deeper question: What are we asking those habits to give us? Rules and willpower can change behavior for a time, but only Jesus can transform our hearts and change our desires. Instead of simply asking what habit we need to stop, we can ask what we're really looking for and recognize that Christ has already provided what our hearts need. Scripture: Colossians 2:6–23 Lead Pastor Stephen Mizell Open Door Church Edenton, NC

What is your purpose? In Week 2 of our Jesus Is Enough series through Colossians, Lead Pastor Stephen Mizell explores why we often look for purpose in the wrong places. Our purpose begins not with what we want to do, but with who we belong to. We were created by Jesus and for Jesus. True purpose is found in being reconciled to Him, serving His purposes, and surrendering our lives to what He wants to accomplish through us. In this message, we'll discover that purpose is not a life we chase. It's a life we surrender. Scripture: Colossians 1:15–29; Colossians 2:1–3 Lead Pastor Stephen Mizell Open Door Church | Edenton, NC www.visitopendoor.com

What does growing in faith actually look like? As we begin our new series through the book of Colossians, Pastor Stephen Mizell talks about what it means to trust Jesus when we don't have all the answers. Faith isn't about never having questions or doubts. Growing faith means knowing Jesus well enough to trust Him with what we don't understand. In this message, Pastor Stephen shares three important truths about growing faith: faith has an object, healthy faith produces fruit, and growing faith doesn't remove hard times. Instead, our faith gives us the strength to keep trusting Jesus through uncertainty, difficult circumstances, and unanswered questions. Sometimes we don't need a new revelation. We simply need to obey what God has already shown us. Listen in and be encouraged to remember God's faithfulness, bring your questions to Him, and trust the One who has never failed. Scripture: Colossians 1:1–14 Lead Pastor: Stephen Mizell Open Door Church | Edenton, NC

What are you doing with what God has entrusted to you? In this message, Bertie Campus Pastor Jay Rivenbark challenges us to live with purpose and faithfulness as we wait for the return of Jesus. Through the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, we're reminded that God has entrusted each of us with gifts, abilities, time, and resources, and we have a responsibility to put them to work for His Kingdom. The question isn't how much we've been given compared to someone else. The question is whether we're being faithful with what God has placed in our hands. Pastor Jay reminds us that fear can cause us to bury what faith is willing to invest, and that fruitfulness comes from faithfulness. As we look forward to Christ's return, we're called to stay engaged, serve others, invest in God's Kingdom, and make the most of the time we've been given. SCRIPTURE REFERENCES • Matthew 25:14–30 • 2 Peter 3:13 Listen and consider: What has God entrusted to you, and how are you using it for His Kingdom? Open Door Church Edenton, NC

What happens when the King comes? He restores. In this message from our series The King Is Coming, Pastor Stephen Mizell looks at the hope we have in Jesus and the promise that God is not abandoning His creation. The story doesn't end with chaos, death, or destruction—it moves toward Jesus, resurrection, restoration, and God dwelling with His people forever. Through Revelation 21 and Romans 8, we are reminded that sin does not get the final word. Death will not have the final say. God is making everything new. Even in the middle of a broken world, we can groan with hope because the Holy Spirit gives us a foretaste of the glory that is still to come. Every healing, restored relationship, transformed life, and person who comes to Jesus gives us a glimpse of that coming restoration. If you've ever wondered whether something in your life is too broken for God to restore, this message is a reminder: God is still in the restoring business. Scripture: Revelation 21:1–5, Romans 8:19–23, Genesis 1–3, John 1:14, 1 Corinthians 15, 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 Open Door Church Lead Pastor: Stephen Mizell Edenton, NC www.visitopendoor.com

What does the return of Jesus mean for us today? In this message from The King Is Coming, Pastor Stephen Mizell teaches that the second coming of Christ isn't something we should approach with fear, anxiety, or endless speculation. It is the ultimate anchor of our Christian hope. We may not know when Jesus is coming back, but we know who is coming back. Jesus is coming, the dead in Christ will be raised, God's people will be gathered to Him, and we will be with the Lord forever. Through Acts 1 and 1 Thessalonians 4, Pastor Stephen challenges us to stop focusing on the things God hasn't told us and start faithfully living out the mission He has given us. The question isn't simply, "When is Jesus coming?" The better question is: "If Jesus came today, what would He find me doing?" This message is a reminder that the return of Christ should produce hope, courage, and urgency. There are people who need Jesus, prodigals who need to come home, hurting people who need hope, and communities that need the Church to be the Church. And for those who have experienced loss, there is a promise: we grieve, but we grieve with hope. Jesus is coming back. And that changes everything. Scripture References: • Acts 1:6–11 • Matthew 24:36 • 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 • John 14:1–3 • Titus 2:13 • 1 Corinthians 15 • Revelation 20–21 Open Door Church Lead Pastor: Stephen Mizell Edenton, NC

What does it look like to actually live in a supernatural culture? In the final message of The Signs and Wonders series, Pastor Stephen Mizell challenges us to stop waiting for God to do something supernatural and start positioning ourselves to participate when He moves. We can't manufacture the wind of the Holy Spirit—but we can raise the sail. Spiritual gifts aren't meant to sit unused. They are gifts from God that we are called to cultivate, exercise, and grow through obedience. This message explores how courage grows when love is greater than fear, why humility and community matter when we operate in spiritual gifts, and what it means to take the next step with the faith we have today. The gifts of the Spirit were never given simply to be understood. They were given to be exercised. In This Message • God gives the gift, but we cultivate it • Spiritual gifts can be neglected—but they can also grow • We cannot manufacture the supernatural, but we can position ourselves to respond when God moves • Courage grows when love becomes greater than fear • Spiritual gifts should operate with power, love, and self-discipline • We discover and refine our gifts by serving • Humility and community create a healthy environment for spiritual gifts • God's gifts are meant to make us useful, not impressive • We don't have to wait for a huge opportunity—we can start with the person right in front of us • We are responsible for our obedience and availability, but God is responsible for the outcome Scripture References • 2 Timothy 1:6–7 • Romans 12:3–8

In Week 2 of our Signs & Wonders series, Pastor Stephen Mizell explores how we can pursue the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit while also practicing biblical discernment. Paul's instruction is clear: we shouldn't quench the Spirit, but we also shouldn't accept everything we hear without testing it. Spiritual gifts are meant to strengthen, encourage, and comfort people—but they must always be measured against Scripture, the character of Jesus, and the fruit they produce. In this message, Pastor Stephen talks about the tension between being open to the supernatural work of God and remaining discerning. He addresses spiritual gifts, prophecy, cessationism and continuationism, and the dangers of both rejecting everything supernatural and accepting everything uncritically. The goal isn't to chase experiences or fear them. It's to passionately pursue Jesus while submitting everything to His Word. In this episode: • Why we shouldn't let fear cause us to reject the work of the Holy Spirit • Why spiritual gifts should be tested rather than blindly accepted or rejected • Three biblical guardrails for testing spiritual impressions and prophecy • Why Scripture must remain our highest authority • How humility leaves room for testing and discernment • Why spiritual gifts must value people over platforms • How gifts without love can become performances • Why the goal of spiritual gifts is for people to see Jesus—not the gifted person • How to avoid the two extremes of rejecting everything supernatural or accepting everything uncritically Scripture mentioned: • 1 Corinthians 12 - 14 • Romans 12 • Ephesians 4 • 1 Thessalonians 5

Are spiritual gifts still active today? What are they for, and how should they be used? In the first message of our Signs & Wonders series, Pastor Stephen Mizell opens 1 Corinthians 12 to explore the purpose of spiritual gifts and why they still matter for the Church today. Rather than focusing on controversy, this message centers on what Scripture teaches: every spiritual gift is meant to glorify Jesus, strengthen believers, and build up the Body of Christ. In this episode, you'll discover: • Why spiritual gifts should always point people to Jesus • The difference between spiritual gifts and spiritual maturity • How God gives different gifts to different people for the good of the Church • Why unity is more important than comparison • How to use your gifts to serve others and glorify Christ Scripture References: • 1 Corinthians 12 • Romans 12 • Ephesians 4 • 1 Corinthians 14 Thank you for listening to the Open Door Church Podcast. If today's message encouraged you, subscribe and share this episode with someone who could use the encouragement. Open Door Church exists to develop disciples one life at a time. Lead Pastor Stephen Mizell Open Door Church Edenton, North Carolina For more information about Open Door Church, service times, and upcoming events, visit visitopendoor.com or connect with us on social media.

What does it really mean to have a "seat at the table" with God? In this episode, Pastor Stephen Mizell concludes our series, The Invisible King and His Court, by exploring one of the most encouraging truths in Scripture: through Jesus, believers aren't just forgiven—they've been given access to the King. Drawing from Ephesians, Hebrews, Luke, Revelation, and other key passages, Pastor Stephen unpacks what it means to approach God's throne with confidence, live as Christ's ambassador, and represent His Kingdom in everyday life. You'll discover that Kingdom authority isn't about power for yourself—it's about faithfully announcing the victory Jesus has already won. Whether you're new to this series or have been following along from the beginning, this conversation will challenge you to stop living like an outsider and begin living from your identity as a son or daughter of God. In this episode, you'll learn: • What it means to be seated with Christ in the heavenly realms • Why your position in Christ changes your perspective • The difference between access and authority • How believers are called to represent the Kingdom of God • Why we announce Christ's victory instead of trying to earn it • How to live confidently as an ambassador for Jesus Scripture References • Job 1:6 • Psalm 82 • Zechariah 3:1-5 • Ephesians 2:4-6 • Hebrews 4:16 • Hebrews 10:19-22 • Luke 10:18-20 • Matthew 28:18-20 • 2 Corinthians 5 • Colossians 2:13-15 • 1 Corinthians 6:2-3 • Revelation 1:5-6 • Revelation 5:9-10 If this episode encouraged you: • Follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. • Leave a rating and review to help others discover these conversations. • Share this episode with someone who needs the reminder that they have a seat at the King's table.

Have you ever felt like your past keeps accusing you? Like your failures, guilt, and shame are replayed over and over again? In Week 2 of The Invisible King and His Court, Pastor Stephen Mizell takes us into Zechariah 3 for a powerful look inside the courtroom of heaven. While Satan is called the accuser, Jesus stands as our Advocate. The enemy may know your past, but he doesn't determine your future. Through Christ, the verdict has already been declared. This message will help you understand the spiritual reality behind guilt, grace, and why followers of Jesus can live in freedom instead of condemnation. Key Takeaways • Spiritual warfare is more than a battlefield. It is also a courtroom. • Satan accuses, but he does not have the authority to issue the verdict. • Jesus is our Advocate who stands in our place. • Grace is not earned through better behavior but received through Christ's righteousness. • The case against every believer has already been settled through the cross. • You don't have to keep reopening files that God has already closed. Scripture References • Zechariah 3:1–5 • Psalm 82 • Job 1:6 • Isaiah 61:10 • Romans 3:26 • Romans 8:1 • Romans 8:33–34 • 1 John 2:1 • Hebrews 7:25 • Revelation 20–21