In the middle of chaos, division, and personal struggle, it can feel like darkness is winning. But the timeless words of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, rooted deeply in Scripture, remind us that God is not passive. He is moving, He is working, and His truth is marching on. Like a lighthouse in a violent storm, God's glory does not stop the waves, but it gives us direction and hope. He sifts us not to destroy us, but to purify us and remind us who we belong to. Because of what Jesus has done, we do not fight for victory. We fight from victory. The call on our lives is to lift our gaze, march in His truth, and bring freedom to those around us.

Resources:

5-Day Devotional: https://chapinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/This-is-My-Song_-Week-4_-Marching-in-the-Light-of-God-5-day.pdf

Small Group: https://chapinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/This-is-My-Song_-Week-4_-Marching-in-the-Light-of-God-Discussion-Guide.pdf

God has never built His kingdom with the most impressive or powerful people. He has always worked through ordinary people who were simply willing to say yes. Availability matters far more than ability, and you are exactly where you are for a reason. The people around you at work, in your neighborhood, and in your daily life are not there by accident. Ministry does not belong only to pastors. Every believer has been sent into the world with the same Holy Spirit. Your greatest impact may never come from a stage or platform. It may come from a parking lot, a hospital room, or a dinner table. God is not waiting for you to become extraordinary. He is waiting for your yes.

Resources:

Discussion Guide: https://chapinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/This-Is-My-Song-Week-5-Take-My-Life-and-Let-it-Be-Small-Group.pdf

5-Day Devotional: https://chapinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/This-Is-My-Song_-Week-5_-Take-My-Life-and-Let-it-Be-5-Day-Devotional.pdf

Many people live religious lives without ever truly knowing God. But God is not looking for religious performance. He is looking for genuine closeness, the kind built through time, transparency, and surrender. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus is described as standing at the door of the heart and knocking persistently, not to inspect or demand, but to come in and share an unhurried, personal meal. Intimacy with God does not happen automatically. It is built. The sweetest thing in life is not a perfect record of church attendance or moral behavior. It is simply being with Jesus.

Resources:

Discussion Guide: https://chapinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/This-Is-My-Song_-Week-6_-Sweet-Hour-of-Prayer-Discussion-Guide.pdf

5-Day Devotional: https://chapinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/This-Is-My-Song_-Week-6_-Sweet-Hour-of-Prayer-5-Day-Devotional-.pdf

In Episode 5 of Leading By Following, Pastor Jody talks to Caroline Fogle, Operations Director at Chapin Christian.

What does leadership look like when you're rarely on stage? In this episode of Leading by Following, Pastor Jody sits down with Caroline Fogle, Director of Operations at Chapin Christian Community Church, for an honest conversation about servant leadership, difficult decisions, organizational health, and faithfully following God's calling. From leaving a successful corporate career at Target to invest in her family, to helping guide the church through COVID, denominational transition, and a pastoral leadership change, Caroline shares lessons that every leader—whether at church, at work, or at home—can apply.

In this conversation, you'll discover: • Why is success measured by helping others succeed • How to know when to say "no" • What faithful stewardship really looks like • Lessons learned through seasons of uncertainty • How healthy leadership creates a healthy church • Why every season prepares us for the next one

Whether you lead a ministry, a business, your family, or simply influence the people around you, this episode will encourage you to lead by first following Christ. To learn more, visit: https://jodyflowers843.org/

It is possible to be doctrinally sound, hardworking, and busy in your faith and still have lost the most important thing: your love for Jesus. In Revelation 2, Jesus commends the church at Ephesus for their endurance and discernment, yet tells them they have abandoned their first love. He warns that without repentance, He will remove His presence from among them entirely. The remedy He gives is not complicated. Remember the heights from which you have fallen, repent with genuine brokenness, and return to the actions that marked your early love for Him. The affections follow the actions. This is not a formula but a grace-filled invitation from a Savior who wants you back.

Resources:

Discussion Guide: https://chapinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/This-Is-My-Song_-Week-7_-Your-Will-Be-Done-Discussion-Guide.pdf

5-Day Devotional: https://chapinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/This-Is-My-Song_-Week-7_-Your-Will-Be-Done-5-Day-Devo.pdf

There is a difference between knowing a lot about God and actually knowing Him. Too often, believers skip straight to doing things for God and wonder why their faith feels empty. The first responsibility of a disciple is simply to be with Jesus, and it is in that place of being with Him that we are transformed into His likeness. Whatever we worship, we become like, which means the object of our deepest attention and affection shapes the entire direction of our lives. Altars throughout Scripture were never about getting God's attention. They were about giving Him ours and refusing to forget what He had done. Revival does not begin with crowds or programs. It begins when God's presence becomes the defining reality for ordinary people. The invitation is not to do more for God, but to surrender more to Him, and to let His presence become more important than our preferences.

In Episode 4 of Leading By Following, Pastor Jody talks to Jonathan Ruth, Discipleship Pastor at Chapin Christian.

What does it really mean to make disciples? Discipleship is not a church program or a weekend event. It is a daily way of life rooted in following Jesus closely enough that others can follow you.

In this Podcast, we explore what it looks like to lead by following, covering topics that every believer and church leader needs to hear. Whether you are a small group leader, a pastor, a Sunday school teacher, or simply someone who wants to grow in your faith and help others do the same, this message speaks directly to where you are.

If you have been feeling the nudge to reach out to someone, to invite a neighbor to church, or to step into a deeper community of faith, this message is for you. Delayed obedience is still disobedience. The most powerful thing you can do for someone's eternity is to show up in their ordinary life with the love of Christ. To learn more, visit: https://jodyflowers843.org/

Shaking the Gates is our weekly online prayer gathering. Join Pastor Jody Sunday nights at 7:30. We invite you to engage with other Gateshakers in the text chat. The name “Shaking the Gates” comes from John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, he said:

“Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not whether they be clergymen or laymen, they alone will shake the gates of Hell and set up the kingdom of Heaven upon Earth.”

Watch here: https://chapinccc.org/shaking-the-gates/