If you feel exhausted by trying to be “good enough” for God, you’re not alone. Many people experience faith as just another system of pressure: do more, try harder, measure up. But Jesus never invited people into more burden. He invited them into rest.

In the first part of our series "Relief," we look at how religion can quietly become a performance system and why Jesus consistently pushed back against that. From the Beatitudes to Jesus’ invitation to the weary and burdened, Scripture paints a picture of a God who relieves pressure instead of adding to it.

This message is for: Anyone burned out by church Anyone who feels like they are never “enough” Anyone carrying guilt, spiritual pressure, or shame Anyone who wants to rediscover the real heart of Jesus Jesus did not come to give you another system to master. He came to give you rest.

📖 Key passages explored: Matthew 5, Matthew 11, Matthew 23, John 7 📍 Forest Park Church - Elizabeth City NC, 27909

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To support our ministry and help us continue to reach people in Elizabeth City, and around the world click here: http://www.fplive.org/give/

Our mission: Help people follow Jesus one step at a time.

Stay Connected with FPC _______________________________ Website: http://www.fplive.org Forest Park Church Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/forestparklive Forest Park Church Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/forestparkchurch Forest Park Church TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forestparkchurch Scott Neal Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scottnealonline Scott Neal Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/scottnealfpc Scott Neal Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scottneallive

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest messages and content by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/forestparkchurch?sub_confirmation=1

To support our ministry and help us continue to reach people in Elizabeth City, and around the world click here: http://www.forestparkchurch.com/give/

Our mission: Help people follow Jesus one step at a time.

Stay Connected with FPC _______________________________ Website: http://www.forestparkchurch.com Forest Park Church Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/forestparklive Forest Park Church Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/forestparkchurch Forest Park Church TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forestparkchurch Scott Neal Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scottnealonline Scott Neal Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/scottnealfpc Scott Neal Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scottneallive

In this message, Pastor Scott concludes our series by exploring what it means to become whole, not perfect, but integrated, grounded, and moving in the right direction. Drawing from Scripture, the teachings of Jesus, and the story of Peter, this sermon challenges the belief that people are permanently broken or destined to stay stuck.

Jesus did not come only to forgive us, but to transform us. He invites us into a life shaped by truth, healed through love, and formed over time through faithful following.

This message speaks to anyone who feels worn down, fragmented, or resigned to spiritual mediocrity, and offers a hopeful vision of healing, growth, and real change through following Jesus one step at a time. Key themes in this message: * What biblical wholeness really means * Why perfection is not the goal, but direction matters * How your heart shapes the trajectory of your life * Why Jesus can be trusted as someone who truly understands reality * How transformation happens slowly, imperfectly, but genuinely * Why wounded people heal best in community

Whether you are struggling, skeptical, tired, or searching, this message is an invitation to believe that growth is possible and that Jesus knows how life actually works.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest messages and content by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/forestparkchurch?sub_confirmation=1

To support our ministry and help us continue to reach people in Elizabeth City, and around the world click here: http://www.fplive.org/give/

Our mission: Help people follow Jesus one step at a time.

Stay Connected with FPC _______________________________ Website: http://www.fplive.org Forest Park Church Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/forestparklive Forest Park Church Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/forestparkchurch Forest Park Church TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forestparkchurch Scott Neal Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scottnealonline Scott Neal Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/scottnealfpc Scott Neal Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scottneallive

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest messages and content by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/forestparkchurch?sub_confirmation=1

To support our ministry and help us continue to reach people in Elizabeth City, and around the world click here: http://www.fplive.org/give/

Our mission: Help people follow Jesus one step at a time.

Stay Connected with FPC _______________________________ Website: http://www.fplive.org Forest Park Church Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/forestparklive Forest Park Church Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/forestparkchurch Forest Park Church TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forestparkchurch Scott Neal Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scottnealonline Scott Neal Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/scottnealfpc Scott Neal Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scottneallive

What if the thing you need most right now is not a fresh start, but some honest maintenance?

In this message, we kick off a “work on it” series at Forest Park Church, slowing down to sharpen our focus and remember who we are. We begin with our first cultural statement: Everyone Included. Here’s what that means at FPC: No matter your past, your present, or your questions, you belong here. You may belong here before you believe or before you behave, because all of us are on the road together, just at different mile markers.

To unpack why this matters, we walk through Acts 10, where Peter experiences a spiritual and theological earthquake that changes everything. The vision was not ultimately about food, it was about people. Peter learns that the gospel does not just call us to love. It gives us permission to love without “fine print,” conditions, or extra hoops.

If you’ve ever felt like church came with disclaimers, exclusions, or hidden requirements, this message is for you.

Key Scripture: Acts 10 Big Idea: The gospel changes the table. Everyone is invited.

Next steps: If you want to help build a church where people can truly belong, join a team, start serving, begin giving, and bring someone with you.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest messages and content by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/forestparkchurch?sub_confirmation=1

To support our ministry and help us continue to reach people in Elizabeth City, and around the world click here: http://www.fplive.org/give/

Our mission: Help people follow Jesus one step at a time.

Stay Connected with FPC _______________________________ Website: http://www.fplive.org Forest Park Church Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/forestparklive Forest Park Church Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/forestparkchurch Forest Park Church TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forestparkchurch Scott Neal Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scottnealonline Scott Neal Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/scottnealfpc Scott Neal Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scottneallive

What if the thing you keep fixing is the very thing holding you back?

As a new year begins, many of us focus on what we want to start, improve, or build. But rarely do we stop to ask a harder question: What needs to end? In this message, Pastor Scott challenges us to consider the relationships, habits, mindsets, and commitments that are draining our energy, limiting our growth, and keeping us stuck in cycles we were never meant to stay in.

Using powerful stories, biblical wisdom, and the imagery of pruning, this message explores why letting go is not failure, why good can be the enemy of great, and how endings are often the doorway to freedom and purpose. You’ll be invited to honestly examine what consistently drains you, what you keep justifying even though it isn’t healthy, and what God may be asking you to release so something better can grow.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, exhausted, or frustrated by patterns that never seem to change, this message is for you. Growth doesn’t always come from adding more. Sometimes it comes from having the courage to stop, cut, and walk away.

📖 Key Scriptures: Ecclesiastes 3:6, Philippians 3:13, John 15, 1 Corinthians 10 📌 Topics: Letting go, pruning, spiritual growth, relationships, habits, courage, wisdom

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest messages and content by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/forestparkchurch?sub_confirmation=1

To support our ministry and help us continue to reach people in Elizabeth City, and around the world click here: http://www.fplive.org/give/

Our mission: Help people follow Jesus one step at a time.

Stay Connected with FPC _______________________________ Website: http://www.fplive.org Forest Park Church Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/forestparklive Forest Park Church Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/forestparkchurch Forest Park Church TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forestparkchurch Scott Neal Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scottnealonline Scott Neal Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/scottnealfpc Scott Neal Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scottneallive

Why does God feel close in some seasons and distant in others? In the final message of our Christmas series, we discover that God works in the quiet and ordinary moments of life, not just the “shock and awe” ones. When you feel stuck between where you were and where you hope to be, God is still shaping you for what’s next.

Join us as Pastor Scott reminds us that the “in-between place” isn’t a sign of God’s absence. It’s the place where transformation happens.

📌 Scripture explored includes Exodus and the journey of Israel in the wilderness.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest messages and content by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/forestparkchurch?sub_confirmation=1

To support our ministry and help us continue to reach people in Elizabeth City, and around the world click here: http://www.fplive.org/give/

Our mission: Help people follow Jesus one step at a time.

Stay Connected with FPC _______________________________ Website: http://www.fplive.org Forest Park Church Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/forestparklive Forest Park Church Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/forestparkchurch Forest Park Church TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forestparkchurch Scott Neal Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scottnealonline Scott Neal Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/scottnealfpc Scott Neal Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scottneallive

The first Christmas was not clean, calm, or comfortable. It was filled with fear, scandal, pain, and uncertainty. In this message, we strip away the polished Hallmark version of Christmas and step into the raw story of Mary and Joseph. A teenage pregnancy, whispered accusations, a lonely birth, and a Savior born into chaos on purpose. This is a reminder that God did not wait for things to get tidy before stepping in. He entered the mess to rescue us from it. If your life feels complicated, heavy, or unfinished, this message is for you. God still meets people right where they are.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest messages and content by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/forestparkchurch?sub_confirmation=1

To support our ministry and help us continue to reach people in Elizabeth City, and around the world click here: http://www.fplive.org/give/

Our mission: Help people follow Jesus one step at a time.

Stay Connected with FPC _______________________________ Website: http://www.fplive.org Forest Park Church Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/forestparklive Forest Park Church Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/forestparkchurch Forest Park Church TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forestparkchurch Scott Neal Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scottnealonline Scott Neal Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/scottnealfpc Scott Neal Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scottneallive