Are you struggling to find joy this Christmas season? In this week's message, Pastor Stephen Mizell cuts through the shallow happiness of the holidays to reveal what real joy actually is—and where it comes from.

Through the lens of Mary's Magnificat prayer in Luke 1, discover how a teenage girl facing scandal, fear, and uncertainty chose to magnify God instead of her overwhelming circumstances. This isn't a feel-good Christmas message. It's a prophetic declaration that will challenge what you're focusing on in your own life.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why joy is not a season, reaction, or outcome—it's a revelation of who God is
• The surprising connection between magnifying God and experiencing joy
• How what we ruminate on eventually masters us (including politics, fears, and circumstances)
• Why Mary's ability to articulate her prayer at 12-16 years old was supernatural
• The power of remembering God's faithfulness when circumstances press in
• How traditions and rhythms help us look back and see God's hand in our lives

KEY QUOTE: "Joy is not found in what you hold—it's found in who holds you. Real joy is settled confidence that God is present even when life is painful."

PERFECT FOR: Anyone feeling overwhelmed by circumstances, struggling to find joy beyond temporary happiness, or needing to remember God's faithfulness during difficult seasons.

SCRIPTURE: Luke 1:45-55 (Mary's Magnificat)

Open Door Church
Edenton, NC Pastor
Stephen Mizell

In this powerful Advent message, Pastor Stephen Mizell explores how God brought peace to shepherds in a field before bringing it to a palace. Discover why peace isn't the absence of chaos, but the presence of Jesus Christ—and why it requires pursuit, not passivity.

The shepherds watching over sacrificial lambs were the first to hear the greatest announcement in history. Their story reveals profound truths about how God meets us in forgotten places, interrupts our ordinary moments, and transforms us from the inside out. If you're waiting for life to calm down before you can have peace, this message will challenge and encourage you.

Key Takeaways:

• Peace is not a place you escape to—it's a person you embrace
• God starts in the places the world has forgotten
• Peace begins when you realize you're not in control
• Anxiety lives in the gap between God's command and our action
• You can have peace even when your circumstances don't change
• Peace requires pursuit—you must move toward Jesus

Scripture References: Luke 2:8-20 (The Shepherds and the Angels)

Open Door Church
Edenton, NC Pastor
Stephen Mizell

🌐 Website: www.visitopendoor.com

Have you ever prayed for something so long that you stopped expecting the answer? In this powerful Advent message, Pastor Stephen Mizell explores the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth—a faithful couple who waited 40 years for a child while continuing to serve God in the temple.

Through their story found in Luke 1, discover a profound truth: God's silence isn't His absence. Sometimes heaven's delays aren't denials—God is preparing something bigger than what you're praying for.

In This Episode:

• Why biblical hope is different from wishful thinking—it's confident expectation based on God's character
• How Zechariah and Elizabeth's obedience positioned them for a miracle they'd stopped expecting
• The difference between faith that believes God "can" versus faith that serves Him even when He "doesn't"
• Why both Zechariah and Mary asked "how?" but received different responses from the angel
• What it means to "keep lighting the incense"—staying faithful in service while waiting for answers
• How God sometimes closes our mouth so He can open our understanding

Pastor Stephen challenges us with this question: What do you do when your prayers seem unanswered? The answer may surprise you—it's not to stop praying or stop serving, but to continue faithfully because hope is forged in consistency, not excitement.

This message kicks off Open Door Church's Advent series, preparing hearts for 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting beginning January 4th.

Key Quote: "Sometimes the most righteous people carry the heaviest crosses. Faith is not just believing God can—it's continuing to serve Him when He doesn't answer the way you expect."

Scripture Focus: Luke 1:5-25

In this Thanksgiving message, John Lassiter from Open Door Church's teaching team teaches about the spiritual discipline of remembering God's faithfulness. Drawing from Deuteronomy 8, John challenges us to slow down in our busy season and resist the cultural trap of comparison and entitlement.

Through vulnerable personal stories—from his journey as a school principal to watching his daughters get baptized—John illustrates the critical difference between pride that says "look what I did" and gratitude that says "look what God has accomplished through me." He reminds us that gratitude fades when memory fails, and that the greatest danger to our faith isn't trouble or hardship, but the forgetfulness that comes with comfort and success.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why gratitude doesn't come naturally and must be intentional
• The dangerous exchange: replacing dependency on God with confidence in self
• How blessings can make you forget the Blesser
• The reality that self-made faith and self-earned salvation don't exist
• Choosing between being the main character in your own story vs. an important character in God's eternal story
• Practical challenges for cultivating a lifestyle of gratitude

KEY SCRIPTURE: Deuteronomy 8:10-18

THREE THANKSGIVING CHALLENGES:

1. Make a list of blessings money cannot buy and praise God for them daily
2. Tell one person each day how God has been good to you
3. Give back where you have been blessed—ask God where He can use you

Whether you're lost in the wilderness or comfortable in your blessings, this message will recalibrate your perspective and inspire you to live with intentional gratitude this Thanksgiving season and beyond.

Feeling overwhelmed, isolated, or like you're constantly losing battles in your life? In this episode, Pastor Stephen Mizell discusses spiritual warfare and how to stand victorious in Christ.

In the final sermon of our "Stronger" series through Ephesians, we uncover the truth about who your real enemy is—and it's not the people around you. Discover how the enemy uses deception, division, and distraction to keep you defeated, and learn the practical steps to put on God's armor every single day.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why people are your mission field, not your problem
• The three tactics Satan uses to keep you defeated
• How to intentionally put on each piece of God's armor
• Why prayer doesn't just make you stronger—it makes you surrender
• The deadly trap of isolation and why you can't fight alone
• How the church functions as both hospital and army

KEY SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 6:10-24

This isn't symbolic fluff—it's spiritual reality. Paul reminds us that we're not fighting against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces in the unseen world. The good news? God never sends His soldiers into battle unarmed. You have everything you need to win the fight.

Whether you're a brand new believer or you've been walking with Christ for decades, this message will equip you to recognize the battle, armor up, pray with power, and stand firm together with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

REMEMBER: Alone you will fail, but together you withstand. The victory has already been secured in Jesus Christ—now it's time to walk in that victory.

Open Door Church | Edenton, NC Pastor Stephen Mizell

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Stronger in Relationships | Building on a Firm Foundation Series

When Christ is at the center, relationships become stronger. When He's not, they become weaker. Pastor Stephen Mizell teaches from Ephesians 5-6 about how our faith should transform our closest relationships—in marriage, family, and work.

Your relationships are the mirror that shows you how you're doing on the inside. If your faith doesn't work at home, does it really work?

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Marriage: Moving from hierarchy to harmony
• Family: Why discipleship starts at home
• Work: Serving as unto the Lord
• How Christ transforms how we love, serve, and lead

KEY SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 5:22-6:9

Open Door Church, Edenton, NC
Pastor Stephen Mizell
November 9, 2025

Are you living like the person God has called you to be? Pastor Stephen Mizell delivers a challenge about the gap between what we believe and how we live. Using Ephesians 4-5, he reminds us that real strength isn't proven by what you say you believe—it's proven by how you choose to live.

In This Episode:

• Why we can't keep wearing the "dirty diaper" of our old life
• The three guardrails for Christian living: Love, Light, and Wisdom
• Why sanctification requires your participation, not just God's intervention
• How your lifestyle is the loudest sermon you'll ever preach

Pastor Stephen shares why your presence should change the atmosphere of any room you enter. This is Week 7 of the Stronger series from Open Door Church.

Scripture: Ephesians 4:17-32, Ephesians 5:1-21

Are you growing spiritually or just getting older? In this episode of the Open Door Church podcast, Pastor Stephen Mizell tackles a crucial question every believer must answer: What's the difference between natural growth and intentional maturity?

Drawing from Ephesians 4, Pastor Stephen reveals why salvation is just the starting line, not the finish line. He challenges us to move from being spiritual consumers to becoming spiritual contributors—from spectators in the stands to participants on the field.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why growth is automatic but maturity requires intentional obedience
• How to walk worthy of your calling in Christ
• The difference between knowing Bible facts and looking like Jesus
• Why unity is evidence of maturity (and pride is the seed of division)
• How to move from consumer to contributor in God's kingdom
• What it means to be unshaken when culture shifts around you

Pastor Stephen also shares a powerful, personal vision for the next season of ministry, including four specific commitments that will challenge and inspire you—whether you're a grandparent, a young person, a new believer, or someone sensing God's call to ministry.

This isn't just another sermon about spiritual growth. It's a call to intentional maturity that will change how you walk out your faith every single day.

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16

visitopendoor.com