Worship Comes First - 1 Chronicles 5:18–6:81 | July 8, 2026
Release Date: 07/08/2026
Contentment, Calling & Marriage - 1 Corinthians 7:1-24 | August 11, 2026
One Single Story
Welcome to today's edition of One Single Story. Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Sheryl Daughety for an honest conversation about contentment, calling, and the seasons of life God assigns us — whether married, single, or navigating a spiritually mismatched marriage. Scripture Focus: 1 Corinthians 7:1-24 - Paul answers the Corinthian church's questions about marriage and singleness, addressing spiritual gifting, believers married to unbelievers, and his repeated call to remain content in the situation God has placed you in. In This Episode: Whether...
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Kingdom Courts and the Temple Within - 1 Corinthians 6:1 -20 | August 10, 2026
One Single Story
Pastor Stephen Mizell, Pastor Jay Rivenbark, and Pastor Sheryl Daughety dig into 1 Corinthians 6:1 -20, where Paul rebukes believers for taking each other to court and reminds us our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit. In This Episode: Why suing a fellow believer is shameful, and how the church should handle conflict internally The link between influence and giving up personal liberties Recognizing when a legitimate freedom starts to control you Treating your body as sacred, God-owned property Key Quote: "Freedom means we can say yes, and we can say no. When we can't say no, we're...
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Rebuilding Through Opposition - Ezra 4:24 –6:22 | August 7, 2026
One Single Story
Welcome to today's edition of One Single Story. Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Alyssa Bream for a conversation from the book of Ezra, exploring how a stalled building project was reignited by the power of preaching, how God can turn opposition into a launching pad for His purposes, and why public celebration matters after a long season of resistance. Scripture Focus: Ezra 4:24-6:22 - After the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem is halted by royal decree and years of opposition, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah call the people to restart the work. What...
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The Foundation Before the Walls - Ezra 3:1–4:23 | August 6, 2026
One Single Story
Welcome back to One Single Story! Today Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Alyssa Bream for a conversation on Ezra chapters 3 and 4, exploring what it means to lay a spiritual foundation before anything else can be rightly built - in our churches, our families, and our own hearts. Scripture Focus: Ezra 3:1 –4:23 - The remnant of Israel returns to Judah under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua. Before rebuilding the temple walls, they rebuild the altar and restore worship, even in the face of fear and local opposition. When the foundation is laid,...
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Trusting God's Sovereignty - Ezra 1:1 –2:70 | August 5, 2026
One Single Story
Welcome to the August 5th edition of One Single Story. Today Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Alyssa Bream to open the book of Ezra, exploring what it means to trust God's sovereignty over volatile political landscapes and what kind of faith is required to leave comfort behind and rebuild what has been broken. Scripture Focus: Ezra 1:1 –2:70 - Seventy years after the fall of Jerusalem, the Persian king Cyrus issues a decree allowing the exiles to return home. Ezra opens by linking directly to the close of 2 Chronicles, and chapter two records the detailed...
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When the Heart Has No Remedy - 2 Chronicles 35:1–36:23 | August 4, 2026
One Single Story
Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Alyssa Bream to explore the final chapters of Judah's story - a hardened heart, missed Sabbaths, and God's surprising use of an unlikely king to move history forward. Scripture Focus: 2 Chronicles 35-36 traces Judah's rapid decline through its last kings, ending in exile - but closes with the decree of Cyrus of Persia, pointing toward restoration. In This Episode: What it means for a heart to reach "no remedy" Why rest is a matter of trust, not a reward How God used a pagan king, Cyrus, to fulfill his purposes...
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The Lost Book of the Law - 2 Chronicles 33:14–34:33 | August 3, 2026
One Single Story
Welcome back to One Single Story. Today Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Alyssa Bream for a conversation on how the authority of Scripture can quietly get lost inside our ministries and our personal lives, and what it looks like when a heart finally responds to God's Word with real conviction instead of casual familiarity. Scripture Focus: 2 Chronicles 33:14-34:33 - This passage covers the collapse and restoration of the southern kingdom, from Manasseh's idolatry to young King Josiah's discovery of the lost Book of the Law and the last great revival before...
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Guarding Your Eyes and Ears as God's Gift - Proverbs 20:12 | July 31, 2026
One Single Story
Welcome back to One Single Story! Today Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Wendy Korbusieski for a candid conversation about our eyes and ears as God-given gates to the heart and mind. As they close out this section of Proverbs, the team unpacks what it means to steward our senses well in a media-saturated world, and how to move from merely seeing and hearing to truly perceiving with spiritual clarity. Scripture Focus: Proverbs 20:12 - Solomon closes this section of Proverbs by pointing to the hearing ear and the seeing eye as things the Lord has made,...
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Known by their Actions - Proverbs 20:11 | July 30, 2026
One Single Story
Join Pastor Stephen Mizell, Pastor Jay Rivenbark, and Pastor Wendy Korbusieski for today's edition of One Single Story as they dig into Proverbs 20:11 and explore why our actions, not our words or potential, are the truest indicator of who we really are. Scripture Focus: Proverbs 20:11 - Solomon teaches that even children are known by their actions, whether their conduct is pure and right. This verse challenges us to evaluate character not by charisma or potential, but by consistent, observable behavior. In This Episode: Why behavior is a more reliable metric than potential, personality, or...
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The Path to a Clean Heart - Proverbs 20:8-10 | July 29, 2026
One Single Story
Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Wendy Korbusieski to unpack Proverbs 20:8-10 and its warning against self-righteousness and double standards. Scripture Focus: Proverbs 20:8-10 - A king who scatters evil with his eyes, and the piercing question, "Who can say, I have made my heart clean?" In This Episode: Why no one can honestly claim a fully cleansed heart How bias shapes judges, juries, and everyday decisions Why we excuse ourselves by intentions but judge others by actions How self-awareness and humility lead to fairer judgment and greater grace Key...
info_outlineWelcome to today's edition of One Single Story. Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Wendy Korbusieski for a conversation about short-term faithfulness, why worship must be the centerpiece of church culture, and why the Levites never received a plot of land of their own.
Scripture Focus: 1 Chronicles 5:18-6:81 - This passage covers the military victories of the eastern tribes before pivoting to their eventual exile due to spiritual adultery, then shifts into a detailed account of the tribe of Levi, mapping out the priests, temple musicians, and cities allocated to them throughout Israel.
In This Episode:
- Why continued obedience matters more than past victories, and why we're often most vulnerable right after a win
- The contrast between God answering Israel's prayers in battle and their later exile for unfaithfulness
- How true faith is a daily, lifelong endeavor rather than a single moment of crisis-driven decision
- Why worship and spiritual leadership must be prioritized over administrative structure and programming in the church
- The tension between spiritual passion and godly structure, and how both are needed to protect against abuse and manipulation
- The strategic reason the Levites were scattered among the other tribes instead of given their own territory
- How dependence on the obedience of others shaped the Levites' ministry and kept them from self-reliance
Key Quote: "We cry out in crisis, but we compromise in comfort."
About One Single Story: One Single Story is a weekday devotional podcast that walks through the One Year Bible reading plan, offering brief, practical lessons drawn from each day's Scripture reading. Hosted by the pastoral team at Open Door Church, each episode brings together different voices for an honest, conversational look at how God's Word applies to everyday life and faith.
Open Door Church is located in Edenton, North Carolina. Learn more at visitopendoor.com or onesinglestory.com.
Subscribe to One Single Story so you never miss a daily devotional. Join us every weekday as we dig into Scripture together, one story at a time.
Coming This Week: Join us as we continue journeying through First Chronicles this week, uncovering more of the genealogies, worship structures, and spiritual lessons woven throughout Israel's history that still speak to the church today.
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