Love: When God Moved In, Advent Week 4
Open Door Church Official Podcast
In this week's Advent sermon, Pastor Stephen Mizell challenges us to rethink everything we thought we knew about love. As we light the fourth Advent candle, discover why love isn't just a warm feeling or sentimental decoration—it's a Person you meet and a divine action that changes everything. Drawing from 1 John 4:7-12, Pastor Stephen unpacks the profound truth that God doesn't just love—He IS love. This means love existed before creation, before redemption, and before the incarnation. We don't manufacture love; we can only reflect it. We don't generate it; we can only distribute it. ...
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Joy: When Praise Becomes Prayer, Advent Week 3
Open Door Church Official Podcast
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...
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Peace: When Heaven Interrupts, Advent Week 2
Open Door Church Official Podcast
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...
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When Prayers Seem Unanswered: Advent Week One, Hope
Open Door Church Official Podcast
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...
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The Power of Remembering
Open Door Church Official Podcast
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...
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Stronger in the Fight: Winning Spiritual Battles | Ephesians 6:10-24
Open Door Church Official Podcast
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...
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Stronger in Relationships | Ephesians 5:22-6:9
Open Door Church Official Podcast
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...
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Stronger in Lifestyle | Walking in Love, Light & Wisdom | Ephesians 4-5
Open Door Church Official Podcast
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...
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Stronger in Maturity | Ephesians 4
Open Door Church Official Podcast
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...
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Stronger in Purpose | Ephesians 3
Open Door Church Official Podcast
Description: In this message from our Stronger series, Pastor Stephen Mizell reminds us that God’s plan for your life is bigger than your life. Drawing from Ephesians 3, he unpacks the mystery of God’s purpose—revealed through Christ and displayed through the church. Discover how to find meaning in trials, live rooted in love, and walk confidently in the purpose God has designed for you. Scripture: Ephesians 3:1–21 Key Themes: God’s purpose is eternal and far greater than our own plans The church displays God’s wisdom and grace to the world Suffering has purpose—it...
info_outlineIn this week's Advent sermon, Pastor Stephen Mizell challenges us to rethink everything we thought we knew about love. As we light the fourth Advent candle, discover why love isn't just a warm feeling or sentimental decoration—it's a Person you meet and a divine action that changes everything.
Drawing from 1 John 4:7-12, Pastor Stephen unpacks the profound truth that God doesn't just love—He IS love. This means love existed before creation, before redemption, and before the incarnation. We don't manufacture love; we can only reflect it. We don't generate it; we can only distribute it.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Why the Bible never treats love as a decoration
- The difference between sentimental love and sacrificial love
- How the manger and the cross are inseparably connected
- Why your theology is only as good as your relationships
- The challenge of being God's "full expression" of love to the world
- A special word for those finding this Christmas season difficult
KEY QUOTE: "Christmas is not about God shouting from the mountaintops, 'I love you.' It's about Him whispering it from a manger."
This sermon includes a salvation invitation and a tender moment addressing those experiencing a "Blue Christmas"—anyone grieving loss, waiting for answered prayer, or finding the season less joyful than expected. Pastor Stephen reminds us that the good news of Christmas isn't that God avoided darkness, but that He stepped into it.
SCRIPTURE: 1 John 4:7-12, Romans 10:9
ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Pastor Stephen Mizell serves as the lead pastor of Open Door Church in Edenton, North Carolina. His teaching combines biblical depth with practical application, helping people encounter Jesus in real and transformative ways.