Highland Christian Church

Parables The Sower Luke 8:4-15 This parable ultimately lays out the work of the parable.  The parable reveals how readily our hearts are to receive God's word.  Jesus tells the story but then he actually explains the story.  He doesn't always do that.  And he only lets the disciples understand this story - which is interesting because it's recorded for us - so it makes clear God&apo...

Pentecost The Sending Acts 2

Parables The Visitor at Midnight Luke 11:1-13

Parables The Talents Matthew 25:14-30

Parables The Unforgiving Forgiven Guy Matthew 18:21-35

Parables The Rich Fool Luke 12:13-21 - The Parable of the Rich Fool. Jesus is inspired to tell this story because of a self-centered demand for justice.  Jesus does not entertain the man's request, but Jesus DOES deal with the heart of the man's request:  Greed. The story is A GREAT picture of our American culture.  The man only speaks to himself (not his community or God), he does not t...

Parables Hey Judge

God With Us

Easter Sunday Miracles The Welcome In He is Risen!

Miracles The Get Out Matthew 14:22-33 - Jesus has just fed the 5000 and Matthew says, “Immediately” Jesus gets his disciples out of there. John’s Gospel tells us why so quickly: “the people wanted to grab him and make him king.” Jesus puts the disciples on a boat to consider all that they had just seen and heard. Jesus, knowing the crowd didn’t get who He was and that his disciples were still slow...

Miracles The Get Loose Luke 13:10-17 - Jesus sees a woman crippled by an evil spirit (Jesus actually tells us WHY this woman has been bent doubled over for 18 years – held in bondage by Satan). This DOES NOT MEAN all illness or disability is from Satan. In this specific instance, we know the reason – because Jesus lets us know. She is unable to even lift her head – lived a lifetime staring at the...

Miracles The Get Up Luke 7:12-16 - This was an exceptionally sad encounter. A widow (having lost her husband), is leading a funeral procession for her now, dead son. As a woman and a widow, this was incredibly challenging as she had no form of safety or provision. The men in her life had died. This was a huge loss that probably stirred more than one question in the widow’s mind: “How will I surviv...

Miracles The Get Down Luke 5:17-26 - Miracles were a HUGE part of Jesus’ ministry… but why? Jesus spoke about the Kingdom of God breaking through and arriving and taking up space – Jesus’ miracles displayed and proved that He was binding up the enemy and that His Kingdom truly was invading! (Each week will have a similar intro to help our people understand that miracles were never the point – but...

Under Construction God Who Reveals Exodus 34 - Unlike our made up gods, that we tell what to do and what they should be like, God has told us who He is. He has not left us living in darkness and left to guess what He is like. This is why the Scripture is such a treasure. When we understand God is who He says He is, we can see all our false narratives dealt with. We NEED a God who reveals who He is...

Under Construction God THE Standard Exodus 20 - God, after His rescue of His people, gives to them a standard that they are to live by. They are to reflect The One who IS the standard. The law was given to reflect the law giver. When we reject these ways, we not only reject God, we actually deny the way we were made to live. In our “breaking” of the law, we tell the Law-giver that we know better a...

Under Construction God Who Is, God Who Delivers Exodus 3 - Moses’ life is one of ups and downs, rising and falling. In the midst of it all, God reveals Himself to Moses in a bush! What God reveals in that encounter is that He is the God who IS! He has no beginning. He has always been. He simply “Is.” Everyone else can point to a time when they WERE NOT, but NOT God. This matters because if God did...

Under Construction God Who is There Genesis 50:19-21 - Joseph’s story is telling, not just about Joseph’s strength, but of a God who is with Joseph in trial and hurt and suffering. He’s not just present with him, but also working in it. God doesn’t need perfect situations to shape us. God doesn’t need perfect people, either. The enemy can use suffering to cause us to hate and distrust God, but in...

Under Construction God Who Provides Genesis 22 - Looking at the story of Abraham and Isaac. God doesn’t compete with our idols or with anything that we might love more than Him. He knows that there is nothing in this life, even the things He has blessed us with, that will give us what we need. God is our source of life and He has provided HIMSELF to us. Isaac was a gift to Abraham and Sarah, but h...

Under Construction God Who Calls Genesis 12 - God initiated with Abraham. He calls people, invites people, finds people. Abraham was not looking for God, but God interrupted Abraham. When God called, Abraham believed God. Faith was the response. When we are called, will we walk with Him? In God’s call, the response is faith. Faith is belief PLUS action. We’ve believed God, so we act accordingly. A...

Under Construction God Who Saves Genesis 6-9 - Looking at Noah’s story... a man living among others in a world that had turned to evil in every way. God asked Noah to trust Him and in doing so, Noah and his family would be saved. God established a rescue plan, NOT Noah. God saves, but He does it His way. Had Noah said, “I’ll do it some other way,” Noah would have been lost. The story of Noah is a...

Under Construction God of His Word, God Who Punishes Sin, God Who Covers Genesis 2:15-3:2 1 - God establishes that when He makes a promise or declaration, He does stick to it. When He declares that our decisions have consequences tied to them, His Word is true. We need to hear these words and takes them seriously. When sin shows up, we learn that God cannot be around sin (and since sin marks peopl...

Under Construction God of Order, God of Presence Genesis 1-2 - God sets the functions of time, weather, food, seasons, reproduction, human purpose, and rest. So often we get hung up on HOW these things started, but the bigger picture of Genesis is WHY. God gave function to everything INCLUDING humans. We were created for community (God and others), meaning (reflecting God and work), and with indiv...

2020 - Crappy Year, Good God (Psalm 120:1-7) There are playlists we like to pull out for travel.  Sometimes we spend a few hours creating the "perfect" playlist.  They remind us of vacations before, long drives, and great destinations.  God uses the Psalms to help us a we journey toward Him.  The Psalms are a place of mourning, questioning what we are seeing, and simple turns back to God...

Together Apart? Not in the Kingdom. Christmas Eve Service "God with us" means we will NEVER be apart again.  "God with us" was often spoken in the face of the crowd's rejection.  "God with us" was often the only comfort the church could find in intense moments of persecution.  "God with us" even if our own family forsakes us. The nearness of God IS how...

This Christmas The Savior, the Wise Men, and The Vision (Matthew 2:1-12, Isaiah 60:1-7) “This Christmas” will look at the Christmas story through more of an “Eastern” lens. Removing some of our misconceptions of these parts of the Christmas story and hopefully cause us to see them even more full!