Highland Church Podcast

Jesus says to his followers in Acts 1: “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” A global mission, that also encounters nearly immediate opposition. This wont get easier, it will get harder. And so, they pray. They devote themselves to prayer. The early church was always praying. Almost anytime you drop in on the church, and ask what were...

We have been studying Acts 2:42-46. Today we will look at the passages that bracket those verses- Acts 2:40-41 and Acts 2:47. Because we want to be cautious of judgmentalism, its easy for a good church to focus on good things: like helping those in need. But in our effort towards good things, we can’t lose sight of the greatest thing—what God wants—to save more people.

We are back in Acts 2 again this week. We are looking at what Peter said the early church was devoted to. These are the practices of the gospel-life that touch the foundation of Christ. A Life that binds us together, brings praise to God and through which God saves souls. This week we will look at how the church submitted itself to the teaching of the Apostles.

Acts 2 is a pivotal moment in the Church. We find some key practices given to Christ followers. These are the practices of the gospel-life that touch the foundation of Christ. A Life that binds us together, brings praise to God and through which God saves souls. Today we look at two of those practices and how to live those out with each other.

This is part 2 in our lessons about adding an instrumental worship service at Highland. Worship is not our idea, its Gods. He made us for it, and tells us to do it. But it's also why what God cares most about in our worship is our heart. God tells us that music and song should be included in worship. What accesses the heart like nothing else? Music and song.

This is part one for lessons about adding an instrumental worship service at Highland. For many of us, Worship is deeply personal. When you talk about worship, you are talking about the core of who we are. And you should. Worship is the way our hearts connect with God. In our lesson today we will talk about how acapella worship (traditionally our worship style in Churches of Christ) and instrument...

Our lesson today is about trust. It’s hard to trust these days. Christian leaders continue to fall. Caught in sin. Everytime they do, the name of Jesus becomes harder to hear on their lips. That’s why Paul says watch your life & doctrine closely. It matters that you trust your leaders. I don’t think enough churches hear their preacher say—You can trust your elders. But I want you to hear it from m...

Today's lesson comes out of Mark 2:1-12. The friends of the paralyzed don’t view their relationship with their brother—a man in great need—as accidental. They feel a responsibility. They are interested in him. In what hurts him most. In what he most needs to be healed of. And they will do all they can to see it done.

Today we look at what it means to belong to Christ and His Church. Its only by God’s grace that any of us are welcome to the table. Seen by the doctor, found by the shepherd. Only by God’s grace that any of us belong. If we want to belong with Jesus, we must make sure he knows he does too. Belonging does not mean affirming. Levi didn’t stay a tax collector. Zacchaues paid back everything he’d stol...

Paul (and I think Jesus) believed that the single person can give their whole undistracted, undivided devotion to the Lord. Not to the self. And in doing so, communicate to the world, the sufficiency of Christ.

According to the Bible, love has a lot to do with everything. Some version of the word “love” is used 686 times in scripture! We are living in a world with 3 different operating definitions of love. In today's lesson we will explore these definitions and how we are called to love others, even when that love gets messy and creates tension between the people we love.

As spirit-powered witnesses we tell the story of Jesus everywhere. But we must tell whole story. Whole gospel-story produces whole gospel-life. There are 2-dimensions of God’s character, that we see in Jesus, that provoke repentance and belief: God’s Kindness and God’s Judgement. We must share both of these dimensions to tell the whole story.

Is a prayer a guarantee? No. Sometimes it doesn’t seem to “work”—at least right away. But scripture tells us God delights in our prayer. Today we look at Acts 2:15-26 and what that passage tells us about prayer and what else we are called to do alongside of prayer.

What is my purpose? Ever think about it? What does God want me to do, us as a church to do, and would he help? (not my job. My reason to exist. What motivates me. What drives me—and us!) Jesus is clear about his purpose, and he is empowered by Spirit to do it: His purpose is to Proclaim… to witness about God.

When times are hard we have to be reminded of why we trust in God. In todays lesson Eric points to some truths that help comfort us when dealing with loss.

So what is Gospel-life about? That’s what’s next in Acts. Today is Gospel Life 101. What is basic Christian life about? The Gospel-life, according to Jesus, is a two-step... repent and believe.

Our lesson today is from Matthew 25:14-23. In this passage we are encouraged to do what is good (not easy) and faithful (not fearful). During this lesson we will hear a testimony from the Nowlin family and how they listened to God's calling and did what was good and faithful in their faith journey.

Today's lesson is from Josh Leow. Josh grew up at Highland and is talking about the importance of discipleship. Josh has a great testimony and is living proof of why discipleship is so needed in our churches.

A few weeks ago we shared our Vision for Highland. We call it Build up the Next Generation. So what does this Vision look like practically? As we stare through the binoculars and it comes into focus, what are the details actually like? We call the details, the 5 Benchmarks of the Vision.

Imagine you had robbed someone you were close too (for 2nd time). Last thing they said to you: “I am going to kill you.” You run away. Build your own family over next 15+ years. But you are coming back home. What do you do? In today's lesson, Jacob—who stole from his brother Esau twice—has finally come around on this. He’s heading home in Gen 32-33, and he knows that he wants to be forgiven.

In today's lesson we look at the story of Jacob and Esau. In this part of the story we see Jacob trade Esau for his birthright. Esau traded his long term blessing for immediate satisfaction. This is the modern problem. Our tendency to choose now (immediate self-satisfaction) instead of better (long-term joy, inheritance), actually inclines us to resent the better. Resent faith itself, the church,...

Many of us feel absolutely overwhelmed by our problems. It’s money and it’s marriage. It’s a problem with a child whether adolescent or an adult. It’s a problem with my job. It’s a problem with a friend or someone in your family. It’s a problem with chronic pain or a disease that has completely altered your life and the life of your family. Problems have a way of stacking up until finally we are t...

Our lesson today focuses on when we feel Irrelevant. We want to matter, but to matter we feel like we have to be who their world tells us to be. And it’ll kill you. That identity-pressure will overwhelm you. Make you do what you thought you’d never. This is a lesson in identity work- who does God say you are.

In our lesson today we see that Jacob gets a promise of a power that will stretch across national lines, uniting people under a common king and his cause—and there is nothing on earth that comes anywhere close to that, except the church—the body of Christ.

This week, we continued our “Build Up the Next Generation” series out of the book of Genesis by noticing the “maturing” faith of Jacob over the course of his life.