Highrock Church

Jesus earlier used the Feast of Passover to highlight how he was the true bread of life that came from heaven. Now at the Feast of Tabernacles, a feast during which the night would be lit up by four great lamps, Jesus declares that he is the true light of the world. Jesus lights up our darkness in order to lead us to a full life -- not just a life of being alive, but a life of truly living -- the...

Shouldn't throw stones. When Jesus' religious enemies bring an adulterous woman in front of Jesus, they are trying to trap him. In order to show mercy, they believe Jesus will have to reject the Law of Moses. But if Jesus does not show mercy, he is exposed as a fraud. Either way, the support from the crowds will disappear and they will be able to arrest and kill Jesus without resistance. But Jesus...

Many people lament not being able to experience the miracles of the Bible themselves. John's gospel even includes seven signs to strengthen our faith. However, even more important than the signs are the words that Jesus spoke. His miracles affected a choice few but his words continue to transform the world. In today's text, the guards sent to arrest Jesus are instead arrested themselves by the pow...

Have you ever been right for the wrong reason? When the Pharisees hear whispers of people believing in Jesus, they panic. Still unable to arrest Jesus, they ridicule him and what he says. But their jabs accidentally hit upon a profound truth -- that Jesus will indeed reach those Jews who are far away, and even teach the Greeks (all non-Jews), whom the Pharisees considered almost beyond hope. What...

There are many voices reacting to Jesus but one thing that ties them all together is confusion. The crowds are confused because they are not well-informed about current events (the plot to kill Jesus) or the Scriptures (about the Messiah). The religious leaders are well-informed but they are still confused because their knowledge hasn't made it to their hearts. They therefore do not know God and t...

You might know, on some level, that money, pleasure, power, sex, and success can’t truly satisfy—but that doesn’t stop you from chasing after them. Is there a way to get out of that rut? Could God really be the answer to our deepest longings? In this episode, we step into the story of a woman whose life was defined by disappointment, only to discover that Jesus was offering her something far more...

The motivations of Jesus' brothers are unclear. The motives of the religious leaders who seek Jesus are hidden, though their true intent casts a pall over otherwise honest discussions about Jesus. Out of this mix of shadow and confusion, Jesus emerges to clearly declare the message of God. What is hidden in us that gets in the way? Where might God want to shine the light of love and truth to free...

Jesus is virtually a wanted man at this point but Jerusalem is where all the action is during the time of the holy feast, so Jesus' brothers urge him to go to Jerusalem to show everyone what he can do. It's clear that they do not understand Jesus' mission nor believe in Jesus' person. What do you do when those who are supposed to be closest to you misunderstand or even oppose what God is doing in...

The feeding of the 5,000 must have seemed like a high point of success to the disciples. The crowds were even ready to make Jesus king! But now these new disciples leave Jesus in droves. At what must have felt like a deep low to the disciples, Jesus asks, "Are you also going to leave?" Following Jesus can be both difficult and confusing, especially when those around us walk away from Jesus. How di...

After the feeding of the multitudes, crowds gathered around Jesus seeking something more. Jesus obliged their desire by offering them his flesh and blood. In fact, he insisted that they must eat his flesh and drink his blood in order to have eternal life. Unsurprisingly, the crowds were shocked and appalled at the suggestion. What did Jesus mean when he insisted on this shocking directive? How do...

As Jesus continues to teach the crowds that follow him to the other side of the lake, they begin to "murmur" or "grumble" about Jesus' claims. Their response is like a flashback to the rebellious Israelites who murmured and grumbled against Moses. At the same time, God seems to honor complaints, like in the Psalms. What's the difference? Why can one kind of negativity be the essence of unbelief an...

What if the stories we tell ourselves in secret are shaping us more than we realize? In this sermon, Pastor Meghan DeJong unpacks John 3:13-21 , revealing how Jesus steps into our hidden places with truth and light. Discover how the gospel rewrites the narratives we carry and invites us into a deeper freedom. ----- 👉🏻 Sermons in the "Witness" series: https://tinyurl.com/3c8564ku 👉🏻 Dive deeper...

Bread and carbs receive a lot of negative press these days, but in Jesus' day, bread was life. Having been fed by Jesus, they clamor for more. More bread. But Jesus wants them to hunger for more than just bread that sustains physical life. He wants them to hunger for bread that sustains spiritual life, full life, eternal life! Though they do not understand, that daily bread is Jesus, the one who w...

Because the people wanted to make Jesus king, Jesus slipped away to a quiet place. He re-emerged only under the cover of darkness while the disciples were caught in a storm in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. In the midst of their terror, Jesus tells them, "Do not be afraid. I am here!" This fifth of seven signs strongly hints that Jesus is not only God, but a God who is with us even in our deepe...

The feeding of the five thousand is one of the few miracles included in all four gospels. John adds some fresh details to the story, especially the overtures that Jesus is like a new and greater Moses. In the first exodus, Moses led the Israelites from bondage in Egypt during the first Passover. At this Passover, Jesus is leading a new exodus, not out of Egypt, but out of slavery to sin and death!...

Jesus had declared that the religious leaders who were attacking him were doing so because they did not have God's words in their hearts. Here he adds that he does not desire their approval because they also do not have the love of God in their hearts. How much more whole might our lives be if we were to seek God's love rather than seeking the "likes" of others? Looking for a previous devo? Want t...

We often talk about the evidence for believing in God, but what about the evidence for others to believe us? When attacked by the religious leaders, Jesus offers the testimony of John the Baptist and of God, both Father and Spirit. If nothing else, it should be clear that God is at work through Jesus' miracles and teachings. What might others see in us? What is the evidence that we can be trusted...

Was there an occasion when you boldly took a risk and it paid off? In this sermon, Pastor Taylors walks us through the story of Nicodemus ( John 3:1-12 ), a revered teacher of the Jewish scriptures and a high ranking official, caught between curiosity and fear - and the powerful lesson his encounter with Jesus teaches us about faith. What does it mean to go "all in" on Christ? Discover why the onl...

"Whatever the Father does, the Son also does." Jesus asserts a unique, complete harmony and identity with his heavenly Father. The religious leaders rightly understand this claim to be a blasphemous claim to divinity -- but only if it isn't true. If it is true, then Jesus has the power and the right to heal us and save us from death. This, the third sign, invites us to trust Jesus with our very li...

So much of life is about timing, and much can be made of the timing of this miracle on a Sabbath. Another important aspect of timing is the timing of this miracle in the man's life. After the healing, Jesus reveals to the man that his condition is a result of his sin, and if he doesn't stop, his condition will be even worse than before he was healed. In other words, he receives Jesus' mercy even b...

The third sign continues a theme of water. A man has waited by the Bethesda pool for 38 years for a slim chance at being healed! Perhaps surprisingly, when Jesus asks him if he would like to be healed, his answer is not a clear "yes"! It is not a stretch to imagine that Jesus asks us the same question and we, too, might have some hesitancy. How might Jesus want to heal you? And what might Jesus as...

Many people today talk about "manifesting" some kind of inner reality into being. In this second of seven signs, Jesus literally manifests his truth -- he speaks and reality conforms to his will. Who can speak a word and have it come into being? Since the beginning of time, there has been only one being with this kind of power. This power displayed in this sign hints at the true identity of Jesus!...

Jesus uses the encounter with the Samaritan woman to teach the disciples a lesson. He explains that sometimes it is the time to plant seeds of spiritual curiosity, and sometimes it is a time to harvest the spiritual life that comes from those seeds. Are there relationships in which you are planting seeds of curiosity? Are there relationships in which God might have you invite that curiosity to bec...

Is your faith feeling flat, stale, or just... blah? What if the missing ingredient is the one thing that could radically change everything? In the third sermon of Highrock’s winter series, Pastor Dave Swaim dives into John 2:1-11 to uncover what’s been holding your spiritual life back.

Throughout this conversation, Jesus keeps a strong focus on the purpose of their encounter -- that God is seeking those who will worship in spirit and truth (vv23-24). The woman attempts to deflect the conversation several times but Jesus stays on track. Even her final appeal to a future Messiah who will answer all these questions is something that Jesus turns back to him -- he is that Messiah. In...