Christmas Revealed
Christmas represents the fulfillment of God's plan for salvation since the beginning of time. There is no greater reveal in history than the arrival of Jesus Christ - the hope of the world.
Everyone faces challenges in life. Some are devastating or even life-altering. Why does God allow these things to happen? How do we get through hard times? And more than that, how is it possible that we would be able to find joy in the midst of them? The book of James shows us that because of God’s great love for us and the hope of the gospel, followers of Jesus have access to an eternal perspective of joy that can sustain us through every circumstance.
How does our faith in Jesus Christ work its way out in our daily life? That’s the question the book of James answers for believers. James himself was completely transformed by his faith in Jesus (who also happens to be his brother). His letter is an incredibly practical guide for what it looks like to live out our faith in our everyday lives, loving and serving others here, near and far.
What do you make of Jesus? Sooner or later everyone will face that question. The story of Nicodemus reveals the character of Jesus as he patiently and lovingly opens Nicodemus’s eyes to the truth about who He is and why He came. Jesus does the same for us - drawing near to us, meeting us where we’re at, and offering a free gift of grace and mercy if we surrender our lives to Him. Are you ready to recognize Jesus as Lord and accept the gift?
One of the first announcements of Jesus’ ministry was by John the Baptist, calling Jesus “The Lamb of God”. It’s an important reminder that this baby born at Christmas arrived with a very important and specific purpose: to become the sacrifice for our sin. Our substitute. Jesus is far more than a great teacher, healer or prophet. He is God’s perfect sacrifice to atone for the sins of all who believe. He is the Lamb of God - our one and only Savior.
Waiting for anything is hard, and waiting on God can be especially difficult. In our impatience, we often take matters into our own hands, putting our hope and trust in our own strength instead of patiently waiting on God to move. The Christmas story reminds us of the patient, eternal perspective God wants us to have. 2,000 years after His promise to Abraham, the Savior arrived - the perfect fulfillment of God’s plan to redeem His people, and our eternal hope in the here and now.
The life of John the Baptist is a perfect picture of the Advent season. Even before he was born, God had chosen John to be the voice of his generation to announce the arrival of the promised Messiah - the Savior of the world. The story of John’s birth is an encouraging look at God’s sovereign plan, and the humble servants who received God’s call on their lives with reverence and awe.
For the Christian, baptism represents a public identification with Christ. Through the waters of baptism, we reenact the death and resurrection of Jesus, symbolizing the new life we've been given.
Pride comes all too easily for most of us. We want others to see us as strong, self-sufficient and in control. But the Christian life is an exercise in recognizing our weakness, and in humility, relying on God for all things. When we put our faith in an all-powerful God who loves and cares for us, we can put our pride aside and boast in our weakness, giving thanks to the Lord who makes all things possible.
What does it look like to surrender our finances to the Lord? Of all the areas of life we allow God to be in control of, our money is often the very last. But the generosity God calls us to isn’t one of begrudging obligations. On the contrary, 2 Corinthians 9 tells us that being generous with the gifts God entrusts to us will result in joy and thanksgiving as we see lives transformed and the God’s Kingdom expand here on earth.
Because of the gospel, we look forward with certainty to an eternity in perfect relationship with Jesus. This promise of things to come is meant to give us an inextinguishable hope, no matter what challenges we might face in this life. But this promise is also meant to motivate us to share the hope of the gospel with others as ambassadors for Christ in the midst of a lost and broken world.
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Current Series
Faith Does: A Study in James
How does our faith in Jesus Christ work its way out in our daily life? That’s the question the book of James answers for believers. His letter is an incredibly practical guide for what it looks like to live out our faith in our everyday lives, loving and serving others here, near and far.
Genesis: In The Beginning
Where did we come from? Why are we here? Why is the world the way that it is? Sometimes to understand the big picture, we have to go back to the beginning. Genesis provides big answers to big questions as it tells the story of who God is and His plan for the world.
Walk This Way: 2 Timothy
Our faith isn't meant to be hidden away inside us. Jesus' command to 'go and make disciples' means we have a responsibility to pass along what we know as we live our faith out in everyday life. As we grow in faith, God will use us to encourage others toward a faith in Jesus, and model what a relationship with Him looks like. 2 Timothy is the Apostle Paul's faithful encouragement to Timothy to 'walk this way'.
Knowing Truth: The Letters of John
The world constantly challenges us with claims of truth, but truth is not subjective. The letters of John will show us how the truth of Jesus can set us free from a world trapped in darkness, so we can walk in the light as children of God.
Non-Series Sermons
From messages about being involved in a church family to messages about mothers, fathers and more, this is the place to find all of our sermons that aren't a part of a regular series.
Ephesians: Made Worthy. Walk Worthy.
The book of Ephesians is a letter from the Apostle Paul that explains how we've been made new through Jesus Christ, and encourages us to live out our new life in all we do - from our jobs to our marriages, families and more. We've been made worthy to walk worthy.
Guest Speakers
We are blessed to be able to welcome guest speakers on occasion who visit Highlands to present Bible-based messages that inspire us and challenge us to grow our faith.