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.
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.
The Bible says the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a light that illuminates the darkness of our world of sin and brokenness. Even though we will struggle against the darkness we encounter each day, the hope we have is in the eternity with God to come - an eternity purchased for us by the sacrifice of Jesus himself. Knowing we have this treasure that can never be lost, we can live boldly within a broken world, bringing the light of the gospel with us everywhere we go, sharing it at every opportunity.
Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church opens with a reminder of how God works through times of suffering. God’s design for the church is that we would comfort one another in challenging times, giving others the same comfort we’ve received when we’ve walked through similar challenges. It’s a beautiful picture of how we can love one another.
Genuine faith in Jesus Christ is transformative. Where once was sin and selfishness, a life transformed by Christ will lead to a desire to serve others, a desire to grow in understanding God’s Word, and a love for people. As the Apostle Paul brings his letter to the Corinthians to a close, he once again reminds them that a life lived for Christ is the greatest possible purpose we could ever have.
The promise of being resurrected to eternal life with Christ gives us a hope like no other. This promised life to come should motivate us to live a life dedicated to serving the Lord in all we do. As hardships and challenges rise up, we can endure them with joy knowing that the best is yet to come.
The hope we have in Jesus includes the promise of being physically resurrected with Christ into new, eternal life. While our current bodies are mortal, subject to sickness and aging and destined to die, we look forward to the resurrection in which we’ll have physical, resurrected bodies - free from the presence of sickness or death and able to live physically in the presence of God forever. While the Bible doesn’t tell us every detail about what these bodies will be like, the glimpses it provides through Jesus’ own resurrection should give us an excited anticipation of our eternal life to come.
Everything hinges on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without the resurrection, the entirety of Christianity falls apart: our sin remains, death isn’t defeated, and Jesus was simply a good moral teacher who died like all others. But thanks be to God that the resurrection is true! Jesus overcame sin, death and the grave by resurrecting to new life so that we could have new life in him. We have the eternal hope that we too will be raised to life when He returns to make all things new.
The truth of the gospel transforms the lives of those who receive it. There is no other idea, message, or focus that is more important than the truth that Jesus Christ - God in human form - came to live a perfect life, die on the cross as a sacrifice for our sin, defeat death and rise to new life so that in him we might live. Are you ready to share this message of hope with the people around you?
The gathering of the church is a beautiful mixture of people following Jesus together, each bringing their God-given gifts and abilities to love and serve one another for the glory of God. The Apostle Paul reminds the church that when we gather, it’s important to bring our gifts to bear in an orderly way that brings encouragement and not confusion. And as words of prophecy or encouragement are shared, we test everything against God’s Word, always seeking to build up the church body.
Paul reminds us that spiritual gifts are not given for self-centered display, but rather for the building up of the church. Love must guide how we use our gifts, and clarity in speech is more valuable than impressive words if it helps others grow in Christ. When the church gathers, the focus should be on strengthening, encouraging, and comforting one another, so that both believers are built up, and unbelievers can clearly encounter God’s presence.
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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.