The Heights Church

Go - wk3

"Missional Groups"

Dr. Gary Singleton - Senior Pastor

When God created Adam in the Garden of Eden, one of His first observations was “It is not good that the man should be alone.”  (Genesis 2:18)  So He created Eve and she joined together with Adam to form the first group.  Ever since then, we have gathered in groups.  Why do we do that?  What needs are met when we spend time with a group?  Group participation satisfies our need to belong.  Every group has a specific purpose, and participation in that group gives us the opportunity to influence others, even as our fellow group members influence us.  
 
This Sunday we’re going to continue our sermon series on missional living with a look at missional groups.  Jesus was the leader of a group of men we know as His disciples.  And in John 21 we find the resurrected Jesus meeting with His group to spell out their missional purpose.
 
Every group that you participate in … your marriage, your sports team, your book club, your family … every group has a purpose.  And you have a unique purpose within that group.  Join me Sunday as Jesus teaches us how to look at our groups in a different light, and then embrace our missional purpose in those groups.

Go - wk2

"Missional Worldview"

Bryan Jones - Teaching Pastor

If you were asked to describe your worldview, what would you say? 
 
Your worldview represents your most fundamental beliefs and assumptions about the world you inhabit.  It reflects how you would answer all the “big questions” of human existence.  Who are we?  Why are we here?  What is the meaning and purpose of life?  
 
Some worldview questions are about God.  Does God exist?  What relationship does He have with the universe?  Since around the fourth century, Western civilization has been dominated by a Christian worldview.  But in the last couple of centuries competing worldviews are gaining in popularity, and the Christian worldview is on the decline.
 
This Sunday we’re going to examine what it means to have a missional worldview … a Christian worldview.  As Christians it is crucial that we understand our worldview, and then live out those beliefs in the culture around us.  Jesus’ plan isn’t for us to escape the world or fight the world.  He wants His followers to GO and transform the world.

Go - wk1

"Missional God"

Dr. Gary Singleton - Senior Pastor

When we hear the word “prodigal” most of us think it means “wayward” or “rebellious.”  But what it actually means is “wastefully extravagant.”  And such was the lifestyle of the prodigal son – a parable told by Jesus in Luke 15.  Most of us are familiar with this story.  And most of us can relate to one of the two sons – the younger son who squandered his inheritance, or the older son and his righteous indignation.
 
This Sunday we are starting a new sermon series called “Go.”  We’re going to be exploring the last of our 5Gs and how we can be more intentional … more missional … about sharing the gospel with those who don’t know Jesus.
 
Our God is a missional God.  Like the father in the story of the Prodigal Son, He loves us no matter what.  He wants to know us and He wants us to know Him.  And when we turn to Him we find His grace … His amazing, scandalous grace … offered freely and without reservation.
 
I hope you will join me Sunday as we take a fresh look at this familiar passage.  Whether you identify with the younger son or the older son, God is ready to extend His grace.  And as recipients of that amazing grace, our mission is to go to a world that is far from God and tell them about Jesus and the grace that He offers.

Wake the World Up to Jesus - wk5

"Go"

Jason Gaston - Guest Teacher

ChiAlpha Wknd

Wake the World up to Jesus - wk4

"Give"

Dr. Gary Singleton - Senior Pastor

Don’t you love it when someone gives you a gift?  Birthdays.  Christmas.  Anniversaries.  And especially when you’re given a gift for no particular reason.  When we receive a gift from someone it tells us that we mean something to that person.  In fact, for those who are familiar with Gary Chapman’s “Five Love Languages,” one of them is gifts.
 
And yet in Acts 20:35, Paul quotes Jesus as saying “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”  And as awesome as it is to receive a gift from someone, I have to agree with Paul and Jesus.  Giving is just so much more rewarding than receiving.
 
This Sunday we’re continuing our sermon series, “Waking the World Up to Jesus” with a look at giving.  Being a disciple of Jesus means giving our time, our talents, and our treasure.  Now before you decide that you have no time, not much talent, and certainly no treasure to give, let me suggest that you have more than you think.
 
The world is not impressed with our beliefs and our doctrine.  They are impressed when we give … when we put the needs of others ahead of our own.  If we want to wake the world up to Jesus, we can’t be committed to just loving God.  We have to love others.  Join me Sunday as we see that giving points others to Jesus.

Wake the World Up to Jesus - wk3

"Grow"

Dr. Gary Singleton - Senior Pastor

Have you ever tried to grow tomatoes?  First you have to choose the right location so the plants get all the sun they need.  Then you have to dig out the grass and weeds and prepare the soil.  After all of that is done, you finally get to plant the tomatoes, but then you have to water, and fertilize, and pull weeds, and keep the insects and the birds away. 
 
That’s a lot of work!  Wouldn’t it be nice if all you had to do is stick a tomato plant in a bag of potting soil and a few weeks later you had tomatoes?
 
Well, just like it takes work to grow tomatoes, there is work involved in growing as a follower of Jesus.  Being a disciple requires more than just making a decision to become a Christian.  We have to take personal responsibility to grow in our faith through practicing the spiritual disciplines.
 
But what exactly does that look like?  Paul describes it for us in Romans 12:1-2.  Do you want to be a disciple who is waking the world up to Jesus? 

Wake the World Up to Jesus - wk2

"Gather"

Bryan Jones - Teaching Pastor

In this world of social media and virtual relationships, community is becoming less common but more and more important.  Communities provide us with much needed support as we navigate the daily stress, struggles, and chaos of modern life.  It’s in community that we find a group of people that we can trust … people that we can count on.
 
That was certainly the case in the early days of the church.  Forty years after Jesus died, rose, and ascended into heaven there were about a thousand Christians throughout the Roman Empire.  In just over 300 years, that number had multiplied to almost 30 million.  How did that happen? 
 
We find the answer in Acts 2.  That amazing growth happened as people gathered in faith communities.  This Sunday we are continuing our sermon series “Wake the World Up to Jesus” with a look at why it’s so important to “gather.”  Why is it important to be in church on Sunday mornings?  Why do we need to gather in worship, and be part of a Life Group?
 
If we want to be people who wake the world up to Jesus, we must be part of a faith community. We gather because we’re better together.

Wake the World Up to Jesus - wk1

"Gospel"

Dr. Gary Singleton - Senior Pastor

What do you do when you wake up in the morning?  Some mornings everything goes right.  You wake up before your alarm goes off.  You jump out of bed rested and ready for whatever the day brings.  Other mornings are not like that at all.   You wake up late and spend the rest of the day rushed and out of sorts.  But good or bad, it seems that your waking-up experience sets the tone for the rest of your day.
 
This Sunday we’re starting a new sermon series called “Waking the World Up to Jesus.”  We’ve talked a lot about what it means to be a disciple.  A disciple is one who is committed to walking in the ways of Jesus, and then sharing those ways with others.  But what are the distinguishing characteristics of one who is waking the world up to Jesus?
 
We believe a disciple who is waking the world up to Jesus makes five essential commitments, and the first of those is a commitment to grace.  If you want to wake the world up to Jesus, you must first experience God’s grace through faith in Jesus, and then find your identity in God’s grace.
 
I hope you will join me Sunday as we begin to explore what it means to be a church filled with people who are waking the world up to Jesus.  When you wake up to Jesus, you can know that you have set your life on a path of transformation.

Breakthrough Weekend - Session 3

"Love that Sends"

Dr. Gary Singleton, Senior Pastor

Breakthrough Weekend - Session 2

"Hope to Overcome"

Bryan Jones, Teaching Pastor