The Heights Church

Breakthrough Weekend - Session 1

"Faith in the Supernatural"

Zach Neese

Know Your Purpose

"Know Your Purpose"

Dr. Gary Singleton - Senior Pastor

This week we turned the page on the calendar and started a brand new year. And with all those blank pages ahead of us, a lot of people are making New Year’s resolutions. What do I want to accomplish? What changes do I need to make? Where do I want to be at the end of 2020?

But as we look ahead and make our resolutions, there are even deeper questions to ask … questions like: “Why am I here?” “What is my purpose?” Our lives are meant to be filled with meaning and we look for that meaning in all kinds of things. A YouTube search on “meaning of life” turns up “must watch” videos by everyone from Jordan Peterson to Anthony Hopkins. Hollywood Producer Adam Leipzig even promises in his TED talk that we can know our life purpose in five minutes.

But as Christ-followers we know that our purpose can only be found in one place – in Jesus. So this Sunday as we kick off 2020, we’re going to take a look at how we can know our purpose. You’ve been created on purpose for a purpose. Jesus spells it out for us. Join me Sunday as we learn that our purpose here on earth is to walk in the ways of Jesus.

More Than A Manger - wk5

"Parable of the Trees"

Richard Covington - Missions Pastor

 

More Than A Manger - wk4

"Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God"

Dr. Gary Singleton

Have you ever received a birth announcement?  After waiting nine long months for a baby to arrive, most new parents are excited to share the news of their baby’s arrival with family and friends.  Birth announcements just seem to make the event more official.

Well, in one of the most quoted and celebrated scripture passages that we hear at Christmas, the prophet Isaiah announced the arrival of a child.  But unlike most birth announcements that are sent out after the child’s arrival, Isaiah’s announcement was sent out a little early.  This child would not be born for another 700 years!

Isaiah’s birth announcement was sent early for a reason.  God wanted to give His people the hope of a future King.  And this same announcement still gives us hope today.  Why was this child different?  Why would His arrival bring hope?

This Sunday we’re going to look at the announcement that foretold the birth of Jesus.  Jesus’ birth was so remarkable that we still celebrate it 2000 years later.  Jesus was God’s gift to all of us … a gift we receive, a gift we celebrate, and a gift we share.

More Than A Manger - wk3

"Hospitality"

Bryan Jones

Here in the South we’re known for our hospitality.  Southern hospitality conjures up images of potluck suppers and sipping sweet tea on the porch.  It’s a special kind of kindness and charm that we’re proud to call Southern.  As the saying goes, “There are no strangers, just friends we haven’t met yet.”
 
So what does all of this have to do with Jesus?  Well, Jesus has a lot to say about hospitality.  This Christmas season we’ve been looking at the ways that Jesus is more than just a baby in a manger.  His parables have given us so much insight into what Jesus is all about.  And this Sunday we’re going to take a look at another parable – the parable of the wedding feast found in Luke 14.  Through this parable Jesus shows us that hospitality truly is a gift – to ourselves and to others.
 
This Sunday more than any other Sunday of the year, we get to practice what Jesus teaches about hospitality as we host over 1000 children and their families for our annual Three Trees event.  It truly is a magical afternoon of meeting new friends, showing hospitality, and sharing the story of Jesus.  I hope you can join us for what promises to be one of the best days of the Christmas season. 

More Than A Manger - wk2

"Parable - Old/New Wineskins"

Dr. Gary Singleton

Have you ever been disappointed in Jesus? Has it ever seemed like Jesus just let you down? Maybe you’ve longed for healing, for a job, or for a baby. You have prayed faithfully for weeks … months … even years. But you’re still sick, still unemployed, still childless. And you are disappointed in Jesus. You thought following Him would be different.

Some of the disciples who followed John the Baptist felt the same way. John had clearly pointed to Jesus as the Messiah, and some of John’s disciples started following Him. And yet as they watched Jesus, He disappointed them. They saw Him eating and drinking with sinners while they fasted and prayed. And they confronted Jesus with their disappointment.

If you find yourself disappointed with Jesus, it may be because you’ve missed out on the truth that Jesus is about so much more than just a Manger. This Sunday we will see that Jesus is not about following a set of rules. He is about giving grace.

More Than A Manger - wk1

"Parable - Unmerciful Servant"

Dr. Gary Singleton

This week as you gathered with family and friends to feast on turkey and pumpkin pie, I hope you took a few minutes to give thanks to God for all of His blessings.  We are told in Psalm 136:1 to “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, …”  We have so much to be thankful for.  It’s important to pause and thank God for His goodness.
 
Now the Christmas season has officially arrived, and this Sunday we turn our focus to Jesus.  At Christmastime it’s easy to think about Jesus as a baby in a manger.  But there is so much more to Him than that.  Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords.
 
So over the next few weeks we are going to look at some of the parables that Jesus taught to show us more about who He is.  We begin this Sunday with a look at the parable of the unmerciful servant.  Jesus told this parable to teach us about forgiveness.  You see, what happened in the manger wasn’t just the birth of a baby.  It was the birth of forgiveness.
 
I hope you will join me tomorrow as we begin to see that the Christmas story is just the beginning of something that is More than a Manger.

Upside Down Kingdom - wk6

"Blessed are the Peacemakers"

Bryan Jones

I think we can all agree that conflict and divisiveness seem to be everywhere these days. Racial tensions are running high. Conflict between Republicans and Democrats is escalating. Opinions on sexual orientation and same-sex marriage seem to affect everyone from the Salvation Army to Chick-fil-A. Social media has become a platform for hate speech and finger-pointing.

And in the midst of all this conflict and chaos, Jesus has a word for us. He calls us to be peacemakers. As we wrap up our sermon series “Upside Down Kingdom,” Jesus once again calls us to be counter-cultural … to bring peace in the midst of the shouting.

Are you a peacemaker? Do you seek to get right with God, and then help others do the same? Jesus promises that those who do will be called children of God.

Join me Sunday as we talk about something that all of us can use a little more of this holiday season. Peace.

Upside Down Kingdom - wk5

According to the CDC, about 735,000 Americans have a heart attack every year. One in every four deaths is caused by heart disease, making it our number one killer. Most of us know if we are at risk for heart disease, and we take steps to lower our risk – like exercising and changing our diet.

But what about spiritual heart disease? When we see the word “heart” in scripture, it refers to the seat of our will, our intellect, and our emotions. The Bible has a lot to say about the condition of the average person’s heart. Our heart can be proud, hardened, and deceitful. In other words, we can have spiritual heart disease.

This Sunday we are going to look at what it means to be pure in heart. Those who are pure in heart are clean on both the inside and the outside. And Jesus promises that those who are clean … those who are pure in heart … will see God.

Do you want to see God? Make the choice to lower your risk of spiritual heart disease. Join me Sunday as we learn from Jesus what it means to be pure in heart.

Upside Down Kingdom - wk4

"Blessed are the Merciful"

Bryan Jones

Mercy is a word that is often used in different settings.  For example, in the area of medicine Mercy Hospital Group is one of the top five large U.S. health systems.  In the legal system, we often hear of people throwing themselves “on the mercy of the court.”  And who hasn’t heard their grandmother exclaim, “Well, mercy me!”
 
As we continue our study of the Beatitudes called “Upside Down Kingdom,” this Sunday we come to Beatitude #5 – “Blessed are the merciful.”  But what exactly does it mean to be merciful?  Many people associate mercy with compassion or forgiveness or grace.  And all of those things relate to one another.  But mercy actually means not getting what you deserve.  We deserve hell, but through Jesus we receive mercy and don’t get what we deserve.
 
In a culture where the need for justice … the need to “give ‘em what they deserve” … seems to be hardwired into most of us, Jesus turns everything upside down and calls on us to be merciful.
 
I hope you will join me Sunday as we take a look at the radical idea of mercy.  When we are merciful it changes us from the inside out.  Do you want to obtain mercy?  Start by showing mercy to others.