The Heights Church

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

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.