The Heights Church

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.

Upside Down Kingdom - wk3

"Hunger & Thirst For Righteousness"

Dr. Gary Singleton

Most of us consider ourselves to be pretty good people.  We’re honest and trustworthy.  We’re hardworking and responsible (at least most of the time).  In fact, I’ll bet most of us believe we’re above average when it comes to personal integrity.  And if you think your personal integrity could use some help – WikiHow has several suggestions for you.
 
This Sunday we’re continuing our sermon series on the Beatitudes called “Upside Down Kingdom.”  We’ll be taking a look at Matthew 5:6, where Jesus tells us, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”  In a world where self-righteousness is everywhere, and we believe that being “pretty good” is good enough, Jesus turns things upside down and calls us to be righteous.
 
Do you hunger and thirst after righteousness?  I hope you will join me Sunday as we discover that when we pursue righteousness … when we pursue more of Jesus … we will be satisfied. 

Upside Down Kingdom - wk2

"Blessed are the Meek"

Bryan Jones

What comes to mind when you hear the word meek?  Do you think of someone who is timid or feeble?  Someone who is self-effacing, mild, and spiritless?  That’s the image that most of us have of meekness.  Yet in the King James Version of Matthew 11:29, Jesus refers to Himself as meek.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t really think of Jesus as weak, timid, and spiritless!
 
So what exactly does it mean to be meek?  This Sunday we’re continuing our sermon series on the Beatitudes called “Upside Down Kingdom.”  In Matthew 5:5, Jesus says “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”  Meekness isn’t weakness.  It’s power under control, like a stallion who has submitted its will to its master.  In a culture where those who are self-serving and aggressive are recognized and celebrated, Jesus calls us to be meek.
 
I hope you will join me Sunday as we dive deeper into meekness.  In Jesus’ upside down kingdom, we will see that those who are meek truly will inherit the earth.

Upside Down Kingdom - wk1

"Poor In Spirit"

Bryan Jones

“Upside down” is a phrase that dates back to the 14^th Century.  It refers to things being inverted or in disorder.  During the medieval times there were lots of similar phrases like “overtumble” and “topset downe,” which leads us to believe the people loved telling stories about people falling over.  I guess that was their version of “America’s Funniest Videos!”
 
Well, this Sunday we are starting a new sermon series called “Upside Down Kingdom.”  We’re going to be looking at the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5.  In the Beatitudes, Jesus gave us a list of life principles and attitudes that are the hallmarks of those who follow Jesus.
 
This week we will cover the first two of the eight Beatitudes  – “Blessed are the poor in spirit” and “Blessed are those who mourn.”  Now interestingly the word “blessed” comes from the Greek word “happy.”  But being poor in spirit and mourning don’t exactly conjure up a picture of happiness!  Yet Jesus tells us that these things will cause us to be happy.   Sounds pretty upside down – right?
 
Are you ready to turn your world upside down? 

Parenting Conference

"Parenting Gen Z"

Dr. Tim Elmore

 

The Way of Jesus - wk8

"Generosity"

Dr. Gary Singleton

Suppose you hit the Mega Millions jackpot and suddenly you were a billion dollars richer. You could spend $5,000 a day for more than 500 years before you ran out of money. You could buy your own private island with your own private jet. You could buy a family vacation to space. You could even buy Balmoral Castle – the Queen’s Scottish estate. Money can buy us a lot of really great things.

And yet money can’t buy us any of the things that really count – like love, happiness, time, and health. So why are we so obsessed with it?

This Sunday we are wrapping up our sermon series “The Way of Jesus” with a look at another familiar passage – the story of the Rich Young Ruler in Mark 10. This wealthy young man came to Jesus and asked a great question. “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17) The answer Jesus gave was not what he expected. Mark tells us that when he heard Jesus’ answer, “… he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” (Mark 10:22)

The way of Jesus is the way of generosity … giving your time, your talent, and your treasure to grow the kingdom of God. If you follow the way of Jesus, you will find that generosity changes you and others.

I hope you will join me Sunday as we learn that the way of Jesus is taking a step of faith toward living and giving generously.