The Heights Church

Oh My Soul - wk2

"Keys to Unleashing True Worship"

 Bryan Jones

“Who do people say the Son of Man is?”  That is the question Jesus asked His disciples as they stood at the “Gates of Hell” in Caesarea Philippi.  The people in Jesus’ day had various answers to this question.  Some said he was a reformer, others a miracle worker, and still others a great teacher.  But when Jesus asked this same question of Peter, he declared, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”  (Matthew 16:16)
 
Who do you say Jesus is?  Do you truly believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God?  If you do, have you built your life around Him?  The starting point of truly worshipping God is seeing Him for who He truly is.  It’s not just believing in Him, but putting Him above everything else.
 
After Peter’s bold declaration, Jesus turns the tables and says to Peter,  “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it.”  (Matthew 16:18)  It’s not enough just to know who Jesus is.  You have to know your own identity as a follower of Jesus.  You have to understand that you are chosen by God and you have a purpose.
 
As we continue our sermon series on worship this Sunday, we’re going to take a look at this encounter between Jesus and His disciples at Caesarea Philippi.  There are two keys to truly worshipping God.  Know who God is.  Know who you are.

Oh My Soul - wk1

"Oh My Soul"

 Bryan Jones

Praise means “expressing admiration or approval.”  When someone praises you, you feel valued.  A recent Gallup poll concluded that employees who receive regular praise are more productive, engaged, and more likely to stay with their organization.  Praising someone strengthens your relationship with that person.  Praise is powerful.
 
For those who follow Jesus, praise and worship go hand in hand.  You could say that worship is the language of the soul.  Worship is a place where you get lost in God’s presence, and from that place comes praise for who God is and what He has done.
 
Starting this Sunday we are going to spend five weeks talking about worship in a sermon series called “Oh My Soul.”  We will start this Sunday with a look at what the Old Testament teaches us about praise.  In the Hebrew language, there are seven different words used for praise, and each of them has its own unique meaning.  Some words translated as “praise” mean “to throw up your hands.” Others describe loud shouting.  Some refer to playing an instrument.  Others describe hope in the midst of hopelessness, anticipating God’s saving grace while we are still in our troubles.
 
So this Sunday we’re going to look at each of those words as they are used in the Psalms.  We’re going to join together in an anthem of praise as we worship God with our hearts and our minds … in spirit and truth.

Spiritual Gifts - wk2

"Put Your Spiritual Gifts into Practice"

Dr. Gary Singleton

Last Sunday Bryan did a great job of introducing us to spiritual gifts. This Sunday we’re going to continue that study with a look at some of the specific gifts that Paul lists in Romans 12. I really do encourage you to discover your spiritual gifts, because knowing how God has uniquely gifted you will help you learn more about how you can use your gifts to glorify God and build up the body of Christ.

God has given every one of His followers a specific gift … or maybe 2 or 3 gifts. We don’t choose our gifts – God does. Some gifts are front and center – like preaching and leadership. Others are more behind-the-scenes like hospitality and administration. No gift is more important than any other gift, and all are needed in order for the body of Christ to function the way God intended.

I hope you will join me Sunday as we discover more about some of the specific spiritual gifts, and then learn how each of us can use our gifts to serve the body of Christ here at The Heights. There is a place for everyone, and all of us are needed. Discover your spiritual gift, and then use that gift for God’s glory.

Spiritual Gifts - wk1

"What is Your Spiritual Gift?"

Bryan Jones

What was the last gift you received?  Maybe you got a tie for Father’s Day a couple of weeks ago.  (Do people even give ties anymore?)  Maybe you got a box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day.  Or maybe you have a stack of gift cards that were given to you as gifts for various occasions.
 
Sometimes we receive a gift that is exactly what we wanted and we can’t wait to use it!  Other times not so much.  Maybe that box of chocolates was milk chocolate and you only like dark.  And there’s always the old “re-gifting” for gifts we can’t really use or don’t really like.
 
Well for the next two Sundays we’re going to be talking about gifts … spiritual gifts, that is.  If you are a follower of Jesus, you have been given a gift, and God intends for you to use that gift to build up the body of Christ.
 
Some of you already know your spiritual gift.  Others are saying, “Wait – I have a gift?”  Yes, you do.  And in order to use your gift you need to know what it is!  We’re going to talk about that on Sunday as we take a look at 1 Corinthians 12.
 
It takes every believer using their gift for the body of Christ to function the way it should.  I encourage you to join me this Sunday to learn more about your spiritual gift – what it is and how you can use it to glorify God and build up the body.

James 3 & 4 - wk4

"Good Plans"

Dr. Gary Singleton

Are you a planner?  Do you keep up with the schedules of every person in your family?  Do you put together a detailed itinerary for every family vacation?   When you see a list, do you have an urge to leave no item unchecked?  If any of this sounds familiar, chances are you’re a planner.
 
Being a planner is a good thing.  We count on the planners in our life to keep us organized and on track.  But being a planner has its drawbacks too. 
 
This Sunday we will wrap up our sermon series in James with a look at making plans.  James has some words of warning to those of us who are making plans without any input from God.  All of us have goals and dreams, and we have a plan of action to move us in that direction.  But James tells us we need to hold those plans in an open hand and not in a closed fist.
 
I hope you will join me Sunday as we learn from James that planning isn’t wrong, as long as we make our plans on our knees.

James 3 & 4 - wk3

"Selfish Desires"

Bryan Jones

Most of us find selfishness in other people to be a real turn off. But if we’re honest, very few of us are naturally selfless. In fact, most of us are unaware of just how selfish we really are. And left undealt with, our selfishness will harm our family and friendships … our character … even our relationship with God.

This Sunday we’re going to see that James pretty much just lays it on the line when it comes to our selfishness. How do you know when you are being driven by selfish ambition instead of love? James tells us to look at a couple of things. How do you respond when you don’t get what you want? What does your prayer life look like? Do you seek to glorify yourself or God?

I hope you will join me Sunday as we learn from James how we can remedy a divided, selfish heart. We will have to fight against selfish ambition as long as we live in this fallen world. But James tells us to live out of our identity in Jesus … to live in the fullness of God. I think we will see that looking away from ourselves and turning toward Jesus is the key to walking in joyful freedom from selfish ambition.

James 3 & 4 - wk2

"Are You Wise?"

Dr. Gary Singleton

Now I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that all of us want to be wise.  In fact, I’ll bet a lot of us believe that we already are!  I mean if people would just listen to you, things would be a lot better – right?
 
But what exactly is wisdom?  Socrates said, “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”  A Google search tells us that WikiHow can show us “How to Gain Wisdom in 13 Steps.”  And in Proverbs we learn that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”  So how can we really know what wisdom is and whether we have it?
 
As we continue this Sunday in James 3, we find that James clearly spells out the difference between a wise person and a fool.  As a matter of fact, he lays it out so clearly that we can use his words as a heart test to discern just how wise we really are.
 
I hope you will join me Sunday as we hear what James has to say about wisdom.  Are you really wise?  Or are you just fooling yourself?

James 3 & 4 - wk1

"Taming the Tongue"

Pierce Vanderslice

Words are one of the most powerful ways we communicate with those around us.  We use words to express our thoughts and our ideas.  We use them to express our emotions … our joy, our sadness, and our fear.  Encouraging words can be life-giving.  Words spoken in anger can destroy a life.
 
You can probably recall some words spoken to you that altered the course of your life.  “You’ll never amount to anything.”  “I don’t love you anymore.”  “I’m sorry, you have cancer.”  Or maybe those words were more like this:  “You can do this – I’ve got your back.”  “I believe in you.”  “You did a great job.”  “You are important to me.”  Our words, both positive and negative, are powerful and lasting.
 
This Sunday we are starting a new sermon series from the book of James.  James is Jesus’ little brother and the leader of the church in Jerusalem, and he has a lot to say about the power of our words.  One study suggests that we speak about 20,000 words every day.  I hope you will join me Sunday as James tells us how we can make those 20,000 words count.

Promises - wk5

"Promise of Community"

Dr. Gary Singleton

This weekend we celebrate Memorial Day – a day of remembering those who gave their lives defending our nation.  America is known as the land of the free and the home of the brave.  Many believe it is the greatest nation in the world, and many have risked everything to pursue the American dream.
 
But what about our faith community – the community of those who follow Jesus?  What are we known for?  What sets us apart and makes others want to be part of our community?
 
This Sunday we will wrap up our sermon series on God’s promises with a look at the promise of community.  Why is community important?  What are we called to do as members of this community?  I hope you will join me this Memorial Day weekend as we see that as followers of Jesus, we are better together.  We are called to be unique … set apart to fulfill a common mission.  We are called to please God and help others by sharing the gospel boldly.

Promises - wk4

"Promise of Living Water"

Bryan Jones

Water.  It’s one of the most important substances in the world.  At least 60% of the human body is made of water and every living cell needs it to continue functioning.  Seventy one percent of the surface of the earth is covered in water.  We use water for cooking, drinking, bathing.  We use it to generate power and to irrigate crops.  We even use it for recreation, like a local Dallas man who recently dove deeper into the ocean than any human ever has before.
 
The element is incredible, and without it, life would cease to exist.  Just like we need physical water to satisfy our physical thirst, Jesus tells us that we need spiritual water to satisfy our spiritual thirst.  Jesus calls this water “living water,” and He has promised that those who drink it will never thirst.
 
But what is this “living water” that Jesus speaks of?  How do we get it?  Why do those of us who know Jesus and follow Jesus still feel thirsty and unsatisfied?