Can I be a Christian and be or do ...? To all of these questions I would say, you are asking the wrong question. The question is entirely about self, and when we come to Christ, self-dies. We took off self and put on Christ. It is not even we who live anymore, but Christ who lives in us. See Galatians 2:20. Our desire now is Christ, and all things submitted to Him. We are going to read a passage that speaks so clearly to this question, to the Church today, the believer today, because nothing happening today is new, and God has answered. Look with me at 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8.
Friends That Offend
September 15, 2024 • Dr. Randall T. Hahn
Friends that offend, you need them. God isn't calling us to be offensive, but He is calling us to care and yes, some will be offended by that concern. We won't stay the course in following Jesus if we don't have people in our lives who care enough to ask. Are you building those kinds of relationships, giving that kind of permission?
Why The Bible?
September 8, 2024 • Dr. Randall T. Hahn
Everyone has a worldview, a way of looking at and interpreting the world. Some of it is made up of who we are and what we do: male, American, pastor. Much of it is made up of what we trustingly listen to: news, Tik Tok, podcasts, friends. It all shapes how we look at relationships, money, God, sex and sexuality, government, people, people groups, really everything. Your worldview is in operation every day on everything. One would think for something so important we would carefully choose our worldview, but I think for most a worldview just happens to them. Let’s not let it just happen. Let’s purposely choose, and I would the Bible, a biblical worldview. You’re not surprised I’d say that, but maybe asking, 'Why the Bible'?
Our Life Should Speak For Itself
September 1, 2024 • Dr. Randall T. Hahn
When people don’t like someone, they tend to only hear and see what confirms their dislike. It is an uphill battle to change that mind. Good will be ignored. Motives will be questioned. The culture is saying we are a place of hate, we are a people against. I hope we never show them hate, and while there are things God calls us to be against, He really sends us out there with what we are for. We are for people and the gospel. We are for people meeting God-sized life and love. But to have that opportunity we really need to strive, more than the average, to be the best neighbor, the best co-worker, the best teammate. What’s at stake is not people liking us, but people knowing the gospel and an opportunity to connect with God-sized life and love. And that is what Paul is going to show us today as continue our series in Thessalonians.
Turning a Nation from Idols to the Living God
August 25, 2024 • Dr. Randall T. Hahn
What do we do when love is defined as smiling at evil? What do we do when hate is saying anything is wrong? What do we do when an America many of us love seems to be passing into the night? What do we do? I would say we have to answer these questions biblically and strategically, as if the church would even agree on what biblically and strategically looks like. Here is where we need to hear the theme of Thessalonians is staying the course, for the end is great. Our staying the course is the best chance for America to turn from idols to the living God. What does staying the course look like.
Stay The Course, The End Is Great!
August 18, 2024 • Dr. Randall T. Hahn
I am excited today to begin a 13-message series on 1 and 2 Thessalonians. In a world gone crazy we get clear direction from Thessalonians of what to do in real time. This isn’t advice to consider if this ever happens, but directives in the heat of battle. Thessalonians is going to take the complexity of our time and say, 'Keep it simple, stupid.' Okay, not the stupid part. But we really can overthink and that leads to paralysis. Being canceled, being labeled, being rejected keeps us paralyzed. Thessalonians is going to address that. But not everyone is paralyzed in a chaotic world. Some have directions the church needs to take. In
Why Are You An American?
May 19, 2024 • Dr. Randall T. Hahn
Do we believe God has a purpose for us being here in America? Are we living like it? It seems God would have us to believe, have us to live like He has us in 2024 America on purpose. This idea can be applied to more than the nation we live in. It can be, should be applied to the family we are in, the school or job we are in, or really any situation. Considering our national conversation, national church conversation, or our theme this year is why today I apply this idea to living in America on purpose.
The Heights Strategy in Partnering
April 28, 2024 • Rev. Wes Rose
Today is the culmination of the last three weeks coming out of Easter. And we are going to address one of the most significant aspects of missions at our church. And that is partnerships. When possible, we develop partnerships for a variety of reasons, and we base our partnerships on Relationships, trust and common purpose or goal. Both overseas and local partners have skills, resources and an expertise that may not have or need to have because of our partnership.
Missions Strategy for The Heights
April 21, 2024 • Rev. Wes Rose
I need (or we need as a church) to have a strategy. Not trying to sound business like or corporate, but there are a lot of needs and people out there and there is a limit on time, people and resources it would be impossible try and do everything. And somewhere along the way I am trusting that God has a plan.
He's Alive, So Love
April 14, 2024 • Dr. Randall T. Hahn
Already two weeks past Easter, but you remember we ended our Easter service asking the question, 'How does someone who possesses the good news that Jesus is alive, that I have been saved from sin, death, and hell; live?' What is the appropriate response to this good news? Last week we heard Jesus say, 'I am alive, go tell, go share.' And today we will hear Him say, 'I am alive, go love.'
Share The Good News!
April 7, 2024 • Dr. Randall T. Hahn
Last week we celebrated the good news that Jesus is alive. Because He is alive, we can live eternally loved, forgiven, adopted by God, heaven as our home. That is incredible news, nothing more significant to our lives. What do we do with it? Jesus wants us to share it. It’s one thing to share my good news, but a whole other kind of joy and excitement to share what is good news for others. Jesus wants this to be our life.
Jesus' Prayer For Us
March 17, 2024 • Dr. Randall T. Hahn
I’ve always been intrigued by the layout of the gospel of John. We have 4 Gospels in the Bible that tell the story of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. John does that in 21 chapters, and 5 of those chapters, chapters 13-17, are about what went on in the Upper Room that Thursday night before He was crucified. That means 24% of John covers 3 hours of Jesus’ life. Now in this 24% we see what Jesus was doing, thinking, talking about, and praying for the night before He knew He would be crucified. What would be important to you if you were healthy, strong, of sound mind; but only had about 18 hours to live. These chapters are showing us what Jesus did. He ends with a prayer. I want to look at the end of that prayer, the last thing on His heart and mind before He steps into His passion.
Giving To The Heights
March 10, 2024 • Dr. Randall T. Hahn
Our giving, your giving means something to Jesus. It is not the actual amount, but that amount compared to what you have. There’s no command here to give everything you have.
There's A Way
March 3, 2024 • Dr. Randall T. Hahn
What do you hear or see when you hear the word 'repent'? I think of a preacher, sweating, red in the face, yelling from a pulpit, 'Repent you heathen!' Repent sounds harsh, confrontational; and well, we should hear some of that in that word, but Jesus also has this word surrounded by good news. One is not usually announcing good news screaming and judging. Jesus just said the rule of God is here and available. God has a will and a way. If, when you realize your way is not working, not the way; you realize you need His way, good news, you can have it. Here’s what you need to do repent and believe. Get off the road you are on. Stop going the wrong way. And get on God’s way. He loves you. He forgives you. And He wants you to have all that comes with His way, His rule. This is the heart of God.
Money Matters
February 25, 2024 • Dr. Randall T. Hahn
Today is the second to last in our series on marriage. We all know money matters. Money is big. It is big in our thoughts, our conversations, our work. And it is big every day. Most of us have a thought or a conversation about money way more than we do God. We think, talk, touch money every day. That’s true as an individual and true in marriage. In any report, money will be one of top 5 reasons for divorce. In any report, money is going to be #1 or #2 in ranking for what we argue about the most in marriage. What would solve it? I believe Jesus would say, 'Y’all are acting like owners that don’t agree, when you need to be thinking about answering to the real owner for what you did with His money'. Jesus points to just such a conversation.