Our antiseptic view of the nativity – all tinsel, smiles, and lights – does not exactly match the reality. Jesus was born in the context of scandal, poverty and violence. God, who could incarnate himself in any way, chooses this way. So why don’t those whose context is that of Jesus not recognize him as their homeboy?

The Messiah didn’t come as expected. In fact, he was so unrecognizable that “there was no room at the inn.” It reminds us of Revelation, where Jesus is outside, standing at the door and knocking, or Matthew 25, where Jesus is not recognized among the needy. Are we willing to welcome the presence of God – even when it is not what we expected? Are we hospitable to Jesus?

Who is going to rule? It is always the big question and the very beginnings of the Gospel story set up as a contest between Jesus and the powers of the world. Herod appears to have all the power, but the baby king wins! The Christmas question is: which king will you serve? It is a moment of decision.

Sometimes we are selfish with Christmas itself. We may give gifts away, but we don’t share “the hope of the world.” Jesus’ birth wasn’t and isn’t merry for everyone. So finally the call to us is to follow Jesus in incarnation – the church must be Christ to the world buried in poverty, scandal and violence. It’s time to leave the building as Jesus left heaven and go into the streets as Jesus went to the manger and then to the cross.

Being thankful is not something humans do naturally and yet, all the way back into the Old Testament, God’s people have a great history of being people who give thanks. In our lives, it’s not that we don’t give thanks at all, but much like the attention we give to our own breathing (in that we don’t think much about it at all until we can’t); too often we don’t actively pursue giving thanks as a major activity of our life. But we should! Being thankful may not come naturally, but it is an essential part of being in relationship with God. Learning how to give thanks better will always draw us closer to God. In this session, we will examine the transformative power of giving thanks and we’ll kick off a month of actively “giving thanks in all circumstances.”

Giving thanks may be a “lost art” in today’s culture. To really effectively “give thanks,” we actually have to learn to do it. Think about how many times a parent reminds their young child to say “Thank you” in the formative years of life. Giving thanks is an active behavior that promotes authentic humility. Many of us are “grateful” for the good in our life but even when we are “grateful,” we may miss the active nature of truly “giving thanks.” For the Christian, true humility begins with what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. Humility is a key ingredient to being a truly thankful person. In today’s session, we examine the deeper nature of actively giving thanks and how authentic humility is essential to being “thankful in all circumstances.”

Where does true hope reside in the life of a Christ-follower? Christ brings perfect peace into the life of a true believer, but sometimes our hope is challenged, especially in hard times. The hope of Christ-followers precedes any trouble or hardship that can come our way. Because we hope in the grace given to us in Christ, we can faithfully be hopeful in our troubled times. In this session, we will consider how being hopeful in troubled times unlocks the door to “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” – even at the very worst of times.

Difficult people don’t frequently make the “headlines” of our life. Oh, that’s not to say we don’t complain about them, because we do. But we don’t announce the difficult people in our life to the world around us. For example, we don’t introduce a difficult person saying, “This is Zelda. She is one of the most difficult people in life!” We just don’t do that. We usually deal quietly with (or completely avoid) the difficult people in our life. If we don’t openly complain, we often stew on the difficulties like a simmering pot. Relatives, co-workers, neighbors, store clerks, church members – we always have difficult people in our life. In this session, we move toward the point of spiritual maturity where we can actually be “thankful” for the difficult people in our life and actively move toward better relationship with them.

Learning to be thankful isn’t just good for your soul, it’s healthy, too! In 2003, at the University of California (Davis), psychologist Robert Emmons’ research project on Gratitude and Thanksgiving revealed that the more thankful a test subject is, the healthier they tend to be. Among those examined, people who did daily thanksgiving exercises slept better, had fewer illnesses and felt more spiritually connected to others. They exercised regularly, had a healthier diet and reported generally healthier lives. In this session, we step into life’s “laboratory,” review how our Project Thanksgiving activities have influenced our life and consider how living a thankful life touches every aspect of our life in Christ and “fulfills God’s will for us in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:18).

The church of Jesus Christ is a revolutionary entity. Filled with the “good news” of the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit, the church is amazing and should experience powerful things. But is this what we in the church and people outside the church see? In today’s world, church is too often viewed as something superficial, irrelevant and inconsequential to life. It is almost as if someone has stolen the true identity of the church. In this session, we focus on the central message of the church: the gospel message and how it transforms the life of all who hear it.

Although cliché, the old saying goes, “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” The evidence of the first Christians is that they witnessed the power of the gospel transforming their personal lives and consequently the way they saw and cared for other people as well. Koinonia (fellowship) made the early church stand out in community. Sharing and caring for others made the church a powerful witness of God’s love. In today’s session, we reconsider how important caring is as a credible witness for the identity of the church.

Early Christians were praying people. They didn’t pray only at mealtime or only in difficult circumstances… they prayed frequently and with much intensity. For the early Christians, prayer was as much a part of “church” as anything else they did. In our day, does prayer hold the same importance it did for the early church? While even modern medicine cites the value of prayer, do we value and practice prayer as much as we should? Prayer is one of the identifying marks of the church, and in this session we will ask if part of that identity is missing and what we can do to make it a vital part of who we are!

Peter experienced an amazing vision from God. During a prayer session, Peter became hungry and as the food was being prepared he saw a vision that went against everything he had ever known about what he should and could eat. The vision happened three times and each informed Peter to not “call anything impure that God has made clean.” While this certainly had relevance for Peter’s dietary life, it had even greater implications for his ministry. A man named Cornelius had been praying about the same time as Peter for God’s will. Through the prayer of both men, God opened the door for the “mission” of God to spread to “all nations.” Peter learned that God’s grace extends far beyond his own comfort or understanding. We will do well to remember the same thing.

AUDIO UNAVAILABLE -People get very accustomed to living in the world. Sometimes we get so comfortable that even wrong things look right. But in reality, the world is “upside down” when we look through the eyes of Jesus. Jesus responds to situations in ways that are often diametrically opposite of how the world responds to the very same situations. In this introductory lesson, we examine who Jesus is and we look at Jesus’ declaration that explains why He was right side up in an “upside down” world.

On playground merry-go-rounds there is only one thing that makes things spin: people power. The faster everyone wants to go, the more people it takes to spin it. Inevitably, there are always some people who don’t want to push, they only want to ride. In this session, we will rediscover Jesus’ teaching that what we give to certain matters of life directly correlates to what we may expect to receive.

On the playground, picking teams is one of the most stressful moments for a kid. Getting picked “first” is great, but getting picked “last” is humiliating! Living right in an “upside down” world requires us getting a new perspective on what is “first” and what is “last.” In this session, we take a look at the life of the apostle Paul. A one-time prominent Jewish leader, his viewpoint changed about “picking teams” when he encountered Jesus. The transformation of Paul is a powerful story of how often we pursue first place when Jesus actually calls us to last place; the place of sacrifice and service.

AUDIO UNAVAILABLE - Playground philosophy suggests that winners are always the best! The “kid” who dies with the most toys wins! But in the Kingdom of God, Jesus turns that thinking “right side” up from its upside down worldly perspective! The request of two of Jesus’ disciples was to “sit at His right and left” in Christ’s glory. In this session, we’ll see that Jesus replies by saying “whoever wants to be great among you, must be your servant.” Jesus declares whoever wants to be “first,” must be slave of all.

On the playground, kids who runs the fastest, throw the farthest or hit the hardest are considered the “strongest.” Jesus turns this “upside down” thinking “right side up” through an encounter in the life of the apostle Paul. In this session, we look past the surface matters of worldly strength and consider what true strength is in God’s grace. We will realize the truth that in Christ, “when we are weak, we are strong.”

On the playground, Dodgeball begins as a team sport. There are two teams initially throwing balls at one another. Get hit with a ball, and you’re out. A funny thing happens though as the game proceeds… eventually what once was a “team” effort becomes “survival of the fittest!” Team members will allow their fellow teammates to be “sacrificed” for the sake of remaining in the game. Jesus taught His disciples that if “anyone would come after” Him, that person would have to be willing to lose his life in order to find it. In our “upside down world” too often we look out only for ourselves and not for the sake of others around us. In today’s session, we seek the transformational power of Jesus as He teaches us to be willing to “die” so that we might “live.”

Noah’s son Shem was the most blessed of Noah’s three sons. 10 generations later, Terah became the father of Abram. God had chosen Abram before time began. He favored his family line so that Abram (Abraham) would become the father of a great nation. God has called all people, as sons of Abraham, for great things. We need to see ourselves as being chosen “for eternity” rather than merely chosen for today or even for our lifetime. In Christ, we live “eternity” today.

Abram had settled with his family in Ur of the Chaldeans. God calls Abram to leave everything and “go to the land I will show you.” Obedience to God’s call is essential to being available for His work – even when we don’t know where God is leading us. There are sacrifices to be made when God calls His people. But blessings far outweigh the sacrifice. The choice “to move” on God’s call is ultimately ours to make. This lesson will focus on following, hearing, leaving and obeying.

Abram gave Lot his choice of which way to go when it was time for them to separate. Lot chose what appears to be the better land, but its proximity to Sodom and Gomorrah eventually costs him (14:12; 19:26). What was gained in Abram allowing Lot to choose first? Sometimes what initially looks to be “loss” is really “gain” and vice versa. As with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, what looked like loss was really victory. How does this reflect Jesus’ teaching about being a servant to all?

God makes a promise to Abram – promising his offspring will be as numerous as the stars in the sky. What is often missed in this text is that Abram believed God and it was credited as righteousness. What does it really mean to believe God? Do we have the kind of faith Abram displayed when he believed God? Jesus told Thomas, Christians are “blessed” because they have not seen (Christ) and still believe. Are we a believing people like Abraham and the kind of believing people Jesus anticipates we should be?

Abram “speeds up” the process of having the offspring God promised. Abram believed God would give him offspring and build a nation after his name, but he wasn’t patient in seeing how God would do it. Taking matters into his own hands, Abram moved ahead of God’s plans. If he had waited only 14 years longer, things would have been done God’s way. Abram asks for God to bless Ishmael anyway (17:18) but God remains steady with His plan. How frequently do we intend to do God’s things, but we don’t wait to do them God’s way? In this lesson we will look at the tension between believing and waiting.

There appears to be 13 years of silence (inferred between 16:16 and 17:1) between Abram and God. Was this a result of Abram taking matters into his own hands? We can’t be sure. But we can ask, “How do we behave when God seems “silent” or “distant?” St. John of the Cross called these moments “the dark night of the soul.” God eventually changed Abram and Sarai’s names because He was blessing them. What do we learn from this portion of Abraham and Sarah’s life? How are we different living in the reality that is Christ Jesus as Lord?

Three promises are kept in this chapter: 1) the birth of Isaac; 2) God promises to spare Ishmael; 3) the treaty between Abimelech and Abraham. God is consistent when He makes a promise. How well do we keep our promises? Jesus has made a promise He will return to take us to be with Him and He has promised the Holy Spirit (John 14). Are we living with confidence in God’s promises?

Even when circumstances of our life don’t make sense, do we remain faithful to God? Abraham trusted God and it was credited to him as righteousness. Obedience and faith have a strong corollary that brings blessing in life (22:18). In what ways is our faith put to the test and how do we respond?

Abraham left a legacy of faith for generations to follow. What legacy of faith do we leave behind? Abraham relied on God to provide Isaac with a wife. Do we live our lives with a sense of “legacy” even in some decisions we might see as routine? We have the opportunity to leave a legacy of faith we behind us that will last for generations to come. What kind of legacy will we leave and how actively do we choose to influence that legacy?

The story of Hannah and the birth of her son Samuel lifts up both the power of a godly mother and the importance of dedicating our children to God.

On Senior Sunday, we take an inside look at the life of teenagers…and the bridge from High School to college. In this wisdom message, all will be reminded that fearing and trusting God are the source of all knowledge, and is the light that guides our paths…whether still at home, or as we leave the nest.

The Bible has much to say about what it means it be a godly son or daughter toward our parents. When God shapes our attitudes and our actions toward our parents, he blesses us for caring, reconciling, and loving our parents.

This week, we take a look at the sacredness of marriage. Often, we come to marriage as though God’s goal is our happiness rather than our holiness—as though our lives are broken into personal and spiritual. In truth, marriage is one of the primary ways in which God “holifies” us, as we learn the act of submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Being a great father to children begins first and foremost with being a great son of the heavenly Father. With increased intimacy in a man’s relationship with God comes increased abilities and sensitivities to raise his family in the ways and instruction of the Lord.

God created the heavens and the earth. In Christ, the great light of world came, separating light from darkness. We now are called together by God’s Word to be light in darkness.

This is the “Wow” sermon on God’s creative power. In the separation of earth from water, and sky or “heaven” from earth and water, we experience the goodness of God’s majestic creativity and power.

God created day and night with the intention of giving creation a rhythm by which to live. This sermon will offer a theology of time.

God created the plants and creatures of the earth with imagination and beauty. This sermon will talk about our responsibility to care for His creation.

On Missions Sunday, we pause to remember God’s creation of humankind. At the fall, God’s relationship with humankind is broken, but in Christ, it’s restored.

God rests on the seventh day and sets forth an example for us to follow. This is the culminating sermon of the series.

Revelation isn’t a book to be afraid of. It is the only book that promises us that we will be blessed for reading it. All of God’s Word is God-breathed and useful for life. Revelation is not fundamentally about the end of time, it’s about the triumph of Christ over the kingdoms of the world.

This text encompasses the famous letters to the seven churches. Some are applauded by Jesus, others are upbraided for various things. We will look at what Jesus loves and doesn’t in the case of each of the seven churches…asking, “If Jesus visited Highland Oaks, what might he see? If he were to speak to the angel of Highland Oaks, what might he want him to write?

The picture John gives to us of worship in chapters four and five is absolutely amazing. It is one of neverending praise. The picture of worship spoken of here should shape how we worship today. It’s real worship

This amazing portion of Revelation gives all hope that God will eventually judge the wicked, and rescue those who suffer. The seals and the trumpets bring with them God’s rescue.

This portion of Revelation speaks of a time of great persecution. Nevertheless, there are those who never bow a knee to the evil one. This passage is a call to persevere through persecution…waiting for the day of the Lord.

Armageddon is the name typically given to the great battle between the forces of God and the forces of evil at the end of time. This is described here. In the end, God wins. For this, we can be thankful. All the forces of hell cannot overcome the power of God.

This passage of Scripture is a happy dance over the destruction of Babylon. It is a rejoicing over the end of evil. It’s OK to rejoice over the destruction of what is evil, as pure goodness wins the victory.

In this final sermon, we will focus again on the triumph of God, and the images of New Jerusalem, New Heaven, and New Earth.

God wants us to live lives of balance. Balance isn’t giving everything the same amount of time and energy. It’s giving the right things the right amount of time, energy and focus. Our relationship to God matters most, and shapes everything else in our lives.

Balance Series Description God wants us to live lives of balance. Balance isn't giving everything the same amount of time and energy. It's giving the right things the right amount of time, energy and focus. Our relationship to God matters most, and shapes everything else in our lives.

God has many amazing things in store for Highland Oaks this year. Here’s a preview of how God plans to use HOCC in the coming year. This sermon will urge people to get involved with their time, talent and treasure. “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”

God has given us a guide for how to balance the most important human relationships we have in our lives—our relationship with our spouse and children. When God guides how we live as families, our families become one of God’s richest blessings, and greatest spiritual growth contexts.