Weekly Messages

Have you ever had an experience that you never want to forget? Or maybe an event that looking back, meant your life would never be the same? Like the thrill of starting fresh in a new city, the excitement of landing your dream job, the magic of meeting the love of your life, or all the feels that fill you when you hold your child for the first time. For the people of Israel, such a moment has arrived, one so monumental that their God reset their entire calendar for it: the Passover. 

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Questions for Reflection & Discussion

Why was the first Passover necessary? Reflect on the idea that God is serious about who He is and what He has promised. How does the Passover demonstrate God's character as both just and merciful?

Discuss the difference between “passover” faith and passive faith. Which do you feel best describes your faith right now? What’s one way you can grow in active and obedient faith?

In what ways did the New Testament writers see Jesus as the ultimate Passover lamb? Does it change your heart/appreciation for the word of God in any way? Why or why not?

Jeremiah 17:9 reads, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can understand it?” 

The answer to Jeremiah’s question is “God, and God alone.” He not only understands the heart but is completely sovereign over the heart and is the only one wise enough, good enough, and great enough to use even the most wicked of human hearts in accomplishing His perfect plan and purpose.

Don’t believe me? I give you Exhibit A: The Heart of Pharaoh.

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Questions for Reflection & Discussion

How does the reality of God’s hardening Pharaoh’s heart challenge your understanding of God's sovereignty and human responsibility?

Reflect on the implications of God's sovereignty and mercy in your own life. How does understanding these concepts affect your relationship with God and your response to His word?

Consider the call to not harden our hearts in response to God's voice. How can we cultivate hearts that are receptive to God's leading and mercy?

We’ve reached the infamous showdown between God and Pharaoh with a capital “P,” who in a way represents all of us. He is the archetype of the wickedness and stubbornness of the human heart. “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice?” Pharaoh asks. The Plagues are God’s answer to the question. He is God and there is no other. How will we respond?

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Questions for Reflection & Discussion

How does God’s purpose in the plagues—that people would know that He is Yahweh—represent the opportunity for Pharaoh and Egypt (and the Israelites, too)  to experience His grace and mercy?

How was Pharaoh’s false repentance, prompted by the plagues, different from genuine repentance? What are some characteristics of false humility and repentance?

Pharaoh’s actions as the plagues progress reveal that we oftentimes qualify our repentance and submission to God. Some of these reservations persist for many years after our conversion. What are some ways God is calling you to move toward complete submission and obedience to Him?

After Moses and Aaron first confront Pharaoh, things go from bad to worse for the people of God, and understandably, the people can't deal with it. It’s not a question of “if,” but “when.” Jesus once said that we can all expect trouble in this world. How will we ever learn to deal with it? God has the answer to our question.

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Questions for Reflection & Discussion

When facing the troubles of the world, hatred and/or hardship in life, where do you typically turn for help? How might you better turn to God?

The sermon discusses the concept of "Pharaohs" in our lives—things or people that bring hardship. Can you identify any "Pharaohs" in your life currently? How do you typically confront or deal with them?

Genuine faith is tested faith. Have you experienced times when your faith was tested? How did you respond? What did you learn from those experiences?

Reflect on the "I will" statements of God in Exodus 6:6-8. How do these statements reflect God's character and His promises to His people? How can we trust in these promises during times of trouble?

Moses lives in our memory as one of the greatest leaders in the history of God’s people, but it's important to remember where he began: insecure, uncertain, unprepared, and unworthy. He was entirely insufficient (in every sense of the word) for facing Pharaoh, but he’d soon learn that the LORD was sufficient enough. 

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Questions for Reflection & Discussion

What is your regular rhythm for spending time in the presence of God in your life? What might you change to better practice His presence this week?

Which of the five excuses of Moses do you most resonate with? Why? How does God’s response to the excuse help you in your struggle?

Jesus uses the phrase ‘I AM’, which is central to the revelation of God’s identity in Exodus 3, in John 8:58. What should we conclude from this about the relation of Jesus to the God of the Old Testament?

This week we are introduced to Moses. Moses' remarkable story reveals to us that God desires a relationship with His people and goes to great (often unexpected) lengths to make it happen. 

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Questions for Reflection & Discussion

How can we be more attentive to the work God is doing in our lives, especially in those aspects that we might not think to look?

Are there areas in your life where you might be tempted to think that God is not actively involved or has forgotten? How does this passage in Exodus encourage you to trust in God’s ongoing care and guidance?

What comfort do you find in the unchanging nature of God and His Word? How does this motivate you to think, say, and do differently?

The Book of Exodus tells an important story. And by story, I don’t mean a fictional story, but a factual one. It is a timelessly true story about God and what He does for His people—He was, is, and ever will be the God who provided ‘a way out’ for his people, who were slaves in Egypt, and He is still providing a way out today.
 
In fact, right from the opening chapters of the book, it becomes clear that “God knows” He knows you. He knows what you are going through. And He knows what He is doing to make it right.

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Questions for Reflection & Discussion

Consider the two types of fear: The fear of God and the fear of man. How can we cultivate a greater fear of God in our lives, and how might this impact our decision-making in various aspects of life?

Explore ways to trust in God's sovereignty, recognizing that His plan will always prevail. How can we align our lives with His purposes and trust in His wisdom even in the face of uncertainty?

God hears. God sees. God knows. Which of these most encourages you today? How can we practically live out our faith in a way that reflects our understanding of God's covenant and love for His people?

This week we wrap up our ALL IN series with the call to love God with all of our strength. What is strength? What does it mean to have strength? How do I love God with all my strength? The answers from scripture might surprise you. Thankfully, it’s got little to do with moving monster trucks with ropes.

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Questions for Personal Reflection and Group Discussion

Reflect upon your understanding of the term me’od and how it goes beyond physical strength. How might you explain it if asked?

Consider the significance of loving God with your "muchness" in private, personal, and public aspects of life. Which of these is a strength of yours? Which of these needs the most help?

What are some instances from your life or the lives of others where God has proven Himself trustworthy. How does knowing Him contribute to your ability to trust Him?

Consider how the revelation of God's character, as seen in Exodus 34, influences your trust in Him. How does knowing who God is impact your ability to love and trust Him?

This week we discuss the importance of loving God with all of our minds. I find it interesting that the Word commands us to love God with all our mind. We don’t usually speak of love in terms of intellectual activity. In fact, most of our understanding of love today is described in passive categories. We speak not of jumping in love but falling in love, like it is an accident that just happens to us. But loving God is no accident. And it cannot happen without the mind. Let’s talk about it.

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Questions for Reflection & Discussion

What are some of the ways you intentionally engage your mind in thinking about God and the things of God? How often do you do this? How often do you think for the sake of loving God? What stands in the way of you doing it more often?

Completely. Correctly. Consistently. These were the words used to describe what it might look like to love God with all of your mind. Which of the three is your strongest? Which may need adjustment to align more closely with a love for Godly men?

What practical steps will you take to ensure that your thinking about God leads to a deeper love for Him? 

Loving God with all our heart makes sense to us. What else would we or could we love God with besides our heart? Well, God commands a few things. The next to discuss is loving God with all our soul.

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Questions for Reflection & Discussion

How does the OT and NT understanding of the soul challenge the common understanding of the soul? What difference does this make in your understanding of the command to love God with all of your soul?

God alone is the satisfaction of our souls. Does your life reflect this truth? How so? How not? What stands in the way of the change needed for your life to better reflect this truth?

What’s one thing you want to or ought to do differently this week to better love God with all of your soul?

This week we start a new sermon series titled “All In,” which most commonly refers to a move in a poker game where a player bets all of his or her chips on one hand. However, that phrase has caught on to the larger culture beyond poker games.

Nowadays, it simply implies that someone is fully committed. You hear it everywhere—whether in business talk, catchy marketing campaigns, sports pep talks, and even in discussions about faith.

One could say that the Bible had the contemporary meaning of “all in” all along. As Christians we are to give every aspect of ourselves to God—we are “all in” believers and followers of Jesus. 

But the depth of our enthusiasm goes beyond being excited about a new brand or public figure. Let’s talk about how we can go all in together to start the new year!

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Questions for Reflection & Discussion

Loving God starts with knowing God. What are the qualities of who He is that stir your affections for Him?

Jews then and now consider the recital of the Shema both evening and morning to be one of their most sacred duties. It is a discipline of their devotion to God. What disciplines do you have that help you to love God? How are they helpful? Which disciplines would you like to practice more? How can your community help?

Do you have a resolution for the new year? How could the command to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, help you to accomplish your goals?

The greatest Christmas gift of all has come, Immanuel, God with us. How will you respond to the news?

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Questions for Reflection and Discussion

In what areas of your life do you struggle to acknowledge and celebrate the abiding presence of God? How might recognizing Immanuel, God with us, transform your perspective in those areas? What practical steps can you take to cultivate awareness of His presence in your daily life?

Consider Herod's reaction to the news of Jesus's birth. Are there areas in your life where you resist surrendering power and control to God?

Reflect on the indifference of the chief priests and scribes despite their knowledge of the truth. How can you ensure that your celebration of Christmas (and of Jesus in general) is not some lifeless routine but a genuine response of worship and adoration of Immanuel?

Ever notice how the holiday season, meant to be a time of joy, turns into a stress-fest?

The pressure for perfection in decorations, gifts, and gatherings, coupled with social media's picture-perfect standards, leads to nothing but all out chaos. Add in the financial strain, family dynamics, and the ticking clock of holiday deadlines – it's the perfect storm of stress.

Question: When the trappings of the holidays rob us of joy, where do we turn?

Scripture suggests something profound: we turn to Christmas itself, not the glitzy chaos, but the real heart of it, the baby born in Bethlehem whose name is Jesus. 

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Questions for Reflection and Discussion

How do you typically seek comfort during challenging moments? How might turning to God for comfort change your perspective?

Consider the connection between the Old Testament prophecy in Isaiah and the birth of Jesus in the New Testament. How does the birth of Jesus bring joy, and how can you keep the focus on the true meaning of Christmas amid the holiday hustle and bustle?

Reflect on the connection between seeking the Lord, obedience, and the promise of joy in John 15:11. How does joy flow through obedience in your understanding, and how can it transform your approach to life's challenges?

2024 marks an election year, and it is shaping up to be unlike anything I've witnessed in my lifetime. Unfortunately, every four years, our nation appears to be growing more and more divided.

This division has reached a point where the idea of a government embodying justice and righteousness seems unimaginable, let alone one characterized by enduring absolute justice.

Can you imagine? A government so just and so good that there is only and always an ever-increasing peace in the world? It’s a scenario that feels like an impossible dream, given the historical trajectory of humanity—even the best-intentioned governments in history have eventually succumbed to the inherent flaws of human nature.

And yet, Scripture teaches that God has achieved what humanity cannot. Through the birth of His Son, a kingdom marked by everlasting authority, justice, righteousness, and peace has been established, and we get to be citizens of this kingdom, now and forever.

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Questions for Reflection and Discussion

The people mentioned in Isaiah's time were not just facing moments of overwhelming darkness but were seemingly content to dwell in it. How do you see parallels between that situation and the current state of the world or society today? Are there areas in your life where you are content to dwell in darkness too?

The victory in Isaiah 9:3-5 is likened to Israel's triumph over Midian, which was unexpected and decisive. Can you share a personal experience where God brought victory in an unexpected way in your life?

Isaiah 9:6 assigns powerful names to the promised child: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Which of these most resonates with you right now? Why?

What practical steps can you take to actively invite the peace of Christ into your life and community?

In a world filled with uncertainties, challenges, and ever-changing circumstances, the concept of hope often emerges as a guiding light for many. However, the world's understanding of hope can sometimes resemble a fragile wish, a desire founded on circumstances and fleeting emotions. It’s not so for the people of God.

This Sunday, we will not gather to practice wishful thinking together, but to proclaim a profound contrast between the hope propagated by secular culture, rooted in the temporal and the uncertain, and Christian hope, which is firmly rooted like “an anchor for the soul” in our unchanging God.

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Questions for Reflection and Discussion

Discuss the three-fold foundation for Christian hope as outlined by Hebrews 6 i.e God’s Word, nature and character, and the redemptive work of Jesus. How does this differ from the foundation of secular hope? How does this deepen or challenge your current understanding of hope?

Consider the list of New Testament promises mentioned in the sermon (Salvation and Redemption, Victory over Death and Sin, etc.). Which of these promises most resonates with you currently, and why? With which do you most struggle currently, and why?

In practical terms, how can we as a church and as individuals anchor our hope in God's Word, nature and character, and in the redemptive work of Jesus in our everyday lives?

In what ways can this message of hope be shared or applied in your community and beyond?

What do you treasure? One needs to look no further than his or her priorities for the truth. 

Whatever we focus on dictates our actions–make no mistake, you are willing to sacrifice for the thing(s) most valuable to you. Whether it’s money, status, power, safety, or comfort. What do you treasure?

There is only one thing most “worth it;” one thing of “surpassing worth” (of “everlasting worth”) that is truly worth treasuring, where the gain for us and for others is truly worth the sacrifice.

This Sunday, let’s talk about the one thing of surpassing worth in our lives regardless of who we are or where we are and the gain of our sacrifice, should we give ourselves to the pursuit of Him.

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Questions for Reflection and Discussion

Consider the things that people/you treasure. Why do they/you treasure these things? Why do they/you ultimately fall short of treasuring Jesus?

Consider the areas in which we might rejoice in ourselves i.e. our flesh. Which is most enticing for you? Why? How can we have the same “count it all as loss” mentality as Paul?

How does koinonia in the suffering of Christ help you to know Him more?

How does the hope of resurrection encourage you in your life and walk with Jesus today?

Have you ever been asked the question, “What do you do?” For the majority of us, when asked the question, we begin with our career, our work–at least we do if we are proud of what we do, right? In our culture, we are often defined by our work. There are a number of problems with this mentality.

The biggest problem with this mentality, frankly, is that it is unbiblical. We are not defined by our work. The Bible clearly teaches that we are defined by God’s work–the work He has done for us in Christ and is doing in us by His Spirit; however, work is vitally important to all life. Life does not work without work. That’s true in general but also true with our spiritual life as well.

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Questions for Reflection & Discussion

There is a significant difference between “working for your salvation” and “working out your salvation.” What is this difference and why is the distinction important to make?

Behind our work is God’s work. How does this bring comfort to your life as a follower of Jesus?

We are all tempted to grumble and complain. How can you maintain a joyful attitude in the midst of the problems of life?

Who are the people in your life who model Jesus? In what ways do they model Christlikeness?

Similarly, who are the people in your life to whom you model Jesus? In what ways would they say you model Christlikeness?

This weekend is Veterans Day where we honor veterans of our country’s Armed Forces. There is something particularly beautiful about sacrifice that, when you see it, you cannot help but be moved, whether it be a hero's sacrifice for one’s family or country or, in the case of our scripture reading for Sunday, a savior’s sacrifice for the sin of the world.

This Sunday is International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Together, we join millions of Christians around the world in praying for the persecuted church. The statistics are startling. There are over 360 million Christians who will suffer high levels of persecution today and every two minutes, someone is killed for their faith in Jesus.* These persecuted brothers and sisters of ours are without question some of the most courageous people on earth. From where does their courage come?

Bring a friend and join us this Sunday as we look to the book of Philippians for the answer in a new series we are calling Surpassing Worth: Sacrificial Living for the Sake of Christ.

Join us this Sunday as we wrap up our Ready to Run series. Let's explore the discipleship strategy here at North Highlands and discover what it means to Learn, Love, and Live Like Jesus.