Highrock Church MetroWest: Recent Episodes
Highrock Church MetroWest
We’ve moved our podcast to a new location!
Until we resume in-person services, you’ll be able to find our live-streamed Sunday worship and other online gatherings and events at highrockonline.org.
Join the conversation on the Highrock Online Facebook page, and get the latest sermons by subscribing to the Highrock Online podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!
Thank you to our guests for speaking with us today! Learn more about each speaker by clicking their name:
Michelle Sanchez
Sarah Shin
Michael Carrion
See the full live-streamed service on Highrock Arlington's YouTube channel.
Join us on YouTube every Sunday at 10am, or watch later!
We've made it easy to remember how to connect with Highrock live:
- Daily Devotional: highrock.org/dailydevo
- Sunday Services: highrock.org/highrockathome
See the full live-streamed service on Highrock Arlington's YouTube channel.
Join us on YouTube every Sunday at 10am, or watch later!
We've made it easy to remember how to connect with Highrock live:
- Daily Devotional: highrock.org/dailydevo
- Sunday Services: highrock.org/highrockathome
See the full live-streamed service on Highrock Arlington's YouTube channel.
Join us on YouTube every Sunday at 10am, or watch later!
We've made it easy to remember how to connect with Highrock live:
- Daily Devotional: highrock.org/dailydevo
- Sunday Services: highrock.org/highrockathome
See the full live-streamed service on Highrock Arlington's YouTube channel.
Join us on YouTube every Sunday at 10am, or watch later!
We've made it easy to remember how to connect with Highrock live:
- Daily Devotional: highrock.org/dailydevo
- Sunday Services: highrock.org/highrockathome
See the full live-streamed service on Highrock Arlington's YouTube channel.
Join us on YouTube every Sunday at 10am, or watch later!
We've made it easy to remember how to connect with Highrock live:
- Daily Devotional: highrock.org/dailydevo
- Sunday Services: highrock.org/highrockathome
In this sermon Pastors Meghan and Ryan refer to a "shape" that can be used to process important moments, sometimes called "kairos" moments, in our lives. Kairos is a Greek word that describes non-neutral moments in time. Here is an example of that shape.
learning-circle.jpg
Just like a farmer spreads different seeds in different seasons to get different crops, different spiritual disciplines can help us grow in different ways.
If you'd like to find a new Bible reading plan, YouVersion's free Bible app (for Apple or Android devices) includes many reading plans and devotionals to choose from. You'll find options to read through the Bible with your small group or family and you can add comments in the app to chat about what you're reading as you go.
Pastor Adele Calhoun's book “The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices that Transform Us" is a wonderful resource for developing the disciplines that can lead to spiritual transformation.
During this sermon Pastor Ryan makes reference to a video clip from the CBS show, God Friended Me. Find it here!
Our regularly scheduled worship gathering was cancelled due to unsafe ice conditions. This sermon is the third sermon in the series but was delivered at our sister church in Arlington one week prior.
Pastor Dave has provided a list of ten simple questions and suggestions to help us cultivate humility in our day to day lives; not as a burden of duty, but as disciplines that God will use to shape us more and more into the image of Christ so that we may bless others.
- On what grounds do you condemn others or condemn yourself? Are they God's standards, or yours?
- When God blesses you with success, do you become prideful like Nebuchadnezzar at first, or praise-ful like Nebuchadnezzar at the end?
- When you’re talking, are you thinking about yourself, the other person, or what the other person is thinking about you?
- Are your prayers always about you? Talk about God — praise Him like Daniel did. Pray for others — that God will bless them. Pray for those you feel envious of, and your enemies, asking God to bless them with far greater success and joy.
- Then, praise your competitors to their faces and behind their backs. Nothing will conquer your pride more easily than praising your competitors.
- Next, consider God’s creation — go out to watch the stars, the sunrise, the mountians or the beach waves. See what an amazing Creator God is, and how small you are.
- Confess your sin to another Christian. Not your past sins from a decade ago, but current ones that you need help with now. Refuse to stay trapped in the prison of your pride.
- Make a list of things that others excel in and you don’t, and then share with one person this week a way God has blessed you because of the way He made them.
- Serve in unseen ways, and some unpleasant ones. Be sure that no one sees it so that God alone can glorify you. If someone catches you, then find another way to serve in secret. Martin Luther wrote: “God created the world out of nothing, and as long as we are nothing, He can make something out of us.”
- Finally, if God has done something good for you, like He did for Nebuchadnezzar, share the story like Nebuchadnezzar did in Daniel 4.
Want a new way to frame your New Year? Consider a One Word Resolution. Pastor Ryan explains why and how!
As we heard in today's sermon, the Bible is a gift God gave through the church to the church, and was intended to be read in a community that preserves the memory of what God has been doing and saying for generations. Bible commentaries are a way for us to read how other Christians before us have understood the Bible, allowing us to be in community even when reading Scripture on our own. Here are some resources that we have found valuable for both small group and personal Bible study.
Commentaries * Short: NIV Compact Bible Commentary * Longer: The Life Application Bible Commentaries (Can be purchased for individual books or the full set) * Much longer, but excellent: The NIV Application Commentary (Can be purchased for individual books or the full set) * Videos: The people at The Bible Project have created incredible free videos to introduce each book of the Bible, and study books in greater depth. In addition, they offer an outstanding series about how to read the Bible.
Bible Reading Plans If you are looking for a place to start reading the Bible, Pastor Dave recommends that you begin with the book of Mark (the beginning of the New Testament) and continue from there. Some of the stories will repeat, others will refer to things you don't know about yet, but keep going! The commentaries will help. But more than that, ask God to read with you and listen for the Holy Spirit to speak. Ultimately, the goal is not just to get to know the Bible, but to get to know the Lord.
- There are many books that break up the New Testament or the entire Bible into daily readings, like the One Year Bible (NLT).
- The Youversion Bible app also offers dozens of great reading plans on every subject or section of the Bible for free. Look for it on the Apple or Google app stores, or head to Bible.com on your computer.
- Pastor Dave often reads devotionally using the New Living Translation of the Bible (NLT), but a few years ago Zondervan created a Bible paraphrase (The Story) that essentially presents the Bible as a coherent single story. It is a great way to discover the Bible! In addition, there are multiple versions for different levels of readers (adults, teens, children, etc.).
Devotionals Devotionals may guide us into the Bible more deeply and personally. There are many good ones, but two that Pastor Dave especially recommends are:
- My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. Available as a book or for free online.
- Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day by Peter Scazzero
If you are looking for a daily devotional on the go, pray-as-you-go.org offers daily Bible readings (read aloud) along with reflection questions and time for prayer.
"God Helps Those Who Help Themselves." Sounds good, until you realize you can't help yourself with everything! Pastor Meghan dives into this "Lie That Christians Believe" and helps us uncover the "Truth that Sets Us Free".
In today's sermon, Prashan De Visser shared 5 steps to practice grace before truth:
- Integration
- Hospitality
- Win Together
- Next Generation Relationships
- Common Ground: Find It. Celebrate It. Grow It.
Link below to the app that Pastor Dave makes reference to that is helpful for sharing the Big Story.
Google App Store
iTunes App Store
For centuries, the early Christians shared the gospel in a way that felt like good news to everyone hearing it because they were determined to bless people instead of fix them or force them to share their beliefs. They changed the world for the better because they led with love.
In that same spirit, in this sermon series we'll talk about how we can bless others by loving and serving like Jesus did and by sharing stories of what we've seen Jesus do.