Lake Highlands Church: Recent Episodes
Lake Highlands Church
The Lake Highlands Church is an interdenominational family of imperfect believers, trusting only Christ as Savior and Lord. Rooted in the ancient, authoritative scriptures, we are saved by God’s surprising grace, alive in the power of the Spirit and expectant of a coming Christ.
Are we relating to our high priest the way Abram did? Are we feasting on his presence? Are we seeing life from His perspective? Are we receiving His blessing? Are we giving to Him out of the abundance that God has given us? We need to recognize the glory of having a Melchizedekian priest.
Scripture reading: Genesis 14:17-20; Psalm 110:1-4; Hebrews 7
Is our growth academic or is it real? The problem that most of us face is that our growth is academic. We read our Bible, we go to church, we go to Bible studies; we’ve got it all up here, but we are unwilling to do what it takes to get it into our lives. If we want to see real growth in our lives, it’s going to happen through being tested.
Scripture reading: Genesis 14
Lot had no personal relationship with God; he focused on the material things that the world could give him right now; he was led by his passions. But Abraham knew God, and he focused on what God would give him later and eternally; Abe was led by those promises. Are we more like Lot or Abe?
Scripture reading: Genesis 13:5-18
No failure is permanent. We can go back to the cross of Jesus Christ and receive the grace and mercy of God offered through him. And, by God’s grace, when we find ourselves in a situation where we are tempted again, if we hold on to God and His promises we can overcome. In times of testing, the question to ask is not, “How can I get out of this?” but rather “What can I get out of this?” God is at work building your faith.
Scripture reading: Genesis 12:10-13:4
We can’t allow ourselves to be seduced by the world-building for ourselves, trying to make a name for ourselves. If we do, if we rebel (like Nimrod) trying to create our own gate to God, we too will be scattered. We must trust in the only One who is the way to God—Jesus.
Scripture reading: Gen 10:8-12; 11:1-9
Only God has the ability to say “never” and live up to His word. God has provided a way to escape judgement: the way of sacrifice. And through that sacrifice—Jesus—God says, “whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst,” “he who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty;” “If a man keeps my word, he will never see death;” “I know my sheep. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.” He says, “never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Scripture reading: Genesis 6:1-9:17
The power of God's word through Scripture is his gift of revelation to us. It is crucial in helping us know him, to know ourselves, and to walk out a life of love in a broken world.
Scripture reading: Luke 24:25-27
Why do we serve? Christians serve because Jesus was a servant. Jesus viewed himself as the fulfillment of God’s promises that a servant would come and bring the kingdom. Jesus served us by healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and by his great love for us in his self-sacrificial death. After being humbled unto death, Jesus was exalted. In the kingdom, we follow the path of service if we want to be exalted.
Scripture reading: Isaiah 42:1-9, Philippians 2:3-11, Matthew 20:25-28
Fasting reminds us that we are sustained by God. Fasting humbles us and puts us in a position where we recognize our dependence on God and thus can hear more clearly from God.
Scripture reading: Matthew 9: 14-17
The power of repentance is that it clears the obstructions in our relationship with God allows us to take a giant step toward wholeness and health; toward the full and abundant life that Jesus came to give us. And we can have confidence that a prayer of confession God will always answer, with guaranteed forgiveness.
Scripture reading: Ezra 9:1-15
The reason we give up things, things that are pleasurable, is not so that we somehow earn favor with God, but it is so that we re-orient our lives and get intentional about our relationship with God. We give up a pleasure for a brief time in order to allow God to replace that pleasure with Himself.
Scripture reading: various
With the first Adam came the curse, but the last Adam, the offspring of the woman, Jesus, came and bore the curse for us on the cross so that we could be born again, into the family of God.
Scripture reading: Genesis 3:7-24
Too often we listen to voices that do not have our best interest in mind. The voice we need to have our ears trained to hear is the voice of our loving creator who will always call us into fellowship and freedom.
Scripture reading: Genesis 3:1-13
This is about more than marriage; this is about the dynamics of humanity…that we need both male and female perspective, male and female gifting. It is about community.
Scripture reading: Genesis 2:18-25
For 5 and a half days God created and filled the earth, but if he had stopped there all he would have had was a greenhouse and a zoo. But God wanted someone to be in relationship with—to be love and be loved by—so he created humanity, in his image, giving them provision and purpose and privilege and prerogative.
Scripture reading: Genesis 1:26-31; 2:4-9
The Jewish day doesn’t begin in the morning, as we westerners tend to think; the Jewish day begins at sunset. The mindset is, your day doesn’t begin with production; your day begins with resting. The idea is, your identity lies in who you are (as created by God), not in what you do.
Scripture Reading: Genesis 1:31-2:3
Too often we look to the scriptures to learn the “hows”; how to do this, how to do that, how this or that came about. But the beginning of THE STORY is about the who and the why not the how. God is the who and WE are the why.
Scripture reading: Genesis 1:1-25
I think most of us would agree that generally, we know the things we ought to do, but putting them into practice is the hard part. You might call it a Knowing v. Doing gap. In order to live in the fullness of life that Jesus offers, the Kingdom Life, we need to be doers.
Scripture reading: Luke 6:39-49
We don’t like to forgive because we think it’s weak; Jesus says that it is divine. We don’t like to forgive because we think that there will be no justice and evil will prevail; Jesus says that vengeance is God’s responsibility. We don’t like to forgive because we think that if we do it will diminish us; Jesus says, not only will you not be diminished, but you will be refilled to overflowing. At the end of the day, you can never know the surpassing greatness of the grace of God until you are empty.
Scripture reading: Luke 6:27-38
The things that Jesus proclaimed in the “Sermon on the Plain” sound like impossible ideals given by some out-of-touch mystic, but they are actually pragmatic truths proclaimed by a down-to-earth realist. Jesus knew how life works, both in the Kingdom of Heaven and in the kingdom of this world. Jesus himself embodied these truths and showed us that living them is the way to full, abundant life.
Scripture reading: Luke 6:17-26
It is one thing to believe something, it is another thing to quote scripture about what you believe, but when push comes to shove and when your life is on the line and the powers that be are against you, will you back up your words with your life?
Scripture reading: Luke 6:1-11
If we are going to be followers of Jesus, not just supporters; if we are going to be apprentices, and step into this amazing life that Jesus has called us to, we are going to have leave some things behind. So we have to choose. Will we stay with the comfort of what we know…fishing at night, cleaning our nets, doing the same things in the same ways that we’ve always done them…or will we step into the adventure of following Jesus, leaving our boats and nets behind, so that we can experience the love and joy of life with him? See, the question is, if you don’t follow Jesus, where else are you going to go?
Scripture reading: Luke 5:1-11
In this scene we have a perfect representation of the whole ministry of Jesus—the prophecy of who he is, Jesus’ statement of fulfillment, wonder at the beauty of his life, disappoint with the fact that he doesn’t deliver the desired signs, unbelief and rejection, a call to repentance, the sending of the good news to the non-Jew, the sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary, and the divine escape in the resurrection. The “so what” is that we have to deal with the question we began this series asking: who is this man? And who is he to me?
Scripture reading: Luke 4:14-30
The testing of Jesus came right on the heels of the baptism, that amazing declaration of God that this was his son. And isn’t that often the case? Right after an exhilarating experience with God we find ourselves being tested. The keys for us in overcoming our temptations are found in how Jesus responded to his. But the big picture question is, what if? What if Jesus had given in? If Jesus had given in it would mean that he had given up on us…and that he simply would not do!
Scripture reading: Luke 4:1-12
Far too often we want God to behave like a good deity should—to be there when we want him, to amaze us with his provision, to bail us out of tough spots, to show us his supernatural power when we can’t make things happen the way we want them to happen. Quite simply, we want him to fit into our box. But when we do that we are acting as the supreme being…which we are not! He is! And he will always be about his Father’s business, which is to bring fullness of life to his children.
Scripture Reading: Luke 2:41-52
Jesus has come to fulfill and complete what God started with Israel, to bring salvation to the world. His baptism is the beginning of the new exodus. Just as God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, God was now bringing a new people out of an even older and darker slavery, slavery to sin. The new exodus is wider than just Israel, it is for the whole of creation.
Scripture reading: Luke 3:21-22
The purpose of Luke’s gospel, as he put it, is to lay out an orderly account so that we might know with certainty the truth about Jesus. In this text, Luke is going to show us that even in the days immediately following his birth, Jesus’ life was perfection in making; that he is not some maverick Jew who began his own movement which was a defection from Judaism, rather his life is one of complete adherence to the Law of God, even in his infancy. Why is this important? It helps us to see that Jesus was both everything we are and everything we are not, so that he might be our faithful and merciful high priest, redeeming us and bestowing upon us the full rights of being children of God.
Scripture reading: Luke 2:21-24
An intro to the study, we need to be asking just as the disciples asked, “Who is the man?” Have we bought into a conservative establishmentarian view of Jesus or do we see him for who he really is? Our culture, Christians included, has become much too comfortable with the idea of Jesus and has become ambivalent about him. But Jesus does not give us ambivalence as an option. We will either declare, “my Lord and my God,” or we will side with the Pharisees who said, “he leads the multitudes astray.
Scripture reading: Mark 4:35-31
There is a feeling among many sincere Christians that Christmas is a religious holiday for kids, but Easter is the critical event for the mature Christian. Truth is, without Christmas there is no cross and there is no resurrection. Christmas is God’s ALL IN moment. When Hope is battling fear, God’s ALL IN moment tips the scales in our favor, and the world is forever changed.
Scripture: Luke 2:8-18
Often there are events in our lives that turn our world upside down. When that happens it can cause us to become unraveled and fearful. But if we will have faith like Mary and trust in our God, God can use those events to use us to bring him into the world.
Scripture: Luke 1:26-38
Waiting can be frustrating; most of us don’t like to wait. But waiting can also remind us that there is something going on that is bigger than ourselves. The Christmas season is a reminder that every moment that we wait on God is an opportunity to connect with Him in anticipation of the future that he has for us; a future of hope and of good news.
Scripture: Luke 2:21-38
There is something about the unknown that unsettles us, that makes us anxious, that causes us to move away from uncertainty and toward things that are more certain. The invitation of God is to not be afraid, to step into the uncertainty of life and trust him. And when we do that we open ourselves up to the miraculous.
Scripture: Luke 1:1-25
When we move outside of ourselves and give ourselves away for the benefit of others we find real freedom.
Scripture: Philippians 2:1-5
There is a huge difference between simply shutting people out and setting appropriate boundaries with people. The former isolates us and keeps us in relational bondage, while the latter enables us to live free.
Scripture: Psalm 74:13-17
Forgiveness is the core of the gospel because at the cross Jesus forgave us and reconciled us to the Father. But what do we do when someone sins against us? Do we extend the same grace we received or do we stand in judgment of them? The Grace Pathway shows us how to move from judgment to forgiveness, and trade our torment for freedom.
Scripture: Matthew 18:33
When we believe the lies the evil speaks to us—either about God, ourselves or others—then our expectations and behaviors line up with the kingdom of darkness and we live in bondage. But when we live in the truth of who God is and who he has created us to be, we live in the kingdom of God and experience his freedom.
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2: 10-12
Our tendency is to avoid conflict in order to keep the peace, but more often we need to move toward the conflict and address it in order to experience the freedom God has for us.
Scripture: Galatians 2:11-14
When wronged we have a choice: we can become bitter or better. Only when we operate from a posture of forgiveness will we live free.
Scripture: Matthew 18:21-35
Most of our problems (not just relationally) stem from the fact that we think more highly of ourselves than we ought. Pride entraps us, humility frees us.
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:21-4:7
We all wear masks and try to hide behind certain things, but that keeps us in bondage. Only living in the reality of who we truly are will move us into the freedom God has for us. (Identity in Jesus.)
Scripture: Genesis 3:1-13
We have this idea that freedom is the absence of constrains, that we are “free” to do whatever we want whenever we want, but that is simply not what real freedom is, and it is certainly not the way to live free in relationship with God and with others. (Covers two kingdoms, father’s heart, and the cross of Christ.)
Scripture: John 8:31-37
Too often too many people feel that the work of "ministry" is to be done by those who are in "fulltime ministry" (you know, the professionals). But what we need to appreciate is that Jesus calls all who follow him to be ministers "whatever" their occupation is. Scripture: Colossians 3:17
The way that we use language is either creating life or death…in our relationships, in our marriages, in our workplaces. We have the opportunity to help bring fullness into the lives of other people by what we say to them and how we say it. Our words can actually create an incredible amount of life in the people around us, if…we use tact.
Scripture: Proverbs 10:18-21
Without conflict there’s nothing happening in life. Having conflict is healthy and normal; it’s part of the natural rhythm of being in community and being human. The issue isn’t conflict, the issue is how we handle it. How do we approach conflict with wisdom?
Scripture: Proverbs 13:10
God calls us to a life of generosity sharing with those who have needs because his heart and will is that there should be no poor among us.
Scripture: Proverbs 19:17
Do you search out the world for beauty that satisfies your heart?
Scripture: Proverbs 25:2
God's people must pursue Righteousness and Justice with the same passion that we pursue his presence in worship. Our pursuit of Righteousness and Justice demands a high price, but Jesus paid a high price for us, to justify us and make us his people.
Scripture: Proverbs 21:3
Learn more about what's going on in our Youth Group and how you can impact and learn from these young people.
Teachability is not just being able to hear something, it is the willingness to take it to heart and act on it. What matters most is not what we know but what we act on. Teachability is not, “I’m only going to listen to people who care about me.” Rather the posture is, “I’m open to learning from anyone.”
Scripture: Proverbs 12:1
Read a reflection on Sunday's message here.
We were not created to live in isolation. At creation, God said “it is not good for the man to be alone. Deep, solid, loyal, trustworthy, transparent friendships are critical to living a full life, and it takes wisdom to know how to create/foster those friendships.
Scripture: Proverbs 12:26
Read a reflection on Sunday's message here.
What we fear has power over us. Fear is a good thing when it’s the fear of God, because fearing him opens us to his love and his love casts out all other fears.
Scripture: Proverbs 1:1-7
Read a reflection on Sunday's message here.
An intro of the book of Proverbs and why it is an important book for us in gaining principles by which to live a better, more fulfilling life. The first principle is to guard our hearts because everything we do flows from that.
Scripture: Proverbs 4:1-9
Read a reflection on Sunday's message here.
If someone strays from the life of faith, we are charged to go and get them, to gently restore them.
Scripture: James 5:19-20
Read a reflection on Sunday's message here.
Confessing to one another is a vital part of a life of faith. We need to be able to bring offenses to each other in order to find peace and forgiveness.
Scripture: James 5:16
Money does not make the world go round; God does. Money does not give security; God does. We need to get a proper perspective on our finances.
Scripture: James 5:1-6
Read a reflection on Sunday's message here.
It is important to keep things in proper perspective—namely, that God is God and we are not. We must strive toward humility and not presume anything, for presumption, at its core is arrogance.
Scripture: James 4:7-17
The foundation of Christianity is not Jesus’ teaching; the reason we do all that we do is not his teaching, it is not a philosophy, or even a world view or an approach to life. The foundation is not even faith. The foundation is an event. The whole thing hangs on this one event—not the life or even the death…it is the resurrection.
Why did Jesus have to die? Because God takes covenant seriously, God takes justice seriously, and God loves us seriously. And nothing atones for sin other than the death of God himself.
The problem of human suffering isn't just some abstract concept or idea we're here to debate and discuss in theory. Pain is pain, and the problem with pain is, well, that it hurts. And it raises the question: Why would a good and loving God allow for so much pain and suffering? While Christianity does not provide a reason for every experience of pain and suffering, the fact of Easter does provide deep resources for actually facing suffering with hope and courage rather than bitterness and despair.
In a world full of conflict, grace empowered humility has the power to bring peace. If I am going to live at peace with God and others, I have to deal with my idols and turn to God, which means, I need to humble myself.
Scripture: James 4:1-6
Life is one of those things where some assembly is required…and we need to READ THE INSTRUCTIONS! The scriptures are the instruction manual, and if we live by THE BOOK we will be wise.
Scripture: James 3:13-18
Maturity shows itself in how we speak to one another. We must learn how to control our tongues.
Scripture: James 3:3-12
We have to understand that we represent Christ everywhere we are. We need verbally proclaim the gospel, but we also must have a life that is consistent with what we proclaim.
Scripture: James 3:1
Whether you are a parent, grandparent, teacher, or mentor you will be encouraged as you listen to Shelli Presley lead us in a review of the Freedom Principals through a different lens.
Faith without works is useless, empty, dead. But a faith that works is a faith that saves.
Scripture: James 2:14-26
We are all prone to being judgmental from time to time. The best remedy for judgmentalism/favoritism/prejudice is to recognize that we are all sinners saved by grace.
Scripture: James 2:1-13
The truth of God is to change us in such a way that our faith is genuine and shows itself not in empty words but in loving God and loving others.
Scripture: James 1:19-27
Hearing the truth is one thing; living it out is another. And no place does our faith get tested more than through trial. But if we will allow it, trials can produce joy.
Scripture: James 1:1-12
An introduction to our study in the book of James: Growing up isn’t easy. Age does not equal maturity. There are often bumps on the road to maturity, and the book of James addresses many of them, showing us how to live out our faith, because mature Christians are fruitful, useful and joyous.
Look at two images that the prophet Isaiah gives us of what the coming of Messiah will mean and the relevance of these images; the hope that they give us. 1) We walk in darkness but Jesus is the Light of the world. 2) We are dry and barren and thirsty people but Jesus came to give us streams of living water that flow from within us. That’s the hope of Christmas.
Scripture: Isaiah 9:1-2; Isaiah 35:1-2, 6-7
Sometimes we don’t want the things life gives us. Joseph certainly didn’t want what life was giving him. But in those moments of disappointment or struggle, even though it feels scary or overwhelming or frustrating, if we will listen to God it can be the moment that we find hope like never before. If we will listen to the words of the angel… don’t be afraid, take a risk, and commit yourself to Jesus… God will use this season to change the course of our lives and maybe even the course of history. That was true for Joseph and it could be true for us.
Scripture: Matthew 1:18-21
Christmas can be a stressful season for a lot of people. And there will be somebody in your life who needs the gift of hope. So how do we give them the gift of hope? By giving them grace and truth and time. For hope to grow they need the soil of grace, they need seeds of truth, and they need time.
Our hope for a glorious future resides in only one person…Jesus. The shepherds at the birth of Jesus got that and they couldn’t help but share the good news with others. And those of us who know that same hope should want to share the good news with everyone who will listen.
Scripture: Luke 2:8-18
The world Jesus entered was not one of stockings and sugar plum fairies. It was one of chaos and confusion and strife, much like our own. And the answer to the turmoil in our lives will not be found in any of the cultural solutions. Our only hope is in the savior who came into the world to rescue us and bring us peace.
Giving thanks has the power to improve our health. More importantly, it opens our eyes to the presence of God in all of our circumstances making joy possible. We see this in Jesus’ life as he gave thanks during the Last Supper even as he anticipated the pain of the cross.
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Luke 22:17
There are people in our lives that we just love being around and we like having them over; inviting them to parties. Nothing wrong with that. But the New You recognizes the opportunity to open up our lives to everyone so that they might see the love of God in us and might open themselves up to God himself.
Scripture: Luke 14:15-23
Some may ask, “How is living in community connected with the new me?” Well, as Jesus is our new model and new means, then we need to learn to live the way Jesus lived, and Jesus lived in community. And the three laws of the New You community are these: everybody’s welcome, nobody’s perfect, and anything is possible.
Scripture: Hebrews 10:24-25
We were created in the image of God, which means we were designed to be vessels of God’s greatness. We were made to have a God-like influence on our world. God wants us to be great and to make this world great and to have a great life. After all, having the fullness of life Jesus promised is about having a great life. The problem is most us have a distorted understanding of greatness. The New You has a new definition of greatness: Greatness is not about exerting power or authority; greatness is about serving others in love.
Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11
Listen in as Diann Garnett, Sam Clark, and Donnie Martin honor Jim and Donna for their 30+ years of service to Lake Highlands Church. Followed by Jim Reynolds leading us to The Communion Table.
If we really want to be a NEW YOU, we need to understand that the key to transformation, the key to the free and abundant life, the key to experiencing that river of living water that we talked about in the first week of this series, the key to becoming a New You, is to stay, remain, abide in Jesus AND in his word. If we do that you will be set free; we will know the truth and the truth will set us free. (We will look at some specific truths and how to apply them.)
Scripture: John 8:31-32
Without question, God is at work inside each of us, and he is the one ultimately responsible for creating the New You; he is RE-NEWING us. Every day of your life God is working in you to bring about renewal, but if you want to see real change—if you want You 2.0— you have to work with Him in the renewing of your mind.
Scripture: Romans 12:1-2
The mindset we so often default to is the mindset of our culture which prioritizes achievement and gratification over character. But character is the oil that keeps everything working. If we are going to be new “Yous”, we have to have a new mindset that prioritizes character. And character is the will to do what’s right, regardless of the cost.
Scripture: Proverbs 11:1-3
When it comes to developing character, God has given us the blueprint in the scriptures and he’s given us a living, breathing, full scale model of what He means when he talks about character in the person of Jesus. What’s more, not only has he given us the model in Jesus, he’s given us the means through his Spirit. At the end of the day, the new you, a person of character, is not something we manufacture ourselves, it is something produced through us as we abide in Jesus.
Scripture: John 15:1-8
Jesus promised that we could all have a new life, an abundant life. And the truth is, God is more concerned with us reaching our full potential as human beings than we are, and He is guiding that process all the time, and He is working in order for that fullness of life to flow out of us. So what if Jesus is right? What if such a full life is possible for you, and for me? And you don’t get there by trying harder or trying to rev yourself up into more commitment. What if it really is available? Do you think you’d want it? You think you’d want You 2.0? To become a new you?
Scriptures: John 7:1-44, John 10:1-10
LHC has a new mission statement, “Helping people experience fullness of life in Jesus.” Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:16-19 gives us a vision of experiencing fullness in God by being filled with his love.
Scripture: Ephesians 3:16-19
We tend to be selfish people, spending our time and our money on ourselves. But God wants us to be rich in good deeds and generous with our money. God wants us to be better than average…he wants us to be rich and generous.
Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:17-19
We live in a world that’s all about having more, which stimulates the “more cycle” in us. The only way to break the “more cycle” and to live rich is to understand that all that we have has been entrusted to us by God for us to use for his glory and his kingdom.
Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30
Too often people put their trust and their hope in their money, but that is uncertain and unsatisfying. People who live rich are those who put their trust and hope in God.
Scripture: 1 Tim 6:17-19
If we look at all that is out there that can derail us, that will come against us, the obstacles that could keep us from making an impact, we can easily be discouraged and maybe never even try. But the way we change the world is one step at a time, one battle at a time.
What is the one step that God is calling you to make now?
Scripture: Joshua 11-12
When we are on God’s side we will face opposition, but we will also experience God’s faithfulness in keeping his word to give us victory when we keep our covenants.
Do you have a big God or a little God? And if you have a big God, shouldn’t you serve him in a big way?
Scripture: Joshua 10
Anyone who seeks God finds him, and God is open everyone…even liars and deceivers like the Gibeonites.
We need to be people who understand there is a spiritual dimension to life that needs spiritual discernment.
We need to keep our word by following Jesus' command to keep it simple, honoring our yes or no with no need for big promises. The Holy Spirit will help us to do so.
Scripture: Joshua 9
Victory is not automatic for the people of God; there must be obedience. But even after disobedience there is forgiveness and blessing and LIFE for ALL who will come to Jesus and worship him in spirit and in truth.
What steps of obedience do you need to devote yourself to, both for your own sake and for the sake of the community?
Scripture: Joshua 8
If we are going to be faithful to the great commandment of loving God and loving others, that means we need to do all we can to avoid the trap of sin because it hinders our relationship with God and sooner or later it will adversely impact others. Thus, the more we understand how we fall into the trap, the better equipped we will be to avoid it.
Scripture: Joshua 7
We can’t have a temporary relationship with sin, because it will destroy us as individuals and will have repercussions that affect us all.
Is there something that you need to repent of so that the community of faith and the honor of God will not be adversely impacted?
Scripture: Joshua 7