09/16/18—Highland “Say What?!” Psalm 19; James 3: 1-12 Pearl: Guarding our words because they make a difference. Function: To encourage the fruit of the spirit of “self-control” when it comes to the things we say as our words have great power. Today’s common sense wisdom from James, rooted in the spirit of Jesus our Lord, suggests that we exercise great care and caution in what we say. And there is a major corollary today: take great care and caution in what you tweet or write in … [Read more...]

09/09/18—Highland “No Partiality” Proverbs 22: 1-2, 8-9, 22-23; James 2: 1-17 Pearl: Living faith means loving neighbor as self in an impartial way. Function: To motivate listeners to work out their faith by treating every neighbor with equal attention and equal affection (may be entertaining angels unaware).   Real, living faith in Jesus Christ is something tangible. Living faith can be “seen” in people. Is not this the faith that you aspire to? You want to be real … [Read more...]

08/26/18 “A Mighty Spiritual Fortress” Psalm 84; Ephesians 6: 10-20 Pearl: Power of a far different variety for a battle different from any the world sees. Function: To motivate worshippers to take up their spiritual armor and spiritual weapons which are more powerful than physical armor and physical weapons because they are from the powerful spiritual arsenal of God; we fight from victory not for victory. There is plenty of evidence that evil exists in our world today. But our … [Read more...]

Highland—Meute “A Christ-Rich Diet” Ephesians 5: 15-20; Psalm 111; John 6.51-58  Pearl: Consuming more and more of Christ and his Way Function: To move worshippers to hunger for the KOG and to be motivated by it more than anything else. Dieting is not only a big business but a major concern for many. All kinds of diets are being invented and tried. Some are motivated to diet by a desire to look a certain way. In many other instances you are motivated by health concerns and … [Read more...]

Highland--Meute “Wonderful Bread” Psalm 130; John 6:35, 41-51 Pearl: Eternal satisfaction and nourishment here and now through Jesus Christ. Function: To bring to life the One who is the “bread of life” and who is so much more as the essence of being for all, eternally. Last week we thought about Jesus’ proclamation that he was the bread of life and that whoever ate of him would live forever. Our Lord was talking about “taking in,” “consuming” all that Christ intends for you. … [Read more...]

07/15/18—Highland—Meute “The Calculus of Christ’s Mission” Psalm 24; Mark 6: 14-29 Pearl: The courage continues Function: To encourage risk-taking for the sake of the gospel of Jesus which may led to adversity, even the loss of life.   John the Baptizer was the forerunner of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Biblical prophecy foretold that an “Elijah-figure” would pave the way for the Messiah. It is believed that John the Baptizer was that very figure who paved the way … [Read more...]

06/03/18 “An Appeal for Softer Hearts” Psalm 139: 1-6, 13-18; Mark 2: 23 -- 3:6 Pearl: Addressing human need matters more than enforcing the law. Function: To motivate worshippers to open their hearts and their minds to prioritize meeting human needs over adhering to religious rules. Robin Hood was a character from English folklore whose claim to fame was that he stole from the rich in order to give to the poor. Legend has it that he was a noble. That means that he knew … [Read more...]

Trinity Sunday                                                                                  Highland—Meute “Lively Gathering Spirit” Romans 8: 12-17; John 3: 1-17   Pearl: God’s gathering, cultivating, uniting Spirit Function: To move worshippers to embrace the nature of the Holy Spirit of God which continually gathers and draws people into God’s family and way.   Many years ago I conducted the funeral services for a family whose adult son had died. I didn’t … [Read more...]

05/13/18—Highland—Meute Evangelism: “Sent Out of Our Comfort Zones” Isaiah 66: 10-14; Luke 10: 1-17 Pearl: Sent out of comfort zones by the message and with the message of the kingdom of God. Function: To nudge worshippers to bold steps on behalf of the Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Every follower of Jesus Christ is sent into the “harvest fields” as representatives of the gospel, good news message of the kingdom of God. You all have a … [Read more...]

05/06/18—Highland—Meute “Evangelism: “Breaking Down Barriers” Genesis 33: 1-11; Acts 11: 1-18 Pearl: The gospel of Jesus Christ is way ahead of us. Function: To convince worshippers that the gospel of Jesus Christ ought to expand us and change our minds and hearts a little or a lot each and every day. Think of one of the most memorable ways that the Spirit of God changed your mind about something. I am sorry if you cannot think of anything. God is the same yesterday, … [Read more...]