Highway Sermons

Why and how can we face new things without fear? We’ll study the first nine verses of the book of Joshua as we answer this question in this introduction to our new sermon series.

Enter into the work of listening. For us it can be very similar to the story in Elijah's life, where the voice of God is often heard in the stillness and not in the noise or the fury

This final sermon in The Herald series considers the place of John the Baptist in the story of Jesus as told in the first chapter of the book of Luke. Given on Christmas Eve, Dec 24, 2022 at The Highway Community in Mountain View, CA.

John’s baptism also heralded the one who would come and baptize not with water, but with the Spirit. When Jesus emerged from the wilderness after 40 days of temptation, he went to the Jordan to be baptized by John. And as Jesus emerged from the water, the Spirit descended upon him, and God spoke and affirmed his identity as his son.

This revelation and anointing importantly heralded that God and his kingdom were present with his people through his son Jesus now– and provide a glimpse into the future age, where Jesus would continue to be present, through the Spirit.

Advent is the season of Emmanuel, God with us.

While we tend to associate repentance with remorse for something we’ve done or said, John was actually calling his hearers to something much more revolutionary. He was calling them to change their minds– to change their understanding about the coming of God’s kingdom.

John was inviting them to see that the kingdom of heaven was not the political reality they were expected, the kingdom was not only going to be for the Jews, but for everyone. Additionally, the kingdom was not something solely to be longed for in the future, it was here and now.

We continue in the second week of Highway's Advent celebration and the second message in our series titled "The Herald" considering the coming of the Messiah and the person of John the Baptist.

John's naming ceremony was filled with a sense of expectation, as the people asked, “What then is this child going to be?” The answer to their question is contained in John’s name. Yohanan means “Yahweh brings grace,” which points to John’s prophetic role as the forerunner and herald to the one who would usher in the age of grace.

As we celebrate Jesus’ coming, and anticipate his return this Advent season, we are invited to share in the joy of the grace and love that God has shown us through the sending of his Son, our Savior.

Our Highway Advent season begins with a message from John R. exploring what Jesus’ message reveals about John The Baptist, the one who came to herald the coming of Christ. We will consider how the call of John the Baptist continues to prepare our way for the coming of Jesus.

The church at Laodicea was wealthy and affluent, and had accommodated itself to its surrounding culture so much so that Jesus uses an indelible image to describe just how repulsed he was. Not only do Jesus’ words of correction provide a lens for us to consider the ways that we have accommodated as the church today, but they also remind us of his ongoing invitation for us to depend on him in all things.

The church at Philadelphia faced a number of significant obstacles, but was nevertheless highly esteemed by Jesus. Jesus’ words of affirmation are a powerful reminder of our calling as a church, and the way that the obstacles we face are can be doors of opportunity to continue his mission.

As we continue in our "Ears to Hear" series we consider Revelation 3:1-6 and Jesus' words to the church in Sardis.

This church is one of just two churches for whom Jesus has no words of affirmation. Jesus knows the deeds of the Sardis church. They are well regarded, with a solid name and reputation for being alive– but they are dead.

Their works are incomplete and unfinished. There is a disparity between appearance and reality; a disparity between what people see when they look at the church, and what God sees. There was a lack of inward integrity. The church was inauthentic. Jesus calls them to wake up from their lethargy, to remember and hold fast what they have seen and heard, and repent.