North Highlands Bible Church

Could you name the Ten Commandments? Studies done over the years show that the majority of Americans and even Christians struggle to recall them. While memorization is valuable, it's more important for us to grasp the truths embedded within the words spoken by God to His people. Truths that are still relevant for us today. -- Questions for Reflection & Discussion Why is it important to understand that the commandments are a faithful response to God and not a prerequisite for a relationship with God? Reflect upon modern-day idol worship. How do modern-day idols (anything or anyone other than God that you make the ultimate thing in your life) affect our lives and relationship with God? What idols are you prone to serving? Discuss the significance of the third commandment, "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain." How does our behavior and speech reflect on God's reputation? What would the people in your life say or think about God based upon your interactions with them lately?

The people have reached Mount Sinai. The mountain where it all began–just as God had promised when He first appeared to Moses in a burning bush: I will be with you, and this shall be a sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain. The promise is being fulfilled. The time has come for them to meet the God they will serve. Will they obey His voice? Will we?

I am a sucker for survival shows. Shows where people are dropped into remote locations and they have to live off the land. There is a reason why those shows are filmed in non-arid settings. There is no harsher survival setting than the wilderness of the desert where there is no relief from the scorching sun and the parched earth seems to stretch on forever. After the Red Sea event, this is where Israel found themselves. In an existentially threatening environment. The wilderness. They learned some quick lessons in the wilderness—what their bodies needed for survival, basic provisions such as food and water. They were also reminded from whom all provisions come. Morning by morning, God provided them bread from heaven, which was but a foretaste of what was to come. Food and water for the soul.

There are certain places that one can and should expect to find certain things. For example, if you want good food or quick food, there are right places to look and there are wrong places to look. There is one thing the world is desperately seeking, but will never find no matter how hard they try – life. The world is desperate to be and feel truly alive, but it will never happen, at least not in a way that lasts, because the world is looking for life in all the wrong places. What about you?

Nothing Jesus ever did was by accident. If you look closely every detail matters. One example of this is the specific date Jesus rode into Jerusalem one final time for a passover celebration. The date of His triumphal entry was just as significant as the day itself. What happened that day tells us that the Jews in Jerusalem believed that Jesus was their long awaited King, but the literal date tells us something they didn't see, something they misunderstood: Jesus was not just their conquering King, the lion of Judah, He was also their Passover lamb.  P.S. This week is Palm Sunday where the kiddos of our church will have the chance to wave palm branches. Please be in the sanctuary no later than 10:30A so the kids have the whole body present to cheer them on as they parade through the sanctuary. Seriously, don’t be late this weekend. It’s for the kids! -- Questions for Reflection & Discussion Nothing Jesus did was by accident. Reflect on the significance of the timeline leading up to Jesus' entry into Jerus

Fear is an interesting word in the Bible, isn’t it? Its meaning is twofold—in one sense it means dread and in another it means reverence. Unfortunately, these two types of fear are enemies of one another. Mutually exclusive. You can only go with one fear at a time. The former stops you dead in your tracks. The latter leads to life. At the Red Sea, the people made their choice. Which will you choose? -- Questions for Reflection & Discussion Look again at the references to Joseph’s charge about his bones in Genesis 50:25, Exodus 13:19 and Hebrews 11:22. What do these references tell us about Joseph’s faith and hope? What do they tell us about our faith and hope? Consider the two types of “fear” in Exodus 14 (v. 10, 31). How does the fear of the Lord differ from other fears? How does the call to “Fear not, but go forward in the fear of the Lord!” resonate with you this week? How does the fear of the Lord free us from other fears we might have? Have there been situations in your life where you felt like the I

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.  -- 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/app

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. -- 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? -- 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 H

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. -- 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

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.  -- 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.  -- 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. -- 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 t

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. -- 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. -- 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? Wha

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. -- 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! -- 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 t

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

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. -- Questions for Reflection and Discussion The people mentioned