Skip to main content
Melbourne Heights - Sermons

Melbourne Heights - Sermons

By Melbourne Heights

Be challenged, encouraged, and inspired to take your faith to new heights.
Available on
Apple Podcasts Logo
Castbox Logo
Google Podcasts Logo
Overcast Logo
Pocket Casts Logo
RadioPublic Logo
Spotify Logo
Currently playing episode

Fighting With Family | Nobody's Perfect

Melbourne Heights - SermonsMay 25, 2021

00:00
27:57
Lent | More Like Jesus

Lent | More Like Jesus

Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday with crowds cheering "Hosanna!" and welcoming Jesus like a king. But by Good Friday the cheers of "Hosanna!" were replaced by calls to "Crucify him!" So what happened during those 5 days?

 

The crowds realized that instead of being who they wanted him to be, Jesus was different. And Jesus wanted them and us to become more like him.

Mar 25, 202427:57
Lent: More Like Jesus | Willing to Give

Lent: More Like Jesus | Willing to Give

In the book of John, a woman named Mary annoints Jesus' feet with a bottle of perfume that costs about as much money as the average person makes in a year. And Mary was willing to do that because of everything Jesus had done for her (including raising her brother from the dead).

 

Jesus laid down his life for us. So what are we willing to give for him?

Mar 18, 202426:23
Lent: More Like Jesus | Coming In Last

Lent: More Like Jesus | Coming In Last

Every kid may dream of winning an Olympic medal or a Super Bowl ring...but no one dreams of coming in last. But Jesus tells us, "The first will be last and the last will be first."

 

And this isn't just something Jesus said, it's something he did when he laid down his life for us on the cross. So, if we want to be more like Jesus, we have to learn how to put ourselves last and to put God and others first.

Mar 12, 202430:04
Lent: More Like Jesus | Practice What You Preach

Lent: More Like Jesus | Practice What You Preach

We all know that our world can be a messed up place filled with violence and hatred. But none of us want the world to be that way. So is there some way that we can overcome violence with mercy? Is there some way that we can learn to love instead of hate?

 

Jesus tells us there is. But just because there's a way to do it, that doesn't mean it's easy...but it is possible if we practice what Jesus preached.

Mar 04, 202432:54
Lent: More Like Jesus | Better Not Bitter

Lent: More Like Jesus | Better Not Bitter

We’ve all experienced things that have caused us to lose our temper or hold a grudge. We've all experienced things that have made us bitter.

 

But, if we want to be more like Jesus, we have to let go of our bitterness. Instead, we need to learn to be more kind, more compassionate, and more forgiving.

Feb 26, 202426:37
Lent: More Like Jesus | Time to Clean Up

Lent: More Like Jesus | Time to Clean Up

In Acts 8:29, we're reminded that God wants us to "be like his Son" Jesus. But we all have times when we don't really act like Jesus. Things happen in life that make us angry, or jealous, or greedy. Or, to put it another way, we get dirty.

 

So we need to clean up. And that's what Lent is all about. Lent reminds us that we need to clean up to become more like Jesus.

Feb 20, 202428:21
Overbooked | What's Imperative

Overbooked | What's Imperative

Sometimes it feels like there are a million things to get done on our to-do lists. And all of the things we want to get done are important...they wouldn't make it onto our to-do list if they weren't.

 

But, in our busyness, we need to make sure we don't let things that are important get in the way of things that are imperative. 

Feb 12, 202428:37
Overbooked | The Back Burner

Overbooked | The Back Burner

No matter how hard we try to keep up with all of our commitments, things always end up on the back burner. Sadly, our relationship with God tends to be one of the first things we put on the back burner when life gets busy.

 

So what can we do to make sure God remains a priority in our lives when life gets busy? We can slow down and remember who God is.

Feb 05, 202427:20
Overbooked | Yes or No

Overbooked | Yes or No

Many of us struggle to tell other people "no." Because of this, we fill up our time and schedules with things that aren't that important to us.

 

So if we want to overcome our busyness, we need to learn to set boundaries. And we need to learn to make sure that all of our yeses count.

Jan 29, 202426:29
Overbooked | Why So Busy?

Overbooked | Why So Busy?

We live in a culture that often tells us that our worth comes from our work. So, we think that we have to be constantly busy just to show how valuable we are.

 

So if we want to be able to slow down and make time for what really matters, we have to understand where our value truly comes from.

Jan 22, 202426:59
Overbooked | Way Too Busy

Overbooked | Way Too Busy

Even though the New Year has only just begun, many of our calendars are already filling up. But no matter how busy we get, we still try to cram more events and activities into our lives.

 

But our chronic busyness is taking a toll on our lives. So we need to find ways to slow down and make time for what matters the most in our lives.

Jan 08, 202429:34
Enough Is Enough | Grateful Not Greedy

Enough Is Enough | Grateful Not Greedy

In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving each year, it feels like everyone has tips and tricks to make us more thankful. But the truth is that in spite of all of these tips and tricks, we still aren't great at being grateful.

 

And we're never going to be great at being grateful until we realize just how blessed we are.

Nov 13, 202325:18
Ghost Stories | Room For One More

Ghost Stories | Room For One More

Though diversity divides, the Holy Spirit unites. At Pentecost, people from countless cultures heard one message in their own tongues through the Spirit's power. Despite our differences, we gather as one body, filled with the same Spirit that descended at Pentecost.

 

No matter where we're from, who we are, or what we've done, there's always room for one more in the Spirit's community.

Nov 06, 202326:30
Ghost Stories | Like Jacob Marley

Ghost Stories | Like Jacob Marley

When the ghost of Jacob Marley came to visit Ebenezer Scrooge, it seemed unlikely that Scrooge would ever change his ways. But as three other ghosts visited that Christmas Eve, Scrooge saw the error of his ways and changed forever.

 

There are times when it feels like we'll never be the people God created us to be. But the Holy Spirit is constantly at work in our lives, showing us where we mess up, so that we can become more like Jesus.

Oct 30, 202328:20
Ghost Stories | Shift In Spirit

Ghost Stories | Shift In Spirit

There's no such thing as a perfect person. We all mess up. We all make mistakes. We're all still works in progress. But even though we aren't perfect, that doesn't mean that God gives up on us. 

 

The Holy Spirit is constantly at work in everyone who follows Jesus, helping us become more like Christ.

Oct 23, 202330:09
Ghost Stories | Afraid of No Ghosts

Ghost Stories | Afraid of No Ghosts

Halloween is a time for trick-or-treating, scary movies, and ghost stories. But not all ghost stories are about spooky specters of things that go bump in the night.

 

Our faith is filled with stories about the Holy Ghost (or the Holy Spirit). And these aren't stories we tell around campfires to creep each other out. These are stories we tell in church to help us understand who God is and how God works in our lives.

Oct 16, 202326:15
Above All | Father

Above All | Father

In the Bible, names reveal something about a person's nature or character. That's also true for the names of God we find in the Bible. The names of God we find in the Bible tell us that our God is great and powerful and that there is no one like our God.

 

But there is one name for God we find in the Bible that reveals as much about how God sees us as it does about who God is...and that's the name Father.

Sep 28, 202326:41
Above All | El Shaddai

Above All | El Shaddai

We all know how rare it can be for someone to keep their promises. Politicians break their promises. Parents break their promises. People break their promises. And, in Genesis 17, it looks like God might just break a promise too.

 

But instead of breaking a promise that God made to Abraham and Sara, God proves that he is a God that can make a way where there is no way. God shows that he is a God who will never let us down.

Sep 21, 202326:16
Above All | Elohim

Above All | Elohim

There is an old adage that tells us, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." This piece of advice is true whether you're interviewing for a job, going on a date, or just introducing yourself to someone for the first time.

 

And it's even true for when we're first introduced to God in the Bible. When we're first introduced to God in Genesis 1, God wants to make an impression that we'll never forget.

Sep 14, 202326:24
Above All | Yahweh

Above All | Yahweh

In Exodus 3, God tells Moses that God's name is "I am." And this isn't a one time thing, this is the same name for God that is used more than 6,500 times in the Bible.

 

But it still seems like a strange way to introduce yourself. So why does God introduce himself as "I am"? Well, that name has a lot to teach us about who God is.

Sep 07, 202329:45
God on Film | This Is Heavy

God on Film | This Is Heavy

When we think about the future, there are a lot of things that we could worry about. We can worry about problems we'll face, people we'll have to deal with, or our performance at school or work. And all of these worries can feel "heavy," as Marty McFly might put it.

 

But, in this sermon, we'll be reminded that Jesus tells us not to worry because God is always with us no matter what the future may hold.

Aug 31, 202327:23
God on Film | The Rich Stuff

God on Film | The Rich Stuff

What does it mean to be rich? Is it about having so much money in your bank account? Or earning so much money every year? For the Goonies, being rich means having enough money to keep developers from destroying a neighborhood.

 

But, as the movie plays out, the Goonies realize something we all need to learn. Money doesn't make you rich...love does.

Aug 24, 202326:09
God on Film | Go the Distance

God on Film | Go the Distance

When Rocky Balboa stepped in the ring with Apollo Creed nobody thought he would last longer than three rounds. But in spite of the odds, Rocky believed in himself. He put his faith in himself into action, and did what no one had ever done before.

 

As followers of Jesus, we are called to put our faith into action as well, trusting that God can help us no matter what challenges we may face.

Aug 17, 202327:59
God on Film | Not So Super, Mario

God on Film | Not So Super, Mario

The new Super Mario Bros. movie reminds us that there are times when we mess up and make mistakes, and don't feel super about ourselves. So we end up wondering if God could love someone like us.

 

But despite our imperfections, God's love for us never wavers. No matter how many times we mess up or how unworthy we feel, we are precious in God’s eyes.

Aug 10, 202326:24
Imprint | Time to Celebrate

Imprint | Time to Celebrate

When you're a kid, life seems to be filled with things to celebrate. You celebrate losing a tooth or finding a toy. You celebrate every holiday that pops up on the calendar.

 

But when you get a little older, you only seem to celebrate life's biggest moments. But God never wants us to hesitate to celebrate everything that he does for us from the big things to the small ones.

Aug 03, 202326:38
Imprint | Beyond the Cover

Imprint | Beyond the Cover

When we're little, we learn to make quick assessments about a lot of different things. We learn to quickly pick out which box of cereal we want to eat, which cartoon we want to watch, or which book we want to read. The problem is, we also learn to make quick assessments about people.

 

But when we learn to look past a person's cover, we can recognize the inherent value and worth in every individual as children of God.

Jul 27, 202324:19
Imprint | Beyond Band-Aids

Imprint | Beyond Band-Aids

Whether we see a classmate fall on the playground or see a friend cry when their toy gets broken, we learn from a young age that we need to comfort people who are sad. But, as we get a little older, we learn that not all of life’s problems can be solved with a hug or a band-aid.

 

In this sermon, we'll talk about how we can move beyond band-aids to offer real comfort when people are sad.

Jul 20, 202327:58
Imprint | Getting Along

Imprint | Getting Along

From the time we're young, we learn that people won't always get along. But in our world today it seems like we're more divided than ever. So, as followers of Jesus, we need to shine His light when people disagree.

 

But how do we do that? In this sermon, we'll discover the best way to shine Jesus' light when people disagree is to learn to be empathetic with everyone we meet.

Jul 13, 202328:29
Imprint | A Little Light

Imprint | A Little Light

No matter how much we may want to shield and protect our children, we can't keep them from learning that our world can be a dark place. But another important lesson our children learn early on is how big of a difference a little light can be.

 

As followers of Jesus, we are called to let the light of Jesus shine through us into the darkness of this world.

Jul 06, 202325:36
Grow | Seeing the Fruit

Grow | Seeing the Fruit

It's easy to tell when a plant is growing. The stem will lengthen, branches will form, and eventually fruit will sprout. But how do you know if your faith is growing?

 

In church, we typically try to measure our faith by talking about how often we read the Bible, or how long we pray, or how frequently we attend church. But none of these things truly measure our faith. Just like a plant, or faith is measured by the fruit we produce.

Jun 15, 202323:30
Grow | Start Where You Are

Grow | Start Where You Are

Do you remember the first time you swung a baseball bat...did you hit a home run or strike out? What about the first time you rode a bike...did you go sailing down the street or fall into some bushes? Whenever we try new things we usually fail more than we succeed.

 

The same is true for our faith. Nobody has a perfect faith...so we all have to start where we are and keep working until our faith grows.

Jun 08, 202327:43
Grow | If You Have Faith

Grow | If You Have Faith

We live in a world that often tells us that we're not good enough. We hear it from car commercials. We hear it from our co-workers, we hear it from our own kids.

 

So, it is easy to believe that God feels the same way about us...that we're not good enough. But in this sermon, we'll see that not only does God believe we are good enough, God also calls us to do incredible things.

Jun 01, 202328:59
Before You Give Up | Keep Hope Alive

Before You Give Up | Keep Hope Alive

In a world filled with overwhelming problems, personal disappointments, and waiting that seems endless, it's easy to lose hope and want to give up. So how can we keep hope alive when we reach a point where we want to quit?

 

By maintaining a sense of gratitude and recognizing God's faithfulness, we can keep hope alive in the face of adversity and we can keep going when we're ready to quit.

May 25, 202328:12
Before You Give Up | Wait Upon the Lord

Before You Give Up | Wait Upon the Lord

Whether you're sitting in a drive-thru line at McDonald's or standing in line to check out at Target...nobody likes to wait. And the longer you have to wait to achieve a goal or accomplish a task, the more likely it is that you'll give up on it altogether.

 

So, if we want to keep going when we're ready to quit, we need to learn how to wait.

May 18, 202327:06
Before You Give Up | Don't Compromise

Before You Give Up | Don't Compromise

When you reach a point where you're ready to throw your hands up and quit, you're also in danger of compromising your character and doing something you'd never dream of doing - like lying, or cheating, or hurting someone else.

 

So how can you keep from compromising your character when you're ready to quit? You have to cling to God and remember who God made you to be.

May 11, 202327:56
Before You Give Up | God Is With You

Before You Give Up | God Is With You

There are times when it feels like everyone has given up on you...and, when that happens, it's hard to have faith in yourself. And when you lose faith in yourself, it's easy to want to give up.

 

But before you give up, you need to remember that God never gives up on us. And that, no matter what we're facing, God is with us.

May 04, 202325:42
Before You Give Up | You'll Get Through This

Before You Give Up | You'll Get Through This

Whether you've received a troubling diagnosis from your doctor, or hit a rough patch in your marriage, or reached your breaking point at work; we've all had times when we've been ready to give up.

 

But before you give up, you need to remember that you are still a child of God, and God will help you make it through because God still has good planned for your life.

Apr 27, 202326:57
Before You Give Up | Growing Weary

Before You Give Up | Growing Weary

There are times when we all feel resigned to the violence and hatred, pain and suffering, sorrow and despair that we see in our world. It can feel like these problems are too big to solve and there's nothing we can do about them.

 

But before we give up, we need to remember that we should never grow weary of doing good. So no matter how big the world's problems may be, there is still good that we can do.

Apr 20, 202327:34
Easter | A Sunday World

Easter | A Sunday World

On Friday, Jesus had been betrayed and abandoned. On Friday, Jesus was convicted and sentenced to death. On Friday, Jesus was tortured and died on the cross...but that was Friday.

 

On Sunday, Jesus rose from the grave. And when Jesus was resurrected, the world changed. We know longer have to live in a Friday kind of world, we can live in a Sunday world.

Apr 13, 202328:17
Follow Me? | Why Should We Follow?

Follow Me? | Why Should We Follow?

Following Jesus demands a lot from you. Following Jesus means that you make Jesus your first priority, that you love others and yourself, that you produce godly fruit in your life, and that you serve other people.

 

But even though following Jesus demands a lot from you, it's worth it. Because following Jesus is the only way you can be who you were created to be.

Apr 06, 202325:41
Follow Me? | It's On the Inside

Follow Me? | It's On the Inside

When we first decide to follow Jesus, it's natural to want to look the part. But following Jesus is about so much more than just carrying a fancy Bible or wearing Christian clothes.

 

When you follow Jesus, he will change you from the inside out. And that means that you'll start producing godly fruit in your life.

Mar 30, 202325:41
Follow Me? | Worthless

Follow Me? | Worthless

We all know that we mess up and make mistakes when it comes to following Jesus. We don't love each other the way we should. We don't notice people who are hurting and need our care. We're blind to suffering all around us.


And because of all these mess-ups and mistakes, it's easy to feel like God couldn't love us. But nothing could be further from the truth...God always loves us. And following Jesus means that we have to love ourselves too.

Mar 23, 202326:23
Follow Me? | So Loved

Follow Me? | So Loved

John 3:16 is perhaps the best known verse in the entire Bible, and it teaches us about a God who so loves the world. And that means that God loves the entire world and everyone in it...including people that we don't.

But, if we're going to follow Jesus, we have to commit ourselves to loving everyone the way that Jesus does.

Mar 16, 202325:47
Follow Me? | Ready to Work

Follow Me? | Ready to Work

We all know that most things in life take work. It takes work to plan a vacation. It takes work to purchase a new car. It takes work to pick out a new book. But sometimes we forget that following Jesus takes work too.

Following Jesus isn't just about sitting back and watching a worship service. Following Jesus is about putting your faith in action.

Mar 09, 202325:55
Follow Me? | A Choice

Follow Me? | A Choice

Time and time again, when Jesus called his disciples he said to them, "Follow me." Jesus wants us to do the same thing today, he wants us to follow him...but what does that mean?

Well, Jesus tells us what it means to follow him when he says, "All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me."  But, ultimately, we get to decide if we're going to do what it takes to follow Jesus.

Mar 02, 202326:00
One Small Step | We Have a Problem

One Small Step | We Have a Problem

The biggest reason that many of us are afraid to share our faith is that we're concerned with what might go wrong. We don't want people to reject us, or think we're crackpots, or anything else. So how can we share our faith when we're afraid of what could go wrong?

In this sermon, we'll be reminded that the only way to share our faith in Jesus is to act like Jesus, and trust that his love will more than make up for anything that goes wrong.

Feb 23, 202326:51
One Small Step | Do Your Part

One Small Step | Do Your Part

Neil Armstrong may have been the first person to walk on the moon, but this wasn't something he could've done on his own. It took more than 400,000 engineers, scientists, and technicians working together to allow Neil Armstrong to become the first person to walk on the moon.

When it comes to sharing our faith, we can't do it all on our own either. Instead, we each need to play our part to help people who need Jesus find him.

Feb 16, 202328:15
One Small Step | One Giant Leap

One Small Step | One Giant Leap

After Neil Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the moon he said, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." And he was right. It took one small, easy step for him to reach the surface of the moon...but it took a giant, difficult leap to get him there.

Sometimes we think that sharing our faith can be as difficult as putting a man on the moon. But, in this sermon, we'll see that all it takes to share our faith are a few small steps.

Feb 09, 202326:25
One Year From Now | Knowing Jesus

One Year From Now | Knowing Jesus

The theologian Elizabeth Johnson describes Jesus as "ineffable mystery" - meaning that Jesus is beyond our ability to fully understand or explain. So how can we ever hope to know who Jesus is?

Well, knowing Jesus isn't about information...it's about a relationship. So the only way to know Jesus is to know him personally.

Feb 02, 202325:40
One Year From Now | Room For You

One Year From Now | Room For You

Who is welcome in the Kingdom of God? This is a question that just about every follower of Jesus wrestles with from time to time.

In this sermon, we'll wrestle with an uncomfortable exchange Jesus has with one particular woman. And we'll see what this exchange has to teach us about who is and isn't welcome in God's kingdom.

Jan 24, 202325:28