Our Blog is Moving!

The NHBC Blog is moving! Thanks for following us on Blogger these last years. We don't want you to miss a single post! Beginning this week, the NHBC Blog will be hosted at our own website, nationalheights.org.

To view our blog, go to the Home Page at www.nationalheights.org and scroll about 3/4 of the way down the page to the section titled "Our Latest Blogs." The most recent blogs will be featured here, and are only a click away.

Thanks for checking out our NHBC Blog!

See the blog for 11/30/17

See all of our recent blogs.

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering 2017

This Sunday begins our annual emphasis on international missions. You will hear from Jacob Franklin, our own missionary to East Asia, as he describes ways that God is at work around the world. Your gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering help:

• Young moms in Japan see through the example of IMB families how Jesus can change their home and life. 

• Earthquake victims in Nepal experience the love of Christ through volunteers who hike for days to get to their village. 

• Muslims in Russia who are moving into major cities and are open to learning about a personal relationship with Jesus. 

• Refugees from North Africa hear the gospel and find real life for the first time. 

Come this Sunday and discover ways your can be involved in what God is doing around the world.

Learn more about international missions at www.imb.org/lmco

Why Give Thanks?

Our mothers pounded it into our heads: always say "please" and "thank you." Does it really matter? Certainly, our world could use some manners. Civility is harder and harder to find.

But is thankfulness just about being polite? This week, we will dig into the prophet Zechariah's description of the importance of thankfulness (Zechariah 7:11-14). It's not just for the third Thursday of November.

See you Sunday!

Hear this message at NHBC Media

How It Works

Some 450 years before the first helicopter would take flight, Leonardo da Vinci was already designing how it might work. His "aerial screw" probably would not have worked had he actually built it - the weight necessary for such a machine would have been far too great for it's "wings" to have lifted it off the ground. Still, Leonardo had the right idea for how the concept would work.

Allowing our faith to work through our actions is a vital concept every believer needs to know, as the prophet Zechariah describes in this week's passage, Zechariah 7:8-10. Join us this week as we discover specific ways we can live out what we know in Christ.

See you Sunday!

Hear this message at NHBC Media

No Limit

When I was in seminary, I lived in the dormitory, but they did not have a cafeteria. We also were not allowed to have refrigerators or hotplates in our rooms. This limited our in-house food options to cereal with instant dry milk.

For an actual meal, we learned which nights different restaurants had all-you-can-eat options at a discount. Tuesday night was pizza at Mr. Gatti's. Thursdays was all-you-can-eat hot rolls at a local family diner. If nothing else was available, there was always Pancho's, a wonderful Mexican chain restaurant that provided flags at each table. If you ran out of food, simple run your table's flag up its little pole and another chimichanga would instantly appear, followed by an endless supply of sopapillas. It wasn't exactly health food, but at least the well never ran dry.

This week, we will unpack a passage of scripture which describes an offer with no limit. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13).

You won't find a better offer than that.

Hear this message at NHBC Media

Recipe for Success

I like a good recipe, which is to say, I like a simple recipe. When the box says "remove packaging and heat in oven" that's my kind of recipe. Assuming I can determine the difference between the packaging and the actual meal, ten minutes and 350 degrees later, I have dinner.

The Bible gives straightforward instructions on how to transform your life. Join us this week as we look at the next step provided in Romans 10:9-10.

See you Sunday!

Hear this message at NHBC Media

Know the Rules

According to the rule book of Major League Baseball:

Runners advance one base if a pitched ball "lodges in the umpire's or catcher's mask or paraphernalia." Rule 5.09(g)

If there are two strikes on the batter, and a runner steals home, and the pitch hits the runner in the strike zone, the batter is out. The run does not score if there are two outs; if there are less than two outs, it does. Rule 6.05(n)

Pitchers are allowed to switch their throwing arm in the middle of an at-bat, but only if they have injured the other one. If one does, they do not get an opportunity to warm up with the other arm. Rule 8.01(f)

(from http://m.mlb.com/cutfour/2017/01/30/214771568/null)

Those are all significant rules, especially if a pitch gets stuck in the catcher's mask after hitting a runner stealing home because a lefty threw with his right arm.

Join us this week as we learn the most important rule of all in life:

Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

See you Sunday!

Hear this message at NHBC Media

Mirror Image

Mirrors have been around for awhile. The earliest mirror was probably the neighborhood pond dating back to prehistoric days. Eventually water gave way to polished stones, which moved aside for polished metals, which finally gave way to glass and finally glass coated with metal.

Apparently, we have been trying to fix our hair for a long time.

Paul took a look at his life and did not like what he saw. The more he learned about God's law, the more he realized how far he had departed from God's law.

This week we will look at Romans 7:24-25, where Paul describes how in the midst of his self reflection, Paul also discovered the answer - Jesus changes who we are.

See you Sunday!

Hear this message at NHBC Media

Don't Ruin the Ending

For several years, the movie Titanic was the highest grossing film of all time, making more money than any other film, until James Cameron decided to make a movie about tall skinny blue people. Actually, adjusted for inflation, the movie earning the most at the box office is Gone with the Wind, earning more than $3.4 billion in 2017 dollars. That kind of money can make a lot of drapery dresses.

The interesting thing about both Titanic and Gone With The Wind is that you can't ruin the ending because everyone already knows how they turn out. The boat sinks and the South loses.

Knowing the ending can be a great thing, as Paul points out in Romans 6:23. This week, we learn another game changing reality, that in Christ, we know how life turns out.

See you Sunday!

Hear this message at NHBC Media

Greater Than The Storm

We have faced an unusual number of natural disasters over the past few weeks. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, along with the horrific earthquake in Mexico remind us of the fragility and unpredictability of life. It is also a reminder of how desperately we need the One who is greater than the storm.

This week, we will continue in Mark 4, discovering that the God of the harvest is also the God who calms the wind and waves (Mark 4:35-41). Whatever storm you are facing, Jesus has the answer.

See you Sunday!

Help send relief to those facing the aftermath of recent natural disasters at NAMB Send Relief

Fast Forward

I love time-lapse photography. These videos compress large amounts of time into a few seconds so that you can see things like a flower blooming or a tree growing that ordinarily happen so slowly we don't see the progress.

God's will can sometimes seem like that. Though we may not perceive it, God is always working. This Sunday we look at Mark 4:25-32 where Jesus uses two parables that teach an important truth: God always fulfills his purpose.

See you Sunday!

Hear this message at NHBC Media

Did You Know

Did You Know Expo
Missions Celebration
Sunday, September 10

Don't miss this Sunday (Sept. 10) as we celebrate missions at NHBC. Both of our morning services will feature missions testimonies and a mission challenge from Jacob Franklin. Throughout the morning you will be able to view displays from mission opportunities such as Greene County Baptist Association, Lifebuilders Ministries, and Grand Oak Mission. The displays will also include information about World Vision, Extend Global, and Campers on Mission in addition to the International Mission Board, North American Mission Board and Missouri Baptist Convention.

Join us Sunday as we celebrate missions!

Living the Dream

One year, for sixty-two minutes, I lived the dream. I was in show business. Not on the stage - way to many lines to memorize. Not in front of the camera - too much make up.

I was a spotlight operator.

I sat up in the balcony and illuminated the main actor with my spot (as they say in the biz). Without me, the stage would be a dark formless void. Without me the actors would be running into each other and falling over all the props. Without me, the show could not go on.

Light is important in more than just stage production. Light is essential to life. This is nowhere more true than in the light shining out from the gospel message of Jesus. This week, we will read the words of Christ where he calls for believers to turn up the wattage (Mark 4:21-23).

See you Sunday!

Hear this message at NHBC Media

Good Soil

A few weeks ago, the Prime Timers invited a representative from Wickman's Garden Center to come and share some secrets and hints about gardening. She gave a very interesting presentation about different plants for different kinds of gardens. She had advice for plants that were bug resistant and fertilizer that would make to keep the plants strong and healthy.

Good advice. Every gardener wants their flowers bright and tomatoes ripe. Jesus gives away the secret to good gardening and much more - good soil. Join us Sunday as we look at the conclusion to Jesus' Parable of the Sower in Mark 4:8.

See you Sunday!

Hear this message at NHBC Media

Bucket of Rocks

We have a bucket of rocks on our back porch. They are rocks we gathered 19 years ago when we dug a trench to put in a new electrical line. They are still on our porch because I am not sure what to do with them now. I don't want to dump them back in the yard. So far, I haven't found anyone who has any use for them. So we still have a bucket of rocks.

Most people understand that, if you want to plant a garden, rocks and weeds are not your friends. Jesus used that simple reality to illustrate two important truths we should know about our own lives, truths we will discover together this week in Mark 4:5-7.

See you Sunday!

Hear this message at NHBC Media

Everyone Loves a Story

Everyone loves a good story. Tonight, in millions of homes around the world, in hundreds of languages, children will put off bedtime with the simple request, "Read me a story." As our girls were growing up, this ritual was followed with another request, "Tell me a story." For the next few minutes, we would make up a story about a character of their choice, always ending with the same question and answer, "And what did they do next?" "They closed their eyes and went to sleep!"

Jesus was a master storyteller. He used what we often call "parables" as stories to illustrate important spiritual truths. Over the next few weeks, we are going to look at his Parable of the Sower (Mark 4), where Jesus used a familiar sight during his time - a farmer sowing his seed - to describe a spiritual truth people of every age need to know. Join us as we unpack this fascinating and important message.

See you Sunday!

Hear this message at NHBC Media

Overfilled

We witnessed a very real truth last week. Gutters have a purpose, but when that purpose isn't followed, it can create a huge mess. Gutters are supposed to fill up with rain, but then MOVE it. If the water isn't moved out as it's supposed to, its purpose fails. Just being filled with water does no good.

Similarly, Christians are not just to be FILLED, but to let God's love and grace flow OUT of them. It's one of our purposes. Every day we have opportunities to share His grace, His love, His goodness and His message. God forgive us when we are useless gutters!

Understand This

In Mark 3:29, Jesus makes a profound statement about a sin that will never be forgiven. This frightening reality is something we all need to understand. Join us this Sunday as we start a new series from the Gospel of Mark by unpacking what has often been called "The Unforgivable Sin."

See you Sunday!

Hear this message at NHBC Media

Big Ear

When I was in the fourth grade, my dad bought me a Big Ear for Christmas. Sold by Radio Shack, the Big Ear promised to allow you to hear sounds from hundreds of yards away: birds chirping, squirrels chattering, your big sister talking on the phone. The photo is of me in the fourth grade along with my teacher and a fellow student along with our rendition of a personal computer (the "Electro-Thinker") made out of a refrigerator box (circa 1970 Austin-American Statesman).

In reality, the Big Ear was a bit of a disappointment. The only birds I could hear were birds I could already hear, only with more static. The squirrels didn't seem to be chattering, and my sister never seemed to have any phone calls. Fortunately, we don't need a Big Ear to hear the God's message for our life. This week, we get to listen in to what Samuel heard God say, a message vital for his time and for ours (1 Samuel 3:1-18).

See you Sunday!

Hear this message at NHBC Media

Faithful

I always thought it would be great to work in an ice cream shop. That was until I talked with someone who worked in an ice cream shop. I was going on about how great it must be to be surrounded with all flavors of ice cream when they stopped me and said, "It's great at first, but after awhile, you get sick of it."

So it goes with the things of this world. They may seem great at first, but after awhile you get sick of it. There is a deep longing for something more substantial, something with meaning, something that gives your life purpose. Join us this Sunday as we learn what Samuel discovered to be the secret to finding meaning in life, to living a godly life in a godless world (1 Samuel 2:22-25).

See you Sunday!

Hear this message at NHBC Media