Western Hills Church, Temple, TX

Best Gift Ever #3

Scripture:  John 16,  1 Corinthians 2:10-16, Romans 12:2

Speaker:  Scott Meyer

Summary: This sermon teaches that following Jesus in a world filled with confusion and deception requires the guidance of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promises in John 16 as the Spirit of truth. Using the image of a smoke-filled room, the Scott explains how lies—rooted in Satan’s deception—distort our understanding of sin, righteousness, and judgment, but the Spirit anchors believers in what is truly wrong, what is right through Christ, and who ultimately wins. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 2, the message emphasizes that the Spirit reveals truth to us, about us—especially our identity in Christ—and through us, giving believers the mind of Christ and the courage to speak boldly. The Spirit primarily works through Scripture, the renewing of our minds, and life in Christian community, reshaping our thinking and exposing lies we believe about ourselves. Ultimately, the Spirit does not create a new reality but reveals the vibrant truth already present in Christ, anchoring believers in clarity, renewing their identity, and empowering them to live and witness with confidence.

Best Gift Ever #2

Scripture:  John 14, John 15, Galatians 5:22-23

Speaker:  Scott Meyer

Summary: This sermon teaches that when life pressures and “cracks” us, what spills out reveals what is truly inside, and behavior modification alone cannot produce the character of Jesus. Jesus promises in John 14 that the Holy Spirit is our Helper—an Advocate who dwells within believers to make possible what is otherwise impossible, such as loving enemies, forgiving deep wounds, and living with joy in hardship. Rather than trying harder to improve ourselves, we are called to “remain” or abide in Christ, staying connected to Him so the Spirit can form His life within us. The fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—is not produced by willpower but grows naturally from a surrendered, Spirit-filled life. Ultimately, the message urges believers to stop decorating the outside and instead depend on the Holy Spirit to transform the inside, praying in life’s hardest moments, “Spirit, what would love look like right now?”

Best Gift Ever #1

Scripture:  John 14:15-17, John 16:7, Luke 11:11-13

Speaker: Scott Meyer

Summary: This sermon begins a yearlong focus on following Jesus as disciples who seek to be with Him, become like Him, and do what He did. Scott's emphasis is that fully following Jesus is impossible in our own strength as he introduces a new series on the Holy Spirit as essential to living the disciple’s life. Drawing from Gospel of John chapters 14–16 and Gospel of Luke chapter 11, he explains that Jesus promised the Holy Spirit as an Advocate and declared it better for believers that He go away so God could dwell within them. He emphasizes two core truths: the Holy Spirit is fully God and the Holy Spirit is a good gift from a loving Father, empowering believers from the inside rather than merely guiding them from beside them. Concluding with the testimony of a transformed life, he urges the church to recognize and rely on the Spirit’s supernatural power, which enables true spiritual transformation and faithful discipleship.

Following Jesus #4

Scripture:  Luke 4:14-21, Mark1:14-15, Mark 10:41-45, John 13:14, Colossians 2:15, Acts 16:2526

Speaker:  Scott Meyer

Summary: This sermon concludes a four-part series on following Jesus as our rabbi, emphasizing that true discipleship means spending time with Him (habitation), becoming like Him (formation), and ultimately doing what He did (imitation). Centering Luke 4, the message highlights that Jesus carried out His mission—proclaiming freedom, healing, and hope—by the power of the Spirit, the same Spirit now given to believers. Scott identifies three key aspects of Jesus’ life that disciples are called to imitate: speaking truth boldly, serving humbly, and bringing light into darkness. Drawing from passages in Mark, John, Acts of the Apostles, and Colossians, the sermon shows that Jesus redefined greatness through service, confronted false cultural narratives with truth, and defeated the powers of sin and evil through the cross. The church is challenged not merely to admire Jesus but to imitate Him daily by praying, “Jesus, how would You live my life today if You were me?”

Following Jesus #3

Scripture:  Romans 8:29, Luke 6:39-40,Galatians 3:3, Matthew 11:28-30

Speaker:  Scott Meyer

Summary: The sermon teaches that the goal of the Christian life is not merely to get to heaven, but to become more and more like Jesus each day. Everyone is always being formed by something.  It may be stories, habits, relationships, experiences, and environments.  Disciples of Jesus must intentionally choose what is shaping them. Becoming like Jesus is a lifelong process that requires the power of the Holy Spirit and our active participation in the practices of Jesus. Spiritual formation is not achieved by knowledge alone or passive faith, but through cooperating with God as we adopt Jesus’ way of life. Our lives are “under construction,” and by God’s Spirit, we are being transformed to reflect Christ more clearly until the end.

Following Jesus #2

Scripture:  John 15:4-8

Speaker:  Scott Meyer

Summary: The second in a four-part series exploring what it means and looks like to Follow Jesus. The sermon teaches that the goal of the Christian life is not merely to get to heaven, but to become more and more like Jesus each day. Everyone is always being formed by something.  It may be stories, habits, relationships, experiences, and environments.  Disciples of Jesus must intentionally choose what is shaping them. Becoming like Jesus is a lifelong process that requires the power of the Holy Spirit and our active participation in the practices of Jesus. Spiritual formation is not achieved by knowledge alone or passive faith, but through cooperating with God as we adopt Jesus’ way of life. Our lives are “under construction,” and by God’s Spirit, we are being transformed to reflect Christ more clearly until the end.

Following Jesus #1

Scripture:  Mark 8:34, Mark 1:16-20, Mark 2:13-14, Mark 10:21

Speaker:  Scott Meyer

Summary: This message introduces 2026  as a year focused on rediscovering what it truly means to follow Jesus.  Everyone is constantly being formed by something, and the church must move beyond attendance and information toward genuine spiritual formation. Using Jesus’ invitation to “follow me,” a call to discipleship that means becoming an apprentice of Jesus — being with Him, becoming like Him, and doing what He did. The goal of faith is not simply being right or religious, but being transformed into the character and life of Christ through an active relationship empowered by the Holy Spirit.  This challenge is for each person to consider who or what they are following and to commit their lives to following Jesus as their rabbi.

Christmas Cards #4

Scripture:  John 1:1-18

Speaker:  Scott Meyer

Summary:  

The apostle, John’s “Christmas card” in John 1, shows us that Christmas is the miracle of God stepping into the world through the incarnation of Jesus, the Word made flesh. It highlights three gifts Jesus brings: He is the Light that overcomes darkness and reveals truth, He gives believers a new identity as children of God, and He offers inexhaustible grace. Christ's coming is not about human effort to reach God but about God descending to reach humanity and bring humanity into relationship with God. Through Jesus, God becomes present with us and offers rescue.  The invitation of Christmas is to receive the Light, accept our identity as God’s children, and live from grace instead of guilt.

Christmas Cards #3

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Speaker:  Scott Meyer

Summary: Luke’s Christmas story is written for those who feel overlooked, excluded, or left out, showing that God intentionally enters ordinary, difficult, and uncomfortable realities. Jesus is born not in glitter or comfort, but amid bureaucracy, travel, poverty, and a manger, revealing that God meets people right where they are. The first announcement of Christ’s birth is given to shepherds—outsiders and nobodies—proclaiming that the gospel is for all, especially the marginalized. Through Jesus, true peace (shalom) becomes possible: peace with God, with others, and within ourselves, regardless of circumstances. Christmas, therefore, is not just a story to admire but a Savior to seek, respond to, worship, and joyfully share with others.

Christmas Cards #2

Scripture:  Mark 1:1

Speaker:  Scott Meyer

Summary:

The sermon presents Mark’s Gospel as a Christmas “card” that proclaims not a sentimental birth story but a bold headline: “The beginning of the good news about Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God.” Mark’s nativity is framed as a decisive announcement that something world-changing has happened—God has acted in history, not merely offered an idea or feeling. The good news is that Jesus, whose name means “God saves,” is the promised Messiah who fulfills every hope and promise of Scripture by coming as a Savior first. By calling Jesus the Son of God, Mark declares that God is not distant but has stepped into our broken world and our personal stories to rescue us. Christmas, therefore, is a proclamation of victory and hope, inviting us to receive and boldly declare that Jesus has arrived for us.