Oak Hollow church of Christ

Collection

In The Upper Room

Garrett Bookout

12 Sermons

About

A Three-Month Journey: An invitation to study John 13–17 sequentially, capturing the final, most crucial instructions Jesus left his disciples before his arrest.
The Memorization Challenge: A request for the congregation to memorize John 13:33-35, which contains Jesus' central "new commandment" to love one another.
Defining a Disciple: Exploring a three-part framework for authentic discipleship: following Jesus, being systematically changed by Jesus, and being fully committed to his mission.
The Setting's Gravity: Considering the intimacy and weight of the Upper Room, knowing that Jesus had less than twenty-four hours to live and chose to spend them instructing those handpicked to carry out his mission.
  • OCT 11, 2026
    Jesus' Prayer (Part 2) - John 17:6-19
    Garrett Bookout
    Join Garrett Bookout for a deep dive into John 17:6–19 in the ongoing "In the Upper Room" sermon series at the Oak Hollow church of Christ. This message explores Jesus' heartfelt prayer for His disciples as they prepare to face suffering, hatred from the world, and the immense responsibility of carrying on His ministry. Discover how Jesus acts as our ultimate source of sanctification and how believers today can partner with God in reclaiming a broken world.
  • OCT 04, 2026
    Jesus' Prayer (Part 1) - John 17:1-5
    Garrett Bookout
    In this sermon, Garrett Bookout explores the opening section of Jesus' High Priestly Prayer found in John 17:1–5. As part of the ongoing "In the Upper Room" series, the sermon examines how Jesus approaches His final hours before the cross—not with dread or desperation, but with a focus on divine glory and the fulfillment of God’s plan. Bookout explains how Jesus' sacrifice on the cross reveals the true character of the Father, provides eternal life through intimate knowledge of God, and serves as an example for how believers today can glorify God through faithful obedience and service.
  • SEP 27, 2026
    Sorrow to Joy - John 16:16-33
    Garrett Bookout
    In this sermon, Garrett Bookout explores Jesus’ words in John 16:16–33 as the Upper Room Discourse comes to a close. Addressing humanity's persistent struggle with feeling separated from God, this message examines how Jesus transforms deep, temporary sorrow into permanent joy. Through the illustration of childbirth and the promise of restored communion with the Father, Garrett reminds us that while humans often abandon and forsake God, God never forsakes us—and Christ has ultimately overcome the world.
  • SEP 13, 2026
    The Coming of the Spirit of Truth - John 16:12-15
    Garrett Bookout
    In this sermon, Garrett Bookout explores John 16:12–15 to explain the biblical definition of truth and the vital role of the Holy Spirit in the believer's life. Rather than viewing truth as an exhaustive list of facts, doctrines, or legalistic rules that humans must master perfectly, the sermon emphasizes that truth is centered on the person, lordship, and kingship of Jesus Christ. Because the disciples could not bear the full weight of Jesus's teachings right before His crucifixion, Jesus promised the Spirit of Truth to guide them step-by-step into practical application. The Holy Spirit does not introduce a competing agenda or a complex new law; instead, He shines a light on Jesus, reminding believers of His primary command to love one another and guiding them on how to walk out that love in everyday life. Ultimately, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit share complete unity in mission, inviting Christians to abandon self-centered pursuits and participate in God's unified work in the world.
  • SEP 06, 2026
    The World Convicted - John 16:4-11
    Garrett Bookout
    This sermon continues Jesus’ upper-room teaching just hours before His arrest, trial, and crucifixion. Drawing from John 16:4-11, Bookout explains that Jesus is leaving so the Helper (the Holy Spirit) can come. The Spirit’s work is to convict (expose, prove, reveal) the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. Using a personal story about an unexplained foot injury that required imaging to diagnose the real problem, Bookout shows that the world is broken and does not know how to fix itself. Human attempts to solve the brokenness only make it worse. The Spirit reveals the true diagnosis and the true solution centered on Jesus.
  • AUG 30, 2026
    If the World Hates You (John 15:18 - 16:4)
    Garrett Bookout
    In this sermon titled "If the World Hates You" (covering John 15:18 – 16:4), preacher Garret Bookout examines Jesus's warnings to His disciples about the inevitable hostility they will encounter from the world. While love is the defining mark of a Christian, Jesus identifies hatred as the world's defining response toward His followers. Garret explores the spectrum of hate—ranging from deliberate exclusion and contempt to physical harm and murder—and emphasizes that Jesus models a radical response: loving, blessing, and doing good to enemies rather than retaliating with malice. The sermon highlights that the hatred experienced by Jesus and His followers often originates not from open atheists, but from deeply religious individuals who perform acts in the name of God while failing to truly know Him. Garret cautions believers against adopting a "martyr syndrome" or seeking out conflict unnecessarily, pointing out that Jesus was hated for doing good, such as healing the sick and raising the dead. Ultimately, the sermon calls Christians to focus deeply on understanding the character of God through Scripture, ensuring that devotion to religious practices never replaces a genuine personal relationship with Him.
  • AUG 23, 2026
    This is My Commandment - John 15:12-17
    Garrett Bookout
    In this sermon, Garett Bookout continues the series "In the Upper Room" (John 13–17), focusing on John 15:12–17. Placed at the structural center of Jesus's final upper room discourse hours before His crucifixion, this passage highlights the core essence of the "Law of Christ." Bookout addresses common human confusion surrounding legalistic systems and clarifies that Christ's commandment is singular, profound, and heart-centered: to love one another through self-sacrificial service, thereby bearing lasting fruit for God.
  • AUG 09, 2026
    Abide in Me - John 15:1-11
    Garrett Bookout
    In this sermon titled Abide in Me, preacher Garrett Bookout examines John 15:1-11 within the context of the Upper Room narrative. He explains how throughout the Old Testament, God frequently used a vineyard to represent Israel, though Israel repeatedly failed to bear good fruit. Jesus came as the true vine to fulfill what Israel could not. To bear fruit that pleases God, Christians must abide in Jesus, obey His commandments out of love, and remain connected to Him as the sole source of spiritual life and true joy.
  • JUL 26, 2026
    The Helper - John 14:15-31
    Garrett Bookout
    In this sermon focused on John 14:15–31, Garrett Bookout explores the upper room discourse where Jesus prepares His disciples for His imminent departure. The message examines human relationships and parting, the promise of the Holy Spirit (the Paraclete / Helper), the relationship between loving Jesus and obeying His commandments, and how Christ's obedience on the cross reveals God's love while defeating the ruler of this world.
  • JUL 12, 2026
    The Way to the Father - John 13:36 - 14:11
    Garrett Bookout
    In this installment of the Upper Room sermon series, minister Garrett Bookout unpacks John 13:36–14:11 to challenge common, hyper-literal interpretations of "the Father's house" and the "many rooms" promised by Jesus. Bookout argues that reading this passage strictly through the lens of physical real estate misses the profound, relational target of the text. By introducing four critical interpretive lenses—symbolic, relational, temple, and cross lenses—he demonstrates that Jesus is describing access to the intimate presence of God. Ultimately, the sermon illustrates that the primary goal and hope of the Christian faith is not a celestial location, but a unified relationship with a person: Jesus Christ.
  • JUL 05, 2026
    A New Commandment - John 13:31-35
    Garrett Bookout
    In this lesson from the Upper Room series, minister Garrett Bookout unpacks the monumental transition from the Old Covenant legal system to the New Covenant established by Jesus Christ. Focusing on John 13:31-35, Bookout explores the historical background of Jeremiah's prophecy concerning a law written on the human heart rather than on tablets of stone. The sermon analyzes the central pillar of this new covenant: the command to love one another as Christ loved. Bookout argues that agape love is not merely an optional emotion but the primary doctrine and defining characteristic that allows a broken humanity to reflect the true, self-sacrificing glory of God to the world.
  • JUN 28, 2026
    Washing Feet - John 13:1-17
    Garrett Bookout
    Minister Garrett Bookout introduces a new, three-month sermon series titled *"In The Upper Room,"* focusing on the intimate final teachings of Jesus found in John chapters 13–17. Bookout challenges the congregation to actively read along with the weekly passages and to memorize John 13:33-35, focusing on Jesus' explicit "new commandment" to love one another. This foundational lesson details Jesus washing his disciples' feet on the night prior to his crucifixion. Bookout explores how Jesus deliberately uses this culturally demeaning task as a profound object lesson to reframe greatness in the Kingdom of God. By kneeling before his fallible followers—including Judas Iscariot who would betray him—Jesus demonstrates that true discipleship requires active, self-sacrificing service. Bookout concludes by asserting that service is not merely an optional bonus to the Christian faith but a core, defining characteristic of an authentic relationship with Christ.