Oak Hollow church of Christ

Collection

In The Upper Room

Garrett Bookout

6 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.
  • 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.