Psalm 23:2; Matthew 11:25-30

Rest and refreshment. The words speak to a deep longing and great need of every soul. And while we may have fleeting moments of both in our lives at various times and in various ways, ongoing, soul-satisfying, timeless rest remains elusive.  Unless there is One willing and able to lead us to the place where true, eternal rest and refreshment are found. That is what the Lord, our Shepherd promises to his sheep, and what Jesus the good Shepherd himself provides to all who will come to him.  We continue to consider the shepherding care of our Lord, Jesus who himself is where we find true rest for our souls.

Psalm 23:1; Matthew 6:25-34

We wake up every day with desires, needs, and fears which, even if we're not fully aware, call for our attention and direct our actions. Though these things may be legitimate, the focus on what we lack and therefore long for can begin to exercise inordinate control over our hearts and lead to growing discontent. True contentment and satisfaction are not found in having everything you want, but in knowing the One who knows and promises to provide everything that you need. Only in the care of the Lord as our Shepherd can we truly say, "I shall not want." Join us for our second message in the series on "The Lord, Our Shepherd"

What does it mean to be able to say that the Lord, the God of the universe, is your shepherd? It is an amazing claim if you think about it. But not nearly as amazing as Jesus’ claim that he himself is the good Shepherd, a claim that unmistakably identifies himself with the sovereign Shepherd of David’s psalm. Only in knowing Jesus, can we know the Lord is our shepherd and know all the blessings that are found in his shepherding care.  We kick off a series of messages based on Psalm 23, today using Psalm 23:1 and John 10:7-18, considering Jesus, the good Shepherd.

God's last message through the prophet Haggai comes to Zerubbabel the governor, as a reminder that though it may not seem the case at the moment, God will bring to naught all the kingdoms of this world until his is the last kingdom standing, and his chosen servant sits on the throne forever.  That promise is sealed in God’s word to Zerubbabel,  and it is fulfilled in the unshakeable hope which is ours in Christ. Here we conclude our series in Haggai, in chapter 2:20-23.

God's people were defiled, unclean and unacceptable; though struck and afflicted they persisted unrepentant; and they saw nothing but fruitless futility - and suddenly God said "But from this day on I will bless you." Come, people of God, and hear from Haggai 2:10-19 how it is that God has blessed His people in Christ, whose touch makes the unclean holy, whose strickenness draws abundance, and who from nothing bears eternal fruit. His body is our temple, and we, being built up into it, are blessed.

"Remember the glory days." Those nostalgic words recalling better times in the past, often reveal a sense of disappointment and discontent with the present, as well as a doubtful discouragement that the future will be better. Such was the case as God's people began to rebuild the temple only to realize it was nothing compared to the magnificence of Solomon's temple. But things aren't always what they seem, and God speaks again through his prophet Haggai, to remind his people and us, that a greater glory and a more lasting peace lie ahead for those who trust the presence and power of God at work in and through them. We continue in our series from the book of Haggai, Chapter 2:1-9.

We've heard of great spiritual revivals in history where through the preaching of God's word, the Spirit moves in a mighty way to bring conviction and renewal that leads to changed lives and communities on a large scale.  Such was the case in the prophet Haggai's day where through his word, God stirred up his people to rebuild the temple that had lain in ruins for over a decade.  In Haggai 1:12-15 we take a look at what happens when the Lord stirs things up to bring revival to his church.

The book of Haggai is about God's grace to revive the cold, complacent hearts of his people to a renewed priority and passion to see the temple rebuilt and God's glory restored among his people. Through the same power of God's word, presence of his Spirit, and promise of his provision, fulfilled in Jesus, God continues to call us out of complacency and to revive our hearts and renew our priority and passion in the work of building up of his spiritual house, the body of Christ, for his glory. Join us as we start a new study in the book of Haggai: Revived to Rebuild. This message: A Convicting Call To Consider from Haggai 1:1-11.

Listen to Pastor Harvey's new year's message from Romans 15:1-13.