Followed By Mercy

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Have you ever wondered how the simple act of being present can transform someone's spiritual journey? On today's episode, we explore the profound distinction between "with-ness" and "witness" in discipleship, inspired by Mark 3:14. Jesus didn’t just send the apostles to preach; he chose them to be with him. We unpack how this principle of being genuinely present with those we mentor can create lasting spiritual growth and meaningful relationships. From hiking trips to heartfelt conversations, we examine the importance of shared experiences in nurturing faith.

Reflecting on personal stories from teaching in a Christian school, we confront the limitations of traditional education methods. The goal isn't just to impart knowledge but to model a life of faith and devotion. By genuinely investing in people, we can help them become faithful, praying Christians, whether they serve as Sunday school teachers, ushers, or preachers. Our mission is to support each individual as far as they are willing to go. Join us for an inspiring discussion on the transformative power of intentional, Christ-centered relationships, and learn how to cultivate a mentorship approach that truly reflects Jesus’ example.

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"The Lord is my shepherd."

We've heard those words so many times that we miss the meaning. But slow down for a second. Don't rush past them. Let them sink in.

The Lord is.

Not was. Not might be someday. Not when I get my act together. He is right now. In the middle of the confusion, the waiting, the pain, the pressure. He is present. Fully aware. Actively shepherding.

And then that little word: my.

 Not just the Shepherd or the world's Shepherd but My Shepherd. That word "my" changes everything. This isn't some poetic verse about a distant deity. This truth is deeply personal. Try saying it out loud with your name in there: "The Lord is [your name] 's shepherd." Do you feel that shift? Suddenly, it's not just Scripture. It's relationship.

This isn't a God who checks in on you once a week. He's not keeping score or waiting for you to perform. This Shepherd knows every part of your story, including scars, shame, and silent battles, yet He stays anyway. He sees it all, and still, He chooses you. He leads you. He loves you.

And when life hits you sideways, the doctor calls, the relationship crumbles, and the nights feel longer than your hope—this is what holds you: You belong to a Shepherd who knows your name and never lets go.

Even when you wander (and we all do), He doesn't come after you with a lecture. He comes with compassion. He searches. He carries. And when He brings you home, He doesn't scold you, He celebrates. That's grace. Not earned. Not deserved. Just given. Freely. Fully.

So what's your response to all that? You don't fix yourself up first. You don't prove your worth. You just say yes. That's all. Yes to being loved. Yes to being led. Yes to trusting the Shepherd who already laid down His life for you.

Today—whatever you're facing—remember this:

The Lord is your Shepherd. You shall not want.

This isn't about religion. This is about relationship. Jesus came to show us that the Shepherd is also our Father. Not a cold authority figure, but Abba—Daddy. That's how Jesus prayed, and it shocked the religious crowd. He pulled back the curtain and invited us into something deeply personal. Family.

Just like a good shepherd lives among the sheep, knows their names, and gives his life to protect them, your Heavenly Father walks with you through every valley. He's not far off. He's near. Tender. Strong. Always providing. Always watching over you.

So let the truth land today:

The Lord is my Shepherd. My Pastor. My Father.

 He's not going anywhere. And you're never alone.

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“The Lord is my shepherd.” What does that really mean?

We’ve heard those words from Psalm 23 so often that they can sound like background noise. But slow down. Let it hit you. Is. Not was, not will be—is. Right now. At this moment. In the chaos, in the quiet, in the mess, and the unknown—He is present. Actively shepherding.

And then there’s “my.“ That little word changes everything. This isn’t just a line about God watching over people. This is about Him watching over you. Personally. Specifically. Try reading it like this: “The Lord is [your name] ‘s Shepherd.“ Feel that? It gets real fast.

This isn’t a distant God checking in now and then. This Shepherd knows you. Your story. Your pain. Your history. Every failure, every fear, every hard thing you don’t say out loud—He sees it all. And still, He stays. Still, He loves. Still, He leads.

When life sideswipes you—when the diagnosis comes, the family falls apart, and the bills stack higher than your hope—this personal relationship becomes your anchor. You’re not just believing in a higher power. You’re holding onto a Shepherd who knows your name and refuses to let you go.

And when you wander (because we all do), He doesn’t show up with anger or guilt. He comes running. The Shepherd searches. He lifts. Jesus carries. And when He brings you home, He throws a party, not a lecture. That’s grace. Not earned and not deserved. But offered freely and fully.

So what do you do with that? You receive it. That’s it. You don’t have to perform. You don’t have to clean yourself up first. Jesus already paid the price. Just trust Him. Say yes. That’s how you claim this relationship.

Whatever you’re facing today, this is true:

The Lord is your Shepherd. You shall not want.

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“The Lord is my shepherd.”

Five simple words. But they’re not just poetic—they’re personal. And they’re present tense.

David didn’t say “was” or “will be.” He said, “is.” Picture him on the run, hiding in caves, surrounded by enemies. Still, he says it with confidence: the Lord is my Shepherd. Right now. Not someday. Not when things get better. Now.

That word—is—says something huge about who God is. He’s not stuck in the past or waiting in the future. He’s “I AM.“ Always present. Always steady. Always here.

One of our biggest mistakes is thinking God the Father is distant or harsh while Jesus is gentle and merciful. But Jesus shut that idea down when He told Philip, “If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father.” God’s not divided. We see the same patience, mercy, and compassion in Jesus—that’s who the Father is, too.

God’s shepherding isn’t a future hope or a nice memory. It’s active right now. We spend so much time worrying about what happened yesterday or stressing about what might go wrong tomorrow. Meanwhile, God is here, steady, meeting today’s needs with today’s grace.

Think about actual sheep. Sheep don’t stress over where the next pasture is or whether the Shepherd’s having a good day. They follow. They trust. That’s the life we’re invited into, not fear or regret, but present trust.

God doesn’t change when our circumstances do. He doesn’t have bad days. “I am” doesn’t get moody or distracted. He is faithful—not because we’ve earned it, but because that’s who He is. Faithfulness is His nature.

So, what are you facing today? What storm’s overhead? Whatever it is, you’re not alone. Your Shepherd hasn’t stepped away. He sees it. He’s in it with you. You don’t have to clean yourself up or prove yourself worthy of His help. He’s your Shepherd because that’s who He is—and caring for you is what He does.

The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want.

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The Lord Is My Shepherd—And That Changes Everything

When the psalmist says, "The Lord is my shepherd," he boldly states who God is: someone who's always been about relationship, not distance. From walking with Adam and Eve in Eden to pursuing them after their disobedience, God's actions always showed His desire for connection.

Psalm 23 isn't just a meditation; it's an invitation to know the Shepherd for who He really is.

When God introduces Himself in Scripture, He doesn't lead with power or judgment. He leads with mercy, grace, patience, and unshakeable truth. And this: "I keep mercy for thousands." That's not just a line—it's loyalty. It's love that sticks around, whether or not we deserve it. Even when we fall short, "He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. "We change. He doesn't. That's what keeps us steady.

What's wild is how God handles our mess. He doesn't sweep sin under the rug. "I am" doesn't pretend it didn't happen. He takes it on Himself. Think of it like this: when someone gets bitten by a snake, you don't hate the person; you hate the snake. That's how God sees sin. He's not out to crush the sinner; He's out to crush what's hurting us.

But many people get this wrong. They see God as this angry judge waiting for them to slip up. That's not who He is. "God is love. "And Jesus, calling Himself the Good Shepherd, backs that up with His life. He walked with us, lived among us, died for us, rose again, and still walks with us now. Not from a distance. Up close. Personal.

So here's the question: Who's your Shepherd, really?

He's not looking to catch you in failure. He's already carried your failure. His mercy doesn't run out because you've earned it—it endures because that's who He is. He's steady when we're shaky. He's faithful when we wander.

Today, wherever you are, remember this: You have a Shepherd who doesn't quit on you. He forgives fully, loves deeply, and never backs off. He paid the price. And He's still with you, every step, every season.

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At some point, you've probably asked yourself: who is God, really—beneath the layers of religious tradition, church talk, and cultural noise? This isn't just a theological question; it's a personal one. And in Exodus 34, God answers it Himself. When He speaks to Moses, He doesn't offer a lecture or a list of demands. He gives a self-portrait. And what does He highlight? That He is abundant in goodness and truth.

That word abundant means overflowing. Packed to the brim. God isn't casually kind or occasionally patient. He's loaded down with loving-kindness. He's consistent. Unlike us—who wake up one day ready to be generous and the next ready to bite someone's head off—God doesn't have mood swings. He's not unpredictable. He's always good.

But what really hits is how God ties goodness to truth. This isn't a soft, sentimental kind of goodness. It's honest. Solid. His truth means He's faithful. He keeps His word. When He says He's merciful, He means it. When He says He's patient, He doesn't change His mind halfway through the week. God isn't smiling to your face while planning to ditch you the moment you fail again. That's not who He is. The God who loves you in your sin won't quit loving you because you won't stop sinning.

That kind of consistency changes everything. It brings security. You don't have to second-guess where you stand with Him. You're not walking on eggshells with a God who might turn on you. You're being led by a Shepherd who has His "pockets full of candy"—ready to bless, quick to forgive, rich in mercy, steady in His love.

So ask yourself—how would your day look if you really believed this? How would your stress shift? Your relationships? Your outlook? You have a God who is endlessly good, endlessly true, and faithful. He doesn't flinch at your failures. He doesn't play favorites or keep score. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The Lord is your Shepherd. Abundant in goodness and truth. You shall not want.

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What if everything you thought about God as Father has been shaped more by human pain than by who He really is?

This Father’s Day, let’s break free from the tired religious stereotype of God as a distant, strict judge. Instead, we’ll explore the heart of our Heavenly Father—the One who loves deeper and wider than we can imagine.

Maybe your view of God has been clouded by a harsh or absent earthly dad. Maybe you’ve heard that Jesus is kind and gentle, but God the Father is the stern disciplinarian waiting to catch you in failure. That divide keeps so many from experiencing the full, rich love God wants to pour out on us.

In this message, we’ll uncover five life-changing truths about our Father’s love. You’ll discover a God who loved you before you were born, before you ever believed, without demanding that you clean up your act. Unlike human love that sometimes runs out, His love never fades or quits. When He forgives, He wipes the slate clean, separating our sins “as far as the East is from the West.” More than just religion or rules, God wants friendship with you, a real connection, heart to heart. And best of all, He loves you more than your failures, seeing you through the perfect righteousness of Christ rather than your mistakes.

For fathers here on earth, these truths offer a powerful model: love first, don’t give up, forgive fully, express love openly, and value relationship above performance. When dads reflect God’s love this way, they help their children grow into a healthy understanding of both earthly and heavenly fatherhood.

Whether your experience with your earthly Father was beautiful or painful, this message will help heal your heart and reshape how you see the Father who made you on purpose, knows you inside and out, and loves you without condition.

You were never an accident. You were intentionally designed by a Father who loves you first, loves you forever, forgives completely, desires true friendship, and loves you more than your failures.

Join me as we explore these five powerful truths, which can change everything—from how you see God to how you live in His love.

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Do you ever feel like your past owns you? Like your mistakes follow you everywhere and define who you are? This message will change that. When God the Father looks at you, He doesn’t see your failures. He sees His child, fully forgiven and deeply loved.

Take Rahab, for example—the woman called a harlot in the Old Testament. Yet later, she’s in Jesus’ family line without mentioning her past. That shows us something amazing: God completely separates who we are from what we’ve done. Through Jesus, our past doesn’t stick to us anymore.

But God’s fatherhood goes deeper than forgiveness. Jesus said, “I call you friends because I have told you all things that I heard of my Father” (John 15:15). God wants more than just respect or obedience—He wants friendship with us. That changes how we relate to Him and to each other, especially as fathers. This message gives practical advice for dads—how to listen without rushing to fix, how to be real and vulnerable with your kids, how to make memories that matter, and how to cover their mistakes with grace, just like our Father does.

We also face the lie that God is harsh or distant. Romans 5:20 reminds us, “Where sin did abound, grace did much more abound.” No matter how far we’ve strayed, God’s love is bigger. He doesn’t give up on us. He walks beside us, gently bringing us home.

If you’re struggling with shame, wondering if you’re enough, or wanting to live out God’s love better in your family, this message is for you. It’s about finding freedom in how the Father really sees you.

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What if the way you think about worldliness is completely wrong? In this episode, we promise to transform your understanding with insights from Robert Dean Jr. and Thomas Ice's book, "What the Bible Teaches About Spiritual Warfare." This episode challenges the conventional notion that worldliness is about actions and instead reveals it as a mindset or worldview that conflicts with divine teachings. Get ready to uncover how this pervasive philosophy can rationalize sin and intertwine with false teachings, steering many away from God's truth.

We further dissect the alluring yet destructive nature of worldly desires like the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life. These desires, linked to greed, envy, and arrogance, are portrayed as tools of Satan to foster a self-centered way of living that opposes God's will. Join us from Medellin, Colombia, as we urge you to cultivate God-like thoughts and resist the pull of worldly thinking. This episode promises to enrich your spiritual understanding and challenge you to align your mindset with biblical teachings. Tune in and let this transformative discussion guide you towards a more spiritually grounded life.

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What if the God you were taught to fear is far more patient than you ever imagined? A lot of us carry around this idea of God as someone with a short fuse—quick to judge, faster to punish. But when you look closely at scripture, that picture falls apart.

God didn’t lead with power or wrath when he introduced himself to Moses. He said he’s “long-suffering.” In Hebrew, that phrase points to a “long nose”—a strange image unless you know what it means. When we’re angry, we breathe fast through our noses. But someone slow to anger takes deep, steady breaths. That’s the kind of patience God claims for himself.

Psalm 103:8 says it plainly: “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.” The patience is wrapped in mercy, start to finish.
That context changes how we read “The Lord is my shepherd” in Psalm 23. He’s not hovering with a rod, waiting for us to slip up. He’s not that kind of Shepherd. He’s more like a grandfather who lets the kids sneak another handful of candy just because he enjoys their company. He’s not keeping a scorecard of your mess-ups—he’s ready to forgive before you even ask.
The truth is that we tend to project our own baggage onto God. We think he’s like the impatient boss, the harsh parent, the exasperated teacher. But he’s not. He’s the father in the story of the prodigal son, watching the road, hoping to see you coming home, not so he can say, “I told you so,” but so he can throw his arms around you.

God has let you make your choices—even the ones that hurt you. He didn’t stop loving you. He’s never stopped waiting.

So today, ask yourself honestly: What if your Shepherd really is that patient? What would change if you stopped fearing his disappointment and started trusting his mercy?

God isn’t who many of us were told he is. He’s far more kind, more patient, and more ready to welcome you than you think.

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