Good Shepherd Gardendale

The "Day of the Lord" is one of those moments in time that the Bible has been preparing for us from beginning to end. It is the day when all the climatic events of the Lord's Return take place. Paul urges us to be spiritually ready for this moment. Spiritual wakefulness, not fear. As "children of light" our assurance and hope is in Christ. Therefore, we want to be ready for His glorious return. This is part 9 of our series on the book of 1st Thessalonians.

Today is the celebration of All Saints Sunday and we remember our brothers and sisters in Christ who have gone home to be with the Lord. And the joy we have as Christians is that we do not live without hope. We have a message of comfort for those that are grieving. Christ's resurrection guarantees ours. Today we focus on the return of Christ and our bodily resurrection not with speculation but confidence! This is part 8 of our series, Living with Eternity in Mind: Hope Beyond the Grave.

Today we bring together our series on Thessalonians and the celebration of the Reformation. How can someone actually walk with God and please God? How can we have a relationship with God and not be worried about our life and is it pleasing to God? Today we are grateful for our opportunity to worship and celebrate the Lord. This is part 7 of our series, "Living With The End In Mind."

Last week we saw that Paul was anxious and worried and struggling, as he wondered if the tempter was going to wreck the church in Thessalonica or would he find out that they were doing alright or better thriving! Today we find out what happens, and in doing so we can ask ourselves the question, "how are we doing?" What would be the report given about Good Shepherd and our life together. This is Part 6 of our series in Living with Eternity in Mind.

What happens when a congregation is experiencing spiritual warfare? What happens when they start to struggle because their pastor was forced out of town? Today we see how Paul's concern for their faith under affliction leads him to send Timothy for encouragement. Today's message explores how God uses trials to strengthen faith, not destroy it, and how He sends "encouragers" into our lives to strengthen our faith. This is part 5 in our series, "Living with Eternity in Mind."

Paul continues today in his encouragement to the church as he recalls his hard work and integrity. Paul says that the Word of God is "at work in you who believe." But what does that look like? How does the Word of God "work in you?" Today we discover that the Key to Living with the End in Mind is to learn how to daily "receive the Word of God". Today we see that faith is never idle, but active in love. God's Word doesn’t just inform, it transforms. May God bless our time together with him!

Paul's ministry isn't about pleasing people but about faithfulness to God. Like a nursing mother, he cherishes the Thessalonians. Paul came to them after experiencing intense suffering and shame in Philippi, so that they too could experience the life transformation of the Gospel. In today's message we see the heart of a leader who cares deeply about his people. This is part 3 of our series "Living with Eternity in Mind" may the Lord bless our time of worship.

There is something incredible about being "chosen." When a child walks into an animal shelter and picks out a cat or dog, that animal is excited and thrilled to be "chosen." When a student is selected for a special group or team, there is something special about being "chosen." When an orphan is "chosen" by an adoptive family to come and live with them, they know something life changing has happened, because they are "chosen." Today we see the impact that the people of Thessalonica have when they discover they have been "chosen" by the living God! This is part 2 of our series, "Living with Eternity in Mind."

Today we begin our brand new series "Living with the End in Mind". In this series we are going to be walking through the book of 1 Thessalonians together. This book was written by the Apostle Church to encourage them as a community of faith and to know what to expect as the end of time neared. Today we begin with Part 1 entitled a "A Church Worth Imitating".

Today we are honored to have the Rev. Tommy Lee from Messiah Lutheran Church in Prattville, AL with us today. Tommy and his wife Irene are both retired Military. They have lived in the Montgomery/Prattville area for 20+ years. They have two children and multiple grandchildren. Tommy is a recent graduate of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis MO as part of their SMP (Specific Ministry Pastor) program. Pastor Dave had the privilege of serving as Tommy's mentor and is excited to have him join us today.