Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Old Bridge, NJ

In this series, we will be looking at 7 Values of Abundant Living. They include:

* Guidance

* Gifts

* Good Stewardship

* Grace

* Growth

* Glorification

* Groups

This week we will examine the importance of Guidance for the life of a believer.

Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the season of Lent. It begins a 40 day period of fasting, repentance, and renewal. In this message, Pastor Phil looks at Joel 2:12-19 and what it means to return to the Lord and value the things that God would have us value.

This Sunday was Mission Sunday at Good Shepherd. We welcomed Pastor Matt Lytikainen, a church planter in Hoboken, NJ with the New Jersey District Kairos Network. Pastor Matt shared the days message from 2 Corinthians 4:1-6. If you want to find out more about Pastor Matt and the church plant in Hoboken, visit milesquare.church.

This summer we are going through the book of Romans as we anticipate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation in October. This week we come to Romans 7. Here the Apostle Paul talks about his struggle to do the good things that he desires to do, but finds himself in a struggle with his sin. He continually fails.

But in spite of his struggle, Paul’s confidence rests in the Lord. Overcoming failure is not about applying 4 Biblical principles to our lives. That is only going to give us something more to fail at and to feel guilty about. Overcoming failure is not about us. It is about God. We will fail, but God never fails.

This week we kick off a brand new message series for the summer on the Book of Romans. This year is the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. There may be no other book of the Bible that had such a profound impact upon the Reformation as the Book of Romans. This is what Martin Luther has to say about this book:

This epistle is really the chief part of the New Testament and is truly the purest gospel. It is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but also that he should occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. We can never read it or ponder it over too much; for the more we deal with it, the more precious it becomes and the better it taste. – Martin Luther

This week we look at Romans 5:6-11. In these verses, the Apostle Paul contrast the human condition with God’s grace.

It is Pentecost Sunday and Confirmation Sunday at Good Shepherd. In this message, Pastor Phil shares about the significance of Confirmation. He also speaks to what we confirm and how it is important to confirm our faith everyday.

Suffering is a complex subject and there are many reasons we suffer. There are not often easy answers. In this message, Pastor Phil shares some thoughts from 1 Peter about suffering well.

Sometimes we don’t understand the events in life. We have all faced moments where we felt like the guy in the picture above. In this message, Deacon Steve Weiss shares from his experiences and from the Scripture how to face those difficult moments with faith and confidence.

Connection is critical. A leaf much stay connected to the branch or it will die. A limb must stay connected with the body. We also must stay connected with God. When we lose our connection with God we will suffer. In this message, Pastor Phil looks at our vital connection with God how he connects to us through the blood of Jesus and how we connect to him through the Word.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,” (1 Peter 1:3–4, ESV)

This is the second Sunday of Easter. The hope of the resurrection is not just for Easter Sunday. It is for every day. It is for us and every part of our lives. It is a living hope!