Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Old Bridge, NJ

When we come to the Gospel of John, there are seven times when Jesus claims to be “I AM.” He shows himself to be God. We will be looking at each one of these seven “I AM” statements throughout this message series, exploring the significance of each. Each “I AM” statement points to something unique about Jesus.

* April 15: The Gate (John 10:1-10)

* April 22: The Good Shepherd (John 10:11-18)

* April 29: The True Vine (John 15:1-11)

* May 6: The Light of the World (John 8:12-19)

* May 13: The Bread of Life (John 6:25-40)

* May 20: The Resurrection and the Life (John 11:17-27)

* May 27: The Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:1-17)

Today we explore how Jesus is the Light of the World.

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We continue our message series on the “I AM” statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John. Today, we look at John 15:5 where Jesus says:

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5, ESV)

God created us to live a fruitful life. But many of us are marked with frustration, futility, scarcity, and lack. When we start to come up short we start working harder and longer, only to wear ourselves down more. It is not a pleasant cycle to live in.

But Jesus would tell us that to live the joyous, abundant, and fruitful life that has has come to give us comes when we abide in him. As we abide in him, we will grow in him and allow the unfruitful elements of our lives to be pruned. It is then that we experience the harvest.

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This week we celebrated Good Shepherd Sunday. Our message is a continuation of the I AM message series we began last week. Jesus tells us he is the Good Shepherd. Unfortunately, we live in a cynical world that wears us down and leads us to doubt the goodness of God. There are several reasons why we doubt the goodness of God and there are severe consequences when we do so. In this message, Pastor Phil looks at several ways in which we are continually reminded of God’s goodness each and every day. Our reading for today is John 10:11-18.

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This week, we begin a new message series called: “I AM.” This statement comes from the book of Exodus when God appeared to Moses from the burning bush. Moses would ask God his name. God responded by saying, “I am who I am” (see Exodus 3:13-14) and would become known as the “Great I Am.”

When we come to the Gospel of John, there are seven times when Jesus claims to be “I AM.” He shows himself to be God. We will be looking at each one of these seven “I AM” statements throughout this message series, exploring the significance of each. Each “I AM” statement points to something unique about Jesus.

* April 15: The Door (John 10:1-10)

* April 22: The Good Shepherd (John 10:11-18)

* April 29: The True Vine (John 15:1-11)

* May 6: The Light of the World (John 8:12-19)

* May 13: The Bread of Life (John 6:25-40)

* May 20: The Resurrection and the Life (John 11:17-27)

* May 27: The Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:1-17)

Today, we explore Jesus who says, “I am the Door.”

It is Easter Sunday. This is our triumphant day. Jesus is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! In this message, Pastor Phil explores the significance of the resurrection. Because Jesus lives, we too may live a new life.

Happy Easter.

We live in a hurting and confused world. People may think that we are weird or misguided for following Jesus. But when we see the things the world follows after and the consequences of those choices, it seems there is more wisdom in following Jesus. This week Deacon Steve Weiss shares our message entitled, “What would Jesus do?”

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

* Guidance

* Gifts

* Good Stewardship

* Grace

* Growth

* Glorification

* Groups

Our theme for the week is “Growth.” Growth is important because there is a tie in with our mission statement: “KNOW Jesus, GROW as his followers, and GO out as missionaries into the world.” But what does it exactly mean to grow? Specifically, what does it mean to grow as a follower of Jesus? In this message, Pastor Phil discusses how growth serves as a value of abundant living.

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

* Guidance

* Gifts

* Good Stewardship

* Grace

* Growth

* Glorification

* Groups

Our theme for the week is “Grace.” Grace is at the heart of our faith. If there is one value that is more important than the others, it would be this one. We hear about grace and we talk about grace, but we too easily forget what is so amazing about grace. In this message, Pastor Phil helps to remind us just how special grace is and just how much we need it – more than we ever realize.

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 is Good Stewardship. God is the owner of all things. He has entrusted us with all of life’s resources. We are called to make wise use of it all. In this message, Pastor Phil address our use of money. It is something Jesus talks about often because it is something that often hinders our relationship with the Lord. Some common myths often associated with money is that. 1) It is the root of evil. 2) That it will solve our problems. 3) That we are owners of it. 4) That it is always God’s will for financial prosperity.

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 talked about gifts, which are about empowered servanthood. Everything we have is a gift! The reason God gives the gifts he gives is so that we can serve him and others. Today, we hear two testimonies of how God has empowered our church to serve needs in this world. These two things include our ministry to Haiti and the Comfort Dog Ministry. We are preparing to pack 160,000 meals for children in Haiti on June 2. At the same time, we also welcomed home Lily the Comfort Dog after providing comfort to those affected by the school tragedy in Parkland, FL.