Sermons @ Shepherd

Back To Basics Part 2 – Coming From The Dust (The 2nd story of creation)

The message looks at the second creation story in Genesis, the story of Adam and Eve. We’ll look at the differences between this account of creation and the first account of creation and how this story focuses on relationships of the created with the Creator.

Why do we love the Lord? Because he has first loved us. That’s pretty much all I have for this. God’s love is our “Why?” in life. Psalm 116.

Life is full of invitations to place our trust in things. Commercials, politicians, influencers, etc. all vie for our allegiance (that is ultimately what trust is). The psalmist reminds us to trust in God alone “forsaking all others.” This is the path to freedom. This is the path to abundant life. Psalm 146

Part 1 – In The Beginning... (The first story of creation)
The message looks at the first creation story in Genesis and how we can continue to learn from it even with all that science tells us about how world came to be. It is a story seeking to answer the question of “why” not “how.” Genesis 1-2:

The message explores the ramifications of these two very odd healing stories. In the first story, Jesus insults a woman who comes asking for healing of her daughter. Her response causes Jesus to change his mind and to heal the girl from a distance. In the second story, Jesus heals a deaf man who could hardly speak by giving him a double wet willy and then spitting and touching the man’s tongue. Mark 7:24-37

This message focuses on these three rules for how we as people of faith can move through life in a world that is too often slow to listen, quick to speak and quick to anger. When we learn to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger we move closer to being doers of the word and not merely hearers. James 1:19-27

There is nothing particularly "offensive" about putting on the whole armor of God: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes to proclaim the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Even with the full armor of God, we still need constant prayer.

Psalm 15 makes a tall order for who may abide in the tent of the Lord? I don’t know anyone who is “blameless.” So, who can abide with God? Christians read these words of the psalmist as aspirational. Because of God’s grace, this is what we seek to become. But, all may abide with the Lord because of Jesus.

The path to abundant life is not an easy one. That is because is order for us to experience the fullness of God’s love and grace through Jesus, something in us must die away. Perhaps it is ego, or fear, or something else. But we must learn to let go of self in order to be taken up by the grace of God. Some people will be uncomfortable with this challenge. God’s grace will be theirs forever, whether they choose abundant life, or not. 

Eat my flesh, drink my blood; that's kind of gross. This is a continuation of the “bread of life” conversation. Jesus is different from the manna that God sent to the Israelites in the wilderness because Jesus is spiritual bread (made flesh – it’s kind of a paradox). Jesus is the spiritual nourishment that is eternal.